The airline says it’s going to start charging passengers for ‘priority carry-on’ so it can stop weighing every piece of luggage at the gate just before departure
One budget airline is making big changes to its cabin bag policy [file image](Image: Jetstar)
A major budget airline is ending its free overhead cabin bag policy and replacing it with a new £13 rule.
From the start of February 2027, passengers flying with Jetstar will only be able to bring a small bag that must fit under the seat in front of them for free. The new rules end Jetstar’s free overhead luggage policy, which was limited to 7kg, and now mirrors the baggage restrictions used by European budget airlines Ryanair and easyJet.
Previously, every piece of luggage set to be taken onboard a Jetstar flight was weighed by airline staff at the gate, with anyone with overweight bags forced to pay fees in order to board with their bags.
The Australian airline, which flies across Australia, New Zealand, south-east Asia, and even as far as Japan and South Korea, says the new rules have been brought in to stop this practice.
“We know that weighing carry-on bags at the gate can be frustrating for our customers and for our crew,” said CEO Stephanie Tully.
“To make packing easier we’ve decided to remove the 7kg weight limit, so from February, the main thing customers will need to think about is the size of their carry-on.”
The new rules mean passengers who want to take more luggage than the free under-seat bag must purchase a ‘priority carry-on’ fare to access the overhead lockers. This fee costs at least another A$25 (£13, as of August 5, 2026).
Ms Tully explained why Jetstar decided to charge extra: “By giving customers an underseat bag with the option to add Priority Carry-on, we can make better use of overhead locker space, streamline boarding and help more flights depart on time.”
“Our new carry-on baggage model provides more choice to customers while helping to keep our fares low. You only pay for what you need – travelling with less means paying less, and you can always add more if you need.”
While fees start at just A$25, they climb dramatically for longer and more popular flights. It will cost A$33 (£17.30) for its most popular route, Sydney to Melbourne, A$39 (£20.45) from Perth to popular holiday destination Denpasar in Bali, and A$52 (£27.27) from Cairns to Tokyo Narita.
New size limits have also been confirmed for carry-on luggage. Underseat bags must be smaller than 40 × 30 × 20cm, while overhead bags can be up to 56 × 36 × 23cm large.