Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air, Vueling, Jet2 and TUI compared: what's actually free, what you have to pay for, and what happens if yours doesn't fit.
Every budget airline now sells a "free" bag that's genuinely tiny, a small underseat bag only, and charges separately for anything that goes in the overhead locker. Turn up with the wrong size bag and you'll usually be made to pay at the gate, which is almost always more expensive than booking a cabin bag online in advance. The table below is the actual current allowance for each airline, so you can check before you pack rather than at the gate.
| Airline | Free bag (included) | Paid cabin bag (overhead locker) |
|---|---|---|
| Ryanair | 40 x 30 x 20cm, 10kg, under the seat only | 55 x 40 x 20cm, 10kg, from around £12 if added when booking |
| easyJet | 45 x 36 x 20cm, 15kg, under the seat only | 56 x 45 x 25cm, from around £23 |
| Wizz Air | 40 x 30 x 20cm, 10kg, under the seat only | 55 x 40 x 23cm, 10kg, from around £13 (Wizz Priority) |
| Vueling | 40 x 30 x 20cm, under the seat only | 55 x 40 x 20cm, 10kg, from around £9 with certain fares, otherwise significantly more |
| TUI | 40 x 30 x 20cm plus a 55 x 40 x 20cm cabin bag, 10kg, both included as standard | Not applicable, the larger bag is already included |
| Jet2 | 40 x 30 x 15cm plus a 56 x 45 x 25cm cabin bag, 10kg, both included as standard | Not applicable, or around £6.50 per leg for a guaranteed cabin space |
| British Airways | 40 x 30 x 15cm plus a 56 x 45 x 25cm cabin bag, 23kg, both included as standard | Not applicable, the larger bag is already included |
Prices and allowances change regularly and can vary by fare type and route, always double check on the airline's own site close to your travel date.
TUI, Jet2 and British Airways include a proper overhead bag on every fare as standard. If you're only packing hand luggage, it's often worth comparing the total price against a Ryanair, easyJet or Wizz Air fare plus the cabin bag add-on, the budget option isn't always cheaper once you add it on.
If you fly with a mix of airlines, the free underseat allowance is the common denominator to pack to. A bag no bigger than 40 x 30 x 20cm will clear the free allowance on Ryanair, Wizz Air and Vueling, and comfortably fits inside easyJet's slightly larger 45 x 36 x 20cm limit too. It won't carry much for a week away, but it avoids paying for a cabin bag at all if you're travelling light.
If you know you'll need more than that, it's usually cheaper to add a cabin bag when you book than to risk it at the gate. Gate sizers are genuinely strict on the budget airlines, and staff are trained to enforce them, a bag that's obviously over is getting charged or checked into the hold, no exceptions on the day.
Pack anything breakable or valuable with room to squash your bag down if you need to. A soft-sided bag that gives a bit under the sizer causes a lot fewer problems at the gate than a rigid hard shell case that's a centimetre over.
I'll work out whether the cheap fare plus a bag add-on actually beats the fare that includes one, before you book either.