Low-cost cabin baggage 2026: sizes, weights and rules for Ryanair, Wizz Air, easyJet, Vueling, Volotea and Transavia
How big your free bag can be, how to get a wheelie case into the cabin, what a mistake at the gate costs and what the new EU rules will change. Updated September 2026.
Updated on 17 September 2026
At a glance
- With the base fare on all the major low-cost airlines, you fly free with one small bag that fits under the seat. A 40×30×15 cm bag is within the limits of every airline in this guide.
- A wheelie case in the cabin (around 55×40×20 cm) almost always costs extra, usually through priority boarding or a higher fare.
- Adding a bag while booking online costs far less than at the airport. At the gate, an oversized bag can cost more than the flight.
- The new EU passenger rights regulation was agreed in 2026 but is not yet in force: until it is, the airlines' own rules apply.
The rules change often, and sometimes an airline's own pages don't even agree with each other. The sizes below come from the official websites as of September 2026: always check the conditions for your flight before you travel, because those are what count.
The rules, airline by airline
| Airline | Free bag | Cabin wheelie case | How to get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryanair | 40×30×20 cm | 55×40×20 cm, 10 kg | Priority & 2 Cabin Bags |
| Wizz Air | 40×30×20 cm, 10 kg | 55×40×23 cm, 10 kg | WIZZ Priority |
| easyJet | 45×36×20 cm, 15 kg | 56×45×25 cm, 15 kg | Large Cabin Bag, or Up Front and Extra Legroom seats |
| Vueling | 40×30×20 cm | 55×40×20 cm, 10 kg | Optima and TimeFlex fares, or as an extra |
| Volotea | 40×30×20 cm | 55×40×25 cm, 10 kg combined with the bag | Priority Boarding |
| Transavia | 40×30×20 cm | 55×40×25 cm, 10 kg combined with the bag | Smart and Max fares, or as an extra |
Sizes include wheels, handles and outside pockets.
Ryanair
Since September 2025, Ryanair has installed larger bag sizers at every airport: the free under-seat bag is now 40×30×20 cm, with no stated weight limit. Some help pages still show the old size (40×20×25): the new one is what counts.
To bring a 10 kg wheelie case into the cabin as well, you need Priority & 2 Cabin Bags. Without Priority, anyone who turns up at the gate with a bag bigger than the free one pays a gate fee, and gate fees are always much higher than online prices.
Wizz Air
The free bag is 40×30×20 cm and 10 kg. The 55×40×23 cm wheelie case, also 10 kg, is added with WIZZ Priority, which includes priority boarding too.
Wizz Air publishes its gate fees for oversized bags: whether it's the free bag or the wheelie case, measure it at home first.
easyJet
easyJet is the most generous with the free bag: 45×36×20 cm and up to 15 kg, giving you a bit more room than its rivals.
The bigger bag (Large Cabin Bag, 56×45×25 cm, 15 kg) is bought separately and comes with Speedy Boarding, or it's included with Up Front and Extra Legroom seats.
Vueling
The free bag is 40×30×20 cm; the 10 kg wheelie case is included in the Optima and TimeFlex fares or can be bought as an extra. Optima also includes a checked bag.
Heads up: as of September 2026, two official Vueling pages give different sizes for the bag and the wheelie case. Check the conditions shown in your booking.
Volotea
Free bag of 40×30×20 cm. The 55×40×25 cm wheelie case comes with Priority Boarding, which you can add until shortly before the flight; the 10 kg limit applies to the bag and wheelie case combined.
Volotea is the clearest example of how much it matters when you buy: according to its fees page, the same service costs much less on the website than through the call centre, and even more at the airport.
Transavia
Free bag of 40×30×20 cm. Since May 2025, the cabin wheelie case can measure up to 55×40×25 cm; it's included in the Smart and Max fares, while with Basic and Plus it's added as an extra, either when booking or later via My Transavia up to two hours before the flight. Here too, the limit is 10 kg in total.
Liquids: 100 ml or 2 litres?
The basic EU rule hasn't changed: containers of no more than 100 ml, all in a single one-litre clear resealable bag. Medicines and baby food are exempt from the limit.
Some airports have new-generation scanners that allow larger containers, but it's up to each individual airport, and sometimes even each individual security lane. Always assume 100 ml, and only carry more if the website of the airport you're flying from, and the one you're flying back from, clearly says so.
What the new EU rules will change
In 2026, the European Parliament and the Council reached agreement on reforming air passenger rights. The changes include the right to a free personal item with guaranteed minimum dimensions, and an obligation to show the price including baggage upfront.
The new rules will only apply after publication in the Official Journal of the European Union and a transition period, so not before 2027. We'll update this guide when they come into force.
How not to pay more for your bag than your flight
- Buy a 40×30×15 cm bag: it works for every airline, even when you fly with different airlines on the way out and back.
- Measure it full, not empty: an overstuffed soft backpack bulges beyond the limits.
- Add extras while booking: it's almost always the cheapest moment.
- Compare wheelie case and hold luggage: sometimes a 10 kg checked bag bought online costs less than priority boarding.
- Work out the total: a 15-euro flight plus a wheelie case can cost more than a 30-euro flight with the wheelie case included.
- For a weekend, the small bag is enough: dress in layers, wear your bulkiest shoes, and buy toiletries when you arrive.
Sources
This information comes from the airlines' official pages (baggage and fees) and from the European Commission (liquids and passenger rights), consulted in September 2026. FlyDown is not affiliated with any of the airlines mentioned: all trademarks belong to their respective owners.