What is British Airways' carry-on size?

British Airways' cabin/carry-on bag is 56 × 45 × 25 cm (22 × 18 × 10 in), max 23 kg. Wide allowance but weight-enforced; real working limit is ~10–12 kg at the gate.

What is British Airways' checked baggage weight limit?

Standard Economy checked bags on British Airways are up to 23 kg (51 lb) and 158 cm / 62 in total (length + width + height).

British Airways baggage allowance

Carry-on and checked-bag sizes, weights and fees for British Airways (Economy), verified 2026-06.

Your airline

British Airways · BA · Economy

Bag sizers used at busy gates (2025 tightening) — the generous size is real, the weight is not.

🧳 Carry-on 56 × 45 × 25 cm 22 × 18 × 10 in · 23 kg (enforced)

Wide allowance but weight-enforced; real working limit is ~10–12 kg at the gate.

👜 Personal item 40 × 30 × 15 cm 16 × 12 × 6 in

Carry-on + personal item share a 23 kg cap.

🧳 Checked bag 23 kg · 158 cm total 51 lb · 62 in linear · 1st bag from £0

Economy Basic: no free bag. Standard Economy and above: 1 free bag. Overweight 23–32 kg £65/pc.

Verified 2026-06 Allowance varies by fare Official British Airways policy ↗

Avoid gate fees British Airways enforces cabin-bag size & weight A bag built to British Airways' limit saves a painful gate charge.

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Pack within the limit

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British Airways baggage allowance, explained

British Airways (BA) Economy allowance at a glance:

Cabin bag: 56 × 45 × 25 cm (22 × 18 × 10 in) · 23 kg limit — actively enforced at the gate.
Personal item: 40 × 30 × 15 cm — handbag, laptop bag or small backpack, under the seat.
Checked bag: Paid add-on — from £0 (varies by fare & route); up to 23 kg (51 lb) · max 158 cm total. Add online — airport is dearer.
Worth knowing: Bag sizers used at busy gates (2025 tightening) — the generous size is real, the weight is not.
Fare caveat: cheapest Light / Basic / Saver fares often drop the free bag — confirm your allowance before buying.

Not sure your bag passes the sizer? Check it with the carry-on size checker, or see if it all fits the rental with the luggage fit calculator. Figures verified 2026-06 — always confirm on the official British Airways baggage page before you fly, as fees change often.

Flying British Airways? Pick a good seat on its fleet: Airbus A320 seat map → · Airbus A321neo seat map → · Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner seat map → · Boeing 777-300ER seat map →

Packing for a British Airways trip? Check which power adapter you need for United Kingdom →

More on British Airways baggage

What is British Airways' carry-on baggage allowance?

British Airways allows one cabin bag of 56 × 45 × 25 cm (22 × 18 × 10 in), up to 23 kg (weighed at the gate). You can also bring a personal item of about 40 × 30 × 15 cm such as a handbag or laptop bag. Wide allowance but weight-enforced; real working limit is ~10–12 kg at the gate.

How much is a checked bag on British Airways?

British Airways charges for checked bags — from £0 for the first bag (it varies by fare and route), up to 23 kg (51 lb), max 158 cm (62 in) total. Economy Basic: no free bag. Standard Economy and above: 1 free bag. Overweight 23–32 kg £65/pc. It's always cheaper to add or prepay a bag online than at the airport.

Can I bring both a carry-on and a personal item on British Airways?

Yes. British Airways lets you bring one cabin bag (56 × 45 × 25 cm) plus one personal item of about 40 × 30 × 15 cm such as a handbag or laptop bag, free of charge in Economy.

Does British Airways weigh carry-on bags?

Yes — British Airways enforces a 23 kg cabin-bag weight limit and does weigh bags at check-in or the gate, so pack to the limit or move heavy items into your checked bag.

British Airways vs Lufthansa baggage — how do they compare?

Carry-on: British Airways allows 56 × 45 × 25 cm, 23 kg; Lufthansa allows 55 × 40 × 23 cm, 8 kg. Checked: British Airways gives you a checked bag from £0, while Lufthansa gives a checked bag from €45. See the full Lufthansa baggage allowance to compare side by side.

Compare two airlines side by side

See whose Economy baggage is more generous — the better value on each row is highlighted. Verified 2026-06.

