The new EU cabin bag rules, explained

From 23 Oct 2027, airlines must let you bring one personal item up to 40 × 30 × 15 cm free of charge on flights covered by EU passenger rights. It doesn’t give you a free overhead cabin bag.

Free item size: 40 × 30 × 15 cm
Weight limit: None set
Applies from: 23 Oct 2027

What the law says

The regulation adds a right to carry a personal item into the cabin “at no extra cost”. A personal item is defined as a piece of unchecked baggage that meets security rules and is either no bigger than 40 × 30 × 15 cm or fits under the seat in front of you. The examples given are travel documents, medicines, personal devices, reading material, and food and drink for the flight.

It covers every flight departing from an EU airport, whatever the airline — including UK and non-EU airlines. Airlines must also show the exact cabin and hold allowance for your fare, by size and weight, before you buy.

What it doesn’t do

It doesn’t guarantee a free trolley bag. The European Parliament’s earlier proposal for a free 7 kg bag didn’t make it into the final law, and airlines can keep selling fares without an overhead cabin bag. Nothing changes before 23 Oct 2027: the law entered into force on 22 Oct 2026 but applies only from that date.

Which airlines already allow it?

On the cheapest fare today, 23 of 29 airlines we track already allow a free item of at least 40 × 30 × 15 cm.

Aer Lingus40 × 30 × 20 cm Already meets it
Air Canada43 × 33 × 16 cm Already meets it
Air France40 × 30 × 15 cm Already meets it
American Airlines45 × 35 × 20 cm Already meets it
British Airways40 × 30 × 15 cm Already meets it
Delta Air Lines— Smaller today
easyJet45 × 36 × 20 cm Already meets it
Emerald Airlines (Aer Lingus Regional)40 × 30 × 20 cm Already meets it
Emirates— Smaller today
Etihad Airways— Smaller today
Eurowings40 × 30 × 25 cm Already meets it
Iberia40 × 30 × 15 cm Already meets it
Jet240 × 30 × 20 cm Already meets it
KLM40 × 30 × 15 cm Already meets it
Loganair— Smaller today
Lufthansa40 × 30 × 15 cm Already meets it
Norwegian40 × 30 × 20 cm Already meets it
Qatar Airways— Smaller today
Ryanair40 × 30 × 20 cm Already meets it
SWISS40 × 30 × 15 cm Already meets it
TAP Air Portugal40 × 30 × 15 cm Already meets it
Transavia40 × 30 × 20 cm Already meets it
TUI Airways40 × 30 × 20 cm Already meets it
Turkish Airlines40 × 30 × 15 cm Already meets it
United Airlines43 × 25 × 22 cm Smaller today
Virgin Atlantic40 × 30 × 15 cm Already meets it
Volotea40 × 30 × 20 cm Already meets it
Vueling40 × 30 × 20 cm Already meets it
Wizz Air40 × 30 × 20 cm Already meets it

Source: Official Journal of the EU: Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 (published 2 Oct 2026) · checked 20 Oct 2026. This page explains the law in plain English; it isn’t legal advice.