UK Airline Carry-On Size Comparison 2026: Full Breakdown
Three different gates, three different airlines, three conversations with staff about whether my bag was going to cost me money. Here’s what this UK airline carry-on size comparison actually found — and what you need to know before you get to the gate.
The headline truth: there is no single bag that works free across all UK airlines. The rules differ enough that what sails through easyJet’s gate won’t fit Ryanair’s free allowance, and what passes on Jet2 technically exceeds BA’s underseat slot. This guide breaks it all down.
Cabin Bag Size Comparison UK: Free Carry-On Allowances for 2026
| Airline | Free Carry-On Size | Weight Limit | Overhead Locker Free? |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Airways | 56 x 45 x 25 cm | 23 kg combined (both bags) | ✅ |
| Jet2 | 56 x 45 x 25 cm | 10 kg | ✅ |
| TUI | 55 x 40 x 20 cm | 10 kg | ✅ |
| easyJet | 45 x 36 x 20 cm | 15 kg | ❌ Underseat only |
| Ryanair | 40 x 30 x 20 cm | No limit | ❌ Underseat only |
| Wizz Air | 40 x 30 x 20 cm | 10 kg | ❌ Underseat only |
| Aer Lingus (Saver) | 40 x 30 x 20 cm | No stated limit† | ❌ Underseat only |
| Loganair | 40 x 35 x 18 cm | 6 kg | Varies by aircraft |
| KLM (Basic) | 40 x 30 x 15 cm | 12 kg combined | ❌ Underseat only |
†Aer Lingus’s 10 kg weight limit applies to the purchased Plus+ overhead bag, not the free Saver personal item.
The free underseat bag on easyJet (45 x 36 x 20 cm) is actually larger than Ryanair’s. But easyJet does NOT include overhead locker access without a paid upgrade — the Large Cabin Bag add-on (56 x 45 x 25 cm, from around £6–55) gets you overhead access. See our complete easyJet baggage allowance guide for the full breakdown.
Ryanair Priority Boarding Bag Size and Other Paid Overhead Options
| Airline | Paid Cabin Bag Size | Weight | Cost From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryanair (Priority) | 55 x 40 x 20 cm | 10 kg | £6–36 |
| Wizz Air (Priority) | 55 x 40 x 23 cm | 10 kg | ~£10–52 online |
| easyJet (Large Cabin Bag) | 56 x 45 x 25 cm | 15 kg | £6–55 |
| Aer Lingus (Plus+) | 55 x 40 x 24 cm | 10 kg | €9.99–35 |
Personal Item / Underseat Bag — What’s Allowed Alongside Your Main Bag
Some airlines allow both a main cabin bag AND a separate personal item. Others allow only one.
| Airline | Personal Item Allowed? | Max Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
| British Airways | ✅ | 40 x 30 x 15 cm |
| Jet2 | ✅ | 40 x 30 x 20 cm |
| TUI | ✅ | 40 x 30 x 20 cm |
| Ryanair | ❌ | One bag only |
| easyJet | ❌ | One bag only |
| Wizz Air | ❌ | One bag only |
If You Carry a Laptop: Which Airlines Count It as a Second Item?
This catches a lot of people, particularly anyone who travels with a separate laptop bag or sleeve.
On BA, Jet2, and TUI, a laptop bag counts as your personal item. You board with a main cabin bag in the overhead and the laptop case under the seat — both allowed, both free.
On Ryanair, Wizz Air, and easyJet, your laptop must go inside your one bag. A laptop case alongside a backpack is two bags, and the gate will stop one of them. The laptop itself has to come out at security anyway, but it goes back in the same bag you boarded with.
The setup most frequent budget-airline travellers land on: a laptop-compatible backpack that meets 40 x 30 x 20 cm and has a dedicated internal sleeve. No second item, no conversation at the gate.
One wrinkle on BA: the personal item slot is 40 x 30 x 15 cm deep. Most standard laptop backpacks exceed 15 cm. BA rarely enforces underseat dimensions aggressively, but on a full flight it’s technically non-compliant. Worth knowing.
easyJet Cabin Bag Rules: The One-Bag Policy Nobody Talks About Enough
easyJet, like Ryanair and Wizz Air, does not allow a separate personal item alongside your cabin bag. One bag is one bag.
