what size does a carry on need to be
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When you lot travel with but bear-on luggage you avert airline baggage fees, the take chances of having your bags lost, and long waits at the baggage carousel on arrival.
To make sure y'all can have your bag on the plane, though, you need to be familiar with airline restrictions every bit only bags of a certain size and weight are allowed.
We've been travelling the globe full-time for over x years with deport-on luggage only. In this post we share our tips for dealing with airline limits including the comport on luggage size and weights immune and how strict airlines actually are.
Contents
- Carry On Baggage Size
- How Strict Are Airlines With Carry On Size?
- Recommended Acquit-On Baggage
- Acquit On Luggage Weight
- Additional Personal Item
- List of Airline Conduct On Luggage Size and Weight Allowances
- North America
- Europe
- Asia
- Oceania
- Resources for Travelling Acquit-On Only
This post was originally published in July 2015 and terminal updated in Baronial 2020.
Carry On Luggage Size
How big can a carry on be?
The nearly unremarkably allowed airline acquit on size is 56 x 36 x 23 cm (22 x fourteen x nine inches) including all handles, side pockets, and wheels.
This varies by airline, though, with some allowing slightly larger or smaller bags, so check with the airline you plan to travel with. We've included a list of acquit on luggage dimensions for many airlines at the stop of this mail service.
Airlines have luggage sizers at the gate and while boarding the airplane they could inquire you to place your bag within. If it doesn't fit, you could be forced to check the bag in the luggage hold (and nearly airlines charge fees for this).
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We've found that most airlines aren't as well strict virtually the verbal size of carry on luggage.
In over 10 years we've never had our numberless measured, although our luggage has been a niggling over the size restrictions of some airlines such as Ryanair.
Information technology has helped that for most of that time we've travelled with backpacks, which are less likely to describe the attention of airline staff than suitcases.
Information technology's all-time to try to board the plane as early every bit possible as space in the overhead bins tin run out, and some budget airlines (like Ryanair and Easyjet) don't guarantee that in that location will exist infinite for your motel luggage fifty-fifty if you encounter the restrictions.
We've never had an issue with this, simply if you are worried, y'all might want to pay actress for priority boarding, which many budget airlines offer. Nosotros do find this worth the upgrade as it reduces stress nigh whether your bag volition make it on or not, plus in that location'southward less waiting to get on the plane.
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To be sure you tin can have your bag on the plane, it'due south best to choose baggage that fits the restrictions of the airlines you lot'll be travelling on. Encounter the list of immune sizes at the end of this post.
Backpack
If you'll exist travelling with a haversack, look for one in the range of thirty to 45 litres, only do check the dimensions equally well, and be aware that overpacking can make the backpack expand over the stated measurements.
Nosotros recommend the Tortuga Setout 45L backpack if you're looking for the maximum acquit on size or the Osprey Farpoint 40 for something a bit smaller for stricter airlines.
Run across our Tortuga Setout Backpack review for more details.
Suitcase
After nearly a decade of travel with backpacks, we recently switched to acquit on size suitcases.
I have the Away Bigger Carry-On which is technically larger than most airlines allow (at 22.vii ten 14.7 ten nine.vi inches), but it was designed to fit in the sizers of well-nigh US airlines (which are really a little larger than they say).
This is the all-time option if you desire to maximise the amount so yous tin can have on the plane, merely at that place is a risk you'll be asked to check it in. I haven't had any problems so far.
For a smaller, safer choice, cheque out the Away Comport-On. This measures 21.vii 10 13.7 x ix inches and is designed to meet the comport on requirements for as many airlines as possible.
Simon has a smaller suitcase, the Samsonite Base of operations Heave Spinner 55cm, which is lighter and cheaper than the Away suitcase but not equally robust or like shooting fish in a barrel to manoeuvre. He plans to buy an Away Bigger Bear-On soon.
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Comport On Luggage Weight
While US domestic airlines don't commonly have weight limits, the rest of the world does. Motel luggage usually has a weight restriction from five kg to 12 kg, with most airlines in Asia and Australia limiting it to seven kg.
