Airline (Economy) | Total Vol | Total Vol. Inches | Length | Height | Width | Weight |
Length | Height | Width | Weight |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aegean Airlines | 126 | 50.4 | 56 | 45 | 25 | 8 | 22.5 | 18 | 10 | 17.5 |
Aer Lingus | 119 | 47.6 | 55 | 40 | 24 | 10 | 22 | 16 | 9.6 | 22 |
Aeroflot | 115 | 46 | 55 | 40 | 20 | 10 | 22 | 16 | 8 | 22 |
Air Canada | 118 | 47.2 | 55 | 40 | 23 | 10 | 22 | 16 | 9.2 | 22 |
Air China | 115 | 46 | 55 | 40 | 20 | 8 | 22 | 16 | 8 | 17.5 |
Air Europa | 115 | 46 | 55 | 35 | 25 | 10 | 22 | 14 | 10 | 22 |
Air France | 115 | 46 | 55 | 35 | 25 | 12 | 22 | 14 | 10 | 26.5 |
Air India | 115 | 46 | 55 | 35 | 25 | 8 | 22 | 14 | 10 | 17.5 |
Air New Zealand | 116 | 46.4 | 50 | 40 | 26 | 7 | 20 | 16 | 10.4 | 15.5 |
AirAsia | 115 | 46 | 56 | 36 | 23 | 7 | 22.5 | 14.5 | 9.2 | 15.5 |
airberlin | 118 | 47.2 | 55 | 40 | 23 | 8 | 22 | 16 | 9.2 | 17.5 |
Alaska Airlines | 129 | 51.6 | 61 | 43 | 25 | ![]() |
24.5 | 17.2 | 10 | ![]() |
Alitalia | 115 | 46 | 55 | 35 | 25 | 8 | 22 | 14 | 10 | 17.5 |
American Airlines | 115 | 46 | 56 | 36 | 23 | ![]() |
22.5 | 14.5 | 9.2 | 50 |
Austrian | 118 | 47.2 | 55 | 40 | 23 | 8 | 22 | 16 | 9.2 | 17.5 |
British Airways | 126 | 50.4 | 56 | 45 | 25 | ![]() |
22.5 | 18 | 10 | ![]() |
Cathay Pacific | 115 | 46 | 56 | 36 | 23 | 7 | 22.5 | 14.5 | 9.2 | 15.5 |
China Airlines | 115 | 46 | 56 | 36 | 23 | 7 | 22.5 | 14.5 | 9.2 | 15.5 |
Condor | 115 | 46 | 55 | 40 | 20 | 6 | 22 | 16 | 8 | 13.2 |
Czech Airlines | 125 | 50 | 55 | 45 | 25 | 8 | 22 | 18 | 10 | 17.5 |
Delta | 114 | 45.6 | 56 | 35 | 23 | ![]() |
22.5 | 14 | 9.2 | 50 |
easyJet | 126 | 50.4 | 56 | 45 | 25 | ![]() |
22.5 | 18 | 10 | ![]() |
Emirates | 113 | 45.2 | 55 | 38 | 20 | 7 | 22 | 15 | 8 | 15.5 |
Etihad | 115 | 46 | 50 | 40 | 25 | 7 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 15.5 |
Eurowings | 118 | 47.2 | 55 | 40 | 23 | 8 | 22 | 16 | 9.2 | 17.5 |
Fiji Airways | 118 | 47.2 | 55 | 40 | 23 | 7 | 22 | 16 | 9.2 | 15.5 |
Finnair | 126 | 50.4 | 56 | 45 | 25 | 10 | 22.5 | 18 | 10 | 22 |
FlyBE | 110 | 44 | 55 | 35 | 20 | 10 | 22 | 14 | 8 | 22 |
Hawaiian Airlines | 115 | 46 | 56 | 36 | 23 | 11.5 | 22.5 | 14.5 | 9.2 | 25.3 |
Iberia | 126 | 50.4 | 56 | 45 | 25 | 10 | 22.5 | 20 | 10 | 22 |
Icelandair | 115 | 46 | 55 | 40 | 20 | 10 | 22 | 16 | 8 | 22 |
Japan Airlines | 120 | 48 | 55 | 40 | 25 | 10 | 22 | 16 | 10 | 22 |
JetBlue | 114 | 45.6 | 56 | 35 | 23 | ![]() |
22.5 | 14 | 9.2 | 50 |
Jetstar | 115 | 46 | 56 | 36 | 23 | 10 | 22.5 | 14.5 | 9.2 | 22 |
KLM | 115 | 46 | 55 | 35 | 25 | 12 | 22 | 14 | 10 | 26.5 |
Korean Air | 115 | 46 | 55 | 40 | 20 | 12 | 22 | 16 | 8 | 26.5 |
Lufthansa | 118 | 47.2 | 55 | 40 | 23 | 8 | 22 | 16 | 9.2 | 17.5 |
Malaysia Airlines | 115 | 46 | 56 | 36 | 23 | 7 | 22.5 | 14.5 | 9.2 | 15.5 |
Monarch | 121 | 48.4 | 56 | 40 | 25 | 10 | 22.5 | 16 | 10 | 22 |
Norwegian Air Shuttle | 118 | 47.2 | 55 | 40 | 23 | 10 | 22 | 16 | 9.2 | 22 |
Philippine Airlines | 120 | 48 | 50 | 45 | 25 | 7 | 20 | 18 | 10 | 15.5 |
Qantas | 115 | 46 | 56 | 36 | 23 | 7 | 22.5 | 14.5 | 9.2 | 15.5 |
Qatar Airways | 112 | 44.8 | 50 | 37 | 25 | 7 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 15.5 |
