The British Airways cabin bag size is 56 x 45 x 25 cm (22 x 18 x 10 in), wheels and handles included, and you can also bring a hand bag of up to 40 x 30 x 15 cm (16 x 12 x 6 in) that fits under the seat in front of you. Both bags come with every cabin, Economy Basic included. British Airways gives no weight limit for either on its hand baggage page. These hand luggage sizes are as stated by British Airways on its website, checked 19 October 2026.
| Allowance | Size (cm) | Size (inches) | Weight | Who gets it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand bag, under the seat | 40 x 30 x 15 | 16 x 12 x 6 | No limit stated | Every cabin, Economy Basic included |
| Cabin bag, overhead locker | 56 x 45 x 25, wheels and handles included | 22 x 18 x 10 | No limit stated, lift it into the locker yourself | Every cabin, Economy Basic included |
The inches are British Airways’ own figures, not our conversion. The page covers British Airways, BA Cityflyer and BA Euroflyer flights, and partner airlines may have a different allowance.
British Airways hand bag size: 40 x 30 x 15 cm
The hand bag can measure up to 40 x 30 x 15 cm (16 x 12 x 6 in) and “must easily fit under the seat in front of you”. It is the bag British Airways calls “guaranteed in the cabin”, so keep your passport, phone and other essentials in it. British Airways asks you to carry spare batteries and power banks in this smaller bag, since they are never allowed in the hold, and enough medication for the flight and the first few days of your trip.
At 15 cm deep it is shallower than the 20 cm under-seat bag on Ryanair or Jet2, so on a backpack the depth is the figure to check.
British Airways cabin bag size: 56 x 45 x 25 cm
The cabin bag, sometimes called the British Airways carry-on bag, can measure up to 56 x 45 x 25 cm (22 x 18 x 10 in), with wheels and handles counted in, and goes in the overhead compartment. “You must be able to lift your cabin bag into the overhead compartment unassisted.” British Airways adds that it should hold no valuables, electronics or essential medicines, because it “may need to go in the hold”. The rule sets a size, not a type of bag, so a rucksack within those measurements once packed can be your cabin bag.
Economy Basic: hand bag and cabin bag, no checked bag
Economy Basic includes the same hand bag and cabin bag as every other cabin, but no checked baggage, so any bag in the hold costs extra. On fares that include one, the Economy checked bag can measure up to 90 x 75 x 43 cm and weigh up to 23 kg.
Baggage for children and infants
Children and infants with a seat have the same free baggage allowance as adults. A baby under 24 months without a seat gets a 23 kg checked bag, except on Basic fares. On every fare, Basic included, each infant and child can also check up to two essentials among a fully collapsible pushchair, a car or booster seat, a travel cot and a baby back carrier.
How to measure a backpack for British Airways
Measure your backpack packed, the way you will carry it, because a soft bag grows once it is filled.
- Height: from the base to the top of the bag, top handle included.
- Width: across the widest point, side pockets included.
- Depth: from the back panel to the front of the front pocket, packed. For the hand bag this is the 15 cm to watch.
Backpacks that fit the British Airways hand bag
These backpacks from our leather backpacks collection fit a 40 x 30 x 15 cm box on their stated dimensions, so they also fit the cabin bag. A soft bag packed full bulges, so measure yours packed before you fly.
- Our small leather backpack in genuine cowhide, 25 x 21 x 13 cm, with a zip closure and a front pocket with a flap.
- Our women’s small black leather backpack in genuine cowhide, 23 x 12 x 24 cm, which you can wear as a backpack, carry as a shoulder bag or hold by hand.
- Our waterproof vegan leather backpack for women, 26 x 12 x 30 cm, under 20 litres, with two elastic side pockets.
- Our women’s Korean vegan leather backpack with a buckle clasp, 28 x 39 x 14 cm, under 20 litres, which takes A4 notebooks.
- Our men’s small faux leather laptop backpack in waterproof PU, 40 x 12 x 28 cm, under 20 litres, with a laptop compartment and an outside USB port (power bank not included).
Backpacks for the British Airways cabin bag
These larger backpacks fit inside 56 x 45 x 25 cm on their stated dimensions but not the hand bag, so carry one as your cabin bag and keep your essentials in a smaller bag.
