Published 6 November 2026 | Updated 6 November 2026 by Kate Acaster
On Europe flights, every Aer Lingus fare includes one small personal item. If your fare doesn’t include a 10kg cabin bag, it costs from £9.99, or you can drop it at check-in for free and collect it at the carousel. A 20kg hold bag is included on every fare except Saver.
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Aer Lingus baggage allowance on flights within Europe
The table covers flights within Europe on Aer Lingus and Aer Lingus Regional, including flights from UK airports. The Saver fare sells the 10kg cabin bag and the hold bags separately.
| Bag | Size and weight | What it costs |
|---|---|---|
| Small personal item | 40 x 30 x 20cm, a handbag or laptop bag | Included on every fare |
| 10kg cabin bag | 55 x 40 x 24cm, up to 10kg | From £9.99 online and kept on board, or free if you drop it at check-in and collect it at the carousel. Included on some fares and for some members |
| 20kg hold bag | One bag, up to 20kg | Included on every fare except Saver. Aer Lingus shows Plus, Advantage and AerSpace as included |
| Extra hold bag options | 25kg in one bag, or 40kg across two bags | Bought for your booking. Fees depend on the route and on when and where you book |
| Largest single bag | 158cm in total (length plus width plus height), and no more than 32kg | Aer Lingus’s page sets 32kg as the most any single bag can weigh |
Which Aer Lingus fares include a hold bag?
On Europe flights, every fare except Saver includes a 20kg hold bag for each passenger. The cabin bag works differently. The list of who gets one included is further down.
| Fare | 20kg hold bag | 10kg cabin bag |
|---|---|---|
| Saver | Not included | Not included. Book it from £9.99, or drop it at check-in for free |
| Plus | Included | Included when bought through British Airways, as are Economy fares bought that way, per Aer Lingus’s list. Otherwise check your booking |
| Advantage | Included | As Plus |
| AerSpace | Included | As Plus |
Aer Lingus says the cabin bag must fit its gauge at the airport, wheels and handles included. A bag outside the allowance goes in the hold for the relevant fee.
How the 10kg cabin bag works
There are two ways to bring a 10kg bag if your fare doesn’t include one. You can book it online from £9.99 and keep it with you on board. Or you can drop it at the check-in desk or a bag drop kiosk, which Aer Lingus lists at Dublin, Shannon and London, when check-in opens. That option is free, and you collect the bag at the carousel. Aer Lingus includes the bag for these customers, and they must take it on board:
- AerClub Silver, Platinum and Concierge members, though not their travelling companions.
- Anyone with an AerClub Reward Flight booking.
- Plus, Advantage, AerSpace and Economy fares bought through British Airways. Saver fares aren’t included.
- An adult travelling with an infant.
- Customers connecting to or from an Aer Lingus transatlantic flight, or a connecting flight with an interline partner.
- Customers using Aer Credit Card Travel Reward flights to Europe.
If you sit in row 1 or at an emergency exit, your bag has to go in an overhead locker. You must be able to place your own bag in the locker. Aer Lingus says it may occasionally have to put a cabin bag in the hold due to stowage limits.
Checked bags: sizes, pooling and excess weight
You can buy a hold bag online at a discounted rate up to two hours before departure. If you booked through a travel agent, Aer Lingus says to contact them to add bags. It doesn’t publish one fee for these bags. Its page says fees vary by route, fare and when and where you book, so check the price in your own booking.
- Pooling: passengers on the same booking who check in together can pool their 20kg hold allowance. Aer Lingus says pooling of the free 10kg checked allowance isn’t permitted.
- Excess weight: excess baggage is charged at €10 a kilo. If you arrive without pre-booking any hold bag, you’re charged for the first 20kg, then each extra kilo at the per-kilo rate.
- No upgrades on the day: you can’t upgrade a bag to a higher weight at the airport.
Aer Lingus describes the personal item as a handbag or laptop bag up to 40 x 30 x 20cm. Keep passports, medication and money in your cabin baggage, not the hold.
