Carry-on size and weight checker: 23 airline cabin limits
Short answer
Filter the table by airline, size or weight limit to find the cabin allowance for your flight. Every figure was read from the airline own baggage page on 14 September 2026, and each row links to that page. These limits change and the airline page governs. If a cell is blank, the airline does not publish that figure and we have not guessed it.
Type an airline, a number or a word into the filter. The table narrows as you type, so you can look up one carrier at the gate without scrolling.
| Airline | Cabin bag limit | Weight limit | Second item | Source read 14 September 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 22 x 14 x 9 in (56 x 36 x 23 cm) | Not published | 18 x 14 x 8 in (45 x 35 x 20 cm) personal item | www.aa.com |
| Delta Air Lines | 22 x 14 x 9 in (56 x 35 x 23 cm); 45 linear in total | Not published | One purse, briefcase or laptop bag under the seat | www.delta.com |
| United Airlines | 9 x 14 x 22 in (23 x 35 x 56 cm) | Not published | 9 x 10 x 17 in (22 x 25 x 43 cm) personal item | www.united.com |
| Southwest Airlines | 24 x 16 x 10 in, wheels and handles included | Not published | One personal item under the seat, no published size | www.southwest.com |
| JetBlue | 22 x 14 x 9 in (55.9 x 35.6 x 22.9 cm) | None | 17 x 13 x 8 in (43.2 x 33 x 20.3 cm) | www.jetblue.com |
| Alaska Airlines | 22 x 14 x 9 in or 45 linear in | Not published | One purse, briefcase or laptop bag | www.alaskaair.com |
| Air Canada | 55 x 40 x 23 cm | None stated; must be liftable unaided | 43 x 33 x 16 cm (13 x 17 x 6 in) | www.aircanada.com |
| British Airways | 56 x 45 x 25 cm, wheels and handles included | Not published | 40 x 30 x 15 cm handbag or backpack (45 x 36 x 20 cm on some fares) | www.britishairways.com |
| Lufthansa | 55 x 40 x 23 cm | 8 kg | 40 x 30 x 15 cm | www.lufthansa.com |
| KLM | 55 x 35 x 25 cm | 12 kg combined with the small bag; 18 kg in Business | 40 x 30 x 15 cm small bag | klm.com |
| Air France | 55 x 35 x 25 cm | 12 kg combined with the small bag; 18 kg in Business | 40 x 30 x 15 cm small bag | wwws.airfrance.fr |
| Iberia | 56 x 40 x 25 cm | 10 kg Economy and Premium Economy, 14 kg Business | 30 x 40 x 15 cm personal accessory | www.iberia.com |
| Aer Lingus | 55 x 40 x 24 cm | 10 kg | 40 x 30 x 20 cm | aerlingus.com |
| Ryanair | 55 x 40 x 20 cm cabin bag, Priority or a qualifying fare | 10 kg for the cabin bag | 40 x 30 x 20 cm small bag, free on every fare | help.ryanair.com |
| easyJet | 56 x 45 x 25 cm large cabin bag (paid or fare benefit) | 15 kg stated for the small under-seat bag | 45 x 36 x 20 cm small bag, free | www.easyjet.com |
| Wizz Air | 55 x 40 x 23 cm trolley bag, WIZZ Priority | 10 kg | 40 x 30 x 20 cm carry-on bag, free | wizzair.com |
| Norwegian | 55 x 40 x 23 cm overhead bag | 10 kg LowFare+ and 15 kg Flex, combined with the small bag | 30 x 40 x 20 cm small underseat bag | www.norwegian.com |
| Emirates | 55 x 38 x 22 cm | 7 kg Economy; 10 kg applies on some routes and cabins | A handbag up to 55 x 38 x 22 cm or a briefcase up to 45 x 35 x 20 cm | www.emirates.com |
| Turkish Airlines | 23 x 40 x 55 cm | 8 kg | 40 x 30 x 15 cm, maximum 4 kg | www.turkishairlines.com |
| Qatar Airways | 50 x 37 x 25 cm | 7 kg | Handbag or small briefcase inside the same allowance | qatarairways.com |
| Singapore Airlines | Sum of length, width and height no more than 115 cm | 7 kg | 40 x 30 x 10 cm | www.singaporeair.com |
| Cathay Pacific | 56 x 36 x 23 cm, wheels and handles included | 7 kg Economy, 10 kg Business | A small item under the seat | www.cathaypacific.com |
| Qantas | 56 x 36 x 23 cm overhead bag (domestic) | 10 kg per bag, 14 kg total domestic | 34 x 48 x 23 cm underseat bag | www.qantas.com |
Read this before you rely on the tableThis is a snapshot of 14 September 2026. Baggage rules change, usually without notice, and they can differ by route, fare and aircraft. Ryanair own help centre currently disagrees with itself: the bag policy article lists the free small bag as 40 x 30 x 20 cm while an older Priority article still shows 40 x 20 x 25 cm. Where an airline page is silent on a figure we left the cell blank rather than filling it. The operating airline own page for the fare you bought is the only version that will be applied at the gate.