- Our waterproof men’s black faux leather laptop backpack, 29 x 13 x 43 cm, about 29 litres, for a laptop up to 15.6 inches, with a strap that slides over a suitcase handle.
- Our waterproof faux leather laptop backpack for the city, 31 x 14 x 47 cm, 20 to 35 litres, for a laptop up to 16 inches, with a strap for a trolley case.
- Our men’s vintage leather backpack in genuine leather, with a hammered finish, 42 x 32 x 12 cm, for a laptop up to 15.6 inches.
There are more in our women’s leather backpacks and men’s leather backpacks, and our cabin backpacks collection gathers the travel models.
British Airways cabin bag size compared with other airlines
British Airways and Jet2 both include a 56 x 45 x 25 cm bag on every fare, on the figures each airline states on its own website, checked 19 October 2026.
| Airline | Small or under-seat bag (cm) | Larger cabin bag (cm) |
|---|---|---|
| British Airways | Hand bag 40 x 30 x 15 | Cabin bag 56 x 45 x 25, every fare |
| Jet2 | Under-seat bag 40 x 30 x 20, no weight stated | Hand luggage 56 x 45 x 25, up to 10 kg, free |
| easyJet | Small cabin bag 45 x 36 x 20, up to 15 kg | Large cabin bag 56 x 45 x 25, up to 15 kg, paid or with easyJet Plus |
| Ryanair | Small personal bag 40 x 30 x 20, no weight stated | 10kg Cabin Bag 55 x 40 x 20, 10 kg, Priority or a fare that includes it |
| Aer Lingus | Personal item 40 x 30 x 20, no weight stated | 10kg bag 55 x 40 x 24, 10 kg, in the cabin within Europe only if your booking includes it |
| Loganair | Cabin bag 40 x 35 x 18, under 6 kg | None, plus a small handbag (no size given) |
Our guide to hand luggage sizes by airline sets out each airline’s rules side by side.
The new EU cabin bag rule
An EU rule will set a personal item every passenger may bring on board, of at least 40 x 30 x 15 cm, with no weight minimum and no obligation to include a cabin bag in every fare. Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 was published on 2 October 2026 and applies 12 months later, so from about October 2027, exact date to be confirmed. We found no UK rule of this kind, and the European Commission’s questions and answers do not say how it treats UK flights. The British Airways hand bag is already the same size as that minimum.
British Airways cabin bag questions
Is there a weight limit for British Airways hand luggage?
No limit is given for either bag on British Airways’ hand baggage page, but you must be able to lift the cabin bag into the overhead compartment unassisted. Other sites often print 23 kg for the cabin bag. On British Airways’ hand baggage page, 23 kg appears only as the Economy checked bag weight.
Can I take a backpack and a cabin bag on British Airways?
Yes, every passenger can bring one hand bag of up to 40 x 30 x 15 cm and one cabin bag of up to 56 x 45 x 25 cm, and a backpack can be either one if it fits.
Does Economy Basic include a cabin bag on British Airways?
Yes, the hand bag and the cabin bag, but no checked bag.
How strict is British Airways on cabin bag size?
British Airways gives both sizes as maximums, the cabin bag’s with wheels and handles included, and its page states no tolerance, gate sizer or fee amount. With more than two pieces of hand baggage, or bags over the permitted size, it says you may have to put the larger bags in the hold as checked baggage, which costs extra on Economy Basic. Measure both bags packed.
What happens if my checked bag is over 23 kg?
If it is over your allowance, British Airways may charge a heavy bag fee of 65 GBP (75 EUR or 100 USD) per overweight bag and one-way journey. The 23 kg limit applies to each bag and cannot be split between bags, and no checked bag may weigh over 32 kg. At many airports, Heathrow and Gatwick included, the fee is paid by card only, not in cash or Avios.
Source: British Airways’ baggage essentials page. The comparison uses the baggage pages of Jet2, easyJet, Ryanair, Aer Lingus and Loganair.
Sizes checked on British Airways’ website on 19 October 2026. Airlines change their rules, so check your booking before you fly.