What makes easyJet’s version a particular gotcha is that its free bag (45 x 36 x 20 cm) is considerably bigger than Ryanair’s (40 x 30 x 20 cm). That tends to make people assume easyJet is the more relaxed airline overall. It isn’t — the one-bag count rule is identical. A larger single bag is allowed. A backpack plus a handbag is not.
If you bring both through the gate, one of them gets stopped — regardless of whether both would fit comfortably under the seat. Pack accordingly: a single bag up to 45 x 36 x 20 cm, rather than two smaller items.
Ryanair Cabin Bag Size 2026: Policy Changes Most Articles Are Still Getting Wrong
Ryanair quietly grew its free bag from 40 x 25 x 20 cm to 40 x 30 x 20 cm in September 2025 (effective 4 September). Many comparison articles still quote the old dimensions. If you see 40 x 25 x 20 listed anywhere as Ryanair’s current free bag size, it’s stale. Our Ryanair baggage allowance guide has the full current policy.
Wizz Air went the other way. From 1 November 2025, the free bag shrank from 45 x 35 x 20 cm to 40 x 30 x 20 cm. If you bought a 45 x 35 cm bag specifically for Wizz Air before that date, you now need Priority to get it on board without charge.
Around the same time, Ryanair also increased the financial incentive for gate staff to catch non-compliant bags — from €1.50 to €2.50 per bag, with the monthly cap removed. The effect at gates has been noticeable.
From 3 March 2026, Aer Lingus Regional routes (operated by Emerald Airlines) updated their cabin baggage policy. The free personal item grew from 48 x 33 x 20 cm/7 kg to 55 x 40 x 24 cm/10 kg — a bigger size allowance. The catch: Saver fare passengers who previously had free overhead bin access now need to pay for it separately. Check your specific fare class at aerlingus.com before flying a Regional route.
Flybe shut down on 28 January 2023 and was formally dissolved in March 2024. Any guide or comparison chart that still lists Flybe as an active airline isn’t worth reading.
Could UK Airlines Be Forced to Include a Cabin Bag for Free?
Possibly, eventually. The European Parliament’s transport committee voted in June 2025 to recommend that cabin baggage be included in the base fare for flights within the EU and EEA. The recommendation hasn’t been adopted into law, and UK airlines aren’t bound by EU consumer rules post-Brexit regardless. But if you fly intra-EU routes on Ryanair or Wizz Air, this is one to watch over the next year or two.
UK Airline Hand Luggage Rules: How Strictly Are They Actually Enforced?
Dimension tables are useful. What happens when you get to the gate is more useful. Here’s a ranked enforcement guide, strictest to most lenient:
1. Ryanair — Strictest
Metal bag sizer at most gates. If your bag doesn’t drop in freely, it doesn’t pass. Gate staff earn €2.50 per non-compliant bag caught, with no monthly cap (since November 2025). Hard-shell suitcases fail the sizer more often than soft bags — a moulded case at exactly 40 x 30 x 20 cm often measures 41 or 42 cm in practice due to the casing. Soft holdalls have more tolerance.
Gate fee: £70 at UK airports, up to €75 at European airports. Our Ryanair baggage allowance guide covers Priority fares and how enforcement works in full.
2. Wizz Air
Bag sizer used at gates. Weight enforced — they do weigh bags that look heavy. Gate fee: €65 (approximately £55–57). Hard-shell cases are most at risk.
3. easyJet
Orange bag sizers deployed at Gatwick, Luton, and Stansted. Gate fee for a non-compliant large cabin bag: £48. The one-bag-only rule is enforced — a backpack plus a handbag will be caught. Less theatrical than Ryanair but enforcement is real.
4. TUI
The 10 kg cabin bag limit is now actively enforced — TUI had a reputation for leniency that no longer holds. Gate penalty: equivalent to hold bag rates plus £14/kg excess. Not as aggressive as Ryanair but no longer a free pass.
5. Jet2
No routine bag sizer. Weight can be checked on suspicion. Friendlier culture than the low-cost carriers, and the gate experience is considerably less stressful. Full details in our Jet2 baggage allowance guide.
