CARRY-ON BAGGAGE
How big can a carry-on be before it is turned away?
Limits vary by airline, cabin and fare. First check whether the included piece is an under-seat bag or an overhead cabin case, then measure the packed bag with wheels and handles.
Quick answers
What size is Ryanair's free bag?
Standard fares include one 40 × 30 × 20 cm under-seat bag, including wheels and handles. A 55 cm cabin case needs Priority. Guides that still say 40 × 20 × 25 cm are out of date.
Are easyJet and Wizz free bags the same size?
No. easyJet's free under-seat bag is commonly 45 × 36 × 20 cm; Wizz matches Ryanair at about 40 × 30 × 20 cm. A larger cabin case is a paid or Priority add-on on both.
Is 55 × 35 × 20 a mandatory standard?
No. That is IATA's suggestion. Full-service economy is often in that range; European low-cost free bags are smaller. Use the operating airline's page for this ticket.
Do wheels and handles count when I measure?
Yes. Gate sizers measure the packed shape. Pack first, then measure; compress a soft bag as it must fit the bin. This site's luggage calculator only converts units — it does not pass or fail a sizer.
01Why a carry-on gets stopped#
Airlines use a sizing bin at the gate, and an oversized bag may be checked and charged extra. Checks are stricter on busy days and full flights.
Carry-on definitions differ between airlines and between cabins and fares on the same airline. Budget fares usually include only an under-seat bag — do not apply a full-service economy habit to a low-cost ticket.
02The most common reference standard#
IATA recommends a carry-on size of 55 × 35 × 20 cm (about 21.5 × 13.8 × 8 in), roughly 110 cm in linear size.
That is an industry suggestion, not a mandatory standard. Most full-service airlines sit near it; European low-cost free bags are a size smaller. Check the operating airline's baggage page.
03Common carry-on limits at a glance#
The table is a planning start, not today's price list. Low-cost rows are the free under-seat bag, not a 55 cm cabin case; full-service rows are the overhead piece that is usually included.
Dimensions include wheels and handles. Ryanair's free bag changed to 40 × 30 × 20 cm around 2025; pages that still say 40 × 20 × 25 cm are out of date. Confirm on the operating airline's page the day you fly.
| Standard / airline | Dimensions (cm) | Dimensions (in) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| IATA recommendation | 55 × 35 × 20 | 21.5 × 13.8 × 8 | Industry suggestion, not a mandatory rule. |
| Lufthansa, SWISS | 55 × 40 × 23 | 21.7 × 15.7 × 9 | One cabin bag included on most economy fares. |
| Delta, United | 56 × 35 × 23 | 22 × 14 × 9 | Must fit in the overhead bin. |
| Ryanair free bag | 40 × 30 × 20 (under seat) | 15.7 × 11.8 × 7.9 | A cabin case needs Priority (often 55 × 40 × 20 cm, 10 kg). |
| easyJet free bag | 45 × 36 × 20 (under seat) | 17.7 × 14.2 × 7.9 | Large cabin bag often 56 × 45 × 25 cm; paid or Inclusive / Plus. |
| Wizz Air free bag | 40 × 30 × 20 (under seat) | 15.7 × 11.8 × 7.9 | A larger cabin bag is a WIZZ Priority add-on; confirm weight on the airline page. |
| Emirates economy | 55 × 38 × 22, about 7 kg | 21.7 × 15.0 × 8.7 | Most fares include one cabin case, not an LCC under-seat bag. |
04On low-cost fares the free bag is under the seat#
Standard Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz tickets usually include one small bag that must go under the seat in front of you. A second overhead cabin case is a paid add-on (Priority, a large cabin bag, WIZZ Priority). Buying it at the gate after it sells out is the most expensive option.
Full-service economy (Lufthansa, United, most Emirates fares) usually includes one cabin case around 55 cm. Do not measure an LCC free bag against the IATA suggestion or a full-service size. This site's luggage calculator converts length, width and height into linear size and inches so you can compare the table — it does not replace the airline's sizer.
05How to measure your bag#
Measure the bag when it is full, including wheels, handles and outer pockets.
Use a soft tape along the longest points for length, width and height. Soft bags should fit the sizing bin when compressed. The calculator can convert the three edges to inches, but a sizer is a box: any edge over the limit fails, not only the linear sum.
06Personal items and soft bags#
Full-service airlines often allow a personal item (backpack, handbag or laptop bag) as well as the cabin case, with its own size cap. Low-cost fares fold “personal item” and “the free piece” into the under-seat bag; a second bag is paid.
Soft bags are easier to squeeze into a sizing bin, but you may be asked to push them in completely, so do not rely on the nominal size alone.
07Common mistakes#
Common mistakes include buying by the bag's nominal size instead of measuring it, forgetting the height that wheels and handles add, mixing up linear size with single-edge limits, and checking one airline's standard against another flight.
Another is taking a 55 cm cabin case on a standard Ryanair or Wizz fare, or buying a Ryanair under-seat bag to the old 40 × 20 × 25 cm spec. Leave 1–2 cm of margin on busy days.
08Checklist before departure#
Open the operating airline's page and confirm the allowance for your fare: under-seat bag or overhead cabin case. Measure the packed bag with wheels and handles, then compare centimetres and inches in this site's luggage calculator.
Screenshot the boarding pass and the airline's baggage rules for gate checks. Policies and sizes change; the airline's page on the day you fly is the source of truth.
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MORE GUIDES
Keep reading before you go
Checked luggage: what the size and weight limits actually mean
Checked baggage allowances are set per route, cabin and fare. First see whether this ticket uses weight, pieces, or a low-cost paid add-on, then measure and weigh the packed bag.
Airport security: liquids, electronics and batteries
Most checkpoint queues come from three things: oversize liquid bottles, a laptop buried in the bag, and a power bank in checked luggage. Departure and transfer airports can disagree; pack to the stricter stop.
What to pack for international travel: a checklist that fits a carry-on
Read the airline’s size and weight first, then pack for the number of days. A bag that fits the sizer empty may not when it is full.