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Excess, oversize, and overweight baggage will be banned for the next 30 days on American Airlines flights to Santo Domingo, Santiago and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, and the embargo also will also apply to flights to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, when service resumes.

The embargo will be in effect between Jan. 14 and Feb. 14, 2010. For the next 30 days, customers traveling to these destinations will be allowed to check two pieces of baggage of normal checked-bag size and weight – up to 50 pounds and 62 dimensional inches each, according to the airline. Customers will also be allowed one properly sized carry-on bag.

“Excess, oversize, and overweight baggage will not be accepted for flights to the destinations covered by the bag embargo. Sports equipment, such as golf bags, bikes and surfboards, may be checked as part of the total checked-bag allowance, although additional charges may apply,” according to American.

The airline is being coy about its reasoning, but one can speculate that the embargo is due to American’s concern about an influx of passengers heading to Hispaniola in the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake attempting to bring along supplies for friends and family in that shattered nation. “We expect heavy loads and excess bags and this is a way to guarantee that all of our passengers are able to have their bags on their flight,” an airline spokesperson said.