This is a big concern for many people, equally by the time you've added upwardly the weight of your bag and perhaps a laptop, it doesn't leave much for other things.
The weight of our luggage varies, but it is often over 10 kg, then nosotros are over the limits for nigh airlines nosotros wing.
Do airlines weigh carry on numberless?
In over x years of full-time travel, our carry-ons have but been weighed twice. About of the fourth dimension we find that airlines don't bother, but that'due south partly considering we follow the tips below.
We aim not to draw attention to ourselves—if the bag doesn't look big and heavy so the airline is less likely to weigh it.
Information technology was easier when we travelled with a backpack rather than a suitcase, which are more conspicuous and look heavier. Backpacks also tend to use up less of your weight limit than heavier suitcases.
There are a few things you can do to help reduce the weight of your luggage and avoid getting it weighed at the drome:
Check in online – Impress your boarding laissez passer in advance (we use hotels or internet cafes or salve it on our telephone if the airline allows it), so you can avoid the bank check-in desk and go straight to security. The check-in desk-bound is where your bag is most probable to be weighed.
Employ your personal item – If you take to apply the check-in desk and the airline allows an actress personal item (see below for details), remove something heavy from your bag like a laptop, camera, or packing cube while y'all are checking in. You can ever put it dorsum in your bag afterwards.
Yous could also do this if yous go weighed at the gate—there'south no need to check your luggage if y'all haven't maximised your personal item allowance. Nigh airlines don't include your personal item in the weight limit merely a few do, and so always check earlier you wing.
Wearable information technology – Wear your heaviest clothes and shoes on the plane—we did this for a ski trip to Finland. If it'due south too warm to wear your jumper or jacket, carry it or necktie information technology around your waist rather than pack it.
Compress – Exist conscientious how y'all pack your pocketbook so it doesn't expect besides bulky. Use packing cubes or compression numberless to reduce the size of your clothes and compress the straps on the outside of your backpack to make it smaller. If it doesn't expect big, the airline is less likely to counterbalance it.
1 pocketbook – If you travel with just one bag yous'll be less conspicuous—the aim is not to draw attending to yourself. The airline is more than likely to weigh the bags of people who wait loaded down with luggage.
Fill your pockets – If the airline is actually strict y'all could fill your pockets with some of your heavier items—cargo pants or a jacket with pockets would be ideal. We've never had to do this but Benny Lewis managed to carry on 15 kg of gear in his jacket!
Beg! – One time when our backpacks were weighed while checking-in for a domestic flight in Thailand, they were constitute to be overweight. We politely explained to the staff fellow member that nosotros couldn't check our bags as they were full of laptops and cameras. They let united states of america take them with us, with a warning that nosotros might exist stopped at the gate (we weren't). It's always worth asking (nicely, of course).
The worst case scenario is that your handbag gets weighed and y'all're forced to check it in. Have a backup program for this state of affairs if you don't already have a second personal item.
The only fourth dimension we've had to check our luggage was on a tiny seaplane in the Maldives. When that happened we moved our valuables (laptops and camera) to our packable daypack and tote bag that we normally shop in our principal bags and used those as our carry-on baggage.
Don't let the weight upshot end you lot travelling with a conduct-on. Endeavour to keep the weight downward, utilize some of the to a higher place tips, and remember that if yous practice end up having to cheque it in, it's unlikely to happen on every flight, and it'southward still amend than checking your baggage all the time.
Note: One airline that does regularly weigh manus luggage at the gate is Jetstar in Australia and Asia. They only allow 7 kg combined weight for your cabin bag and personal detail and will accuse you AUD $50-160 to check in over the limit bags at the gate. We travelled with them on a domestic flight in Vietnam without a problem though.
Additional Personal Item
Virtually airlines let one piece of carry-on baggage plus an additional personal item which must fit under the seat in front of you.
Some airlines allow any small-scale bag including a haversack, handbag, laptop case, or shoulder bag, while others only let a minor purse or bag. Check with the airline you'll be travelling with for the size and weight restrictions on personal items.
