British Airways will begin limiting some of its long haul passengers to a single bag per passenger — and charging them $120 ($236) per flight for every extra piece of luggage each way, the company said this week.

But flights to and from Bermuda will be exempt from the changes, meaning passengers can continue to check in two pieces of luggage for the main hold as well as their hand luggage.

However, anyone who has more than two check-in pieces of luggage will be a higher excess baggage charge for the third piece of luggage in line with the increase to the tariffs brought in by BA.

A third bag on long-haul flights to and from Bermuda will be $120 ($236)or $84 ($164) if pre-paid online. The change applies to passengers flying economy class to destinations outside North America, the Caribbean, Nigeria and Brazil. While passengers to destinations such as Europe and Asia were previously allowed as many bags as they wished, they would now be limited to one bag — and charged for the excess.

BA customer service manager in Bermuda, Marieanne Wilcox, said Bermuda was classified in the “Americas / Caribbean” category and was therefore not affected by the new one bag-only ruling for World Traveller class passengers.

However, all passengers will now have to abide by new weight restrictions on luggage, which have been fallen from 32kg to 23kg (51lbs).

BA will allow passengers travelling with luggage that confirms to the old weight restriction to continue to check-in that luggage until the end of September 2007.

BA’s domestic UK passengers are to be charged $30 ($59) for every bag beyond the first, while the price for extra bags taken to Europe will rise to $60 ($118).

“This whole thing is about simplifying the excess baggage charge system, which only two percent of people paid anyway,” British Airways spokesman Paul Marston said. Passengers were previously charged various rates per excess kilogram, and Marston said that many would actually end up paying less under the new system.

Those with special needs may have extra charges waived at the discretion of check-in staff, he said.

Club World, World Traveller Plus, and first class passengers would still be allowed to check in more than one bag.