airBaltic hand luggage: 40x30x15 and 55x40x23, weight and rules
- , by Miquell Hellings
- 10 min read
airBaltic hand luggage always includes one free personal item of 40 x 30 x 15 cm, such as a handbag, small backpack or laptop bag. With an Economy MINI ticket, that is all you get: the bag must fit under the seat in front of you and may weigh 8 kg. Economy BASIC, Economy CLASSIC and Economy FLEX add a cabin bag of 55 x 40 x 23 cm, and the two together may weigh no more than 8 kg. BUSINESS and Business EXPERIENCE give you two cabin bags of 55 x 40 x 23 cm plus the personal item, up to 24 kg in total. In Economy you can pay to raise the weight to 12 kg.
Go straight to the collection: Underseat bags · Hand luggage 55x40x20
airBaltic hand luggage in one table
| Ticket | Personal item | Cabin bag | Total hand luggage weight | Checked luggage included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy MINI | 1 x 40 x 30 x 15 cm, under the seat | Not included | 8 kg | No |
| Economy BASIC | 1 x 40 x 30 x 15 cm | 1 x 55 x 40 x 23 cm | 8 kg | No |
| Economy CLASSIC | 1 x 40 x 30 x 15 cm | 1 x 55 x 40 x 23 cm | 8 kg | 1 suitcase of 23 kg |
| Economy FLEX | 1 x 40 x 30 x 15 cm | 1 x 55 x 40 x 23 cm | 8 kg | 2 suitcases, 46 kg in total |
| BUSINESS and Business EXPERIENCE | 1 x 40 x 30 x 15 cm | 2 x 55 x 40 x 23 cm | 24 kg | 2 suitcases, 46 kg in total |
The weight applies to all your hand luggage together, so the personal item counts too. Source: the baggage pages of airbaltic.com, consulted on 10 November 2026.
The personal item: 40 x 30 x 15 cm
airBaltic itself gives five examples of a personal item: a handbag, a small backpack, a laptop bag, a camera bag and an umbrella. Everything must stay within 40 x 30 x 15 cm. That size has an external volume of 18 litres.
Watch the depth. Many underseat bags are made for Ryanair and Wizz Air and measure 40 x 30 x 20 cm. On airBaltic, a bag like that is 5 cm too deep. So choose a bag that really is 15 cm deep, or one you can flatten with compression straps.
With Economy MINI, the personal item must go under the seat in front of you. With the other tickets, you can put your hand luggage under the seat or in the overhead locker. The size of 40 x 30 x 15 cm is also the free minimum that will apply across the EU from 23 October 2027. You can read more about that in our guide to the new EU rules for hand luggage.
The cabin bag: 55 x 40 x 23 cm
With Economy BASIC, CLASSIC and FLEX you can bring one cabin bag of 55 x 40 x 23 cm. With BUSINESS or Business EXPERIENCE it is two, each 55 x 40 x 23 cm. The biggest pitfall is the weight. In Economy, your cabin bag and your personal item together may not weigh more than 8 kg. If your laptop bag weighs 2 kg, that leaves 6 kg for the cabin bag, including the bag itself. So a light suitcase leaves more room for your things.
Which sizes fit?
- 55 x 40 x 20 cm: fits, with 3 cm to spare in depth.
- 55 x 40 x 23 cm: fits exactly, as long as it does not bulge.
- 55 x 40 x 25 cm or 55 x 35 x 25 cm: too deep. That is 2 cm more than airBaltic allows.
airBaltic does not say separately whether wheels and handles count. It does say that your bag must fit completely in the sizer without pushing. So include wheels, handles and full front pockets when you measure.
Heavier hand luggage: 12 kg
If 8 kg is not enough, you can buy extra weight. How that works depends on your ticket:
- Economy MINI: you add heavy hand luggage and can then take 12 kg on board, including your personal item. This also adds a cabin bag of 55 x 40 x 23 cm.
- Economy BASIC, CLASSIC and FLEX: you raise the limit from 8 kg to 12 kg. The sizes and the number of pieces stay the same.
If you go up to 12 kg, you board straight after business class. You add it on airbaltic.com, through the call centre or at a ticket office; airBaltic does not give a fixed price. airBaltic Club members with Executive status get 12 kg as standard on an Economy ticket, and members with VIP status get two cabin bags and 24 kg.
airBaltic compared with Ryanair, Wizz Air and easyJet
| Airline | Free bag under the seat | Cabin bag for the overhead locker |
|---|---|---|
| airBaltic | 40 x 30 x 15 cm (8 kg together with the cabin bag) | 55 x 40 x 23 cm, from Economy BASIC |
| Ryanair | 40 x 30 x 20 cm | 55 x 40 x 20 cm, 10 kg, with Priority & 2 Cabin Bags |
| Wizz Air | 40 x 30 x 20 cm, 10 kg | 55 x 40 x 23 cm, 10 kg, with WIZZ Priority |
| easyJet | 45 x 36 x 20 cm, 15 kg | 56 x 45 x 25 cm, 15 kg, available to add |
The free bag on airBaltic is the smallest of these four. A bag of 40 x 30 x 15 cm does fit with all four. If you fly with several airlines from Riga, Tallinn or Vilnius, that is the safest size. For the cabin bag, 55 x 40 x 20 cm works everywhere. You can read the rules of the other airlines in our guides to Ryanair, Wizz Air and easyJet.
