Carry-on size study: what 220 airlines allow in the cabin
October 2026 edition · data from 220 verified airlines, last checked on 11 October 2026 · Download the CSV
Key findings
- As of 11 October 2026, 194 of the 220 airlines in our data include a cabin bag in their standard economy fare, 24 sell it as an extra, and 2 include none or publish no rule.
- The most common published cabin bag size is 55 × 40 × 20 cm, used by 30 airlines. The next most common are 56 × 36 × 23 cm (28) and 55 × 40 × 23 cm (23).
- A US-style 22 × 14 × 9 in carry-on is within the size limit of 70 of the 189 airlines that include a cabin bag and publish its size (37%); a 55 × 40 × 20 cm bag passes at 98 (52%). Of the sizes we tested, 55 × 35 × 20 cm passes most often, at 86%.
- The median cabin bag weight limit is 8 kg (17.6 lb), across 177 airlines that publish one (for the bag itself, or for both cabin bags together). 12 airlines publish a size but no weight limit for the cabin bag.
- The median total size (length + width + height) is 115 cm (45.3 in), across 170 airlines that publish all three sides. 50 airlines set one weight for the cabin bag and personal item together.
Which bag fits the most airlines?
We checked common bag sizes against the published limit of every airline that includes that kind of bag in its standard economy fare, turning the bag in every direction, as our checker does. A bag counts as passing when it is within every published side and total limit. Weight is not part of this test.
- 22 × 14 × 9 in (US carry-on)37% · 70 of 189
- 55 × 40 × 23 cm24% · 46 of 189
- 55 × 40 × 20 cm52% · 98 of 189
- 56 × 36 × 23 cm32% · 60 of 189
- 55 × 35 × 20 cm86% · 163 of 189
- 40 × 30 × 20 cm41% · 44 of 108
- 40 × 30 × 15 cm79% · 85 of 108
- 40 × 20 × 25 cm44% · 47 of 108
Most common cabin bag sizes
Sizes as the airlines publish them, sides sorted from largest to smallest, among the 170 airlines whose standard economy fare includes a cabin bag with all three sides published.
| Published size | Airlines |
|---|---|
| 55 × 40 × 20 cm | 30 |
| 56 × 36 × 23 cm | 28 |
| 55 × 40 × 23 cm | 23 |
| 55 × 35 × 25 cm | 19 |
| 55 × 40 × 25 cm | 11 |
By region
Standard economy fare. The median total counts airlines that include a cabin bag and publish its three sides; the weight is the cabin bag's own limit, or the combined limit when that is the only one published. Regions with few airlines in our data move a lot when one airline changes its rule.
| Region | Airlines | Cabin bag included | Median total (L + W + H) | Median weight limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 62 | 69% | 118 cm | 8 kg |
| North America | 14 | 79% | 114.3 cm | 10 kg |
| Caribbean | 4 | 100% | 114.3 cm | 9.1 kg |
| Latin America | 9 | 78% | 115.9 cm | 10 kg |
| Middle East | 17 | 94% | 115 cm | 7 kg |
| North Africa | 10 | 100% | 115 cm | 8 kg |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 27 | 100% | 115 cm | 7 kg |
| South Asia | 13 | 100% | 115 cm | 7 kg |
| East Asia | 32 | 97% | 115 cm | 8 kg |
| Southeast Asia | 18 | 100% | 115 cm | 7 kg |
| Central Asia | 4 | 100% | 119 cm | 8 kg |
| Oceania | 10 | 100% | 110 cm | 7 kg |
By type of airline
| Type | Airlines | Cabin bag included | Median total (L + W + H) | Median weight limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-service | 106 | 97% | 115 cm | 8 kg |
| Hybrid | 35 | 86% | 115 cm | 8 kg |
| Low-cost | 51 | 67% | 115 cm | 7 kg |
| Regional | 28 | 96% | 115 cm | 8 kg |
Low-cost airlines are the group least likely to include a cabin bag in the standard economy fare (67% of 51): see each airline's page for the fares that include it.
Download the data
carry-on-size-study.csv has one row per verified airline for its standard economy fare: cabin bag and personal item status, the three sides, total limit and weight exactly as published (cm or in, kg or lb, with the unit in its own column), the combined weight limit, the official source and the date we checked it. An empty cell means the airline does not publish that value; a status of “included” with empty sizes means the bag is allowed but its size is not published.
You may reuse the data, including commercially, under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence, with a link to this page. Airline rules change: check the official source before relying on a figure.
How to cite
MyCarryOnSize, "Carry-on size study", October 2026. https://mycarryonsize.com/en/data/carry-on-size-study
Every figure comes from the airline's official baggage page and is checked against it before it is published. Values an airline does not publish are left out, never estimated. Read our methodology, browse all 220 airlines or report an error on the corrections page.