Checking hand luggage rules before you fly can save you £50 or more at the gate. Airlines change their policies regularly, and the rules vary significantly between carriers. This guide pulls the current rules for eight of the UK’s most popular holiday airlines into one place, so you know exactly what you can take before you get to the airport.
We check and update these figures directly from each airline’s website. The table below reflects the rules as of May 2026.
Hand luggage rules compared: eight popular airlines for UK travellers
| Airline | Overhead bag size | Weight | Included free? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jet2 | 56 × 45 × 25 cm | 10 kg | Yes Free for all |
| British Airways | 56 × 45 × 25 cm | No limit | Yes Free for all |
| TUI | 55 × 40 × 20 cm | 10 kg | Yes Free for all |
| Ryanair | 55 × 40 × 20 cm | 10 kg | Priority only Paid add-on |
| easyJet | 56 × 45 × 25 cm | No limit | Large Cabin Bag only Paid upgrade |
| Wizz Air | 55 × 40 × 23 cm | No limit | WIZZ Priority only Paid add-on |
| Norwegian | 55 × 40 × 23 cm | 10 kg | LowFare+ & above Tier / bundle |
| Vueling | 55 × 40 × 20 cm | 10 kg | Fly bundle & above Tier / bundle |
Paid add-on required
Tier / bundle only
Always confirm with your airline before travel, as rules can change without notice.
Ryanair hand luggage rules
Ryanair’s system is built around a two-bag split: one small bag free for everyone, one overhead bag only for paying passengers. Get this wrong and you pay gate prices, which are among the highest in the industry.
Free for all passengers: One small bag up to 40×30×20 cm. No weight limit. Must fit under the seat in front.
Overhead cabin bag (55×40×20 cm, 10 kg): Only free for Priority Boarding passengers. Everyone else pays to add it, between £6 and £30 online, up to £70–£75 at the gate. Add it at the time of booking to get the lowest price.
See the full breakdown in our Ryanair hand luggage guide, or go direct to Ryanair’s official baggage rules.
easyJet hand luggage rules
easyJet’s policy catches a lot of people out. The free bag is underseat only. Overhead access costs extra on standard fares.
Free for all passengers: One bag up to 45×36×20 cm. Fits under the seat. No weight limit.
Large cabin bag (56×45×25 cm): Goes in the overhead locker. Not free on standard fares. You pay to add it, or you need easyJet Plus membership or an Inclusive Plus fare. No weight limit if you do add it.
In practice: if you’re travelling with a standard rolling carry-on, budget for the cabin bag fee. A slim laptop bag or daypack that fits within 45×36×20 cm travels free. See our easyJet cabin bag guide, or check easyJet’s official allowance page.
The rules above highlight a clear divide in the UK market. Budget carriers like Ryanair, Wizz Air, and easyJet on standard fares charge extra for overhead access. The remaining airlines include it for all passengers. Knowing which category your airline falls into before you book can save you up to £30 per journey.
Knowing your airline’s rules before you reach the gate saves time and money
Jet2 hand luggage rules
Jet2 is one of the most generous airlines in this guide. Every passenger gets a full-size overhead bag and an underseat bag, both included in the ticket price.
Overhead cabin bag: Up to 56×45×25 cm, maximum 10 kg. Free for all passengers. No upgrade needed.
Underseat bag: Up to 40×30×20 cm. Also free for all passengers.
The 10 kg weight limit is the one to watch. Jet2 staff do weigh bags on busy routes. Pack accordingly. Full details in our Jet2 hand luggage guide, or see Jet2’s official cabin bag page.
British Airways hand luggage rules
British Airways includes a full-size cabin bag for all Economy passengers, with no weight limit. It’s one of the few carriers where you don’t need to worry about the scale.
Overhead cabin bag: Up to 56×45×25 cm. No weight limit. Included for all passengers on any Economy fare.
Personal item: One additional bag up to 40×30×15 cm for under the seat. Handbag, laptop bag, or small backpack.
Business Class allows two cabin bags. Gate staff on BA are generally less strict than budget carriers about exact dimensions, though this varies by route. See our British Airways hand luggage guide, or check BA’s official hand baggage page.
Wizz Air hand luggage rules
Wizz Air uses the same structure as Ryanair: one small bag free for all, overhead access costs extra unless you have WIZZ Priority.
Free for all passengers: One bag up to 40×30×20 cm. Underseat only. No weight limit.
Overhead cabin bag (55×40×23 cm): Free for WIZZ Priority passengers only. Everyone else pays. Add it when you book, as gate prices are significantly higher than online prices.
Wizz Air is strict at the gate. See our Wizz Air hand luggage guide, or go to Wizz Air’s official luggage page.
TUI hand luggage rules
TUI includes an overhead cabin bag for all passengers at no extra charge. The 10 kg weight limit is worth noting if you tend to pack heavy.
Overhead cabin bag: Up to 55×40×20 cm, maximum 10 kg. Free for all passengers.
Underseat bag: One additional item up to 40×30×20 cm. Also free for all passengers.
TUI gate staff are generally less aggressive than budget carriers on dimensions, but the weight limit still applies. Full details in our TUI baggage guide, or see TUI’s official baggage page.
