British Airways vs Virgin Atlantic carry-on size
Standard economy fare · checked 8 October 2026
On the standard economy fare, British Airways is the more generous of the two for cabin baggage. British Airways includes a 56×45×25 cm cabin bag and a 40×30×15 cm personal item, while Virgin Atlantic includes a 23×36×56 cm, 10 kg cabin bag and a 40×30×15 cm personal item. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic were last checked against their official pages on 8 October 2026.
Side by side
| Rule | British Airways | Virgin Atlantic |
|---|---|---|
| Standard fare | All fares | Economy Light, Classic and Delight |
| Cabin bag | Included: 56×45×25 cm | Included: 23×36×56 cm, 10 kg |
| Personal item | Included: 40×30×15 cm | Included: 40×30×15 cm |
| Weight limits | Not published | cabin bag 10 kg |
| Last checked | 7 October 2026 | 8 October 2026 |
What is different
- British Airways' cabin bag limit allows 9 cm more on the width than Virgin Atlantic's: 45 cm against 36 cm.
- British Airways' cabin bag limit allows 2 cm more on the depth than Virgin Atlantic's: 25 cm against 23 cm.
- Against the cabin bag limit, a 22 × 14 × 9 in (55.9 × 35.6 × 22.9 cm) bag fits, but with only 0.1 cm (0 in) to spare on the length at British Airways, and fits, but with only 0.1 cm (0 in) to spare on the length at Virgin Atlantic.
- Against the cabin bag limit, a 55 × 40 × 20 cm (21.7 × 15.7 × 7.9 in) bag fits, but with only 1 cm (0.4 in) to spare on the length at British Airways, and is 4 cm (1.6 in) too big on the width at Virgin Atlantic.
- Against the personal item limit, a 40 × 30 × 20 cm (15.7 × 11.8 × 7.9 in) bag is 5 cm (2 in) too big on the depth at British Airways, and is 5 cm (2 in) too big on the depth at Virgin Atlantic.
- British Airways and Virgin Atlantic both list United Kingdom, United States and India among their main markets, so on routes to these countries the two sets of rules can be compared directly.
- British Airways publishes one fare for cabin baggage, with the cabin bag included; Virgin Atlantic includes the cabin bag on all 3 of its published fares.
One bag for both
Cabin bag
- A cabin bag of up to 56 × 36 × 23 cm (22 × 14.1 × 9 in) is within the size limits of both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
- Keep it to 10 kg (22 lb), the only weight limit published for this bag, set by Virgin Atlantic.
Personal item
- A personal item of up to 40 × 30 × 15 cm (15.7 × 11.8 × 5.9 in) is within the size limits of both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
Every fare
Both airlines publish other fares with different bags. See every British Airways fare and every Virgin Atlantic fare.
British Airways vs Virgin Atlantic: questions
- Is the British Airways cabin bag allowance bigger than Virgin Atlantic's?
- Yes: on the standard economy fare, British Airways is more generous. British Airways' cabin bag limit allows 9 cm more on the width than Virgin Atlantic's: 45 cm against 36 cm.
- Which bag fits both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic?
- A cabin bag of up to 56 × 36 × 23 cm (22 × 14.1 × 9 in) is within the size limits of both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. Our checker turns your own bag in every direction and tests it on British Airways and Virgin Atlantic at once in trip mode.
Official sources
British Airways
- https://www.britishairways.com/content/en/us/information/baggage-essentials — checked on 7 October 2026