European cabin bag sizes: 24 airlines compared for 2026

A cheap ticket can stop being cheap once you add a cabin bag. Ryanair and easyJet include a personal item on their cheapest fares, while British Airways includes an overhead cabin bag too. The size limits also differ, sometimes by just a few centimetres.

Are EU cabin bag rules changing in 2026?

The EU has approved a common minimum for a free personal item of 40 × 30 × 15 cm. The revised passenger-rights rules (opens in a new tab) are not yet applicable. They do not set a common size for the larger overhead cabin bag, as the European Commission explains (opens in a new tab).

Until the new rules apply, use the airline limits and baggage allowance on your booking. LOT's current 12 cm depth limit is an example of why the future EU minimum should not be treated as today's universal allowance.

Cabin bag sizes at a glance

Personal item means the smaller bag under the seat. Overhead cabin bag means the larger bag or suitcase in the locker. Airlines also call these hand luggage, carry-on bags or trolleys. Dimensions are in centimetres; some airlines list height and width in a different order, so compare the sides after turning the bag.

Pegasus's personal-item rule here is for international and Cyprus flights; its domestic rules differ. TUI fly Belgium is one TUI carrier, not a group-wide TUI allowance.

What cabin bag size works across European airlines?

• One personal item for all 24 airlines here: 40 × 30 × 12 cm, including LOT's 12 cm depth limit.
• One personal item for the other 23: 40 × 30 × 15 cm. This is also the approved future EU minimum, but it is not yet in force.
• One free backpack for Ryanair, Wizz Air, Vueling and easyJet: 40 × 30 × 20 cm. It gives you more packing room if those are the airlines you actually use.
• One overhead cabin bag for all 24 published size limits: 55 × 35 × 20 cm. Aim for 8 kg or less where an 8 kg overhead limit applies, and allow for separate or combined personal-item weight limits.

The drawings show height and width to the same scale. The third measurement is depth.

These are maximum dimensions. Measure the packed bag at its widest points: a soft backpack can expand beyond its label, and suitcase wheels and handles can push a case over the limit.

Weight matters as well as size. Finnair, Norwegian, Transavia and Volotea use combined limits for two cabin pieces on the fares noted above; LOT, Pegasus and TAP specify separate limits for the two pieces.

What does your fare actually include?

Personal item only on the cheapest relevant fare: Ryanair, Wizz Air, easyJet, Vueling, Volotea, Norwegian, Eurowings, Transavia, TUI fly Belgium and Pegasus on international flights. Aer Lingus lets you drop a 10 kg bag at check-in for free, but bringing it into the cabin requires an add-on or eligible fare.

Some Basic or Light fares exclude the overhead cabin bag: Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Finnair and SAS.

Overhead cabin bag included in Economy: British Airways, Iberia, ITA, Jet2, LOT and TAP.

Add baggage costs for both legs before choosing the cheaper ticket. Our guide to deciding whether a flight price is good also looks at the total price after extras.

Small differences that catch people out

easyJet is generous under the seat

Its included bag may be as large as 45 × 36 × 20 cm. If the flight home is with Ryanair, whose small bag is 40 × 30 × 20 cm, an easyJet-sized backpack may be too wide or tall for the return. Pack to the smaller allowance on a mixed-airline trip.

Ryanair, Wizz Air and Vueling match below, but diverge above

All three list a 40 × 30 × 20 cm under-seat bag. Wizz Air’s added trolley may be 55 × 40 × 23 cm, while Ryanair and Vueling specify 55 × 40 × 20 cm. Three centimetres of extra depth on a hard case cannot be compressed at the gate.

Air France and KLM are narrower overhead

Their usual overhead dimensions are 55 × 35 × 25 cm. A common 55 × 40 × 20 cm case meets their height and depth limits but exceeds their width limit. If you want one suitcase for several airlines, a 35 cm-wide case gives you more options.

How to check a bag before you leave

1. Open both bookings. Check the operating airline and baggage allowance for each flight, including connections.
2. Measure the packed bag. Include protruding pockets, fixed handles and wheels unless that airline expressly excludes them.
3. Weigh it. Pay attention to whether the limit applies to the cabin bag alone or both bags combined.
4. Price baggage for both flights. If you know you need an overhead bag, compare its advance price on each flight before booking.

For example, an easyJet outbound flight and a Ryanair return can both be flown with a 40 × 30 × 20 cm small bag at no extra baggage cost. A bag filled to easyJet’s 45 × 36 × 20 cm limit would not meet Ryanair’s published small-bag dimensions.

What happens if your cabin bag is too big?

The airline may put it in the hold and charge a gate fee. As checked on 28 September 2026, easyJet lists £60 (opens in a new tab) for an unbooked large cabin bag at the gate. Vueling lists €60–75 (opens in a new tab) for an oversized underseat bag and €110–140 for a bag exceeding its overhead limit. Fees can change faster than dimensions, so check the airline's current fee before departure.

Before you book

If you regularly mix airlines on the same trip, pack to the smallest allowance on your itinerary. Then compare the total fare after any bag add-ons. If you're still deciding when to book the flight, include the baggage cost in that decision.

Frequently asked questions

Is a personal item the same as a cabin bag?

Airlines use the terms differently. In this guide, the personal item is the small bag placed under the seat; the overhead cabin bag is the larger case or backpack placed in the locker. Check where your fare says each bag must go.

Does a 55 × 40 × 20 cm case fit every airline?

No. It exceeds the 35 cm width listed by Air France and KLM, although it fits the size limits of many other airlines here. Size is separate from whether the fare includes a cabin case.

Do cabin bag dimensions include wheels and handles?

It depends on the airline. easyJet includes handles and wheels in its bag dimensions. Wizz Air excludes them from the stated dimensions but allows wheels to add no more than 5 cm. Measure your packed bag and read the wording for the airline you are flying.

Sources: easyJet cabin bags (opens in a new tab), Wizz Air baggage allowance (opens in a new tab)

Can I bring a handbag as well as my backpack?

Do not assume so. Where a basic fare includes one under-seat item, an extra handbag can count as another bag. Put it inside the permitted bag before boarding unless your booking expressly allows another item.