Ryanair | 115 | 46 | 55 | 40 | 20 | 10 | 22 | 16 | 8 | 22 |
Singapore Airlines | 120 | 48 | 50 | 45 | 25 | 7 | 20 | 18 | 10 | 15.5 |
South African Airways | 118 | 47.2 | 56 | 36 | 26 | 8 | 22.5 | 14.5 | 10.4 | 17.5 |
Southwest | 130 | 52 | 61 | 41 | 28 | ![]() |
24.5 | 16.5 | 11.2 | ![]() |
SWISS | 118 | 47.2 | 55 | 40 | 23 | 8 | 22 | 16 | 9.2 | 17.5 |
Thomas Cook Airlines | 115 | 46 | 55 | 40 | 20 | 6 | 22 | 16 | 8 | 13.2 |
Thomson | 115 | 46 | 55 | 40 | 20 | 5 | 22 | 16 | 8 | 11 |
tigerair | 115 | 46 | 54 | 38 | 23 | 10 | 21.6 | 15 | 9.2 | 22 |
Turkish Airlines | 118 | 47.2 | 55 | 40 | 23 | 8 | 22 | 16 | 9.2 | 17.5 |
United | 113 | 45.2 | 56 | 35 | 22 | ![]() |
22.5 | 14 | 8.8 | 50 |
Virgin America | 127 | 50.8 | 61 | 41 | 25 | ![]() |
24.5 | 16.5 | 10 | ![]() |
Virgin Atlantic | 115 | 46 | 56 | 36 | 23 | 10 | 22.5 | 14.5 | 9.2 | 22 |
Virgin Australia | 105 | 42 | 48 | 34 | 23 | 7 | 19.2 | 13.5 | 9.2 | 15.5 |
Cabins & Bags - The Ultimate Cabin Luggage Study
Which Cabin Bags Fit on the Most Airlines?
With the help of some established travel aficionados and our own luggage experts, we put together a list of the 20 most popular pieces of cabin luggage at present, and matched their dimensions with 56 of the world's biggest commercial airlines to truly see which bag is the most versatile. You can see how they stack up below.


















It was a close race for first, but ultimately the @Work Two-Wheel Briefcase by Briggs and Riley packed the competition away, fitting on all 56 of the airlines we analysed.
The Slicks Travel System is a backpack that allows you to safely stow your suit in, and considering this, its total tally of fitting on 50 airlines is impressive.
The "lightweights" ended up tying for third, with both the IT Four-Wheeler and American Tourister Lightway fitting on a total of 49 airlines. Surprisingly, popular business luggage, the Antler Neptune Mobile Office, lagged behind, only fitting on nine cabin holds.
Airline Carry-On Dimensions - Who's the Most Lenient?
While most airline carry-on size rules will permit hand luggage which is 115 linear centimetres (45 inches) in combined length, width, and height, the actual breakdown of these dimensions can differ significantly. With this in mind, we've listed the restrictions of all the airlines in our study and also taken the liberty of combining their lengths, widths and heights to give a total volume to truly determine which airline is the most lenient in this regard.
When looking at total space for hand luggage, perhaps unsurprisingly the Americans came out on top, with Southwest boasting the most total centimetres allowed (130/51 inches.) To add to this, they also don't have a weight limit on cabin bags. The American propensity for space is also reflected in Alaska Airlines' total of 129cm, with Virgin America (127cm) coming in a close third.
Easyjet was an anomaly when it came to low budget airlines in Europe: their generous hand luggage restrictions of 56-45-25 gave them a grand volume of 126cm allowed overall, 11 centimetres more than competitors Ryanair and Thomas Cook (115.)
