Carry-on size rules for ~20 major airlines in 2026 — cabin bag dimensions, weight limits and personal-item notes, with hedges to verify before you fly. Cross-links to packing and gear guides.
What are airline carry-on size rules in 2026?
Most full-service airlines still cluster around a 55×35–40×20–25 cm cabin bag (about 22×14×9 in) with weight caps commonly 7–12 kg internationally — but ultra-low-cost carriers often shrink the free bag to underseat-only sizes. Always size for the strictest airline on your itinerary and verify the live policy before airport day.
The table below is a working July 2026 comparison of typical published limits — airlines tweak centimetres, kilograms and fare families without much warning. Soft bags forgive sizer boxes better than hard shells. For what to put inside, use the carry-on packing list; for bag models that survive sizers, see best travel gear 2026.
Tape-measure at home the way a sizer will: wheels down, handle collapsed, pockets empty. A cheap luggage scale pays for itself the first time you avoid an airport bag desk. Liquids and lithium battery rules still sit beside centimetre charts — a compliant bag can fail security for the wrong bottle.
How should you read airline cabin-bag limits?
Read three lines every time: maximum dimensions (usually including wheels and handles), weight limit if published, and whether a separate personal item is free. Fare family matters — “basic” economy on many carriers removes or shrinks the cabin bag. Codeshares can enforce the operating carrier’s sizer, not the logo on your booking confirmation.
Linear-inch marketing (“45 linear inches”) is not the same as a 55×40×20 cm box. Measure your bag at home. If you have a long airport layover and need to ditch a suitcase for the afternoon, a luggage-storage drop near stations (Radical Storage and similar) can beat dragging a non-compliant roller through security twice — useful when you are already living out of the carry-on packing list.
- Size for the strictest airline on a multi-carrier trip
- Wheels and handles usually count in the centimetres
- Weight limits are enforced more often on Asia and Middle East carriers
- Personal item ≠ second cabin bag on budget airlines
How do carry-on dimensions compare across major airlines?
Across roughly twenty major airlines, US Big Three cabin bags sit near 22×14×9 in, many European and Gulf carriers publish ~55×40×20–23 cm with 7–8 kg caps, and ultra-low-cost brands often free only a small underseat bag. Treat every cell as typical published guidance — confirm on the airline site for your fare.
Budget-carrier maths still pairs with cheap flights tactics: a £29 fare plus a £45 cabin-bag fee is not a £29 flight. If you are packing tech, keep power banks in the cabin and remember data plans from the best eSIM for travel guide so you are not also carrying a pocket Wi‑Fi brick.
| Airline | Typical cabin bag (verify) | Typical weight | Personal item notes | Strictness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 22×14×9 in | No free weight limit (gate fit) | Yes — underseat | Sizer-focused |
| Delta Air Lines | 22×14×9 in | No free weight limit (gate fit) | Yes — underseat | Sizer-focused |
| United Airlines | 22×14×9 in | No free weight limit (gate fit) | Yes — underseat | Sizer-focused |
| Southwest | 24×16×10 in | No free weight limit (gate fit) | Yes — underseat | More forgiving size |
| JetBlue | 22×14×9 in | No free weight limit (gate fit) | Yes — underseat | Sizer-focused |
| British Airways | 56×45×25 cm | 23 kg (cabin) | Yes — smaller handbag | Soft enforcement varies |
| Virgin Atlantic | 56×36×23 cm | 10 kg typical | Yes — handbag/laptop | Weigh + sizer |
| Ryanair | 40×20×25 cm free underseat* | N/A on free bag | Free bag is the personal item | Very strict sizers |
| easyJet | 45×36×20 cm underseat on basic* | N/A on free bag | Larger cabin bag often paid | Strict on basic fares |
| Lufthansa | 55×40×23 cm | 8 kg | Yes — small bag | Weight checks happen |
| Air France | 55×35×25 cm | 12 kg economy typical | Yes — handbag | Fare family matters |
| KLM | 55×35×25 cm | 12 kg economy typical | Yes — handbag | Fare family matters |
| Turkish Airlines | 55×40×23 cm | 8 kg | Yes — small item | Weight checks common |
| Emirates | 55×38×20 cm | 7 kg | Yes — small item | Weight checks common |
| Qatar Airways | 50×37×25 cm | 7 kg | Yes — small item | Weight checks common |
| Singapore Airlines | 115 cm linear (typ. 55×40×20) | 7 kg | Yes — small item | Weight checks common |
| Cathay Pacific | 56×36×23 cm | 7 kg | Yes — small item | Weight checks common |
| ANA | 55×40×25 cm | 10 kg | Counts within rules | Japan carriers weigh |
| Japan Airlines | 55×40×25 cm | 10 kg | Counts within rules | Japan carriers weigh |
| Air Canada | 21.5×15.5×9 in / ~55×40×23 cm | Varies by route/fare | Yes — underseat | Check fare + route |
How do budget airlines differ from full-service cabin rules?
Ultra-low-cost carriers often sell the big overhead bag as an add-on and only include a small underseat bag in the base fare. Full-service airlines more often include a standard cabin bag, then enforce weight on long-haul. Never assume your “cabin-size” roller is free on Ryanair-style fares — read the fare tile before you pack.
If you mix a budget short-haul feeder with a long-haul carrier, pack to the feeder’s free allowance or prepay the larger bag. Airport day is the most expensive moment to discover the difference. Lounge access does not relax the sizer — see airport lounge access.
How do you pack to survive the strictest carry-on limit?
Pick a bag that fits your strictest airline’s published box, keep empty weight low, wear the heaviest layer and shoes, and move dense items (chargers, power bank, liquids bag) into a compliant personal item. Soft-sided bags compress in sizers. Weigh at home; do not rely on “it fit last year” stories.
The carry-on packing list 5-4-3-2-1 clothing rule exists for this reason. Gear shortlists that respect dimensions live in best travel gear 2026. If a bag fails at the gate, unpaid gate fees can erase an entire cheap-fare win.
Carry-on size questions, answered
Size for the strictest airline, verify dimensions and weight for your fare family, and treat comparison tables as starting points. Budget carriers redefine “free bag”. Soft bags and honest home weigh-ins beat arguments at the gate. Policies change — confirm before you fly.
- Do wheels count? — Usually yes in the centimetre limits.
- Can I take a personal item and a cabin bag? — On most full-service fares yes; on many ULCC basic fares the free piece is only the small underseat bag.
- Are US domestic weight limits common? — Fit is enforced more than kilos; long-haul foreign carriers weigh more often.
- What if my codeshare partner is stricter? — The operating carrier’s rules can win at the gate.
- Should I buy a 45-linear-inch hard shell? — Only if it truly fits your strictest sizer; soft 40L packs often win.
- Where can I store a bag in the city? — Luggage storage partners help on long layovers — plan ahead.
Where can I check each airline’s carry-on policy in detail?
TravelShifu keeps a verified policy page for 30 airlines — carry-on size and weight, checked-bag fees, change rules and pet options — grouped by alliance on the [airline policies index](/airlines). Start with your carrier below, then cross-check the [baggage fees comparison](/guides/airline-baggage-fees-compared) before you pay for a bag.
Star Alliance: Air Canada, ANA, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, SWISS, Turkish Airlines, United.
SkyTeam: Air France, Delta, KLM, Virgin Atlantic.
oneworld: American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways.
Low-cost & independents: Aer Lingus, easyJet, Emirates, Etihad, Frontier, JetBlue, Norwegian, Ryanair, Southwest, Spirit, WestJet, Wizz Air.