Hand luggage tips
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September 23, 2019
If you're heading away on a short-haul holiday, the chances are you'll be travelling with hand luggage only to save time and money.
Before your trip, it's important to make sure you know your airline's hand luggage size and weight restrictions as they vary from airline to airline and going over them, even slightly, can result in a hefty fine.
Even if you've travelled recently, double check your allowances as they can change.
For example, on October 10, 2018, Wizz Air announced changes to its hand luggage policy, reducing the free carry-on allowance to a bag sized 40 x 30 x 20cm. Now, only passengers who purchase priority are permitted an additional bag, sized 55 x 40 x 23cm (the original size of their free carry-on).
Similarly, on August 24, 2018, Ryanair changed its hand luggage rules so passengers can no longer take small suitcases as standard carry on. The change means small suitcases up to 10kg will need to be checked in for a fee between €/£10 and €/£17.50. Passengers can still take one small bag that can fit under the the seat in front of them for free, while a limited number of travellers who pay for priority boarding (between £/€6 and £/€12 per flight) can take a small suitcase as their cabin bag.
Confused? From airline-specific restrictions to top tips on packing and what you can take on board, our comprehensive guide to hand luggage tells you everything you need to know.
What are the benefits of travelling light with hand baggage only?
It’s quicker
There’s no need to join a check-in or bag-drop queue on departure and no need to wait for bags at the luggage carousel on arrival. Plus you get to the taxi queue or car hire rental desks before the rest of the passengers you have travelled with.
It’s safer
You keep your bag with you at all times, so there’s no need to worry about your luggage turning up in Tenerife while you’re in Lanzarote. There’s also no need to worry about your bag getting damaged in the cargo hold or some unscrupulous individual helping themselves to the contents of your case – you know your bag is safely stowed in the cabin above your head or under the seat.
Do be aware that some airlines now have a cut-off on hand luggage items into the cabin. EasyJet, for example, gives overhead locker space on a first-come-first served basis. All other bags at the correct size could end up being placed into the hold free of charge. And Ryanair will now only allow passengers who have paid for priority boarding to take a larger bag into the cabin.
It’s cheaper
Taking hand luggage instead of checked baggage on holiday generally allows you to avoid checked-in baggage charges, but you must always check the weights and costs of individual airlines before you fly. For example, if you don’t pre-book your hold baggage with Ryanair, you’re looking at up to £40 for a 20kg case one way (depending on your journey length) or up to £50 if you arrange this at the airport.
There’s less stress
You are in control of your things, you’re not reliant on the baggage system, and you can avoid lots of queues.
Our top tips for travelling hand luggage only
Know your limits
Ensure 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.
EasyJet, for example, will accept any weight as long as you can place it in the overhead locker, whereas Ryanair allows one personal bag which must be able to fit under the seat in front of you (those with priority boarding will be allowed to take a small suitcase up to 10kg into the cabin). Some also allow one piece of hand baggage plus one duty-free bag – so you can buy items you may need such as toiletries, water, guide books and magazines to your heart’s content, and place them in one carrier bag from the airside shops.
Some airports such as Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester also allow you to buy duty free and then collect on the way back, meaning that you never have to take the items on board and can avoid cabin bag weight limits altogether.
If you do have hand baggage that is over the limit, be prepared to have the bag taken from you and an excess baggage fee charged. To avoid this, always pre-book an extra bag online rather than risk being charged at the gate, which will cost you more. It’s therefore important to weigh it correctly and ensure it stays under the maximum limit allowed in the cabin.
BA also offers a further option for customers on short-haul domestic and European flights from London. A hand baggage-only fare is now in operation, which is a low cost option for those not wanting to take checked baggage. The fare allows you to take one piece of hand baggage, plus a handbag or laptop bag.
