✓ Policy web-verified 2026-07-06
Here is the thing to understand about Boliviana de Aviación (BoA) before you pack: your allowance is not set by the fare you clicked, it is set by the route you are flying. The cheapest BoA ticket on a Bolivian domestic hop gives you one checked bag up to 20 kg plus a cabin bag. The cheapest ticket to Madrid gives you two checked pieces at 23 kg each. Same airline, wildly different baggage math, and the trap is assuming a South American flag carrier strips you to hand luggage the way a European low-cost carrier does. BoA does not — checked baggage is included on every published fare I could verify. The question is how much and in what shape.
The second thing to internalise is the split between a weight concept and a piece concept, because BoA uses both and mixing them up is how people get charged at the counter. Domestic Bolivia and most South American international routes run on weight: one bag, a kilo ceiling. Long-haul to Europe and the United States runs on pieces: a set number of bags, each capped at 23 kg. Read on for exactly where each rule applies.
Quick facts
| Cabin bag | 1 piece, up to 55 × 35 × 25 cm |
| Cabin weight | 10 kg (Madrid/Miami); 7 kg most South American routes |
| Domestic checked | 1 piece up to 20 kg included |
| International (weight routes) | 1 piece up to 23 kg |
| International (piece routes) | Madrid/Miami economy = 2 × 23 kg |
| Extra checked bag | ≈ USD 100 up to 23 kg |
| Overweight bag (23–32 kg) | ≈ USD 150 |
| Concept | Weight-based domestic; piece-based to Europe/US |
Cabin bag & personal item
| Item | Allowance |
|---|---|
| Personal item | BoA generally allows a small personal item in addition to the cabin bag, though it does not publish separate dimensions for it — treat it as a handbag or laptop bag that fits under the seat. |
| Cabin / overhead bag | 1 piece up to 55 × 35 × 25 cm. Weight ceiling is route-dependent: 10 kg on Madrid and Miami services, 7 kg on Bolivia/Argentina/Brazil routes, and as little as 5 kg (20 × 25 × 30 cm) on the small regional runs like Potosí, Oruro, Uyuni and direct Sucre–Tarija. |
Checked baggage & fees
| Domestic Bolivia (cheapest fare) | 1 piece up to 20 kg included |
| South America intl (São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Salta) | 1 piece up to 23 kg — weight concept |
| Madrid — economy | 2 pieces × 23 kg — piece concept |
| Madrid — business | 3 pieces × 23 kg |
| Miami | 2 pieces × 23 kg — piece concept |
| Extra bag (up to 23 kg) | ≈ USD 100 |
| Overweight bag (23–32 kg) | ≈ USD 150 |
Baggage by region & route
Checked-bag inclusion on the cheapest fare can depend on where you fly, not just the fare name. Here is what the lowest fare includes by route:
| Route / region | Cheapest fare includes |
|---|---|
| Domestic Bolivia | 1 checked bag to 20 kg + cabin bag — weight concept |
| South America (Brazil, Argentina, etc.) | 1 checked bag to 23 kg + cabin bag — weight concept |
| Madrid, Spain | 2 checked bags × 23 kg in economy — piece concept |
| Miami / USA | 2 checked bags × 23 kg — piece concept |
What you actually get on a cheap fare
My honest read: BoA is one of the more generous carriers in the region if you are flying long-haul, and unremarkable if you are hopping around Bolivia. The Madrid allowance in particular — two 23 kg pieces on the cheapest economy ticket — is better than what most European carriers hand you on the same city pair, where a single bag is often an add-on. The catch is the cabin weight limit. A 7 kg ceiling on intra-South-American routes is strict, and BoA does weigh cabin bags in Bolivia. Pack the heavy items in the hold bag you already paid nothing for, and keep the roller light. Interline trap: the generous 2 × 23 kg long-haul allowance only binds on a single through-ticket. If you book, say, Milan–Madrid and Madrid–Bolivia as two separate tickets, Boliviana’s allowance won’t cover the first leg and you’ll be charged for bags in Madrid — book the whole journey as one ticket so the 2-bag rule carries through.
Oversize, sports & special items
Excess and overweight are where the numbers get soft, so I will be plain about what I can and cannot confirm. Third-party fare data consistently shows an extra checked bag priced at roughly USD 100 for a piece up to 23 kg and about USD 150 for a 23–32 kg piece (that is roughly €90 and €140 at mid-2026 rates). Domestic excess is billed in Bolivianos at the counter, but I could not verify a current per-kilo BOB rate from a source I trust, so I am not going to print a made-up figure — confirm it at check-in or on your itinerary. Oversized and sports items (bikes, skis, boards) are accepted as special baggage subject to their own charges and space; call ahead rather than gambling on the counter.
Frequently asked questions
Does Boliviana de Aviación include a checked bag for free?
Yes. Every published BoA fare I verified includes checked baggage — 20 kg on domestic Bolivia routes, 23 kg internationally, and two 23 kg pieces to Madrid and Miami in economy. Unlike European low-cost carriers, BoA does not strip you to hand luggage on the cheapest ticket.
What is the difference between the weight and piece concept on BoA?
Domestic Bolivia and most South American routes use the weight concept: one bag capped at a kilo limit (20 or 23 kg). Madrid, Miami and other long-haul routes use the piece concept: a fixed number of bags — usually two in economy — each capped at 23 kg. Do not assume the two-bag Madrid rule applies to a domestic flight.
How much is the cabin baggage allowance on BoA?
One cabin bag up to 55 × 35 × 25 cm. The weight limit depends on the route: 10 kg to Madrid and Miami, 7 kg on Bolivia/Argentina/Brazil services, and as little as 5 kg on small regional runs like Uyuni and Potosí. BoA does weigh cabin bags, so keep the roller under the limit for your route.
How many bags can I check to Madrid on BoA?
In economy you get two checked pieces of up to 23 kg each; in business it is three pieces of 23 kg. This is more generous than many European carriers charge for the same route, and it is included in the base fare rather than sold as an extra.
How much does an extra or overweight bag cost on BoA?
Third-party fare data shows roughly USD 100 for an additional checked bag up to 23 kg and about USD 150 for a bag weighing 23–32 kg. Domestic excess is charged in Bolivianos at the airport; I could not verify a current per-kilo BOB rate, so confirm it at check-in.
Can I bring a personal item plus a cabin bag on BoA?
BoA generally allows a small personal item — a handbag or laptop bag that fits under the seat — in addition to your cabin bag. The airline does not publish separate dimensions for the personal item, so keep it genuinely small to avoid a gate discussion.
Is BoA still flying in 2026?
Yes. As of July 2026 Boliviana de Aviación is operating and expanding — it serves around 22 airports across 10 countries, added a seasonal Santa Cruz–Washington Dulles route, and projects a fleet of up to 18 aircraft by year-end.