The weight allowance for carry-on items varies from airline to airline. Here in Canada, most airlines have no specific carry-on weight allowance, but require you to be able to place your item in the overhead bin without assistance. Many African airlines, on the other hand, have strict rules governing the weight of your carry-on.
Don’t want your carry-ons to hit the baggage carousel? Keep reading:
Understanding Carry-On Weight Restrictions
Carry-on baggage weight restrictions set a limit on how much a passenger’s carry-on bag can weigh; anything in excess of that limit may be forbidden as a carry-on and treated instead as checked baggage.
Fortunately, here in North America, carry-on weight limits are fairly rare. Air Canada and WestJet, Canada’s two biggest airlines, do not have a set weight limit for carry-on bags, though they do require you to be able to lift them into the overhead bins unassisted. Similarly, in the United States, the three biggest airlines - United, American, and Delta - do not have set weight limits for carry-ons.
Things are a bit different internationally; however, they’re also different with smaller, low-cost airlines. We’ll delve into that a little deeper in the next section, where we go over the carry-on baggage weight limits of many of the world’s major airlines.
Before we get into that, it’s important to understand why some airlines have weight limits. The reason is simple: If a plane is too heavy, it takes more fuel to move, and fuel economy is incredibly important, both for the profitability of the airline and the safety of the passengers.
With that in mind, let’s get into the carry-on baggage weight restrictions on airlines across the world!
Standard Weight Limits By Airline
Major Canadian Carriers
- Air Canada: No weight restrictions (must be placed in overhead bin without assistance). Air Canada dropped their carry-on weight restrictions in 2017.
- WestJet: No weight restrictions (must be placed in overhead bin without assistance).
- Porter: No weight restrictions (must be placed in overhead bin without assistance).
- Air Transat: No weight restrictions (must be placed in overhead bin without assistance).
- Flair: 10 kg (22 lbs).
International Airlines
United States
- United Airlines: No weight restrictions (must be placed in overhead bin without assistance).
- American Airlines: No weight restrictions (must be placed in overhead bin without assistance).
- Delta Airlines: No weight restrictions (must be placed in overhead bin without assistance).
- Southwest Airlines: No weight restrictions (must be placed in overhead bin without assistance).
- JetBlue: No weight restrictions (must be placed in overhead bin without assistance).
- Alaska Airlines: No weight restrictions (must be placed in overhead bin without assistance).
- Spirit Airlines: No weight restrictions (must be placed in overhead bin without assistance).
- Frontier Airlines: 16 kg (35 lbs).
Americas + Carribean
- Aeroméxico: 10 kg (22 lbs) or 15 kg (33 lbs), depending on fare.
- Viva: 10 kg (22 lbs) or 15 kg (33 lbs), depending on fare.
- Copa Airlines: 10 kg (22 lbs).
- Caribbean Airlines: 10 kg (22 lbs).
- LATAM Airlines: 12 kg (26 lbs) or 16 kg (35 lbs), depending on fare.
- Avianca: 10 kg (22 lbs).
Europe
- Ryanair: 10 kg (22 lbs).
- Lufthansa: 8 kg (17.5 lbs).
- British Airways: 23 kg (51 lbs).
- Air France: Varies depending on fare (total weight of 12 kg/26.4 lb for one carry-on + one personal item, or 18 kg/40 lb for 2 carry-ons + one personal item).
- EasyJet: 15 kg (33 lbs).
- Turkish Airlines: 8 kg (17.5 lbs).
- Wizz Air: 10 kg (22 lbs.)
Africa
- South African Airways: 8 kg (17.5 lbs); some fares allow two pieces.
- Ethiopian Airlines: 7 kg (15 lbs); some fares allow two pieces.
- EgyptAir: 8 kg (17.5 lbs); some fares allow two pieces.
Asia & Middle East
- China Southern Airlines: 8 kg (17.5 lbs); some fares allow two pieces.
- Air China: One 5 kg (11 lbs) or two 8 kg (17.5 lbs), depending on fare.
- IndiGo: 7 kg (15 lbs) or 8 kg (17.5 lbs), depending on destination.
- Air India: 7 kg (15 lbs) or 10 kg (22 lbs), depending on fare.
- Air Asia: Up to two 7 kg (15 lbs) bags, depending on fare.
- Emirates: 7 kg (15 lbs) or 10 kg (22 lbs), depending on fare.
Oceania
- Qantas: 10 kg (22 lbs) max per bag; combined, two bags may weigh 14 kg (30 lbs). Internationally, 7 kg (15 lbs) is the maximum size per bag when flying Economy.
- Virgin Australia: 7 kg (15 lbs).
- Air New Zealand: 7 kg (15 lbs) for Economy; two bags up to 14 kg (30 lbs) with a max of 10 kg (22 lbs) per bag for other fares.
Consequences Of Overweight Carry-Ons
An overweight carry-on may be classified as checked baggage. There are a few consequences to bringing overweight carry-on bags:
- If they are reclassified as checked bags, you will have to pay an additional fee. This fee is usually much higher than it would be if you had checked the bag prior to arriving.
- The airline may simply not have room for more checked bags, which could lead to you being unable to board.
For these reasons, it’s worth it to make absolutely sure that your baggage meets weight requirements. This goes double for travellers who will be on international flights and transferring between carriers; make sure your bags meet the weight requirements of those carriers!
Tips for Meeting Weight Requirements
Oversized baggage and overweight baggage share similar problems; your overweight carry-on can become a checked bag, and if there are already too many checked bags, you may not be able to board your flight. This is uncommon, but the best-case scenario is still that you pay extra to check your bag. Here’s how to avoid that situation:
- Pack your carry-on as lightly as possible.
- Transfer some things from your carry-on bag to your other baggage (including your personal item or your checked baggage).
- Wear your heaviest clothes and shoes to the airport instead of placing them in the bag.
- Opt for digital books instead of physical ones.
- Don’t pack “what-ifs”.
- Don’t bring extra shoes.
- Avoid packing too many clothes; wash and dry at your destination if you can.
- Buy a lightweight carry-on bag. You can browse U.N. Luggage carry‑on approved luggage to find a lightweight option that will fit the carry-on dimensions of most international airlines!
Weighing Your Carry-On Properly
Most of us don’t have a luggage scale lying around our homes, but many of us do have scales to weigh ourselves. Here’s a great trick: Stand on the scale to weigh yourself, note your weight, then stand on it again while holding your carry-on. The difference between the two weights is the weight of your carry-on. Simple, accurate, and easy to do at home!
Planning Ahead For Weight Limits
To know what weight your carry-on should be, check all of the airlines you’ll be flying with and their weight limits. Pack carefully, weigh your carry-on using the trick we described above, make sure it’s within the limits, and you’re good to fly!
Looking for the perfect carry-on bag for your next trip? We have some incredible options; you can take a look at the WestJet Approved Carry‑On Collection at U.N. Luggage for some of our favourites. Happy flying!