How much carry-on can you bring onboard?

Flying has become cheaper over the years. With offers of low-fare journeys with budget carriers across Europe and even more recently across the Atlantic, airlines have come up with ways to increase their earnings minimizing their free services onboard your flight. You now have to pay a fair bit for a meal and a drink for example. If you want to bring carry-on luggage to prevent the high price of checked luggage, you are bound by very specific rules and limitations as airlines want to earn on you having to check your luggage. To help you out a bit, we compared the carry-on allowance on frequently used airlines for us British passengers.

British Airways carry-on allowance

One of the most elaborate carry-on policies can be found with high service airlines such as British Airways. Passengers are allowed to bring a small case onboard with them, weighing a maximum of 23 kilos and measure up to 56 x 45 x 25 cm as well as a smaller cabin bag measuring up to 45 x 36 x 20 cm.

easyJet hand baggage allowance

British budget airline easyJet has one of the most strict hand luggage policies of them all. You are only allowed to bring one item of carry-on on board with you, so no extra handbags or purses. There is weight maximum as long as you are able to lift it into the overhead compartments yourself. The maximum measurements of you cabin bag or case can be 56 x 45 x 25 cm.

Ryanair hand luggage allowance

Ryanair is a little more accommodating and offers you to bring two items of carry-on luggage with you onboard the plane. One cabin bag can weigh up to 10 kg and cannot exceed 55 x 40 x 20 cm in size. A smaller handbag or backpack can measure up to 35 x 20 x 20 cm.

Flybe carry-on allowance

British airline Flybe allows you to bring 2 items of carry-on onboard as long as it doesn’t exceed the weight limit of 10 kg altogether. Your cabin bag can have the maximum measurements of 55 x 35 x 20 cm and the smaller item must be able to be placed under the seat in front of you.

Thomas Cook hand luggage allowance

As primarily a holiday carrier, Thomas Cook is used to handling checked bags and does not want to lose that primary source of income on passengers bringing loads of hand luggage. This can clearly be seen in the policy that the airline has on carry-on luggage: Passengers are entitled to bring one item weighing a maximum as little as 6 kg and measuring 55 x 40 x 20 cm and one small item such as a handbag or umbrella.

Jet2.com hand baggage allowance

Jet2 is also highly dependable on checked luggage fees for its holiday flights and therefore only allows passengers to bring only one item of hand luggage on board the flight. The bag can weigh maximum 10 kg and measure up to 56 x 45 x 25 cm.

Westjet carry-on allowance

Wetjet is a service airline allowing you to bring two pieces of carry-on onboard with you. One cabin bag has no weight limitations but can measure up to          

53 x 23 x 38 cm. The second piece of luggage can be a handbag or backpack measuring up to 41 x 15 x 33 cm.

Vueling hand luggage allowance

Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling allows you to bring two cabin bags. One item can have measurements up to 55 x 40 x 20 cm and weigh up to 10 kg. You can bring another accessory such as a handbag or purse measuring up to 35 x 20 x 20 cm.

Thomson Airlines carry-on allowance

Thomson allows you to bring only one piece of hand luggage on your flight weighing up to 5 kg. Very little it seems. You are however allowed to bring checked luggage for free on package holidays with Thomson. The maximum dimensions of your hand luggage is 55 x 40 x 20 cm.

Norwegian hand baggage allowance

The name says it all, Norwegian is a Norwegian low-budget airline conducting many flights from and to the UK. Norwegian allows you to bring 2 items of hand baggage onboard the plane. One item of cabin baggage can measure up to 55 x 40 x 23 cm and one smaller item can measure up to 25 x 33 x 20 cm. Together the items cannot weigh more than 10 kg.

How is your experience with carry-on on planes? Let us know in the comments below.