A few airlines don't allow personal items, and so we used to manage without a 2d bag. Instead nosotros used a packable backpack as a day purse that we packed inside Simon's backpack when needed and took out when a personal item was allowed.
We now travel with a suitcase plus personal item each—see our conduct on packing list for details of why we changed.
For our personal items, I take the Away Everywhere Bag and Simon has the Tortuga Setout Laptop Purse. They both take sleeves that pass through our suitcase handles so we don't need to carry them—this makes airports and then piece of cake.
In addition to your behave-on and personal item, some airlines allow extra articles such as a jacket, umbrella, small bag of food, and bag of duty-free items. Cheque with the airline as allowances vary. If weight is a business organisation carry rather than pack these things.
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These are the conduct on luggage dimensions and weights allowed for your main slice of cabin baggage on major airlines.
A smaller personal item is also allowed unless I've stated otherwise—bank check with the airline for the size.
These are the allowances for flying economic system. Extra numberless may be allowed if flight premium economic system, business, or first grade.
Baggage rules practice modify, and then check the airline's website before you fly.
Annotation that considering of coronavirus, a few airlines (such at Turkish Airlines) have stopped allowing large conduct-on luggage in 2020 and only small bags that fit nether the seat are immune.
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US airlines have the most generous comport-on size allowances, often with no weight limit.
At that place is no TSA acquit on size—the baggage allowances are set by each airline.
Aeromexico: 21.5 x xv.7 x 10 inches (55 ten 40 ten 25 cm), 22 lb (10 kg).
Air Canada: 21.5 x xv.5 x ix inches (55 x twoscore x 23 cm), no weight limit.
Alaska Airlines: 22 10 xiv x nine inches (56 x 36 ten 23 cm), no weight limit.
American Airlines: 22 10 fourteen ten 9 inches (56 x 36 x 23 cm), no weight limit.
Delta: 22 x xiv x 9 inches (56 x 36 ten 23 cm), no weight limit.
JetBlue Airways: 22 ten 14 x 9 inches (56 x 36 10 23 cm), no weight limit.
Southwest Airlines: 24 ten 16 x 10 inches (61 x 41 ten 25 cm), no weight limit.
Spirit Airlines: 18 x 14 x 8 inches (45 x 35 x twenty cm). Yous can also pay to take a larger bear-on of 22 10 18 x 10 inches (56 x 46 x 25 cm). No weight limit.
United: 22 x 14 x nine inches (56 x 36 x 23 cm), no weight limit. If you lot travel on a Basic Economy ticket domestically, you lot tin simply have a personal detail or pay $25 for a large carry-on.
Volaris: I personal item of 14 x 8 x 8 inches (36 x xx x 20 cm) is allowed, and you tin pay for a larger deport-on of 22 10 16 x 10 inches (56 x 41 10 25 cm).
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European airlines tend to be stricter than The states airlines, specially about luggage weight and personal items (which are sometimes not immune). Avoid getting your bag weighed if possible (see the tips above).
Aeroflot: 55 x twoscore x 25 cm (22 x 16 x 10 inches), ten kg (22 lb).
Air Berlin: 55 x 40 10 20 cm (22 x 16 x 8 inches), viii kg (eighteen lb). Personal detail tin can be a laptop or handbag up to 2 kg (iv.4 lb).
Air France: 55 x 35 ten 25 cm (22 x 14 x x inches), 12 kg (26 lb).
Alitalia: 55 ten 35 ten 25 cm (22 x 14 x 10 inches), viii kg (18 lb).
British Airways: 56 x 45 x 25 cm (22 x 18 10 10 inches), 23 kg (51 lb).
EasyJet: 56 10 45 ten 25 cm (22 10 18 x 10 inches), no weight limit. No personal item unless you're an easyJet Plus cardholder, Flexi fare, Upfront, or Extra Legroom client.
Jet2: 56 10 45 10 25 cm (22 10 18 ten ten inches), x kg (22 lb).
KLM: 55 x 35 x 25 cm (22 x 14 ten 10 inches), 12 kg (26 lb).
