Airline Personal Item Size Limits: Every Major Carrier (2026)

The size reference

The one number that saves you money

Every airline gives you one bag for free. The personal item, the small one that fits under the seat in front. Get a bag that fits it and you never think about baggage again. Get one that does not and you are paying at the gate, or playing repack roulette in front of a queue.

The problem is every airline picks a slightly different size, and a few moved their numbers in 2025. Here is where they all stand for 2026, in one place. Bookmark it.

The master table

A 40 x 30 x 20 cm bag is the sweet spot. It is the exact free size on Ryanair, Wizz, Vueling and Jet2, it sits inside easyJet's and Eurowings' more generous limits, and on BA and Lufthansa it rides as your free cabin bag instead of the tiny personal item. One bag, almost everywhere, free.

Carrier by carrier

Ryanair, the strict one

40 x 30 x 20 cm, under the seat, free on every fare. This is the size that matters most, because Ryanair enforces it hardest. The dimension is the outer measurement, wheels and handles included. A bag that does not fit the sizer goes in the hold for up to £69.99, and in late 2025 Ryanair raised the bonus it pays staff for catching oversized bags. Translation: they are looking. For the full rundown, see our Ryanair personal item size guide and how to avoid baggage fees.

easyJet, the most generous budget size

45 x 36 x 20 cm, up to 15kg, free for everyone. The most room of any budget airline's free bag. A 40 x 30 x 20 bag fits with space around it. A bigger cabin bag (56 x 45 x 25) is a paid add-on. Note: easyJet has retired its old Hands Free service for new bookings.

Wizz Air

40 x 30 x 20 cm, up to 10kg, free. Wizz allows wheels and handles to add up to 5cm beyond the bag body, but keep it close to the box to be safe. A bigger trolley needs paid WIZZ Priority.

Vueling

40 x 30 x 20 cm including handles and pockets, free, no stated weight limit. A larger 55 x 40 x 20 bag depends on your fare. Vueling publishes its gate charges in euros. Expect a per-bag hold charge if you are stopped.

Jet2, the quietly generous one

The most relaxed of the lot. Every fare includes both a personal item at 40 x 30 x 20 and a full cabin bag at 56 x 45 x 25, up to 10kg, free. Fly Jet2 and you have plenty of room.

Eurowings

40 x 30 x 25 cm free under-seat bag, deeper than most, so anything that fits the standard 20cm box clears it easily. The bigger cabin bag is paid on Basic fares.

British Airways

BA is different. You get a cabin bag (56 x 45 x 25) and a personal item (40 x 30 x 15), both free, on every fare. The personal item is only 15cm deep, so a 40 x 30 x 20 bag is over that, but it slots in as your free cabin bag instead. Either way, you are not paying.

Lufthansa

A free carry-on at 55 x 40 x 23 (8kg) on most fares, plus a small personal item at just 40 x 30 x 15. Watch the new Economy Basic fare on short European routes, live since spring 2026, which can include only the small personal item and no full carry-on, so check what your ticket actually includes.

What about the new EU rule?

You may have read the EU is making a free cabin bag the law. Here is the accurate version, as of mid 2026.

European airlines voluntarily agreed in 2025 to guarantee a free personal item of at least 40 x 30 x 15 cm. That is an industry promise, not a law, and it is why several airlines lined their sizes up around then. Separately, EU institutions have been negotiating a wider passenger-rights reform. It has been agreed in principle but is not yet in force, and it is expected to land around 2027. The final shape leaned toward making airlines show a fare that includes a bag rather than handing everyone a free one.

So: helpful direction of travel, nothing you can rely on at the gate today. Pack for the rule that exists now, which is the size your airline prints on its own page.

The simple way to never think about this again

Carry one bag that fits the strictest common size, 40 x 30 x 20 cm, and the whole table above stops mattering. That is the idea behind the BRAW Explorer 2. It is built to that exact box, so it rides free under the seat on the strict airlines and well inside the limit on the generous ones. The compression inside means fitting the box does not mean carrying less.

Common questions

What is the free personal item size on Ryanair in 2026?
40 x 30 x 20 cm, under the seat, free on every fare. It was raised from 40 x 25 x 20 cm in 2025.

Which airlines use the 40 x 30 x 20 cm free size?
Ryanair, Wizz Air, Vueling and Jet2 all use 40 x 30 x 20 cm for the free personal item.

Does a 40 x 30 x 20 cm bag fit easyJet?
Yes. easyJet's free under-seat allowance is larger at 45 x 36 x 20 cm, so a 40 x 30 x 20 bag fits with room to spare.

Is the EU making cabin bags free by law?
Not yet. As of mid 2026 there is a voluntary industry standard of a free 40 x 30 x 15 cm personal item, and a wider EU reform agreed in principle but not in force, expected around 2027.