24 May 20244 min read
Short-haul holiday? Ditch the checked baggage, avoid the bag-drop queues and embrace the art of travelling with light!
Holidaying with hand luggage only can be easier than you think, especially if you choose a carrier with a generous free allowance.
Before you book, it’s important to know your airline’s hand luggage size and weight restriction as they can vary – and going over them, even slightly, can result in a hefty fine. Even if you've travelled recently, it’s important to double check as they’re known to change.
Our comprehensive guide breaks down maximum hand luggage sizes and weights for popular airlines and reveals where you’ll get the most generous allowance.
Airline | Free allowance | Max. hand luggage size | Max. weight |
---|---|---|---|
Aer Lingus – European routes | One personal item | 33x25x20cm | N/A |
Aer Lingus – Transatlantic routes | One cabin bag, plus one personal item | 55x40x24cm | 10kg |
British Airways | One cabin bag, plus one personal item no larger than 40x30x15cm | 56x45x25cm | 23kg |
easyJet | One underseat cabin bag | 45x36x20cm | 15kg |
Eurowings | One cabin bag | 40x30x25cm | N/A |
Jet2 | One cabin bag, plus one personal item | 56x45x25cm | 10kg |
Lufthansa | One cabin bag, plus one personal item no larger than 40x30x10cm | 55x40x23cm | 8kg |
Norwegian Air | One underseat cabin bag | 38x30x20cm | 10kg |
Ryanair | One underseat cabin bag | 40x20x25cm | N/A |
TUI Airways | One cabin bag, plus one personal item | 55x40x20cm | 10kg |
Turkish Airlines | One cabin bag, plus one personal item no larger than 40x30x15cm | 55x40x23cm | 8kg |
Virgin Atlantic | One cabin bag, plus one personal item | 56x36x23cm | 10kg |
Vueling | One underseat cabin bag | 40x20x30cm | N/A |
Wizz Air | One underseat cabin bag | 40x30x20cm | 10kg |
* The allowances above are generally for passengers travelling on the lowest fare types – higher fare types and frequent flyers may be granted higher allowances. Please consult your airline for further details.
British Airways has one of the most generous hand luggage allowances on its basic fare, with one 23kg cabin bag sized 56x45x25cm and one personal bag up to 40x30x15cm included.
Jet2 and Virgin Atlantic’s basic fares are also generous – both allow one carry-on bag weighing up to 10kg, plus a small personal item that must be able to fit under the seat in front of you.
To get the best value for your money, it’s worth totting up the cost of adding hand luggage to a ticket with a low-cost carrier such as Ryanair. It still may work out cheaper!
Many airlines offer the option to pay for an extra cabin bag if the free allowance isn’t enough. Often, they are bundled together with added perks like priority boarding or extra legroom seats. Prices can start from as little as £6 per way (such as with Ryanair and easyJet) but can be up to as much as £50.
A top tip: you can save money on your paid-for hand luggage by skipping the priority boarding bundles offered early in the booking process and adding just the bag in the later stages.
Some airlines allow you to take a ‘personal item’ as well as your hand luggage on board. This usually means a backpack, handbag or laptop bag.
Jet2, British Airways, Turkish Airlines and Virgin Atlantic welcome you to take both on their economy fares, as do certain Aer Lingus routes and fares.
Hand luggage is generally measured by its size rather than its weight, but be prepared to have yours checked if your bag looks bigger than the allowance.
If your hand luggage is over the limit, you may need to place it in hold and will almost certainly be charged an excess baggage fee. To avoid this, always pre-book an extra bag online rather than risk being charged at the gate, which will cost you more.
Make sure you know the hand luggage restrictions for the airline or airlines you’re travelling with, especially if you are connecting from one to another or if you are returning on a different carrier. These can vary and will affect bag size, number of bags allowed and whether there is any weight limit.
In general, choose a soft bag for carry-on luggage if you can – it will be easier to cram into overhead bins and is likely to be lighter, giving you more weight for your items.
Most airlines will not allow you to pool your hand luggage allowance across a party of people, so ensure that each bag is not over the limits where a weight limit applies.
Sign up and save on your next holiday
Be a savvy traveller and get top deals to your inbox, expert travel advice and the chance to win holidays