The dimensions of a hand luggage bag on an airplane, as well as its weight, are a headache for many travelers. How many things can you take on board? Alas, there is no single universal answer to this question.
Logic dictates that such luggage should fit in a special compartment located above the seats. But the passenger will make a big mistake if he uses only common sense.
Airlines can force him to say goodbye to some things from hand luggage or they will require you to pay extra crazy money for excess. This is especially true for low-cost carriers. They, luring customers with low ticket prices, then try to make up for lost profits and earn extra money on strict requirements for hand luggage, and for luggage in general.
In this article weConsider the basic rules for carrying things in the cabin. What and how much can you take on board? What are the dimensions and weight of luggage allowed in the cabin upon boarding?
What can I bring to the salon?
Only the airline operating the flight sets the size of the hand luggage bag on the plane. Some low-cost airlines do not allow free carry-on baggage at all, and these requirements are written in small print on your ticket. Therefore, when buying a seat on an airplane, you should always find out the company's baggage requirements.
But there are also general ideas about how hand luggage should look like. Shops sell small suitcases and bags on wheels, which say "cabin luggage", that is, baggage for the cabin of the aircraft. But here, too, the passenger can expect a catch.
Some airlines, especially low-cost airlines, put metal or plastic frames before boarding. This “Procrustean bed” should fit your hand luggage, and with wheels and a retractable handle. And no one cares that your bag is wide, but low, or, conversely, your briefcase is tall and narrow.
In addition, the passenger has the right to carry on the plane:
- outerwear;
- suit in case;
- books;
- laptop;
- food bag (not always);
- crutches, walkers and other means of transportation;
- baby stroller.
Goods purchased in duty-free shops, you can carry in excess of the requiredhand luggage. It is important that the duty-free packaging is intact.
Flight safety requirements
There is no need to talk about piercing and cutting objects. It goes without saying that they, like weapons, as well as explosives, cannot be carried on board. But the resourcefulness of potential terrorists also does not stand still.
After trying to build a bomb right on board from different chemical solutions, all airlines have introduced restrictions on the transport of liquids in hand luggage on the plane. Their dimensions and weight should not exceed one liter.
Moreover, all liquids must be bottled in 100 ml bottles and packed in a separate transparent plastic bag. So if you need to take cough medicine or syrup, your favorite perfume, baby food, or want a pre-flight drink for courage, make sure it's all properly packaged.
You may be asked to store these liquids back in your carry-on bag after security control.
Duty free spirits and refreshments
Alcohol purchased from duty-free shops is exempt from this requirement. After all, you purchased it after passing through security control. But you also do not have the right to taste alcohol on board. The magazine seal must remain intact until the end of the entire flight.
Moreover, some airlines operating flights to the United States require transit passengers to hand over bottles to passengers when boarding a connecting flight.unaccompanied baggage. Others do not want to consider duty-free purchases as legal excess baggage and ask to put the package in a briefcase or backpack.
That's why not only the dimensions of your carry-on bag on the plane are important, but also its fullness. You should always leave room to put something else in it. It is best to use a soft bag to fit your luggage into the check frame.
When choosing a "cabin luggage" store, give preference to those suitcases in which the wheels are "recessed" and do not stick out on a special frame.
What can I pick up?
We have already talked about bags of liquids (no more than 1 liter, bottled in 100 ml bottles), as well as purchases from duty free. If the cane umbrella does not fit in the bag, this item can also be held in hand when boarding.
The same applies to laptops, cameras, books and magazines, outerwear, a small package with food (dry). Note, since we are talking about this, the following. Airlines are very arbitrary about what is liquid and what is not. So, jams, yogurts and even some types of cheeses can be considered it.
To be in Egypt or Turkey and not buy a hookah there? Not all tourists resist such a temptation. But you need to remember that coal cannot be transported on an airplane at all, since it is a combustible substance.
Hookah tobacco is equivalent to cigarettes. Therefore, only 250 grams of it can be imported into Russia. As for the hookah itself, it needs to be disassembled. The metal core of the device, which falls under the definition of "piercingcutting objects", should be checked in.
The glass flask can remain in the case. It can be carried by hand or stowed if the size of the carry-on bag allows it.
Since 2017, small backpacks and handbags can be carried on Russian airlines. Now they are not considered hand luggage. They can be taken in addition to a briefcase, bag or suitcase.
General hand luggage requirements
So, the weight and dimensions of luggage that can be carried on board the liner depend on:
- of the operating airline;
- your ticket class;
- flight range.
Usually it is a bag, briefcase, suitcase or backpack, the total parameters of which are 115 centimeters. How can you tell if your luggage meets these requirements? You can simply measure it at home with a tailor's tape.
But most companies still have performance requirements. That is, the size of a suitcase for hand luggage on an airplane should be as follows: length - 55 centimeters, height - 40, and width - 20 cm.
As a rule, on regular flights they require that the weight of such luggage does not exceed 10 kilograms. Business class passengers are allowed to carry double baggage allowance. For long-haul flights, companies also allow, in addition to a suitcase, to carry bags, small backpacks, packages into the cabin.