6. British Airways
Enforcement increasing in 2026 on busy routes. The personal item (40 x 30 x 15 cm) is rarely checked. The main cabin bag gets more scrutiny on full flights, particularly at Heathrow and Gatwick. See our British Airways baggage allowance guide for fare-by-fare details.
7. Loganair — Different Situation Entirely
Loganair operates on some of the shortest and most remote routes in the UK — island airports on Barra, Orkney, Shetland. On certain routes with small turboprop aircraft, all cabin bags go into the hold at the aircraft steps regardless of size, and are returned when you land. It’s structural, not punitive — the aircraft simply don’t have overhead compartments that fit standard bags. Pack any medication or valuables in a small item you keep on your person.
What Actually Happens When Your Bag Is Rejected at the Gate
Your bag doesn’t fit the sizer, or you’ve walked through with two bags on a one-bag airline. What happens next is fairly consistent across carriers.
Gate staff flag your boarding pass — on Ryanair, via a handheld scanner — and you’re taken to one side. You pay the gate fee by card on the spot. Your bag gets a hold tag and goes in the hold. You board last. On busy Ryanair flights, hold space can be tight, though delayed bags on short-haul are uncommon.
A few things people get wrong about this.
You’re not entitled to a refund. The conditions of carriage you agreed to when booking cover gate charges. Courts have been reluctant to overturn them.
Gate staff can’t negotiate. They follow a procedure and have no discretion on fees.
A December 2025 easyJet case — circulated on travel forums — involved a passenger charged £48 at Gatwick for carrying a laptop bag alongside a backpack. Both bags were well within easyJet’s size limits. The charge stood because easyJet’s one-bag rule is a count rule, not a size rule. The airline was within its contractual rights.
If you believe a charge was applied incorrectly, complain in writing to the airline after travel. For UK escalation, CEDR (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution) and PACT (Passenger Advice and Complaints Team, run by the CAA) are the routes available if the airline doesn’t resolve it directly.
Loganair’s Unusual Rules: Worth Knowing If You’re Flying Scottish Islands
Most carry-on comparisons skip Loganair. If you’re flying the Scottish islands, that’s a mistake.
- Cabin bag: 40 x 35 x 18 cm, maximum 6 kg — the smallest cabin bag allowance of any active UK airline
- That 18 cm depth is shallower than British Airways’ personal item slot
- On small-aircraft routes, expect your cabin bag to be placed in the hold
If you’re booking a Hebridean or Northern Isles trip, check the specific aircraft type for your route at loganair.co.uk.
Which Airline Has the Most Generous Carry-On Allowance — and Is There a Universal Size?
The most generous: British Airways and Jet2, both offering 56 x 45 x 25 cm in the overhead locker, free on every fare. Is there a universal size that works across all of them? No. But here’s the clearest guide to what works where.
40 x 30 x 20 cm is the closest to a universal free bag size. It passes as the free underseat bag on Ryanair, Wizz Air, Aer Lingus Saver, Jet2 (personal item slot), and TUI (personal item). It’s smaller than easyJet’s free bag allowance, which actually gives you more room.
45 x 36 x 20 cm is easyJet’s free underseat bag size. It’s larger than Ryanair’s free allowance, so technically exceeds Ryanair’s dimension. Whether it fits physically under the seat on a Ryanair flight depends on the aircraft — don’t rely on it.
55–56 x 40–45 x 20–25 cm is the overhead bin size that works across Ryanair Priority, easyJet Large Cabin Bag, Jet2 free overhead, TUI free overhead, and BA free overhead. Getting it into the overhead on budget airlines requires paying extra.
By travel pattern:
- Ryanair and Wizz Air regulars: a soft 40 x 30 x 20 cm backpack covers the free underseat allowance. Add Priority when you need the overhead.
- easyJet regulars: 45 x 36 x 20 cm as your one item — nothing alongside it.
- Jet2, BA, and TUI: size limits are generous enough for most carry-ons. Pack under 10 kg and the overhead is yours.
- Mixed itineraries: travel with 40 x 30 x 20 cm and pay for overhead access where required. A bag that works everywhere free doesn’t exist — this is cheaper than chasing one.
Hard-Shell vs Soft: Which Is Better for Getting Through?
For budget airline travel, soft bags are safer. Here’s why.
