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In Europe’s ferociously competitive low-cost carrier market, airline fees and charges are constantly changing. Keeping on top of carry-on baggage costs and regulations can help you find the best value fares for your trip. Here are the latest Eurowings hand luggage rules.
What is the Eurowings hand luggage policy?
Eurowings’ hand luggage policy tows the line with most other European budget carriers and varies by selected fare type. The illustration and table below show the hand luggage allowance for Eurowings including bag dimensions and weight along with any other important factors.
With Eurowings’ BASIC fare, you’re allowed just a small bag on board, which must be able to fit under the seat in front. You can add a larger cabin bag for a fee, which is currently less than a fare upgrade. That upgrade takes you to a SMART fare and adds a cabin bag to your on-board allowance. Choose the top top flight BIZclass fare and you can take two cabin bags on board with you.
Thinking of flying with carry-on bags only? Then maximise your bag space with these tips on how to pack your suitcase.
Important Eurowings hand luggage policy considerations
- These cabin bag dimensions include every part of your luggage – handles, wheels and any other protrusions. If you’re asked to put your bag in the sizing bin at the gate and it doesn’t fit, you’ll have to pay for it as checked baggage.
- Note the 8 kg weight limit for large cabin bags. This is one of the meanest weight allowances of all budget carriers – but don’t worry too much. While Eurowings is strict on hand luggage dimensions, I’ve never seen ground crew weigh anyone’s carry-on at the gate. And I fly with them at least once a month.
- As long as your bag is within tolerated dimensions and isn’t too heavy to lift into the overhead compartment, you should be fine. Remember that if you do risk it and exceed the weight limit, the fees to check your bag in at the gate are eye watering.
What doesn’t count as hand luggage on Eurowings
As with all rules, there are exceptions. If you’re travelling with kids or a musical instrument, Eurowings has various hand luggage allowances in place. Here’s the lowdown.
Flying with children
Eurowings classes ‘infants’ as zero to 23 months and ‘children’ as two to 11 years old. The same baggage regulations apply for children as for adult passengers.
The airline allows one infant per adult on your lap, with a small cabin bag each. Any other infant must have a seat reserved and be strapped into a child restraint system. If you’re travelling with an infant, you can check in one 23 kg piece of baggage free of charge regardless of the fare. You can also carry and check in two of these as baggage at no cost:
- A pram
- A pushchair
- A carry cot
- A car booster seat
- A Child carrier
Flying with musical instruments
Eurowings largely treats musical instruments on board as it does standard hand luggage. You can bring an instrument on board as long as it doesn’t exceed the small or large cabin bag dimensions, based on your fare.
Each musical instrument you bring into the cabin qualifies as one item of hand luggage. Curiously, Eurowings highlights allowed instruments specifically as “clarinets, flutes, bugles, oboes, violins, trumpets.” Larger instruments like guitars must be in a soft case and can only be transported in the cabin if you book an extra seat. You can find out more about the charges for transporting large music instruments from fee and size information on Eurowings’ table of charges.
If you’re not sure whether your instrument (or any other bag for that matter) meets Eurowings’ hand luggage requirements, try KAYAK’s brilliant Bag Measurement tool in the KAYAK app.
Common Eurowings hand luggage questions
The hand luggage allowance on Eurowings depends on the fare. With a BASIC fare, passengers are allowed to bring one small cabin baggage. The SMART fare adds one larger cabin bag up to 8 kg maximum weight. With a BIZclass fare, passengers can bring two large cabin bags alongside the small bag.
Reasonably, yes. Unless you’re really obviously flouting the rules with one or more giant bags, there’s an element of luck involved in having your bags singled out for fit. You certainly shouldn’t have more bags than your fare allows, and certainly should make sure it meets the allowed dimensions, protrusions and all.
Top three hand luggage tips for Eurowings
Tip #1: board early(ish)
If you’ve paid for a SMART or BIZclass fare, you’ll get priority boarding alongside your increased hand luggage allowance. This is a bit of a balancing act, as queue too early and you’ll likely spend ages standing in the corridor outside the plane rather than lounging in comfort at the gate. Leave it too late and you may find there’s not enough overhead compartment space for your cabin bag, relegating it to the hold.
My golden rule is to aim to board when the plane is about half full. Pay attention to both the priority and non-priority queues and time your boarding accordingly.
Tip #2: pack smart
If you’re also checking in a bag alongside your hand luggage, make sure you pack the right things in the rights cases. Beyond the obvious of taking what you need for the flight into the cabin, there are also several items that specifically can and can’t go in checked and carry-on luggage.
Anything with a lithium battery should come on board in your hand luggage, as they’re not allowed in the hold for fire risk reasons. That includes e-cigarettes. On the other hand, anything sharp or potentially dangerous including hiking poles (a common sight on the trails of Europe), must be checked in. Know the rules first so you don’t get caught out at the gate.
Tip #3: guarantee your hand luggage stays in the cabin
If you want to be absolutely certain your hand luggage will travel on board with you no matter what, book a BIZclass seat. Yes, you’ll pay for it, but BIZclass tickets come with a reserved hand baggage compartment. That means you can wander onto the plane as the last passenger safe in the knowledge your bags will be in reach for the entire flight.
If your child has a favourite cuddly toy, you can download a dedicated boarding pass for them too! It’s a great way to make kids feel involved and can help ease any anxieties they may have about flying.
Last update: March 27, 2025 – because staying informed makes travel smoother.
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