Popular airline hand luggage limits
| Provider | Free hand luggage weight allowance | Hand baggage size |
| Jet2 | 10kg in one bag, plus a small personal item (if it can fit under the seat in front of you) |
56 x 45 x 25cm |
| Ryanair | One personal bag (eg handbag, laptop bag, small backpack) which must be able to fit under the seat in front of you |
40 x 20 x 25cm |
| easyJet | No limit but must be able to lift into the overhead locker unaided. One bag allowed | Maximum size of 56 x 45 x 25cm including handles and wheels. It may have to go in the hold if the flight is busy |
| British Airways | One bag up to 23kg plus either a personal handbag or a laptop | Cabin bag: 56 x 45 x 25cm Personal item: 40 x 30 x 15cm |
| Wizz Air | One bag allowed with a max weight of 10kg |
40 x 30 x 20cm |
| Virgin Atlantic | One piece up to 10kg in economy | 56 x 36 x 23cm |
| Norwegian Air | LowFare, Lowfare+, Flex, Premium: One bag plus small handbag or laptop at combined weight of 10kg.
PremiumFlex: One bag plus small handbag or laptop at combined weight of 15kg. Note that hand baggage must not exceed 8 kg on flights to or from Dubai |
Cabin bag: 55 x 40 x 23cm
Personal item: 25 x 33 x 20cm |
| Flybe (Flybe operated aircraft only – smaller allowances may apply on aircraft operated by other airlines on behalf of Flybe) | One cabin bag plus one personal item, weighing no more than 10kg combined | Cabin bag: 55 x 35 x 20cm |
| Aer Lingus (smaller limits apply on Aer Lingus Regional Flights) | 10kg in one bag plus a small handbag/laptop, duty free or baby changing bag | Cabin bag: 55 x 40 x 24cm Personal item: 25 x 33 x 20cm |
| TUI – Flight only | 10kg in one bag | 55 x 40 x 20cm |
The allowances above reflect those for passengers travelling on the lowest fare types – higher fare types and frequent fliers may be granted higher allowances. Please consult your airline for further details.
Buy the right bag
Once you know your hand luggage size limit, ensure your bag fits within this. If you can, choose a soft bag for carry-on luggage as it will be easier to cram into overhead bins and is likely to be lighter, giving you more weight for your items.
Only pack what you need
The tip here is to be ruthless. The aim is to carry as little as possible and to buy items you can find locally wherever you can. Clothing is where you can make a major hit – see below.
Packing techniques
There are three main schools of thought on packing techniques for small bags: rolling everything around a central item, folding everything into squares or bundling items around each other.
Which clothes?
Always wear any heavy items you need such as coats, jeans, hoodies, boots, shoes and belts. Otherwise stick to the concept of the capsule wardrobe – essentially, a small number of pieces that co-ordinate to produce multiple outfits by all working together.
The longer the trip, the more creative you need to be, but make sure you are going to need everything you pack – if not, don’t pack it in the first place. In most places, you can buy something easily and quickly if you really need an item that you left behind.
All clothes should be lightweight – many companies specialise in selling items that are light, wrinkle-free and easy-care. This allows for less stress when unpacking a crumpled shirt or blouse and also means they can be hand-washed at your hotel and worn again. If you plan to wash items at your hotel, you could use a laundry service or wash them yourself – in which case take a plug with you as most hotel bathroom plugs are poor.
Toiletries
You need to obey the 100ml rule at present and decant items into small bottles that fit within one plastic bag for security. You can always buy items airside or on arrival. Most hotels will give you soap and shampoo. You should try to minimise the toiletries and make-up you take. Ask yourself: "Do you really NEED it all?" If so, use travel-size bottles or packets only or buy locally. Toiletries can weigh far more than you think.
Pockets
Use the pockets of your clothes to take heavier items on board which you can transfer to your bag once you are on board (eg phone charger, camera, books, and toiletries). Use pockets as well for travel documents such as your passport, tickets, travel insurance, driving licence and money.
Phones/iPods/Laptops/Notebooks
These often add a lot of weight, especially if you have multiple items and multiple chargers. Be smart – can you download guide books/information/entertainment/games/music on to one device and just take that one with you? Notebooks are smaller than laptops, and if you are travelling for only a few days then you may not even need the heavier and larger items.
Don’t pool your hand luggage
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. All limits given are for a standard economy fare.
