Airline Baggage Guides
Airline Baggage Guides
Australian Carry-On Guide (Domestic, February 2026)
Rule of thumb: the cabin “template” is 56 × 36 × 23 cm (including wheels/handles). Depth (23 cm) is what most bags fail on. Always weigh after packing.
|
Airline |
Standard cabin size (max) |
Weight & pieces |
Personal item |
Key fine print |
|
Qantas (most domestic jets) |
56×36×23 cm (overhead); under-seat piece 48×34×23 cm |
14 kg total across 2 pieces; max 10 kg per piece |
1 small personal item |
“1 up, 1 down” guidance: one overhead + one under-seat bag. Dimensions include wheels/handles. (Qantas) |
|
QantasLink (Dash-8) |
56×36×23 cm |
7 kg total (1 bag + 1 personal item) |
1 small personal item |
Small wheelie bags are often valet-checked at the aircraft stairs and returned on arrival. (Qantas) |
|
Virgin Australia (from 2 Feb 2026) |
56×36×23 cm |
Economy: 1 overhead item up to 8 kg. Business/Economy X/Gold+ tiers: 2 items / 14 kg (max 8 kg for any single piece). |
1 personal item (up to 45×33×20 cm) |
Change replaces the old “two small pieces” in Economy; ensure the one main item fits the full template. (Virgin Australia) |
|
Jetstar Airways |
56×36×23 cm (main) |
7 kg total = 1 main + 1 small (unless you buy a higher carry-on bundle) |
1 small item (under-seat) |
Strict gate checks; combined weight applies to both items. (Jetstar) |
|
Rex Airlines |
Not explicitly listed on the policy page (use 56×36×23 cm as a practical guide) |
7 kg on SAAB-340 regional services |
Personal item permitted (handbag/laptop etc.) |
Rex publishes weight clearly; dimensions aren’t stated on the page—staff can size-check at the counter. Overhead bins are smaller on turboprops. I cannot confirm an official size from Rex’s site. (rex.com.au) |
Source notes & links
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Qantas/QantasLink domestic rules, sizes, and 14 kg total with 10 kg per piece (Dash-8: 7 kg). https://www.qantas.com/en-us/baggage/carry-on
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Virgin Australia policy change effective 2 Feb 2026 (trade flyer + announcement) and public page showing 8 kg + personal item for Economy. https://www.virginaustralia.com/content/dam/vaa/documents/agency-hub/sales-tools/Virgin-Australia-Carry-On-Baggage-Flyer.pdf https://www.virginaustralia.com/content/dam/vaa/documents/agency-hub/trade-releases/TR14Oct25-Carry-on-baggage-allowance.pdf
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Jetstar main + small item to 7 kg combined; main item 56×36×23 cm. https://www.jetstar.com/au/en/flights/baggage/carry-on-baggage
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Rex: page confirms 7 kg carry-on and personal-item examples, but does not list a hard size template—staff sizer is determinative. https://www.rex.com.au/flightinfo/BaggageAllowance.aspx
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Note: Policies change—customers should always confirm their exact allowance on their booking before packing.
Australian Checked-Baggage Guide (Domestic, February 2026)
Allowances at a glance
|
Airline |
Standard size (max) |
Economy allowance (typical) |
Higher tiers / premium |
Key fine print |
|
Qantas |
140 cm linear (L+W+H) |
1 × 23 kg (piece-based) |
Prem. Econ: 2 × 23 kg; Business: 2 × 32 kg |
Dash-8 exception: only 1 × 23 kg (status extras don’t apply). Extra piece on domestic: A$150; heavy charge (23–32 kg): A$60; no bag >32 kg. |
|
Virgin Australia |
140 cm linear |
Lite: no checked bag; Choice/Flex: 1 × 23 kg; Economy Reward: 1 × 23 kg |
Business: 2 × 32 kg; Velocity status increases pieces |
Overweight (23–32 kg) A$65 per piece domestically; no bag >32 kg. |
|
Jetstar Airways |
Oversize fee if >1 m in any direction |
Buy what you need (Starter includes no checked bag) |
Bundles can include checked bags |
You can purchase up to 40 kg total; no single bag >32 kg; oversize handling fee for items >1 m. |
|
Rex Airlines |
140 cm linear |
B737 economy: 23 kg (weight-based across pieces) |
Regional (Saab) fares: Promo/Saver 15 kg, Flex 23 kg; Biz on B737: 32 kg |
Excess A$5.50/kg; additional baggage sold in 5 kg blocks; max 32 kg per item. International connection within 24 h: 23 kg on regional flights. |
Notes (what our customers frequently ask us)
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What does “140 cm linear” mean? Add length + width + height. If it’s ≤140 cm, it meets most domestic checked-bag size rules. (Qantas shows this explicitly; Virgin mirrors it.)
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Can I pool weight across bags?
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Qantas uses piece-based allowances domestically (e.g., 1 × 23 kg in Economy). Extra pieces or heavy bags trigger fees.
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Rex (esp. B737 services) uses a weight-based Economy allowance (23 kg total)—you can spread that across multiple bags so long as no single bag exceeds 32 kg.
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Dash-8 flights (small bins): Qantas/QantasLink restrict to 1 × 23 kg checked; frequent-flyer extras don’t apply.
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Jetstar tip: it’s cheapest to pre-purchase checked baggage; airport purchases cost more, and anything >1 m attracts an oversize handling fee on top of the weight you buy.
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Virgin fee gotcha: if your bag lands between 23–32 kg, expect A$65 per overweight piece domestically.
Quick sizing advice
Source notes & links (airline policy pages & fees)
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Qantas domestic checked allowances, sizes & fees; Dash-8 exceptions; heavy/extra charges. https://www.qantas.com/en-au/baggage/checked https://www.qantas.com/en-au/baggage/pre-purchase-additional
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Virgin Australia checked-baggage inclusions by fare/status; size rule (140 cm); domestic overweight fee; 32 kg cap. https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/travel-info/baggage/checked-baggage https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/travel-info/flying-with-us/fare-types/domestic-fares
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Jetstar checked-baggage purchase rules; max per item; oversize >1 m.
Rex baggage policy (regional vs B737), size rule (140 cm), excess fee, add-on blocks, and international-connection 23 kg rule. https://www.jetstar.com/au/en/flights/baggage/checked-baggage
Note: Policies change—customers should always confirm their exact allowance on their booking before packing.
