British Airways carry-on size and personal item rules

British Airways carry-on allowance by fare

British Airways checked baggage by fare

Checked baggage verified 11 October 2026. Your booking confirmation shows the exact allowance for your trip.

Checked bag fees (we never show prices, they change by route and date): see the official page

What to know about British Airways carry-on rules

• From LHR and LGW, British Airways mainly connects United Kingdom with United States, Spain, France, Italy and Germany.
• Among the 43 verified airlines from Europe, British Airways has the largest cabin bag allowance; the strictest is Loganair (40×35×18 cm).
• As a box, British Airways' 56×45×25 cm limit holds about 63 litres, the 6th largest volume of the 170 airlines that publish three cabin bag sides.
• Among the 189 verified airlines that include a measured cabin bag, British Airways sits at rank 6; 94% of them allow a smaller total than its 126 cm (49.6 in).
• Compared with the 43 airlines from Europe on this site, whose cabin bags average 116.7 cm (45.9 in) in total, British Airways allows 9.3 cm (3.7 in) more.
• British Airways is 1st of 12 oneworld members by total cabin bag size (British Airways is the most generous, Qatar Airways the strictest).
• A standard US carry-on of 22 × 14 × 9 in (55.9 × 35.6 × 22.9 cm) fits, but with only 0.1 cm (0 in) to spare on the length when measured against British Airways' 56×45×25 cm.
• Tested against British Airways' 56×45×25 cm limit, a typical European cabin case of 55 × 40 × 20 cm (21.7 × 15.7 × 7.9 in) fits, but with only 1 cm (0.4 in) to spare on the length.
• There is no published cabin bag weight limit on every fare of British Airways: the official page sets only the 56×45×25 cm size.
• British Airways' official text counts wheels and handles in the 56×45×25 cm cabin bag limit.
• Compared with British Airways' 126 cm (49.6 in): at LGW, TUI Airways allows 11 cm (4.3 in) less in total (115 cm (45.3 in)); at LHR, Virgin Atlantic allows 11 cm (4.3 in) less in total (115 cm (45.3 in)).

British Airways personal item: what fits under the seat

• British Airways' fare also includes a cabin bag, so the personal item comes on top of it.
• Filled as a box, British Airways' 40×30×15 cm personal item holds about 18 litres, right at the median of 18 L across the 105 airlines that publish three personal item sides.
• Against the 48 airlines from Europe that publish a personal item size (average 87.2 cm in total), British Airways allows 85 cm, more than 4% of them.
• British Airways' personal item (40×30×15 cm, about 18 L) holds 29% of the volume of its cabin bag (about 63 L).
• A soft 40 × 30 × 20 cm (15.7 × 11.8 × 7.9 in) under-seat bag is 5 cm (2 in) too big on the depth against British Airways' 40×30×15 cm personal item limit.
• With 85 cm in total, the British Airways personal item is bigger than 17 and smaller than 54 of the 108 verified airlines that publish a personal item size.
• Other personal item limits at the same airport: TUI Airways at LGW (40×30×20 cm) and Virgin Atlantic at LHR (40×30×15 cm), against 40×30×15 cm on British Airways.
• Among 7 oneworld airlines with a published personal item size, American Airlines allows the largest (18×14×8 in) and Royal Air Maroc the smallest (40×30×15 cm); British Airways sits at 40×30×15 cm.

British Airways carry-on questions

Does British Airways have a weight limit for carry-on bags?

No. On every fare, British Airways publishes no weight limit for its carry-on bags; only the size rules appear on its official page.

Will a 55 × 40 × 20 cm carry-on fit British Airways' limit?

Yes: against British Airways' 56×45×25 cm limit, a hard 55 × 40 × 20 cm (21.7 × 15.7 × 7.9 in) case fits, but with only 1 cm (0.4 in) to spare on the length.

How big can a personal item be on British Airways?

British Airways allows a personal item of 40 × 30 × 15 cm (15.7 × 11.8 × 5.9 in) on every fare, stowed under the seat in front.

Do wheels and handles count in British Airways' carry-on size?

Yes. British Airways' official page says the 56×45×25 cm limit includes wheels and handles.

Compare British Airways with

• British Airways vs Virgin Atlantic — carry-on rules next to Virgin Atlantic
• British Airways vs easyJet — carry-on rules next to easyJet

Route guides with British Airways

• Carry-on from the USA to Europe: why a 22 × 14 × 9 in bag can be too big

Airlines related to British Airways

• Virgin Atlantic carry-on size — also flies from LHR
• TUI Airways carry-on size — also flies from LGW
• Finnair carry-on size — oneworld partner
• Iberia carry-on size — oneworld partner
• easyJet carry-on size — also based in the same country
• Qatar Airways carry-on size — oneworld partner

Strictest carry-on airlines · All airlines

Official sources

• https://www.britishairways.com/content/en/us/information/baggage-essentials — checked on 7 October 2026

Report an error on this page