European Budget and Leisure Airline Carry-On Comparison

Compare the allowance in your actual booking before comparing ticket prices. A small underseat bag and a larger overhead bag are different entitlements. Jet2 and TUI Airways UK include a larger bag, while the cheapest fares on several other carriers include only the small item.

Included and larger-bag allowances

Airline	Small bag	Larger cabin bag	Weight and entitlement
Ryanair	40×30×20 cm included	55×40×20 cm	Priority & 2 Cabin Bags adds the large bag, up to 10 kg
Wizz Air	40×30×20 cm included	55×40×23 cm	WIZZ Priority adds large bag; each piece up to 10 kg
easyJet	45×36×20 cm included	56×45×25 cm	Large bag needs entitlement; each piece up to 15 kg, self-carried
Jet2	40×30×20 cm included	56×45×25 cm included	Main bag up to 10 kg; separate small-bag weight not published in reviewed rule
TUI Airways UK	40×30×20 cm included	55×40×20 cm included	Main bag up to 10 kg for ages 2+; applies to UK operator, including flight-only bookings
Transavia	40×30×20 cm included	55×40×25 cm	Smart/Max or cabin add-on; both pieces share 10 kg

Transavia Basic and Plus do not include the overhead bag. Plus checked baggage is a separate entitlement. A holiday sold by TUI can be operated by another airline; identify the operator before using the UK allowance. Infant and special-item rules need a separate check.

Price the complete journey

Add the bags you actually need for every flight and passenger before comparing totals. Read the booking confirmation for dimensions, quantity and weight. Do not assume seat selection provides a cabin upgrade, or that a checked-bag payment buys overhead storage.

Transavia advertises cabin add-ons from €12.99 one-way, with Senegal from €39, subject to availability and destination. These starting prices are not universal quotes. Its official fee pages list €60 on en-eu and €70 on en-fr for an unbooked cabin bag sent to the hold; the general non-compliance page says €70 or more for excess size or weight. Match the scenario and source scope instead of treating them as one fixed fee.

Measure and weigh before departure

Measure the fully packed exterior, including protruding pockets and rigid parts. Follow the carrier’s wheel and handle rules. Litres and a “cabin size” label do not establish fit. Compression changes shape, not mass; splitting contents between bags cannot solve a combined limit.

No airline or airport ranking here predicts how often staff use a sizer or scale. Comply with the published rule rather than an assumed tolerance. Jet2 may require hold carriage for operational or capacity reasons; included baggage does not guarantee every larger bag remains in the cabin.

Use the bag checker with the right airline and fare, then read the notes. It checks one bag and cannot add the weight of several items. Review personal-item dimensions separately.