Size guide

Airline cabin bag size guide

Twenty airlines, one table. Every figure is the Economy or entry-fare allowance in centimetres, wheels and handles included.

Rules last checked October 2026

Airline	Overhead bag	Under-seat item	Weight	Bags	Official
Qantas	56 x 36 x 23 cm	40 x 30 x 15 cm*	7 kg	See fits →	Carry-on rules ↗
Jetstar	56 x 36 x 23 cm	40 x 30 x 15 cm*	7 kg combined	See fits →	Carry-on rules ↗
Virgin Australia	56 x 36 x 23 cm	45 x 33 x 20 cm	8 kg	See fits →	Carry-on rules ↗
Rex Airlines	48 x 34 x 23 cm	40 x 30 x 15 cm*	7 kg	See fits →	Carry-on rules ↗
Air New Zealand	118 cm total (e.g. 55 x 40 x 23 cm)	40 x 30 x 15 cm*	7 kg	See fits →	Carry-on rules ↗
Singapore Airlines	115 cm total (e.g. 56 x 36 x 23 cm)	40 x 30 x 15 cm*	7 kg	See fits →	Website ↗
Emirates	55 x 38 x 20 cm	40 x 30 x 15 cm*	7 kg	See fits →	Website ↗
Qatar Airways	50 x 37 x 25 cm	40 x 30 x 15 cm*	7 kg	See fits →	Website ↗
Cathay Pacific	56 x 36 x 23 cm	40 x 30 x 15 cm*	7 kg	See fits →	Website ↗
Fiji Airways	115 cm total (e.g. 56 x 36 x 23 cm)	40 x 30 x 15 cm*	7 kg	See fits →	Website ↗
AirAsia X	56 x 36 x 23 cm	40 x 30 x 10 cm	7 kg combined	See fits →	Website ↗
Scoot	54 x 38 x 23 cm	40 x 30 x 10 cm	10 kg combined	See fits →	Website ↗
Malaysia Airlines	56 x 36 x 23 cm	40 x 30 x 15 cm*	7 kg	See fits →	Website ↗
Thai Airways	56 x 45 x 25 cm	40 x 30 x 15 cm*	7 kg	See fits →	Website ↗
Etihad Airways	56 x 36 x 23 cm	40 x 30 x 15 cm*	7 kg	See fits →	Website ↗
United Airlines	56 x 36 x 23 cm	43 x 25 x 22 cm	No set limit	See fits →	Website ↗
Delta Air Lines	56 x 36 x 23 cm	40 x 30 x 15 cm*	No set limit	See fits →	Website ↗
Japan Airlines	55 x 40 x 25 cm	40 x 30 x 15 cm*	10 kg	See fits →	Website ↗
Philippine Airlines	56 x 36 x 23 cm	40 x 30 x 15 cm*	7 kg	See fits →	Website ↗
Garuda Indonesia	56 x 36 x 23 cm	40 x 30 x 15 cm*	7 kg	See fits →	Website ↗

* The airline allows a "small personal item" without a published size; 40 x 30 x 15 cm is our conservative target.

Five sizes cover almost every trip

Strip away the branding and most airlines flying Australians use one of a handful of boxes. Buy for the smallest box on your itinerary and you will rarely be stopped.

Under-seat 40 x 30 x 15 cm

The safe under-seat target when an airline only says "small personal item".

Under-seat 45 x 33 x 20 cm

Virgin Australia's published personal-item maximum.

Overhead 48 x 34 x 23 cm

Regional and turboprop overhead size (Rex, QantasLink Dash 8).

Overhead 56 x 36 x 23 cm

The standard Australian overhead size: Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia.

Overhead 55 x 40 x 23 cm

Air New Zealand's 118 cm allowance, also accepted by Japan Airlines.

How to read these numbers

Length x width x depth. Airlines measure the bag as it stands, including wheels, handles and anything strapped on.
Linear limits. Some carriers quote a total (for example 115 cm). We convert those to the box they use at the gate.
Weight is separate. A bag can pass the sizer and still fail the scale. Jetstar and AirAsia X share one weight across both items.
Soft bags flex. A soft backpack that is 1 cm over can often be squeezed in; a hard shell cannot.

Want the reasoning behind each airline? Read the guides for Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Rex and Air New Zealand, or see how to measure a packed bag.