Lufthansa: 55 x 40 x 23 cm (22 ten 16 x 9 inches), 8 kg (xviii lb).
Norwegian: 55 x 40 ten 23 cm (22 x 16 ten 9 inches), 10 kg (22 lb).
Ryanair: Just minor numberless of 40 x 20 x 25 cm are allowed for gratis. Yous must pay extra to take a large purse of 55 ten twoscore ten 20 cm (22 10 16 x 8 inches) weighing upward to x kg (22 lb), which includes priority boarding.
Scandinavian Airlines: 55 x xl x 23 cm (22 x 16 x nine inches), eight kg (18 lb).
Turkish Airlines: Usually 55 x twoscore x 23 cm (22 x 16 x ix inches), viii kg (18 lb). In 2020, only personal items are immune.
Virgin Atlantic: 56 x 36 10 23 cm (22 x fourteen x ix inches), 10 kg (22 lb).
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The weight restrictions on airlines in Asia are fifty-fifty stricter than in Europe.
Air Asia: 56 x 36 x 23 cm (22 ten fourteen ten 9 inches), 7 kg (xv lb).
Air China: 55 x 40 10 twenty cm (22 ten 16 x 8 inches), 5 kg (eleven lb). No personal item.
Air India: 55 x 40 x 20 cm (22 x 16 x 8 inches), 8 kg (18 lb).
Cathay Pacific: 56 x 36 x 23 cm (22 ten fourteen x 9 inches), seven kg (15 lb).
Emirates: 55 x 38 x xx cm (22 ten fifteen x 8 inches), 7 kg (15 lb). No personal detail.
Japan Airlines: 55 10 xl x 25 cm (22 x xvi x ten inches), 10 kg (22 lb).
Lion Air: 40 x 30 ten twenty cm (16 x 12 ten 8 inches), 7 kg (fifteen lb). No personal item except a small bag or camera.
Qatar Airways: l x 37 x 25 cm (20 ten 15 x 10 inches), 7 kg (fifteen lb). No personal particular except a small purse, briefcase, or camera.
Singapore Airlines: 56 ten 36 x 23 cm (22 10 fourteen 10 9 inches), vii kg (15 lb).
Thai Airways: 56 10 45 x 25 cm (22 x 18 x x inches), seven kg (fifteen lb).
Tigerair (Asia): 54 ten 38 x 23 cm (21 x 15 x nine inches), ten kg (22 lb) including personal detail.
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As in Asia, weight limits are low.
Air New Zealand: Not exceeding total linear dimensions (length + width + tiptop) of 118 cm (46.5 inches), 7 kg (fifteen lb).
Jetstar: 56 x 36 10 23 cm (22 x fourteen 10 ix inches), 7 kg (15 lb). They regularly counterbalance mitt luggage at the gate and accuse high fees to cheque in overweight bags. You tin pay actress for a 14kg (30 lb) allowance.
Qantas: 56 x 36 x 23 cm (22 x fourteen 10 9 inches), 7 kg (15 lb).
Tigerair (Australia): 54 x 38 x 23 cm (21 10 15 x 9 inches), seven kg (15 lb). No personal particular except a small bag, tablet, or coat (included in weight allowance). You can pay for Cabin+ to increase the weight limit to 12 kg.
Virgin Australia (Domestic and curt haul): Two modest bags 48 x 34 10 23 cm (nineteen x 13 x 9 inches), combined weight 7 kg (fifteen lb).
Virgin Commonwealth of australia (International long haul): 56 x 36 x 23 cm (22 x xiv x ix inches), 7 kg (15 lb).
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Resources for Travelling Carry-On Just
If you'd similar to learn more than almost how to travel conduct-on only, see my book,The Bear-On Traveller: The Ultimate Guide to Packing Lite, which is available for Kindle or paperback on Amazon.
Yous can also see our other posts nearly packing calorie-free:
- Our Carry-On Packing Listing (Updated)
- Comport-On Travel in x Easy Steps
- Allbirds Review: The Best Travel Shoes
- How to Pack Carry-On Only For Cold Conditions
- Ski Trip Packing Listing
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