Oversized or overweight hand luggage at the gate
An airBaltic employee may ask you to put your bag in the sizer. The bag must fit in completely, without pushing, and must not be too heavy. If it goes wrong, this applies:
- €40 for heavy hand luggage: if your hand luggage is bigger or heavier than your ticket allows.
- €75 for checked luggage: if the bag is not allowed in the cabin and has to go in the hold.
- No boarding: if you do not follow the rules or refuse to pay, you can be refused boarding.
If you have a connection, approval on the first flight is no guarantee for the next one. If you pay at the gate, keep the receipt. Weigh your cabin bag and personal item together, measure with a full bag and add 12 kg in advance if it gets tight. If in doubt, go to the baggage desk before security, as airBaltic itself advises.
Children, babies and extra items
Children get the same hand luggage as adults in the same class. Babies under 2 years get no hand luggage of their own, not even with their own seat. They can, however, take one suitcase of 10 kg in the hold for free. You can combine it with the luggage of an adult. If a baby or child travels with you, one fully collapsible pushchair or buggy, a carrycot or a car seat also goes free.
airBaltic lists an umbrella among the personal items. For a coat or a bag of shopping, airBaltic gives no separate rule. So do not assume they travel free. Spare batteries may only go in your hand luggage, and a smart suitcase with a removable battery may only go in the hold if you take the battery out. Read more about that in our guide to the power bank on a plane.
Checked luggage with airBaltic
A standard suitcase for the hold may measure 100 x 50 x 80 cm. Economy CLASSIC includes one suitcase of 23 kg in your ticket. Economy FLEX, BUSINESS and Business EXPERIENCE give you two suitcases, 46 kg in total and no more than 32 kg each. With Economy MINI and BASIC you add a suitcase, from €24.99 per 23 kg suitcase per direction if you book it with your ticket.
If your suitcase weighs more than 23 kg, you can buy extra weight up to 32 kg. At the airport this costs €60 per suitcase per direction. If one side is longer than 100 x 50 x 80 cm, but the three sides together do not exceed 230 cm, you pay €50 in advance or €75 at the airport. Which suitcase goes with 23 kg is explained in our guide which suitcase size for 20, 23 or 25 kg. The sizes of other airlines are in the overview checked luggage sizes per airline.
What changed in 2025 and 2026?
airBaltic changed the rules three times in a short period:
- Summer 2025: the personal item went from 30 x 40 x 10 cm to 40 x 30 x 15 cm. Older sites still show the old size.
- Spring 2026: the gate fee for overweight or oversized hand luggage went up from €30 to €40.
- 6 May 2026: airBaltic introduced Economy MINI, the sixth and cheapest ticket. It comes with the personal item only. You can only buy it through the website, the app and the call centre of airBaltic.
If you see fare names such as Green or Green plus anywhere, that information is out of date. The Economy tickets are now called MINI, BASIC, CLASSIC and FLEX.
Which bag fits airBaltic?
For the free personal item, look for a bag that stays within 40 x 30 x 15 cm. Three shapes that work well:
- Flat backpack of 40 x 30 x 15 cm: keeps its shape and slides easily under the seat.
- Laptop bag or shoulder bag of 40 x 30 x 15 cm: handy with Economy MINI, if this is your only bag.
- Soft bag with compression straps: pull the straps tight and it stays within 15 cm in depth.
For the cabin bag, look at trolleys of 55 x 40 x 20 cm: they leave room to spare in depth, and they also fit Ryanair and Wizz Air. Browse our hand luggage 55x40x20 for suitcases and our hand luggage backpacks for bags you carry on your back. How to measure a bag properly is explained in measuring a travel bag.
Frequently asked questions
What is the airBaltic hand luggage size?
The personal item may be 40 x 30 x 15 cm. The cabin bag may be 55 x 40 x 23 cm. The cabin bag comes with Economy BASIC, CLASSIC and FLEX, not with Economy MINI.
What is the airBaltic hand luggage weight limit?
In Economy, all your hand luggage together may weigh 8 kg, including the personal item. You can pay to make that 12 kg. In BUSINESS and Business EXPERIENCE it is 24 kg.
Is the personal item free on airBaltic?
Yes. Every ticket includes one free personal item of 40 x 30 x 15 cm, Economy MINI included.
Is a 40x30x20 bag allowed on airBaltic?
Not as a personal item: it is 5 cm too deep. With Economy BASIC, CLASSIC and FLEX you can take it as a cabin bag, because it stays within 55 x 40 x 23 cm.
Can I take a backpack as hand luggage on airBaltic?
Yes. A small backpack up to 40 x 30 x 15 cm counts as a personal item. A larger backpack up to 55 x 40 x 23 cm can go as a cabin bag. Read more about backpacks in backpack as hand luggage.
How much does airBaltic charge for overweight hand luggage at the gate?
At the gate you pay €40 if your hand luggage is too big or too heavy. If the bag has to go in the hold, you pay €75.
The right bag for airBaltic
A bag of 40 x 30 x 15 cm and a trolley of 55 x 40 x 20 cm fit airBaltic, Ryanair, Wizz Air and easyJet. Browse our underseat bags and carry-on suitcases. What exactly counts as a personal item is explained in our guide to the personal item on a plane. The sizes of all airlines side by side are in our complete guide to hand luggage sizes.
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