An international flight's baggage allowance doesn't carry over to your onward seaplane transfer — small aircraft operate under genuinely stricter, firmly enforced weight limits, and it's worth planning around this before you land rather than discovering it at the seaplane terminal.
Why seaplanes are stricter than jets
A seaplane carries a small group of passengers and their bags on a light aircraft with a hard total weight ceiling — unlike a large international jet, there's very little margin, which is why operators enforce baggage limits more strictly and consistently than most airlines do for a standard checked bag.
Check your specific operator's allowance
Exact weight limits vary by operator and aircraft, and can change — always confirm the current checked and hand-baggage allowance for your specific transfer provider directly, rather than assuming a figure from a general guide (including this one) still applies.
If you're over the limit
Excess baggage is usually possible to arrange, typically at an extra per-kilogram charge, but it's far simpler to know this in advance than to negotiate it at the seaplane terminal — see our packing guide for how to keep your luggage lean in the first place.
Practical packing tips
- One soft, flexible duffel-style bag is easier to fit into a small aircraft's hold than several rigid suitcases.
- Weigh your bags before you leave home, factoring in anything you'll accumulate along the way (duty-free, souvenirs).
- If your trip includes a multi-resort itinerary, remember each leg may involve its own separate seaplane weigh-in.