Aer Lingus baggage allowance on transatlantic flights
Transatlantic flights follow different rules. Saver fares include no hold bag. Smart and Flex fares include one 23kg bag, and Business fares include three bags weighing 69kg combined. You can bring one 10kg bag on board. The free check-in drop isn’t offered on these flights.
| Fare | Hold bags included | Cabin bag |
|---|---|---|
| Saver | None | One 10kg bag on board, plus a personal item |
| Smart or Flex | One bag up to 23kg | One 10kg bag on board, plus a personal item |
| Business | Three bags, 69kg combined | One 10kg bag on board, plus a personal item |
Excess baggage for any bag from 23kg to 32kg is €75, £68, $100 or CAD 100, according to Aer Lingus. You can buy up to two additional bags, but no more than three hold bags per passenger in each direction. For journeys between North America and the UK or continental Europe, Aer Lingus applies the transatlantic allowance to all flights in a single itinerary or reservation.
“On a Europe flight with a Saver fare, the cheapest way to take a 10kg bag is to drop it at check-in and collect it at the carousel. It’s free, but the bag travels in the hold, so anything you’ll need in flight belongs in your personal item. Pay the £9.99 only if you want the bag with you on board.”
Kate Acaster, Chief Editor, Flight Tribe
Infants, buggies and bag drop
- Infants: a booking for a child under two includes a 10kg checked allowance. Infants can also take one collapsible buggy or stroller plus one of a car seat, booster seat or travel cot, free.
- Bag drop: it closes 45 minutes before departure on flights within Europe. It closes 60 minutes before departure from Athens, Germany, Amsterdam, Brussels, Budapest, Lisbon, Madrid, Manchester, Oslo, Paris, Prague, Rome and Zurich, so Manchester is 60 minutes.
- Timing: Aer Lingus recommends arriving much earlier than the cut-off.
If your bag is over the limit
- Cabin bag too big: Aer Lingus says it must be checked in, and the relevant bag fee applies.
- Hold bag over your allowance: excess baggage is charged per kilo, so weigh it at home.
- Hold bag over 32kg: Aer Lingus’s page sets 32kg as the most any single bag can weigh.
- Not sure what your fare includes: check your booking, or contact your travel agent if you booked through one.
Related Aer Lingus and baggage guides
Comparing airlines? These guides cover the same bags on other carriers. Check the fare rules before you book.
- See our guide to carry-on bags for Aer Lingus before you buy a bag.
- Read when Aer Lingus releases flights and when Aer Lingus runs sales to time the fare.
- Compare the Ryanair baggage allowance and the British Airways baggage allowance if you are weighing the three.
- Check cabin sizes across airlines in our hand luggage size comparison.
Aer Lingus baggage allowance: FAQs
What is the Aer Lingus baggage allowance?
On Europe flights, every fare includes a small personal item up to 40 x 30 x 20cm, and every fare except Saver includes a 20kg hold bag. A 10kg cabin bag costs from £9.99 if your fare doesn’t include one.
Is a cabin bag free on Aer Lingus?
It’s included for some members and fares, such as AerClub Silver, Platinum and Concierge members, though not their travelling companions. If yours doesn’t include one on a Europe flight, you can drop a 10kg bag at check-in for free, but you collect it at the carousel.
What size is the Aer Lingus cabin bag?
The 10kg cabin bag can be up to 55 x 40 x 24cm, and the personal item up to 40 x 30 x 20cm. Both must fit the airport gauge, including wheels and handles.
How much is a checked bag on Aer Lingus?
Aer Lingus doesn’t publish a single price. Its page says fees vary by route, fare, and when and where you book, so the booking flow shows your price. Excess baggage is €10 a kilo.
How heavy can an Aer Lingus checked bag be?
Aer Lingus’s page sets 32kg as the most any single bag can weigh, with length plus width plus height up to 158cm. On Europe flights you can buy 20kg, 25kg or 40kg across two bags.
Can you share baggage allowance on Aer Lingus?
You can pool the 20kg hold allowance with a travel companion on the same booking if you check in together.
Do transatlantic Aer Lingus flights have a different allowance?
Yes. Smart and Flex fares include one 23kg hold bag, Business fares include three bags weighing 69kg combined, and Saver includes none.
Kate Acaster is Chief Editor at Flight Tribe. She writes about practical travel planning, budget airlines, baggage rules, city breaks, beach holidays and good hotels that do not cost daft money.
Kate has travelled through Europe, South America and beyond, usually with a notebook, a half-formed plan and a strong opinion on airport snacks. At Flight Tribe, her work focuses on helping UK travellers understand what is included, what costs extra, and whether a trip is worth booking at the price shown.
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