What the table does not tell you
| Included in the table | Not included, and why |
|---|---|
| The three cabin bag dimensions as published | The usable packing volume inside a bag, which is always less than the outer box because of wheels, handles and fabric |
| The published cabin weight limit where the airline states one | Whether a gate agent will actually weigh your bag on the day, which varies by airport and load |
| The second item allowance where it is published | Full personal-item dimensions on carriers that do not publish them, such as Southwest and Alaska Airlines |
| The page each figure came from, with the read date | Airline policy for infants, pets, assistive devices, musical instruments and sports equipment, which is longer than this table would be if we tried |
How to check a bag against these figures in two minutes
- Measure the packed bag at its widest point of each dimension, including wheels, handles and any outside pocket that is loaded. Do not measure the empty bag.
- Compare the depth first. It is the dimension most bags fail, and three carriers in the table cap it at 20 cm.
- Add the height plus width plus depth. Several airlines publish a linear total as well as a per-dimension limit: Delta caps the total at 45 linear inches and Alaska Airlines publishes the same figure.
- Weigh the packed bag on a luggage scale, then add the weight of anything you will put in at the airport such as a duty-free purchase.
- Add the second item. On most carriers it is an allowance, not a bonus: two bags totalling more than the cabin limit will still be refused.
The limits that catch the most people
| Situation | What happens | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| A 23 cm deep soft bag on a carrier with a 20 cm depth limit | The bag does not fit the sizer, and on low-cost carriers that means a gate fee or a bag sent to the hold | Measure depth first and pack soft bags flatter, or use a bag built to 55 x 40 x 20 cm |
| A basic-fare ticket that excludes the cabin bag | Only the personal item is allowed on board, which is a small bag under the seat | Check the fare, not the airline. Air Canada changed its Economy Basic allowance for tickets purchased on or after 3 January 2025 |
| An 8 kg cabin limit and a 44 litre bag | The bag passes the size check and fails on the scale | Weigh it before you leave. Weight limits in this table run from 7 kg to 18 kg, and the empty bag takes 1.2 to 2.5 kg of that |
| A multi-airline itinerary | The operating carrier of each leg sets the limit for that leg, and the strictest leg governs the whole trip | Apply the tightest box in your itinerary to the bag you are carrying from home |
| A connecting flight on a small aircraft | Overhead space can be too small for a full-size cabin bag even when it meets the published dimensions | Expect gate checking on regional aircraft, and keep medication, documents and power banks with you |
Liquids, which are regulated rather than commercial
Bag size is set by airlines. Liquid containers are set by security regulators, which means they are the same for every carrier at the same airport.
| Departure region | Container limit | Bags and detail |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 3.4 oz or 100 ml per container | One clear quart-sized resealable bag per passenger. The 3-1-1 rule |
| European Union | 100 ml per container | Applied from 1 September 2024 on standard C3 screening equipment approved before 1 August 2024, under Regulation (EU) 2024/2108 |
| United Kingdom | Depends on the airport | Most airports cap containers at 100 ml in one transparent litre bag; some allow up to two litres and no separate bag. Check the departure airport page |
A half-empty larger bottle is still a larger bottle and will be taken. Decant into 100 ml containers at home, and carry prescribed liquid medicine in its original labelled packaging with proof that it is prescribed to you.
Where to check next
- Carry-on size rules - who sets these limits, and why depth fails first
- What to pack in a carry-on, by trip length and season - the quantities that fit inside these boxes
- Packing list generator - a volume and weight estimate for your trip before you pack
- How we research and correct these pages - the standard this table was built to
Sources
- 14 CFR 121.589, Carry-on baggage. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations — www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-G/part-121/subpart-T/section-121.589
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2108 of 29 July 2024 on liquid screening equipment, applied from 1 September 2024 — eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2024/2108/oj/eng
- GOV.UK. Hand luggage restrictions at UK airports: liquids — www.gov.uk/hand-luggage-restrictions/liquids
- Transportation Security Administration. Liquids, aerosols and gels rule (3-1-1) — www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/liquids-aerosols-gels-rule
- Ryanair. Ryanair bag policy, help centre — help.ryanair.com/hc/en-us/articles/12888036565521-Ryanair-s-Bag-Policy
- Ryanair. Priority and 2 Cabin Bags, help centre (still states the older small bag size) — help.ryanair.com/hc/en-ee/articles/360017825358-Priority-2-Cabin-Bags
- Air Canada. Carry-on baggage — www.aircanada.com/us/en/aco/home/plan/baggage/carry-on.html