Carry-on luggage dimensions - the most important information

Doubts related to carry-on luggage arise from the varied approach of airlines regarding dimensions and weight. Sometimes you can take carry-on luggage on board the plane for free, and sometimes for an additional fee. How to make sense of it? Here is everything you need to know about carry-on luggage in a nutshell.

What is carry-on luggage?

Carry-on luggage is a bag, suitcase, or backpack that you can take on board the plane. Airlines have their own rules for carry-on and checked luggage, so before your flight, you should familiarize yourself with them to be sure that the luggage you want to bring on board fits within the appropriate size and weight limits. Why analyze this? It’s about costs. If you stay within the limits set by the airline, you will not incur additional luggage fees. Low-cost airlines usually have stricter restrictions on the size of carry-on luggage, so if you want to travel cheaply, you must expect to bring on board a small backpack or bag for free.

Carry-on or checked luggage?

For checked luggage, it must be handed over to be placed in the cargo hold. When does a suitcase or bag need to be checked? It depends on the weight and dimensions of the luggage. Usually, a cabin suitcase, which is the smallest type of suitcase, is considered carry-on luggage, but its dimensions may require an extra fee. This mainly applies to low-cost airlines. To avoid extra fees, you must travel with a small backpack or bag. It must be admitted that such luggage significantly limits what you can bring, but with well-organized packing and careful consideration of what you want to take, you can fit items for a several-day trip.

Are you traveling by plane? Check carry-on luggage dimensions for popular airlines

Each airline defines what carry-on luggage is and how many pieces of carry-on luggage you can bring on board without extra charges. How does it look for individual airlines?

Ryanair carry-on luggage dimensions

With Ryanair’s basic ticket, you are entitled to one piece of carry-on luggage measuring 40 x 30 x 20 cm. This is roughly the size of a school backpack or a small bag. It can also be a shoulder bag or a waist bag. Such a bag is placed under the passenger’s seat, not in the overhead compartments. If you can pack into a backpack or bag of these dimensions, you can bring it on board for free.

Ryanair also allows bringing larger carry-on luggage for an additional fee. Large carry-on luggage is a cabin suitcase measuring 50 x 40 x 20 cm, weighing no more than 10 kg.

WizzAir carry-on luggage dimensions

Carry-on luggage with WizzAir is subject to similar restrictions, although the allowed size limit is slightly larger. You can have one piece of carry-on luggage measuring 40 x 30 x 20 cm for free. For an additional fee, carry-on luggage measuring 50 x 40 x 23 cm, weighing no more than 10 kg, is allowed.

Both WizzAir and Ryanair allow purchasing larger carry-on luggage, also granting priority boarding. In such a case, you can have one small piece of carry-on luggage and one piece of checked luggage.

LOT carry-on luggage dimensions

LOT has a slightly different baggage policy. Here you can bring two pieces of carry-on luggage. One of them can measure 55 x 40 x 23 cm and weigh no more than 8 kg. In addition, you can take a woman’s handbag or a small backpack fitting within 40 x 35 x 12 cm. Of course, for an additional fee, you can bring checked luggage that will be placed in the cargo hold.

Lufthansa carry-on luggage dimensions

Here, similarly to LOT, you can bring two pieces of carry-on luggage on board. The larger one must not exceed 8 kg in weight. Carry-on luggage dimensions should fit within the limit of 55 x 40 x 23 cm. Additionally, you can take a small woman’s handbag or a laptop bag measuring 30 x 40 x 10 cm.

Regardless of which airline you travel with, you must expect that exceeding the size or weight limits of carry-on and checked luggage will result in additional fees. When weighing your suitcase, remember that its weight counts toward the total luggage weight, so to be sure, it’s worth weighing everything after packing. When measuring the suitcase, include all protruding elements – they also count toward the total dimensions.

What can you bring on the plane in your carry-on luggage?

In carry-on luggage, you can bring clothes, electronics, and cosmetics. However, there are certain baggage rules you must follow. Electronic devices like laptops or tablets can of course be brought on board, but they must be switched to airplane mode. Restrictions apply to carrying liquid cosmetics. To bring them on board, you must transfer them to transparent bottles with a capacity of up to 100 ml and place them in a transparent cosmetic bag or pouch. You can bring a maximum of 10 such containers. If you need more cosmetics, you must put them in checked luggage. It’s worth considering whether this is worthwhile. When traveling within Europe, most products are available locally. It might be more economical to buy them at your destination than to pay extra for luggage. Remember that during security checks, carry-on luggage is also inspected. Items that are not allowed will have to be left behind.

Suitcase, backpack, or bag?

If you choose the cheapest option of traveling with carry-on luggage without extra fees, you must fit into a backpack or a small bag. Which option is better? It depends. If you plan to sightsee, a backpack can be useful instead of a handbag to carry water or a wallet. A backpack is also a more comfortable option when traveling from the airport to your destination. A small cabin suitcase is a great solution if you want to bring more items. Although with low-cost airlines you will pay extra for luggage, you will gain greater comfort.

When choosing carry-on luggage, it’s worth considering your travel style to precisely determine what you need and buy a backpack, suitcase, or bag perfectly suited to your needs.