Norwegian hand luggage rules
Norwegian’s allowance depends on the fare you buy. The cheapest LowFare tickets include only an underseat bag. You’ll need a higher fare for overhead access to be included.
LowFare fares: One underseat bag only, up to 30×20×38 cm. The overhead cabin bag is not included. Add it for around £5–£9 online, up to four hours before departure.
LowFare+ and Flex: One overhead bag (55×40×23 cm) plus one underseat bag. Combined weight limit 10 kg.
If you’re on the cheapest Norwegian fare with a standard rolling carry-on, you’ll need to pay extra. See Norwegian’s official hand baggage page for current pricing by route.
Vueling hand luggage rules
Vueling’s basic Fly Light fare is among the most restrictive. The overhead cabin bag requires either a higher fare bundle or an added cost.
Fly Light fares: One underseat bag up to 40×30×20 cm. Free for all.
Overhead cabin bag (55×40×20 cm, 10 kg): Included on Fly bundles and above. On Fly Light, add it online for around €10–€59, or pay €45–€75 at the airport.
Check your fare type before you assume your bag is included. See Vueling’s official luggage page for the latest rules and pricing.
What happens if your bag is too big?
At the gate, you have three options:
You pay. Airlines charge a gate bag fee that is almost always higher than the online price. Ryanair and Wizz Air typically charge £70–£75 at the gate. easyJet charges around £48 at the gate if you have not added a cabin bag.
Your bag is checked in. If the overhead lockers are full, cabin bags are often gate-checked at no charge on many airlines including BA and easyJet. This is a common occurrence on full flights.
Your bag is rejected. If it is significantly too large, some airlines will refuse to carry it. This is rare but it does happen.
The safest approach: know your airline’s rules, measure your bag before you leave home, and add anything you need at the time of booking, not at the airport.
Gate staff measure the full external dimensions of your bag, including wheels and handles
How to measure your hand luggage
Use a tape measure, not a ruler. Measure the longest points of the bag including handles and wheels; airlines measure the full external dimensions, not just the body of the bag.
For a rolling cabin suitcase, include the height of the extended wheels and the height of the extended handle when measuring. Some bags advertise dimensions that exclude these components; the airline will measure the whole bag.
If your bag is borderline, compress it slightly. Soft bags (duffel bags and backpacks) can often be pushed into compliance where a rigid suitcase cannot.
Best carry-on bags for flights from the UK
If you need a new bag that works across all the airlines in this guide, you need something that fits within 56×45×25 cm (the standard overhead allowance for Jet2 and BA) while staying under 10 kg when packed (for Jet2 and TUI).
For Ryanair and Wizz Air, the cabin bag dimensions differ slightly. A bag at the standard 56×45×25 cm will be over the Ryanair overhead allowance (55×40×20 cm), though in practice Ryanair rarely measures bags that look carry-on sized.
See our full guide to the best carry-on bags for UK flights for specific recommendations tested against each airline’s sizer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard hand luggage size for popular airlines?
The most common overhead allowance across these airlines is 56×45×25 cm. This applies to Jet2 and British Airways. easyJet uses the same dimensions but charges for overhead access on standard fares. Ryanair (55×40×20 cm), Wizz Air (55×40×23 cm), TUI (55×40×20 cm), and Norwegian (55×40×23 cm) use slightly smaller overhead dimensions.
Which airline has the best free hand luggage allowance?
Jet2 and British Airways are the most generous: both include a full-size overhead bag plus an underseat bag for all passengers at no extra charge. TUI also includes an overhead bag for all passengers. easyJet only includes the underseat bag (45×36×20 cm) for free on standard fares.
Can I take a backpack as hand luggage?
Yes, on most airlines. A backpack must fit within the airline’s stated dimensions. A standard 40-litre hiking backpack will typically be over the size limit for the free underseat bag on most airlines, but will fit within the overhead allowance on Jet2, BA, and TUI.
Does hand luggage have to be a certain weight?
Not always. easyJet, British Airways, Ryanair, and Wizz Air do not apply a weight limit to their cabin bag. Jet2, TUI, Norwegian, and Vueling apply a 10 kg limit. Always check your specific airline before travel.
What counts as a personal item on a plane?
A personal item is the smaller bag that goes under the seat in front of you. Typically a handbag, small backpack, laptop bag, or tote bag. Most airlines specify dimensions of around 40×30×20 cm for this item. A rigid suitcase does not qualify as a personal item regardless of size.
Can I take a cabin bag and a personal item?
This depends on the airline and fare. Jet2, British Airways, and TUI allow one overhead bag plus one underseat bag for all passengers at no extra charge. Ryanair, Wizz Air, and easyJet (standard fares) include only the underseat bag for free; the overhead cabin bag requires payment or a fare upgrade.
What happens if my hand luggage is too heavy at the gate?
Most airlines will ask you to check the bag into the hold and charge you the gate baggage fee. This varies by airline but is typically £40–£80 on budget carriers. On full flights, some airlines gate-check bags at no charge when overhead space runs out, but you cannot rely on this.
This page is updated regularly. Airline policies change; always verify with your carrier before travel.
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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