Hidden baggage fees are the number one passenger complaint in UK aviation. You find a £29 fare, add a cabin bag, pay for a hold bag, and suddenly you're looking at £90+ before you've booked a seat. The airlines have made this deliberately complex — allowances change by fare type, route, and even time of year.
This guide cuts through the noise. Below is a plain-English comparison of cabin and hold baggage for the eight biggest airlines flying from UK airports, followed by five practical ways to avoid paying more than you need to.
Prices change frequently. The figures below reflect typical online prices as of early 2026 for a standard economy booking. Always check the airline's website at the time of booking — prices for hold luggage bought at the airport are typically 2–3x higher.
Airline Baggage Comparison Table
| Airline | Free personal item | Cabin bag (max dimensions) | Cabin bag free? | Hold bag cost (online) | Max hold bag weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| easyJet | Under-seat bag (45×36×20 cm) | 56×45×25 cm | Plus/Flexi fares only | From £7.99 (pre-book) | 15 kg, 23 kg or 26 kg options |
| Ryanair | Small bag (40×20×25 cm) — free | 55×40×20 cm (cabin bag fee applies) | Paid add-on | From £8 (pre-book, varies by route) | 10 kg, 20 kg options |
| British Airways | Small handbag or laptop bag | 56×45×25 cm (1 bag + 1 personal) | Included (all fares) | From £30 (Basic fare); free on higher fares | 23 kg standard |
| Jet2 | Small personal item | 56×45×25 cm | Included (all fares) | From £27 for 22 kg | 22 kg standard |
| TUI | Small personal item | 55×40×20 cm | Included (all fares) | From £30 for 15 kg | 15 kg or 20 kg options |
| Wizz Air | Small bag (40×30×20 cm) — free | 55×40×23 cm (WIZZ Go+ or paid) | Paid add-on | From £11 for 10 kg (pre-book) | 10 kg, 20 kg, 26 kg, 32 kg options |
| Virgin Atlantic | Small personal item included | 56×36×23 cm | Included (all fares) | Included (Economy Light: 1×23 kg) | 23 kg (Economy); 2×23 kg (Premium) |
| Norwegian | Small personal item | 55×40×23 cm | LowFare+/Flex only | From £15 for 20 kg (pre-book) | 20 kg standard |
Prices are indicative for short/medium haul routes. Long haul and holiday routes may differ. Always confirm at time of booking.
Key Takeaways from the Table
Ryanair and Wizz Air have the most restrictive free allowances — a small under-seat bag only, with no overhead locker access unless you pay for a cabin bag upgrade or priority boarding. On Ryanair, if the cabin is full and you boarded with a cabin bag you paid for, they will gate-check it to the hold at no extra charge — but plan for it.
easyJet operates similarly but allows paying customers to bring a cabin bag that genuinely fits overhead. On its Plus membership or Flexi fares, the cabin bag is included in the ticket price.
British Airways, Jet2, TUI and Virgin Atlantic all include a full-size cabin bag (and in some cases a hold bag) in their base fares — making them genuinely more competitive than they appear on initial price comparison when you'd otherwise add a hold bag to a budget carrier.
How to Avoid Baggage Fees: 5 Tips
- Pack into a personal item only. If you're flying Ryanair or Wizz Air and can travel with just a small bag (40×20×25 cm for Ryanair, 40×30×20 cm for Wizz Air), you pay nothing extra. A well-packed personal item can carry 3–5 days' worth of clothing. Packing cubes help dramatically.
- Weigh your bag before you leave. Airport scales are not forgiving. An overweight hold bag costs £50–£100+ at check-in with most airlines. A £4 luggage scale at home saves you every time. Aim for at least 1 kg under the limit to account for scales varying slightly.
- Understand the personal item vs cabin bag distinction. Budget carriers have two separate allowances — a small free personal item and a paid larger cabin bag. The personal item fits under the seat in front; the cabin bag goes in the overhead. Many passengers pay for a cabin bag they don't need because they don't realise their bag already fits the personal item dimensions.
- Always buy baggage allowances online when booking — never at the airport. Airport and check-in desk bag fees are 2–3x the online price on every UK budget carrier. Buy at the time of booking for the cheapest rate, or add online up to a few hours before departure. Setting a calendar reminder after booking to check whether you've added bags can save you from an airport shock.
- Factor baggage cost into total price when comparing airlines. A £55 easyJet fare with a £12 cabin bag and £15 hold bag is £82 total. A £65 Jet2 fare with a cabin bag and 22 kg hold bag included might be £65 total. Always add the bags you actually need before deciding which airline is cheaper.
Frequent traveller tip: If you fly Ryanair more than twice a month, their Ryanair+ membership (approx. £79/year) includes a cabin bag, priority boarding, and seat selection on every flight. It pays for itself in about 3–4 return trips.
Hold Bag Size: What's Allowed?
Direct answer. Most UK airlines accept a hold bag up to 90 × 75 × 43 cm in linear dimensions (the international 158 cm sum-of-three rule) at standard rates. A large 4-wheel suitcase is almost always inside that. Oversized bags need advance notice and an extra fee.
The dimension limit is rarely the issue — the weight limit is what catches people out. Standard economy hold-bag allowances are 20 kg on Ryanair and easyJet, 22 kg on Jet2, 23 kg on British Airways short-haul economy, and 23 kg on Virgin Atlantic Economy Light. Excess-weight charges run £10–£15 per extra kilo at check-in, and they enforce them — leaning on the bag while it's on the scale doesn't help.
The maths to run. A family of four flying long-haul with one shared 32 kg case will pay around £35–£50 to upgrade to a 32 kg allowance at the time of booking. The same case at check-in over the standard 23 kg limit costs £90–£135 in excess-weight fees. If you're going on a holiday inclined to shop (US, Asia, Middle East), buying a 26–32 kg option in advance is almost always cheaper than paying excess-weight charges at the airport.
Key fact: A £4 luggage scale at home pays for itself on the first overweight near-miss. Aim for at least 1 kg under the carrier's limit to account for scales varying — airport scales reliably read 0.3–0.8 kg heavier than typical home scales.
Travelling with Sports Equipment
Direct answer. Bikes, surfboards, golf bags, ski equipment and similar oversized gear all require advance booking and a separate fee. Budget £30–£80 each way on budget carriers (Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air, Jet2) and £50–£120 each way on full-service carriers (BA, Virgin Atlantic, TUI).
Each airline has its own classification of what counts as sports equipment, what counts as oversized luggage, and what dimensions/weights apply. Bicycles must be in a hard or soft bike bag with the pedals removed and handlebars turned. Surfboards and skis go in dedicated bags up to specified lengths (typically 200 cm for surf, 200–250 cm for ski/snowboard). Golf bags ride at standard hold-bag rates on most carriers if under 23 kg, but check — some treat them as sports equipment regardless.
The maths to run. A return trip to the Alps with a ski bag and a boot bag on easyJet is roughly £80 per direction (£40 per item × 2 items × 2 directions = £160 round-trip per person). The same gear on Jet2 Snowsports' bundled fare is often included. For multi-week ski trips, hiring at the resort routinely beats flying with gear — equipment hire runs €120–€220 per week vs ~£200 in baggage fees plus the airport hassle of carrying everything.
Key fact: Specialist travel insurance for sports equipment is worth taking out if you're flying with bikes, skis or surfboards worth £400+. Standard travel cover excludes sports gear in transit. Snowcard, Dogtag and similar UK specialist insurers cover transit damage and theft for £15–£40 per trip.