And bringing up the rear, all the way down under the competition was Virgin Australia, whose restrictions of 48-34-23 for domestic and short-haul international flights meant their total centimetres allowed of 105 was comfortably the lowest of all the airlines analysed. Crikey.
Cabin Luggage Finder
Select which airline you'll be flying on next to see which popular choice of bag fits in the cabin hold!
Luggage Name | Length | Height | Width | Weight |
Length | Height | Width | Weight |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
American Tourister Lightway Four-Wheel | 55 | 35 | 20 | 1.6 | 21.6 | 13.7 | 7.8 | 3.5 |
Antler Neptune Landscape Mobile Office | 45 | 43 | 23 | 2.8 | 17.7 | 17 | 9 | 6.1 |
Antler Size Zero Cabin Trolley | 55 | 40 | 20 | 2.4 | 21.6 | 15.7 | 7.8 | 5.2 |
Bric's Life Four-Wheel | 54 | 39 | 22 | 2.8 | 21.2 | 15.3 | 8.6 | 6.1 |
Briggs and Riley Sympatico | 53 | 36 | 23 | 3.6 | 21 | 14 | 9 | 7.9 |
Briggs and Riley @Work Two-Wheel Briefcase | 33 | 44 | 20 | 3.8 | 13 | 17.3 | 7.8 | 8.4 |
Delsey Traversee | 55 | 36 | 23 | 1.8 | 21.6 | 14 | 9 | 3.9 |
Eastpak Transfer Two-Wheel | 49 | 32 | 23 | 2.5 | 19.2 | 12.5 | 9 | 5.5 |
IT Four-Wheel Suitcase | 55 | 35 | 20 | 1.54 | 21.6 | 13.7 | 7.8 | 3.3 |
Lipault Pliable Upright Two-Wheel | 50 | 37 | 20 | 1.9 | 19.6 | 14.5 | 7.8 | 4.1 |
Rimowa Topas Four-Wheel Cabin | 55 | 40 | 20 | 4.6 | 21.6 | 15.7 | 7.8 | 10.1 |
Slicks Travel System - Suit Cover | 52 | 32 | 20 | 2.2 | 20.4 | 12.5 | 7.8 | 4.9 |
Samsonite Cosmolite Four-Wheel | 55 | 40 | 20 | 1.8 | 21.6 | 15.7 | 7.8 | 4 |
Ted Baker Falconwood Soft Two-Wheel | 50 | 38 | 20 | 2.3 | 19.6 | 15 | 7.8 | 5 |
Travelpro Maxlite 4 Expandable Spinner | 55 | 36 | 25 | 2.6 | 20 | 14 | 9.5 | 5.7 |
Tumi Vapor Lite | 55 | 40 | 20 | 3.6 | 21.6 | 15.7 | 7.8 | 7.9 |
Tumi Voyageur Oslo | 38 | 36 | 21 | 3.6 | 15 | 14 | 8.5 | 7.9 |
Wilko Super Light | 50 | 40 | 20 | 1.9 | 19.6 | 15.7 | 7.8 | 4.1 |
Some important carry on advice to consider before flying:
- One frequently asked question is whether or not a hand luggage bag's wheels are included in the dimensions specified by the airline. The answer is, yes, so don't forget to include them when making your arrangements.
- Most airlines do not have enough space for everyone to place their carry on bags inside the cabin, meaning that some luggage must inevitably be placed in the hold. To avoid this happening, try to arrive at the boarding gate in plenty of time before your flight is due to depart.
- It's not just airline carry-on dimensions that can cause inconvenience. Weight limits on hand luggage can also be restrictive and must be complied with. Luckily, not all airlines have weight limitations but, again, check our table before you fly.
- One frequently asked question is whether or not a hand luggage bag's wheels are included in the dimensions specified by the airline. The answer is, yes, so don't forget to include them when making your arrangements.
- Unfortunately, airline rules for personal items' are not as clear as they are for carry-on luggage. For airlines such as FlyBe and Jet2, you are allowed one personal item, along with your hand luggage as long as the former fits under the seat in front of you or into the overhead compartment. For others, such as Thomson and EasyJet, any personal items must fit into your main hand luggage bag.
- Most airlines will allow items such as one standard duty-free shopping bag, an umbrella, crutches or a walking stick. But it is always best to check beforehand as the rules can catch you out.
- Some items, such as laptops departing from certain destinations to the UK, are also banned due to security risks. According to WIRED magazine,the UK Department for Transport has confirmed the restrictions will apply on airlines including British Airways and EasyJet on all inbound flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.'
- The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone is universally banned from all flights around the world because it keeps blowing up.
- So, you've seen the research, now hopefully you won't be caught out when it comes to cabin luggage and the information will help you choose the right bag for you!