Most airlines have similar hand luggage size and weight restrictions, usually around 55cm x 40cm x 20cm and a weight limit of around 10kg, but airlines hand luggage allowance can vary depending on the airline and fare type. I recommend checking with the airline or travel agent before you travel to ensure you have the most accurate and up-to-date information, as it is also subject to change.
Here I collected the top airlines. But double-check if there are still actual ones on the date you do your research.
European airlines’ hand luggage allowance
- Ryanair: 1 small bag (40cm x 20cm x 25cm), plus 1 larger bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm)
- easyJet: 1 small cabin bag (56cm x 45cm x 25cm) plus 1 larger cabin bag (56cm x 45cm x 25cm) or 1 laptop bag or handbag
- Lufthansa: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 23cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- British Airways: 1 cabin bag (56cm x 45cm x 25cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Air France: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 35cm x 25cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- KLM: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 35cm x 25cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Turkish Airlines: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 23cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Iberia: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Alitalia: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 35cm x 25cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Vueling: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- SAS: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 23cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Wizz Air: 1 cabin bag (40cm x 30cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Norwegian: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 23cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Air Europa: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 35cm x 25cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Eurowings: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 23cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- LOT: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 23cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Austrian Airlines: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 23cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Czech Airlines: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 45cm x 25cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Swiss: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 23cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Brussels Airlines: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 23cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Finnair: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 23cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- KLM Cityhopper: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 35cm x 25cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Aer Lingus: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 24cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- TAP Air Portugal: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Pegasus Airlines: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 23cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Air Malta: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Aegean Airlines: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- EL AL: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 23cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Icelandair: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Luxair: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Volotea: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Transavia: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 25cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Vueling: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Eurowings: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 23cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Air Dolomiti: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- TUI fly: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Wideroe: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 23cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag
- Blue Air: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- SmartWings: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Flybe: 1 cabin bag (56cm x 45cm x 25cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Air Corsica: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Evelop Airlines: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- SunExpress: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Air Arabia Maroc: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Air Serbia: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Wizz Air Ukraine: 1 cabin bag (40cm x 30cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Air Moldova: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Montenegro Airlines: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Georgian Airways: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
- Belavia: 1 cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) plus 1 personal item (e.g. handbag, laptop bag)
North America airlines’ hand luggage allowance
- American Airlines – 22 x 14 x 9 inches, 40 pounds
- Delta Airlines – 22 x 14 x 9 inches, 40 pounds
- United Airlines – 22 x 14 x 9 inches, 40 pounds
- Southwest Airlines – 24 x 16 x 10 inches, 50 pounds
- JetBlue Airways – 22 x 14 x 9 inches, 50 pounds
- Spirit Airlines – 18 x 14 x 8 inches, 40 pounds
- Frontier Airlines – 22 x 18 x 14 inches, 35 pounds
- Alaska Airlines – 22 x 14 x 9 inches, 50 pounds
- Hawaiian Airlines – 22 x 14 x 9 inches, 25 pounds
- Sun Country Airlines – 24 x 16 x 11 inches, 35 pounds
- Allegiant Air – 17 x 13 x 10 inches, 35 pounds
- Porter Airlines – 21.5 x 15.5 x 9 inches, 17 pounds
- Virgin America – 24 x 16 x 10 inches, 50 pounds
- Air Canada – 21.5 x 15.5 x 9 inches, 10 kg
- WestJet – 22 x 16 x 8 inches, 10 kg
Latin America airlines’ hand luggage allowance
- Aeromexico – 55cm x 40cm x 25cm, 10kg
- Copa Airlines – 55cm x 40cm x 25cm, 10kg
- Avianca – 55cm x 35cm x 25cm, 8kg
- LATAM Airlines Group – 55cm x 35cm x 25cm, 8kg
- GOL Linhas Aéreas – 55cm x 35cm x 25cm, 10kg
- Azul Brazilian Airlines – 55cm x 40cm x 20cm, 10kg
- Interjet – 55cm x 40cm x 25cm, 10kg
- Viva Aerobus – 55cm x 40cm x 20cm, 10kg
- Volaris – 55cm x 40cm x 25cm, 10kg
- TACA – 55cm x 35cm x 25cm, 8kg
- Aerolineas Argentinas – 55cm x 35cm x 25cm, 10kg
- LAN – 55cm x 40cm x 20cm, 10kg
Asian airlines’ hand luggage allowance
- Air China – 55cm x 40cm x 20cm, 5kg
- China Eastern Airlines – 56cm x 36cm x 23cm, 7kg
- China Southern Airlines – 56cm x 36cm x 23cm, 5kg
- Japan Airlines – 55cm x 40cm x 25cm, 10kg
- All Nippon Airways (ANA) – 55cm x 40cm x 25cm, 10kg
- Singapore Airlines – 56cm x 36cm x 23cm, 7kg
- Thai Airways – 56cm x 45cm x 25cm, 7kg
- Cathay Pacific – 56cm x 36cm x 23cm, 7kg
- Malaysia Airlines – 56cm x 36cm x 23cm, 7kg
- Korean Air – 55cm x 40cm x 20cm, 10kg
- Garuda Indonesia – 56cm x 36cm x 23cm, 7kg
- Asiana Airlines – 55cm x 40cm x 20cm, 10kg
- AirAsia – 56cm x 36cm x 23cm, 7kg
- IndiGo – 56cm x 36cm x 23cm, 7kg
- SpiceJet – 56cm x 36cm x 23cm, 7kg
- Air India – 55cm x 35cm x 25cm, 8kg
- China Airlines – 56cm x 36cm x 23cm, 7kg
- Vietnam Airlines – 55cm x 40cm x 20cm, 7kg
- Dragonair – 56cm x 36cm x 23cm, 7kg
- Philippine Airlines – 56cm x 36cm x 23cm, 7kg
When looking for a backpack that fits within most airlines’ carry-on size restrictions, it is best to look for a backpack that is within the common size limit of 55cm x 40cm x 20cm or 22 x 14 x 9 inches. This size is commonly accepted as carry-on size by most airlines. Additionally, it is also important to consider the backpack’s weight and ensure it falls within the airline’s weight limit, which is typically around 10 kg or 22 pounds.
Some popular backpack brands that offer models within these size restrictions include:
- Osprey
- Deuter
- North Face
- REI
- Tortuga
- eBags
- Travelpro
- Samsonite
(!) It is still important to check the specific size and weight restrictions of the airline you will be traveling with before purchasing a backpack, as some airlines may have stricter size and weight limits. It is also a good idea to measure and weigh the backpack with all your belongings inside it, to make sure it complies with the airline’s restrictions.
Knowing the hand luggage allowance of the airlines you are flying with is essential to avoid any last-minute surprises or unexpected fees. At our Airlines Hand Luggage Allowance page, Ultimate Travel Guide provides you with detailed information about the hand luggage policies of the major airlines.