Checked August 2026

British Airways bag sizes: 56 × 45 × 25 cm

British Airways allows a cabin bag of 56 × 45 × 25 cm — 22 × 18 × 10 inches, with no published weight limit. The under-seat item is 40 × 30 × 15 cm.

British Airways·  UK
Checked August 2026
Under the seat
16 × 12 × 6 in
40 × 30 × 15 cm as British Airways publishes it.
Published by British Airwayschecked August 2026
Cabin bag
22 × 18 × 10 in
56 × 45 × 25 cm as British Airways publishes it.
Weight
None published — you just have to lift it in.
Published by British Airwayschecked August 2026

Fare class: No fare dependency. Hand-baggage-only fares get the same cabin bag and personal item — what they lose is the checked allowance.

The most generous allowance here: 56 × 45 × 25 cm is wider than the US 22 × 14 × 9 standard. BA publishes no cabin weight limit on its current pages — only that you must lift the bag unaided. It has historically published 23 kg, so treat a heavy bag with care.

Got a bag already? Let’s check it.

Measure the outside, wheels and handles included — that’s what they measure at the gate.

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Bags that fit British Airways

Every measurement from the manufacturer, scored against British Airways’s own published limit.
2 of 25 fit British Airways’s under-seat limit of 16 × 12 × 6 in.

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bag vs limit
2.3" to spare

Topo Designs Rover Pack Mini

13.5 × 8.5 × 3.75 in
Backpack·10L

Enormous margin against every limit here, and it looks like a normal bag rather than travel gear. Ten litres is a daybag though, not a travel bag.

bag vs limit
Fits

Pacsafe GO 15L Anti-Theft Backpack

14.4 × 9.8 × 5.1 in
Backpack·15L·1.18 lb

The anti-theft option that actually fits — slash-resistant panels, locking zips, RFID pocket, and a 13-inch laptop sleeve, all inside United’s width.

Read this first

Pacsafe’s own site is JavaScript-gated, so this comes from a retailer spec rather than the brand. The 0.2 inches of width margin rests on that number.

Common questions

What size cabin bag does British Airways allow?

56 × 45 × 25 cm, which is 22 × 18 × 10 inches with no published weight limit.

Does British Airways allow a free personal item?

Yes — 40 × 30 × 15 cm, or 16 × 12 × 6 inches. It goes under the seat in front of you.

Will my US carry-on fit British Airways?

Yes. A standard American 22 × 14 × 9 inch carry-on clears British Airways’ 22 × 18 × 10 inch limit.

Does the fare class change the allowance on British Airways?

No fare dependency. Hand-baggage-only fares get the same cabin bag and personal item — what they lose is the checked allowance.

How many bags fit British Airways?

Of the bags we track, 13 of 16 carry-ons fit the cabin limit and 2 of 25 personal items fit the under-seat limit.

How we measure

Manufacturers publish dimensions inconsistently, and a “20-inch” spinner is almost never 20 inches once you count the wheels. Where a brand states dimensions including wheels and handles, that’s the number we use. Where it only publishes the case, we say so on the card. Airlines measure the outside of your bag — wheels, handles, straps and all. Anything marked borderline is down to the gate agent, and remember that a soft bag squashes into a sizer while a hard shell won’t.

Affiliate disclosure

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Product links on this page are affiliate links and cost you nothing extra.

Sources

Limits verified August 2026 against each carrier’s published policy. Airlines change these without notice — always confirm before you fly. Spirit Airlines ceased operations on 2 May 2026 and is no longer listed.

Airline Bag Size Checker v1.0.15 · last updated 2026-08-12