What is a cabin suitcase?
A cabin suitcase is a smaller suitcase, also often called hand luggage. The cabin suitcase must fit into the airplanes' boxes above the seats. A cabin suitcase can be hard or soft. The cabin suitcase is often confused with a "trolley". But this is not the case, as a trolley can be any size as long as it has wheels.
Can I take the suitcase on the plane?
The airlines largely agree on the dimensions of permitted hand luggage. But there are still small deviations that can cost you more money if you don't pay attention to the rules.
How big must my hand luggage be?
The cabin size depends on the individual airline with which you will be flying. We have summarized the rules for many of the airlines on economy class. The measurements may also vary by your ticket. Some airlines also offer that you can take an extra foldable suit bag/garment bag next to your cabin suitcase, even if the suit bag exceeds the dimensions. In addition to this, the majority of airlines also offer that you can bring a personal item, for example a handbag, a computer bag, a briefcase, a rucksack or a camera bag. We therefore recommend that you contact the airline you will be traveling with to find out more about the rules for your hand luggage. We've made it easy, so we've summarized the most popular airlines. As well as attached links on each and every airline mentioned, which takes you to the airline's website, that way you can always read more about the airlines' specific rules yourself. The links in question can be found by clicking on the airline name.
As far as cabin bags are concerned, the airlines' own rules apply, but a suitcase measuring 55 x 40 x 20/23 cm is typically accepted by the most popular airlines.
|
Airline |
Cabin sizes in cm. |
| AEGEAN AIRLINES |
56 x 45 x 25 |
| AIR CANADA |
55 x 40 x 23 |
| AIR FRANCE |
55 x 35 x 25 |
| ANA |
55 x 40 x 25 |
| ASIANA AIRLINES |
55 x 40 x 20 |
| ALITALIA |
55 x 35 x 25 |
| AMERICAN AIRLINES |
56 x 36 x 23 |
| ARCHIA |
55 x 40 x 20 |
| AUSTRIA |
55 x 40 x 23 |
| BRITISH AIRWAYS |
56 x 45 x 25 |
| BRUSSELS AIRLINES |
55 x 40 x 23 |
| CATHAY PACIFIC |
56 x 36 x 23 |
| CHINA AIRLINES |
56 x 36 x 23 |
| CONDOR |
55 x 40 x 20 |
| EASYJET |
56 x 45 x 25 |
| EMIRATES |
55 x 38 x 20 |
| EUROWINGS |
55 x 40 x 23 |
| FINNAIR |
56 x 45 x 25 |
| GERMANY |
55 x 40 x 20 |
| IBERIA |
56 x 45 x 25 |
| JAPAN AIRLINES |
55 x 40 x 25 |
| JET AIRWAYS |
55 x 35 x 25 |
| KLM |
55 x 35 x 25 |
| KOREAN AIR | 55 x 40 x 20 |
| LOT (POLISH AIRLINES) | 55 x 40 x 23 |
| AIR HANSA | 55 x 40 x 23 |
| NIKI | 55 x 40 x 23 |
| NORWEGIAN | 38 x 30 x 20 (55x40x23 costs extra) |
| OLYMPIC AIRWAYS | 55 x 40 x 23 |
| QANTAS | 56 x 36 x 23 |
| QATAR AIRWAYS | 50 x 37 x 25 |
| RYANAIR | 40 x 20 x 25 (55x40x20 costs extra) |
| SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS | 56 x 36 x 23 |
| SWITZERLAND | 55 x 40 x 23 |
| SAS (SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES) | 55 x 40 x 23 |
| LOSE PORTUGAL | 55 x 40 x 20 |
| THAI | 56 x 45 x 25 |
| Glider | 55 x 40 x 20 |
| TURKISH AIRLINES | 55 x 40 x 23 |
| THOMAS COOK | 55 x 40 x 20 |
| US AIRWAYS | 56 x 36 x 23 |
| VUELING | 55 x 40 x 20 |
If you often travel on charter trips with the family, then 55x40x20 cm can usually be brought along, here you are reasonably sure that you can take the suitcase with you most places. Through many years of experience, this is a sure winner. Here, one of the only exceptions is Ryan Air, which recently changed their rules again. This means that if you have bought the cheapest ticket, you have to buy the cabin suitcase, which costs extra, but if you buy the cabin suitcase ticket, it fits just right and can therefore be taken with a maximum of 55x40x20 cm...
If, on the other hand, you do not travel with the charter airlines and instead primarily travel with scheduled flights, such as SAS , Norwegian , Lufthansa etc. and want to have as much space as possible in the cabin suitcase, then we would definitely recommend a cabin suitcase with the dimensions 55x40x23 cm . This gives more space in the cabin suitcase and thus you can bring even more and typically there is a very small price difference in the size of the suitcases, so it can be an advantage for regular trips of 3 or more days to buy the cabin suitcase a few centimeters deeper (23/25 cm). Several brands make cabin suitcases in several sizes. It gives you a better opportunity to choose the right suitcase for your travels. If you are in doubt about which size to choose, you can always contact us on Facebook, email (info@copenhagenluggage.dk) or phone +45 28581620. We are also always ready with professional free guidance in our stores.
However, we would like to mention again that the above rules only apply to Economy Class. If you fly in higher classes, you can in many cases bring an even larger suitcase as cabin size.
Based on our experience from customers, it is primarily the cheaper airlines that are very strict with the size of the cabin bags. This often reflects the price of the ticket. You often get what you pay for.. We ourselves feel that we are, to put it mildly, brainwashed with suitcases and we can spot a suitcase at the airport with the naked eye that does not comply with the airlines' rules, and when we are out and about, we see we always bring their big bags and suitcases onto the plane even if they don't comply with the rules. As a starting point, the cabin suitcase can fit into the cabin shelf, even if it is slightly larger than the dimensions stated by the airlines. But it takes up space from the other passengers and this typically means that those who enter the plane last cannot bring their cabin bags. If it were to happen that the airline believes that there is no more room for your suitcase. Then you will typically experience that the suitcase is taken from you at the gate, it usually does not cost extra. But then it is "checked in" and then you typically first get the cabin suitcase on the baggage belt together with the checked-in suitcases.
Happy travels! :-)
