Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
FREQUENT FLYER GLOSSARY
What is left luggage and baggage storage?
Left luggage (also called baggage storage or luggage storage) is a paid service that holds a traveller's bags for a few hours or several days at a counter in an airport, a railway station or a city centre. At Heathrow Airport the service is run by Excess Baggage Company, and prices start from £10 per item. [3]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Left luggage is short-term custody of bags, not transport: the airline does not check the bags in and the counter does not fly them anywhere. [3]
- Heathrow's service is operated by Excess Baggage Company, covers short and long stays, and is priced per item in time bands from £10. [3]
- Storage areas at Heathrow are monitored 24/7, and bags can be booked online before arrival. [3]
How does left luggage storage work?
Left luggage is a custody arrangement rather than a transport service. The traveller hands the bags over a counter, is given a receipt or claim tag, and collects the same bags later — after a meeting, a day of sightseeing or a multi-day side trip — without carrying them in between. Nothing is checked in with an airline, and a stored bag is not booked onto any flight; the counter simply holds it.
Because the service is sold by the piece and by time, the bill depends on how many items are handed over and how long they stay. Charges are normally banded rather than billed by the minute, so a short stop and a half-day stop can fall into different prices, and longer stays are usually charged at a lower rate per day once the first days have passed. Counters also set their own opening hours, their own rules on what they will accept and their own conditions of storage, so the terms at one airport or station do not carry over to another.
At Heathrow Airport the service is provided by Excess Baggage Company, which offers both short-term and long-term storage and takes bookings online in advance. [3] All storage areas at the airport are monitored 24/7. [3] The service can be contacted on +44 (0) 20 8759 3344. [3]
What does left luggage cost at Heathrow?
Heathrow publishes one tariff for its left luggage service, charged per item and stepped by duration. [3] The advertised starting price is £10. [3]
| Duration | Price per item |
|---|---|
| 0–3 hours | £10 |
| 3–24 hours | £15 |
| 24–48 hours | £27.50 |
| 48–72 hours | £40 |
| After 72 hours | £12.50 per additional day |
| After 7 days | £10 per day |
The tariff is not linear: a bag held for two hours and a bag held for most of a day are charged at different flat prices, and the daily rate falls for longer stays. After 72 hours the charge is £12.50 per additional day, and beyond seven days it drops to £10 per day. [3] Prices are set by the operator and can change; the figures above are those published for Heathrow on 18 October 2026. [3]
Is left luggage landside or airside?
Storage counters normally sit in the landside part of a terminal or station — the public area before passport control and security — because their customers are arriving, departing or passing through the city rather than boarding a flight at that moment. The two zones are explained in airside and landside, and terminal facilities generally in airports.
That placement matters for connecting passengers. Someone who wants to store a bag between two flights has to be able to reach the public area, which on an international connection generally means clearing immigration and customs where those checks apply, then clearing security again before the next departure. A stored bag is therefore a different thing from a bag checked through to the final destination, and storage cannot stand in for a connection the airline handles.
Left luggage is also distinct from a staffed escort service such as airport meet and greet, which moves people through the terminal rather than holding their bags.
What are the limits of left luggage storage?
- Charged per item. Heathrow prices storage per item, so the total scales with the number of bags handed over rather than with their combined weight. [3]
- Banded, not hourly. The first three hours cost £10, and anything from three to 24 hours costs £15, so a four-hour stop is charged in the 3–24 hour band rather than as three hours plus overtime. [3]
- Long stays get cheaper by the day. After 72 hours the rate is £12.50 per additional day, and after seven days it falls to £10 per day. [3]
- One operator's tariff is not another's. The Heathrow figures belong to the Excess Baggage Company service at that airport; counters at other airports, stations and city drop-off points set their own prices, time bands and hours.
- Not usable mid-connection without formalities. Because storage sits in the public area, a bag cannot be dropped between two flights unless the traveller can clear immigration and customs where required and re-clear security afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to store a bag at Heathrow?
From £10 per item for up to three hours, then £15 for 3 to 24 hours, £27.50 for 24 to 48 hours and £40 for 48 to 72 hours, as of 18 October 2026. [3]
Can you leave bags at Heathrow for more than a week?
Yes. Beyond 72 hours storage costs £12.50 per additional day, and after seven days £10 per day, per item. [3]
Who runs the left luggage service at Heathrow?
Excess Baggage Company, which takes bookings online in advance; the service can also be reached on +44 (0) 20 8759 3344. [3]
Are the storage areas supervised?
Heathrow states that all storage areas are monitored 24/7. [3]
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. Left luggage counters at other airports, at railway stations and at city-centre drop-off points are outside the scope of this page.
- Heathrow Airport luggage storage, checked 18 October 2026