Checking 46 kilos in economy class? Why some airlines are generous on luggage limits

June 15, 2026 — 5:00am

You’ve seen them, haven’t you? The passengers marching down the aircraft aisle with a wheeled bag, a backpack and a bag stuffed with God-only-knows-what, eager to board early so they can find enough bin space. Flying without checked luggage has become the Holy Grail of airline travel. It’s partly down to the tedious wait at the baggage carousel, partly to the fear of losing one’s luggage, but also to the way airline fares are now structured, rewarding those without checked luggage with the cheapest possible fares. The rules around baggage limits are complicated, and while they’re set in stone, even stone can be chiselled to your needs.

Checked baggage limits

Fly economy with Qantas and the check-in baggage allowance on domestic flights is up to 23 kilograms, up to 32 kilograms on flights to the Americas and 30 kilograms for the rest of the world. That’s about the same as Singapore Airlines and Turkish Airlines. The standouts are the Middle East carriers. Emirates flyers get 20 kilograms of checked luggage on the most basic “Special” fare, and 35 kilograms on a Flex Plus fare. Fly Emirates to Africa or the Americas, and the baggage allowance is even better – two pieces with a maximum weight of 23 kilograms each. On Qatar Airways, the checked baggage allowance for economy flyers ranges between 20 and 35 kilograms. Garuda Indonesia allows a hefty 46 kilograms in economy class per person on flights to Japan, and Chinese airlines often offer the same on international routes.

Fly business class and the checked baggage allowance aboard Emirates is 40 kilograms, divided among as many pieces as you like. For those bound for Africa or the Americas, it’s two pieces with a maximum weight of 32 kilograms each. Not too many flyers are going to travel with anything close to that figure, but these airlines are catering to their wealthy Gulf State clientele, as well as maintaining their image as a premium luxury brand.

At the other end of the scale, budget carriers charge extra for checked baggage. Fly on the cheapest fare with Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Scoot, Ryanair or Vueling, and the checked baggage allowance is zero. The same might apply to a cheap fare on an online travel agency, and even flying aboard a legacy carrier in some cases.

When major carriers saw they were losing a substantial chunk of leisure travel to budget airlines, especially on short-haul routes, they released their own version of budget airfares, branding them “Lite” or “Saver” fares. An economy class airfare might now come in three or four different types. At the bottom end, you’re paying for just a seat and a carry-on bag, and no checked baggage. At the beginning of June, I flew Milan to Bucharest return with Lufthansa, and the cheapest fare did not include checked luggage. The cost of flying with one checked bag was almost $200, about a third of the total fare.

How do airlines decide what checked-luggage limits to apply?

The most important factor that determines an airline’s baggage limits is what the competition is offering. The Gulf State airlines all have similar checked baggage allowances, as do the China-based carriers and budget airlines operating across Europe. A common maximum for economy passengers is 23 kilograms, and that’s due to health and safety regulations. Among airports and baggage-handling operators, 23 kilograms is considered the reasonable upper limit that a single person can lift safely. Even that will probably get a “Heavy” sticker at the check-in desk. Anything more might require special handling procedures.

Cabin baggage rules

Aboard most legacy airlines, the maximum weight for cabin luggage in economy is generally seven to eight kilograms, double that for business travellers. That seven-kilogram limit is just plain stingy. Empty, a lightweight hard-side cabin bag is going to weigh about two kilograms. Economy passengers aboard Japan Airlines and ANA get a more useful 10 kilograms, but British Airways is a standout. Even economy passengers get one cabin bag with a maximum weight of 23 kilograms. Good luck hoisting that into the overhead bin, and no, the cabin crew are not going to help you out. The US majors go even further. American, Delta and United have no weight limit for cabin luggage, instead relying on size limits.

Cabin baggage on budget airlines varies much more. Jetstar and Virgin Australia passengers get seven kilograms. Aboard Ryanair, Wizz Air or Vueling in Europe a cabin bag incurs an extra charge. Ryanair and Easyjet have been outed for rewarding staff who identify oversize bags with a bounty of €2.50 ($4.15). For the passenger, the hit is £75 ($125) – ouch!

Beating the checked-luggage rules with the under-seat bag

In addition to hand luggage to be stowed in the overhead compartment, almost all airlines allow all passengers to take one small item on board. Airlines call this the “personal item” or the under-seat bag, and the universal requirement is that it must fit under the seat in front. Pack with care and the under-seat baggage plus the cabin bag might just be enough for an extended overseas trip, without the need to check in any luggage, but you need to choose your airline with care.

If you’re flying with a legacy carrier, the rules for under-seat bags are often generous. Aboard Qantas, the under-seat bag might be “1 small duffle-style bag, 1 backpack or 1 large handbag.” Maximum dimensions are 34x48x23 centimetres with a maximum weight of 10 kilograms. Virgin Australia allows a personal item just slightly smaller than Qantas’, but there is no weight limit. Fly with Singapore Airlines and the maximum dimensions of the under-seat bag are 40x30x10 centimetres, with no weight restriction, but on Turkish Airlines the maximum weight for a personal item is just four kilograms. Having flown two sectors with Turkish Airlines in May, the weight restriction was not enforced.

Budget airlines tend to impose tougher limits. Jetstar allows one small item, either a handbag or thin laptop bag, in addition to one main item to be stowed in the overhead compartment, but the combined weight of both items must not exceed seven kilograms. Scoot has a similar restriction, but the combined maximum weight is 10 kilograms. At the other end of the scale, Ryanair, famous for its ancillary charges, allows all passengers one small under-seat bag, maximum dimensions 40x30x20 centimetres, with no weight restriction.

Smart travellers don’t necessarily pack less, they pack according to the rules of the airline they’re flying. A few minutes invested in checking baggage allowances before booking can save unnecessary fees and time spent waiting at baggage carousels.