The size of hand luggage on Aeroflot aircraft
As mentioned above, airlines are free to setown baggage rules in the cabin and cargo compartment of the liner. Therefore, when buying a ticket, you should always be interested in how many suitcases and how much weight you need to check in, and how much you can carry on board for free.
As a rule, reputable companies with high ticket prices have more humane requirements for luggage and hand luggage. But low-cost and promo flights may not even include suitcases in the cost of the flight! Let's start the review of airline requirements with Aeroflot.
Dimensions, weight of hand luggage on the plane must be as follows: one piece that meets the parameters of 25 x 40 x 55 centimeters and no more than 10 kilograms. Business Class passengers can fill their suitcase up to 15kg.
Requirements of other Russian airlines
What is the calibrator (the so-called metal or plastic frame for checking the dimensions of hand luggage) from other domestic carriers? Approximately the same as that of Aeroflot.
At Rossiya Airlines, it completely coincides with the requirements of the flagship of civil aviation of the Russian Federation. But this carrier has restrictions for passengers on flights FV5501-5900: the weight of hand luggage should not exceed five kilograms. But travelers claim that no one weighs suitcases.
What is the size of hand luggage on the plane of other Russian companies? UTair, S7, VIM-Avia, Donavia, Nordavia, Yamal, Yakutia require the suitcase to be 55 cm high, 40 cm long and 20 cm wide. so, heshould be only 5 cm narrower than according to Aeroflot requirements.
The weight of hand luggage remains unchanged - 10 kilograms. Some companies, such as UTair, allow passengers of comfort and business classes to carry two 10 kg bags on board.
Requirements of Russian low-cost airlines
Low-cost carriers limit the weight and dimensions of hand luggage on the plane. "Victory" only recently allowed carrying on board bags heavier than five kilograms. At the same time, her calibrator remained the same: 27 x 30 x 36 centimeters.
More humane parameters for carry-on luggage are set at low-cost airlines Ural Airlines, Azur Air, Red Wings Airlines, I Fly. Their calibrator allows you to bring a suitcase with parameters of 20 x 40 x 55 centimeters into the cabin of the liner.
But at the same time, its weight should not exceed five kilograms. With Ural Airlines, a business light class passenger can take 15 kg on board, divided into two pieces of baggage. It is noteworthy that Pobeda has rather strict requirements for what should be in the hands of people entering the salon.
According to the rules of the airline, only handbags and small backpacks are allowed. Therefore, laptops etc. must be packed in luggage.
Requirements of foreign airlines
The rules of the carriers are so different that the passengers are surprised at the generosity, the stinginess. The weight variation ranges from 5 (China Southern Airlines) to 23 kilograms (British Airways)!
But the requirements of most airlines are kept in the range of 7-10 kg. There is also no clear agreement onthe number of pieces of hand luggage. Some airlines stipulate in advance the possibility of taking on board a briefcase with a laptop weighing 3 kg.
As for the size of the hand luggage bag on the plane, there is no one answer. Most companies install a standard calibrator: 20 x 40 x 55 centimeters. Thai Airways and Aegean Airlines are being generous and allow a 25 x 45 x 56 cm bag to be taken into the cabin.
The weight of hand luggage depends not only on the ticket class, but also on the flight distance. On British Airways transatlantic flights, you can take 23 kilograms of items into the cabin, packed in two bags.
Requirements of foreign low-cost airlines
Low cost carriers are trying to get their customers to travel light. Therefore, they have quite strict requirements for checked baggage. And what should be the dimensions and weight of hand luggage?
Wizz Air, Ryanair, EasyJet, Norwegian Air Shuttle aircraft are allowed to carry 10 kilograms of items. But at the same time, completely different calibrators are standing at the entrance to the board. Wizz Air allows suitcase dimensions of 23 x 40 x 55 cm, while EasyJet - 25 x 45 x 56 cm.
AirB altic allow you to take two pieces of hand luggage, but their total weight should not exceed eight kilograms. Flydubai prescribes one suitcase for economy class passengers with dimensions of 20 x 40 x 55 cm and a limit of 7 kg, while low-cost airline AirAsia allows two bags to be carried on board with the same total weight of hand luggage.
The requirements of the Turkish low-cost airline Pegasus are as follows: one piece of luggage with parameters55 x 40 x 20 cm and weighing up to 8 kg.
Things by agreement
If you wish to carry items that do not meet the airline's carry-on baggage allowance requirements, you must arrange this in advance and may be charged extra for such baggage. This applies to musical instruments (such as guitars), fragile dishes and similar items that you do not want to check in with your suitcases at check-in.
Pets are not considered hand luggage (and luggage in general). Companies have their own rules regarding them. Some allow dogs in the cargo hold and small animals in cages in the cabin. Others flatly refuse to deal with pets. This question should always be clarified at the time of booking and purchasing tickets.
Reviews and tips
Travelers in their reviews claim that the size of the carry-on bag allowed on the plane is important only on low-cost flights. There, indeed, airline employees force passengers to put their suitcases into the calibrator.
As for the weight of hand luggage, no one weighs the bags, except that it will be seen by eye that the luggage is very heavy. However, tourists are advised not to neglect the requirements of companies. All things that are definitely not needed on board, it is better to check in your luggage.