A hard-shell suitcase labelled as “40 x 30 x 20 cm” often measures 41–42 x 31 x 21 cm in practice once you account for the moulded casing, hinges, and wheel housings. At Ryanair’s or Wizz Air’s metal sizer, that extra centimetre fails.
A soft holdall or backpack at the same nominal size compresses slightly, passes the sizer, and keeps you on the right side of the gate. If you’re carrying hard-side luggage regularly on budget airlines, measure the actual outer dimensions including every protrusion before you travel.
Test Your Bag Before You Fly
Do this before your first flight, not on the way to the airport.
easyJet’s mobile app includes an AR-based bag-measurement tool that lets you check your bag dimensions against their limits using your phone camera. It’s directional rather than definitive, but a useful first check if you’re flying easyJet.
sizemybag.com is an independent tool showing the bag-sizer dimensions for multiple airlines. Measure your bag with a tape measure, cross-reference for each airline you’re flying.
The most reliable method: cut a cardboard template to 40 x 30 x 20 cm. If your bag drops in with the flap closed, it passes. That’s what Ryanair’s metal sizer does — the cardboard version just doesn’t cost £70 to discover a problem.
The main trap with soft bags: a bag that measures correctly when empty often exceeds dimensions when fully packed. Test it stuffed.
Total Cost Comparison: Ryanair vs Jet2 vs BA With a Carry-On
The headline fare tells you very little. Take two adults, London to Alicante return, wanting overhead bin access.
With Ryanair, it’s the base fare plus Priority each way — roughly £15 per person per leg, so £60 in Priority costs alone, on top of whatever the tickets cost. With Jet2, the overhead bag is included; you pay the base fare and that’s it. With British Airways Economy Classic, you get the overhead cabin bag and a 23 kg hold bag per person at no extra cost.
Which? has confirmed that once bags are factored in, BA is cheaper than Ryanair on a meaningful number of European routes. On a London to Malaga return, Which? found BA pricing at around £146 per person versus Ryanair at around £244 once a priority cabin bag was included for both legs. Jet2 often sits between the two, depending on when you book. The point isn’t that Ryanair is bad value — with just the free underseat bag and no extras, it’s hard to beat — but the comparison shifts significantly as soon as you need overhead access.
Key Tips for Carry-On Only Travel on UK Airlines
- Soft bags pass sizers more reliably than hard-shell. Compression matters at the gate.
- easyJet means one bag. A laptop bag plus a backpack is two bags.
- Weigh your bag on Wizz Air and Jet2. Weight limits are enforced, unlike Ryanair’s free bag (which has no weight limit).
- Buy Ryanair Priority early. It’s capped per flight and sells out on busy routes.
- BA’s personal item is 15 cm deep — 5 cm shallower than most other airlines. Your standard laptop backpack technically exceeds it, though enforcement of the underseat slot is rare.
- Loganair means your bag might go in the hold anyway — pack essentials in a small on-person item on island routes.
UK Airline Carry-On FAQ
Which UK airline gives the most free cabin bag space?
British Airways and Jet2 both offer 56 x 45 x 25 cm in the overhead locker, free on all fares. That’s the largest free overhead allowance among major UK airlines.
Does easyJet allow a personal item and a cabin bag?
No. easyJet allows one bag per passenger only. The one-bag rule is enforced.
What is the safest single bag size to use across UK airlines?
For a free underseat bag: 40 x 30 x 20 cm. For overhead access (paid on budget carriers): 55 x 40 x 20 cm.
Is Ryanair or Wizz Air stricter about cabin bags?
Both use sizers and enforce actively. Ryanair is widely considered the strictest due to the financial incentive structure for staff. Wizz Air is a close second.
Does Flybe still fly?
No. Flybe ceased all operations on 28 January 2023 and was dissolved in March 2024.
What is Loganair’s cabin bag size?
40 x 35 x 18 cm, maximum 6 kg — the smallest and lightest cabin bag allowance of any active UK airline. On some small-aircraft island routes, cabin bags go in the hold as standard.
Can I carry a laptop bag separately on budget airlines?
No. On Ryanair, Wizz Air, and easyJet, a laptop bag counts as a separate bag and must go inside your one permitted bag. On BA, Jet2, and TUI, a laptop bag can serve as your personal item alongside your main cabin bag.
