TipsPrivate aviation removes the weigh-in, the fees, and the carousel, but physics still applies. Each aircraft hold has a shape and a limit, and one honest conversation at booking usually separates a smooth departure from repacking on the ramp.
Charter luggage rules are generous, logical, and easy to learn. Once you know your category's real volumes and the few packing habits crews wish everyone had, you won't need to think about it again.
Start with hold volumes, switch to soft bags, and declare special items early.
01 Volume by Category
Hold capacity grows with the airframe, though not in a straight line, and what fits matters more than the cubic feet:
| Category | Typical Hold | Real-World Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Very Light | 14 - 70 ft³ | Weekend soft bags for 3-4 |
| Light | 45 - 80 ft³ | A week's cases for 5-6 |
| Midsize | 80 - 106 ft³ | Family holiday + golf bags |
| Super Midsize | 100 - 130 ft³ | Two weeks, ski gear included |
| Heavy / ULR | 150 - 220 ft³ | Entourage-grade volume |
02 The Soft-Bag Doctrine
Curved hold walls suit duffels and garment bags. Rigid trunks waste the corners and make loading harder. The seasoned approach: one structured case for suits and fragile items, soft bags for everything else.
Soft bags also board faster and stack more safely, and crews can use every centimeter of an oddly shaped space. Watch a handler load a hold once and you'll stop buying matched hardside luggage.
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