Baggage Allowance for family of 4?

Hi. We're not traveling/moving until next summer, but the kids have been throwing questions at us right and left, so I was hoping to get this question answered.

We don't know who we will be flying with yet, but I have looked at several airline websites and don't specifically see the answer, though I may have missed it.

If 4 separate people are traveling with 4 tickets, they each get a baggage allowance. When I flew here, it was 2 checked bags under 50 pounds and a carry on and personal item.

I vaguely remember reading somewhere that if a family of 4 is traveling, they don't get that many bags. Or they get less weight... I can't remember. But it will be my husband and I and our two children, aged 12 and 14, so we pay full price for them. It would really be great to be able to load them up with 2 suitcases each plus the carry ons.

Though, I just read on US Airways that they've stopped allowing a second free bag on transatlantic flights. That's gonna suck! It's one thing for a visit, but for moving house, we need all we can get

Any experiences you all may have had would be most helpful, thanks!

I think each passenger gets the full bag allowance, whatever it is for that airline and flight.  It doesn't matter that you're a family.  I wonder where you read that.

We just booked our tickets for Thanksgiving and it says we're only allowed one bag each. I have the feeling that it's changed. 

When I have flown this year you can only bring one bag, and you can pay for another one. I think on Delta I paid £29 ($50) for an extra bag. It was worth it for me!

All depends on the airline-
Virgin still gives 2 free in Economy, as does Air France. I *think* AA does too. BA just stopped, the buggers. 

By the time you fly, it may all change. Hopefully for the better.  Doubtful.

However, like Racheee says, its sometimes worth the extra bag fees.

Since I have to connect with low cost airlines to where I live, which I think if I lived in Shetland I'd have an easier time getting somewhere, then from here, horrible connections with airports-  I am getting used to packing lightly.  (Doesn't help when you're moving though)

Thanks for the responses everyone.

I'm not sure where I read the part about not letting families take their fair share, but I'm relieved to know that it's not true. And I hope the way things are going with cutting out the second free bag, that by the time we go, they won't have cut it down to no free bags like it is for domestic flights.

Frankly, things are changing pretty quickly right now, and likely will change on many of the airlines by next summer. Since a number of the airlines have started dropping the transatlantic allowance to 1 checked item, I would expect most of them to follow suit.

That said, if you are willing to book early, they generally apply the rules at the time of the booking. For instance, I believe Virgin is changing their policy to one bag in late November. We're flying them at Christmas, but since we booked before the change, we get to take 2.

Yeah, Tim just missed out on booking his BA flight to have 2 bags,and we were planning on him taking back a suitcase of mine.  BUT - we looked things up online, and to check an extra bag from the US and pre-pay online for it, it's only $48, whereas it's $60 (i think) if you checked and paid at the airport...AND paying for it from the US side is for some odd reason cheaper than paying for it on the UK side. We're sucking it up and paying for it because $48 is a lot cheaper than shipping the suitcase!

United Airlines allows 2 bags (free) up to 50lbs until December 15th.  You're also allowed a carry-on and a personal item each.  As the others stated, it all depends on the airline as they are all changing but some of them have already changed.  It's ridiculous for someone to say you aren't allowed the full baggage because you're a family.  You're paying the full price regardless of whether you are a family or not.  If an airline tried to tell me I wasn't allowed the same amount of baggage as everyone else on the plane, I would most definitely be paying a lower rate than everyone else for my tickets!

United Airlines allows 2 bags (free) up to 50lbs until December 15th.  You're also allowed a carry-on and a personal item each.

Oh no! I chose United because they still allowed 2 free bags...I'm supposed to fly back to the states on the 23rd December.  Will I still be allowed to pack two bags I came over with since the flights have been booked since august?!

Oh no! I chose United because they still allowed 2 free bags...I'm supposed to fly back to the states on the 23rd December.  Will I still be allowed to pack two bags I came over with since the flights have been booked since august?!

If you bought your tickets before Sept 30, you will still be able to have 2 checked bags for free.  (I just didn't include that in the post since the OP obviously won't have bought their tickets prior to Sept 30.)

I know it's an expensive option, but most airlines are still offering 2 checked bags for business and first class. Might be worth seeing if you're eligible for an upgrade!