First airline

Second airline

Economy	British AirwaysBA	LufthansaLH
Carry-on
Carry-on size	56 × 45 × 25 cm22 × 18 × 10 in	55 × 40 × 23 cm22 × 16 × 9 in
Cabin weight	23 kg (enforced)	8 kg (enforced)
Personal item	40 × 30 × 15 cm	Yes
Gate-check risk	Low	Higher
Checked bag
Free checked bags	0	0
1st checked bag	from £0	from €45
Weight per bag	23 kg51 lb	23 kg51 lb
Max size (L+W+H)	158 cm62 in	158 cm62 in
Varies by fare	Yes	Yes
Good to know
Notable	Bag sizers used at busy gates (2025 tightening) — the generous size is real, the weight is not.	Fare family (Light / Classic / Flex) decides the allowance. Light is carry-on only.
Official policy	View ↗	View ↗

🟢 = the more generous of the two on that row. Allowances vary by fare and route — always confirm with the airline.

Compare all 78 airlines at a glance

Tap any row to load its full details above, or a column header to sort (cheapest checked bag, biggest carry-on…). Economy fares, verified 2026-06.

Carry-on (cm)	Cabin kg	Personal item	Checked kg	1st checked bag
56 × 36 × 23	—	46 × 36 × 20 cm	23 kg	$50
56 × 36 × 23	—	43 × 33 × 23 cm	23 kg	$45
56 × 35 × 23	—	43 × 25 × 22 cm	23 kg	$45
61 × 41 × 25	—	47 × 34 × 22 cm	23 kg	$45
56 × 36 × 23	—	43 × 33 × 20 cm	23 kg	from $39
61 × 41 × 25	16 kg	46 × 36 × 20 cm	18 kg	from $60
55 × 40 × 23	8 kg	Yes	23 kg	from €45
55 × 35 × 25	12 kg	40 × 30 × 15 cm	23 kg	from €25
56 × 45 × 25	23 kg	40 × 30 × 15 cm	23 kg	from £0
55 × 35 × 25	12 kg	40 × 30 × 15 cm	23 kg	from €30
40 × 20 × 25	—	40 × 20 × 25 cm	20 kg	from €19
45 × 36 × 20	15 kg	45 × 36 × 20 cm	23 kg	Route-priced
55 × 38 × 20	7 kg	No	23 kg	1 free
50 × 37 × 25	7 kg	Yes	23 kg	1 free
55 × 35 × 20	7 kg	40 × 30 × 10 cm	23 kg	1 free
56 × 36 × 23	7 kg	Yes	23 kg	1 free
56 × 36 × 23	7 kg	Yes	23 kg	1 free
55 × 40 × 25	10 kg	Yes	23 kg	2 free
55 × 40 × 23	—	43 × 33 × 16 cm	23 kg	from C$45
56 × 36 × 23	—	41 × 33 × 15 cm	23 kg	from C$45
56 × 36 × 23	—	43 × 25 × 23 cm	23 kg	$45
56 × 36 × 23	11 kg	Yes	23 kg	$45
55 × 35 × 25	10 kg	Yes	23 kg	Route-priced
55 × 35 × 25	10 kg	45 × 35 × 20 cm	23 kg	Route-priced
55 × 40 × 25	10 kg	Yes	23 kg	from $60
55 × 40 × 25	10 kg	45 × 35 × 20 cm	25 kg	Route-priced
56 × 36 × 26	10 kg	43 × 25 × 22 cm	23 kg	from $30
55 × 35 × 25	10 kg	32 × 22 × 43 cm	23 kg	1 free
55 × 35 × 25	10 kg	40 × 30 × 20 cm	23 kg	1 free
55 × 40 × 23	8 kg	40 × 30 × 15 cm	23 kg	1 free
56 × 40 × 25	10 kg	40 × 30 × 15 cm	23 kg	Route-priced
55 × 40 × 24	10 kg	25 × 33 × 20 cm	23 kg	from €75
55 × 40 × 25	10 kg	Yes	23 kg	Route-priced
55 × 40 × 23	8 kg	40 × 30 × 15 cm	23 kg	Route-priced
55 × 40 × 23	8 kg	40 × 30 × 10 cm	23 kg	Route-priced
55 × 40 × 23	8 kg	Yes	23 kg	Route-priced
