Nowadays, the rules about what airlines consider acceptable hand luggage and how much it can weigh or measure are sometimes arbitrary and unfair – especially when flying on low-cost airlines.
More recently, European Union politicians have proposed a solution to this problem. In October 2023, European lawmakers backed a resolution to abolish carry-on fees and address controversial carry-on size rules.
What counts as hand luggage and what as personal luggage?
All passengers want to avoid paying extra fees, so it’s important to understand the difference between personal items and carry-on baggage – as well as airline-specific rules. Generally speaking, a personal item should fit under the seat in front of you; most often this is a purse, backpack or laptop bag. Typically, the size of personal baggage should not exceed 45x35x20cm (18 “x14 “x8”).
On the other hand, carry-on luggage – also known as cabin baggage – is usually a suitcase that is small enough to be stowed in the aircraft’s hold. The standard size of this luggage is 56x36x23cm (22 “x14 “x9”).
Things get complicated when companies – especially low-cost airlines – impose different rules on the size of these items, whether wheels count towards their size, and what passengers can carry for free. For example, the baggage policy of Ryanair – Europe’s largest low-cost airline – allows one small carry-on bag (40x20x25cm/16 “x8 “x10”) and one larger carry-on bag (55x40x20cm/22 “x16 “x8”) for priority passengers, while non-priority customers are only allowed one small bag (of the above dimensions), which must weigh under 10kg (22lbs), with anything extra costing extra. By comparison, even a basic ticket on British Airways allows a free “carry-on bag” measuring up to 40x30x15cm (16 “x12 “x6”) and one piece of hand luggage measuring up to 56x45x25cm (22 “x18 “x10”) and weighing up to 23kg (51lbs), including wheels and handles.
The disparity in carry-on luggage sizes and fees – a constant source of frustration for passengers – is what European lawmakers are trying to address.
While social media provides an opportunity for useful conversations about travel, some politicians are pushing airlines to make their rules consistent and transparent, rather than leaving it to passengers to figure out what is allowed, acceptable and affordable.
Free hand luggage
European lawmakers are calling for changes to allow people to board planes with basic carry-on luggage at no extra charge, regardless of which airline they choose. Yet such calls may seem familiar: in 2014, the European Commission introduced a new air travel law. The European Court of Justice has ruled that hand luggage is an essential part of travel as long as it is of a “reasonable” size and weight, and therefore should not incur extra charges. However, the ruling has not been fully implemented.
Cabin baggage is not yet regulated – so for now, research the baggage rules before booking.
While this move by European lawmakers potentially kicks off the process of eliminating carry-on fees, it’s only the first step – which means you should read carefully and be prepared to pay for now. The resolution still needs the support of European Union countries and the European Commission (EC), Europe’s executive branch, before new, enforceable regulations can take effect.
We will have to wait and see what Europe decides on hand luggage and whether unregulated baggage fees will become a thing of the past. If so, who will ultimately pay the price of standardisation – the customer or the airline?
Until then, check the requirements. Otherwise, the fees could cost more than the ticket.