Knowing Sunlight Air Baggage Policy is essential to preventing unpleasant surprises at check-in. The airline's luggage policies are a reflection of its operating limitations because it operates regional routes throughout the Philippines, frequently on smaller planes. This post will explain what is and is not permitted, how to bring additional luggage if necessary, and the best ways to maintain compliance.
Free Baggage Allowance
1. Carry-On Baggage
- All passengers, regardless of fare category, are allowed two (2) pieces of carry-on baggage with a combined maximum weight of 7 kg.
- There is a dimension guideline: for carry-on baggage, the size should not exceed approx. 35 × 20 × 40 cm (or 43 linear inches) including handles and wheels.
- The airline reserves the right to decide whether a bag may be carried in the cabin, needs to be checked, or may not be carried at all, for safety/weight/balance reasons.
2. Checked Baggage
- The free checked baggage allowance depends on the fare type:
- “Lite” fare: no free checked baggage.
- “Value” fare: 10 kg checked baggage allowance.
- “Plus” fare: 20 kg checked baggage allowance.
- According to the Conditions of Carriage, the basic free allowance is “maximum of 10 kg of checked baggage and only one-piece of unchecked baggage not exceeding 7 kg, free of charge”.
- These allowances may vary by route (especially those with operational weight/space constraints) so always check your specific flight.
Restrictions, Size & Weight Limits
- Checked baggage: individual pieces should be properly sized, packed and identified. The airline may limit size/weight and refuse items that are oversized, overweight, unsafe, fragile or otherwise unsuitable.
- For carry-on baggage: besides the two-piece/7 kg rule, if your bag is too large, heavy or unsafe for the cabin, the airline may require you to check it in instead.
- On certain routes (e.g., smaller airports, shorter runways) aircraft weight and balance restrictions impose stricter limitations. For example: “This applies to the following routes: Clark-Coron, Coron-Cebu, Clark-Siargao, Siargao-Clark, Cebu-Siargao, Siargao-Cebu, and Clark-Boracay.”
- Liquids, gels and aerosols in carry-on: containers up to 100 ml each, total not exceeding 1 L. Maximum of ten (10) containers.
Excess Baggage & Additional Allowance
- If your baggage exceeds the free allowance, you can request additional checked baggage allowance ahead of departure (via online check-in, email or call) — this is cheaper than paying at the airport.
- Excess baggage fees: On some routes, at the airport the fee may be around Php 350 per kg for weight beyond allowance.
- On weight-restricted routes (see above) additional baggage may only be accepted depending on available space; the airline reserves the right to deny carriage if capacity is reached.
- There’s also a limit that any single piece of baggage must not exceed 50 kg.
Tips & Things to Watch
- Check your fare type carefully: “Lite” may come with no checked baggage — if you expect to check bags, you’ll need to buy extra or upgrade fare.
- Weigh your bags before arriving at the airport: The 7 kg carry-on limit and 10/20 kg checked for free are relatively tight, especially for regional flights.
- Pre-purchase extra baggage if possible: It is cheaper to pay online or ahead than at the airport, and you avoid surprises at the counter.
- Be mindful of route-specific restrictions: On certain island/hopping routes, aircraft have limited space so even pre-paid extra baggage may be refused if capacity is full.
- Pack valuables and fragile items in carry-on: Since checked bags are subject to handling, putting items like electronics, jewelry, medication, documents in your carry-on is advisable.
- Observe liquid/gel limits in carry-on: 100 ml per container, up to 1 L total, max ten containers.
- Confirm size/weight with airline website or customer service: Actual implementation may vary at airport; traveler forums report that while dimensions may sometimes be loosely enforced, weight limits are taken seriously.
- Arrive early at check-in: Especially given smaller aircraft operations, capacity and weight-balance issues may mean stricter enforcement.
- Keep your baggage tag and receipts: In case of delays, loss or damage you’ll need documentation to file claims.
Conclusion
Sunlight Air's baggage policy is quite simple: you can bring two pieces of carry-on luggage up to 7 kg for free, and you can bring up to 10 kg or 20 kg of checked luggage, depending on your price class (none for Lite). The operational environment, however, is the primary differential. Because of the Philippines' short-haul regional routes and smaller aircraft, there are actual weight and capacity restrictions, so you must make appropriate plans. You can avoid worry and additional fees at the airport by being proactive and measuring your luggage, buying extra allowance in advance if necessary, and packing carefully.
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