40 × 30 × 20	—	40 × 30 × 20 cm	20 kg	Route-priced
55 × 40 × 20	10 kg	40 × 30 × 20 cm	23 kg	Route-priced
55 × 40 × 23	10 kg	38 × 30 × 20 cm	23 kg	from $45
55 × 40 × 23	8 kg	40 × 30 × 15 cm	23 kg	Route-priced
55 × 35 × 25	8 kg	Yes	23 kg	from €60
56 × 36 × 23	7 kg	No	23 kg	1 free
56 × 36 × 23	7 kg	Yes	23 kg	2 free
55 × 40 × 23	8 kg	Yes	23 kg	2 free
45 × 40 × 30	6 kg	Yes	23 kg	1 free
55 × 40 × 20	7 kg	Yes	20 kg	1 free
55 × 40 × 23	7 kg	Yes	23 kg	2 free
55 × 40 × 25	10 kg	40 × 30 × 15 cm	23 kg	1 free
55 × 40 × 20	7 kg	Yes	23 kg	1 free
55 × 35 × 25	7 kg	Yes	23 kg	1 free
55 × 40 × 25	10 kg	Yes	23 kg	2 free
55 × 40 × 20	10 kg	40 × 30 × 15 cm	23 kg	1 free
55 × 40 × 20	10 kg	40 × 30 × 20 cm	23 kg	1 free
55 × 40 × 20	5 kg	Yes	23 kg	1 free
55 × 40 × 20	5 kg	Yes	23 kg	1 free
55 × 40 × 20	10 kg	Yes	23 kg	1 free
56 × 36 × 23	7 kg	Yes	23 kg	1 free
56 × 36 × 23	7 kg	40 × 30 × 15 cm	23 kg	1 free
56 × 45 × 25	7 kg	38 × 25 × 13 cm	23 kg	1 free
56 × 36 × 23	7 kg	Yes	20 kg	1 free
56 × 36 × 23	7 kg	Yes	23 kg	1 free
56 × 36 × 23	10 kg	Yes	23 kg	1 free
56 × 36 × 23	7 kg	45 × 35 × 20 cm	23 kg	2 free
56 × 36 × 23	7 kg	40 × 30 × 10 cm	23 kg	Route-priced
56 × 36 × 23	7 kg	35 × 20 × 20 cm	20 kg	Route-priced
56 × 36 × 23	7 kg	Yes	23 kg	Route-priced
54 × 38 × 23	10 kg	40 × 30 × 10 cm	20 kg	Route-priced
55 × 40 × 23	7 kg	Yes	23 kg	1 free
56 × 45 × 25	10 kg	40 × 30 × 20 cm	22 kg	Route-priced
56 × 41 × 25	—	46 × 36 × 20 cm	23 kg	Route-priced
61 × 41 × 28	16 kg	43 × 33 × 23 cm	23 kg	$30
61 × 36 × 25	16 kg	43 × 33 × 20 cm	23 kg	from $35
55 × 40 × 20	8 kg	40 × 30 × 15 cm	20 kg	Route-priced
56 × 45 × 25	8 kg	45 × 35 × 20 cm	23 kg	from €13
55 × 40 × 23	8 kg	40 × 35 × 12 cm	23 kg	from $21
55 × 35 × 25	7 kg	Yes	15 kg	1 free
55 × 35 × 25	7 kg	Yes	15 kg	Route-priced
56 × 45 × 25	12 kg	42 × 32 × 25 cm	20 kg	Route-priced

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Questions

Are these baggage fees accurate?

They're each airline's published Economy figures, verified 2026-06. Baggage fees change often — US carriers all raised checked-bag fees in April–May 2026 — so always confirm with your airline before you fly. Fees also vary by route, fare type and when you buy.

Why is the carry-on weight sometimes blank?

Most US carriers don't actively weigh carry-ons, so no limit is shown. European, Gulf and Asian carriers do enforce a cabin weight (often 7–12 kg) — that's shown when it applies.

Do you store my data?

No account, no server. Your last airline choice is saved only in your own browser.

⚠️ Baggage allowances and fees change frequently and vary by route and fare. Data verified 2026-06. Always confirm on your airline's official site before travelling — especially fees.