Please sign in to post.

New carry on and personal item size limits in EU starting September 1?

Hi everyone. This morning there was a post on one of the travel groups I follow about new size and weight limits for carry on and personal items for all travel within the EU starting September 1 regardless of individual airline limits. I didn't click the link because I wasn't sure if it was legit, but I did a google search and saw one other article about it. From what I could tell, It seems there will be a more uniform cut off of size and weight, although I'm not sure it's that different from what it ever was within the EU. There was some discussion about whether or not it would impact movement just within the UK and it seemed the consensus was that yes, even the UK was falling in line with limits.

I thought I'd ask here because this forum generally cuts through the speculation and gets to the facts of the matter more than some others I follow. Has anyone heard anything about this? I don't think it will impact me personally because I'm usually a rule follower anyway, but maybe it will make a difference for those that tend to stretch the rules just a bit?

I appreciate any clarification you can provide. Thank you!

Posted by
1547 posts

The new rules have to do with the liquids in hand luggage, not with the size or weight of the hand luggage itself. Starting September 1, the maximum size of a liquid container is 100 ml and all liquids must fit in a 1 liter bag.
For some airports this actually means no change at all because they always maintained the strict 100 ml /1 liter rule. For airports with advanced scanners that allowed larger size liquid containers, it means a step back in time to the older stricter rules.

Posted by
594 posts

Dutch traveler, some of the comments to the post did mention that, but the post itself specifically mentioned the size and weight of carry on and personal items having a consistent limitation. Maybe it was just a click bait kind of thing?

Posted by
7666 posts

KRS, I found some articles talking about how the EU is planning to regulate not only the liquids but also carry on items. https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1938840/hand-luggage-rules-change-september-1-european-union

Here's another one that discusses it: https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1902033/eu-law-airlines-hand-luggage-allowance-easyjet-ryanair

But I'm checking and I can't find anything from one of the more reputable news sources, so I'm not sure if it's true or not. It could be something that is being discussed in the EU, and hasn't taken effect, but hard to say.

Posted by
8863 posts

For those who cant or wont link tot he article here's the bottom line on limits:
Maximum dimensions: 10kg for carryon. Maximum dimensions (including handles and wheels), are set to be 55 x 40 x 20cm, and the personal item should be 40 x 30 x 15cm.

I am surprised this is the first time I've heard of it, when it's supposed to be effective September 1. I have a Lufthansa flight Sept 6 and there's nothing on their site about a change from their 8kg limit. There current size is 55x40x23 so a loss of a little over an inch in depth.

Posted by
7666 posts

Well, I actually found the resolution in the EU website after much searching. Here is the perma-link for anyone who wants to view the European Parliament resolution of 4 October 2023 on standardised dimensions for carry-on luggage.
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52023IP0344

But I'm not sure how enforceable it will be, at least at the start. ETA: Evidently that was a resolution that needed a vote to pass. Still lookiing for the final law, but it sounds like it did pass.

Posted by
16091 posts

Let's look at this from a practical point of view.

September 1 is a week away. No major news organizations nor airline website has any mention of this.

The "new" rules allow a carry on of 55 x 40 x 20 cm and a personal item of 40 x 30 x 15 cm.

There is a maximum weight of 10kg. (Combined hand luggage and personal item.)

If this was the "limit" you would have thousands upon thousands of passengers angry since many European airlines now allow a dimension of 23 cm rather than 20 cm. It would mean these passengers would have to buy new bags. And since the reasoning behind the rule change is to eliminate some baggage fees, this sort of change makes the point moot.

What I believe the EU is trying to set is a minimum limit airlines must allow without charging any fees. They can allow more but they can't allow less.

We'll see what happens next week.

Posted by
515 posts

Here's an article about the liquids limits:

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/08/23/100ml-limit-on-liquids-to-return-to-all-eu-airports-from-september#:~:text=100ml%20limit%20on%20liquids%20to%20return%20to%20all%20EU%20airports%20from%20September

I'm trying to think about my more recent experiences going through security in Europe but I don't recall if/where I didn't have to take my liquids out of my bag. Anyone know which airports had the advanced scanning technology?

I also read an article on the "Ireland West Airport" website that explains the same thing but says "All liquid, aerosol and gels (LAGs) must be stored in containers of 100ml or less and stored in clear transparent bags and taken out of your cabin baggage before going through security. There will be no limit on the number of plastic bags used per passenger. https://www.irelandwestairport.com/news/changes-to-eu-regulation-sees-the-introduction-of-temporary-liquid-restrictions-at-airports-in-the-eu

Posted by
1547 posts

“ Anyone know which airports had the advanced scanning technology?”

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport has the advanced scanning technology. For many years already you don’t have to take out your liquids there, nor your tablets, laptops etc.
Schiphol Airport now has a warning up on their website informing passengers about the new stricter liquid rules; https://www.schiphol.nl/en/page/get-ready-for-security/

Posted by
515 posts

Thank you @Dutch Traveler for the link; I'm transiting Schiphol soon and that's helpful.

Posted by
8818 posts

For those of us that don’t easily make the switch between ml and fluid oz. , 100 mi is 3.38 ounces. TSA limit is 3.4 oz.
1 liter = 33 ounces.
So, if you have been packing your liquids in containers that meet US standards and placing them in a quart sized bag, these will still work just fine under EU rules.

Posted by
959 posts

Having just gone thru Schiphol last Tuesday, I can also say that you do not take anything out of your bag and their advanced scanning devices picked up at the most, a couple of tablespoons of water in my granddaughter’s water bottle. Quite comical to have a 7 year old pulled aside to have her backpack full of stuffies checked but the agent was very kind and made a game of it.

Posted by
8863 posts

Once again, I am fooled by one of those EU guidelines that come across through translation as enforceable regulations.

Posted by
617 posts

And if you are playing the game the TSA lets a lot of people get away with where you have a baggie for each of your luggage pieces or you have a couple of baggies in one bag . They aren’t going to let that happen in Europe, so get it down to one baggie.

And remember TSA precheck means nothing in Europe. I know that in the US i get lazy and often don’t consolidate my liquids into one baggie but ….

Posted by
16091 posts

Helsinki had the advanced technology and has for awhile. I guess they had to go back to the "3-1-1" bags.

Posted by
1 posts

Hi,

I have found mention of this in news, in various media:

NEW CARRY-ON AND CABIN BAGGAGE REGULATIONS AS OF SEPTEMBER. https://www.canarianweekly.com/posts/New-cabin-and-hand-luggage-regulations-start-in-September

Changes in air transport as of September 1 https://fastforward.com.cy/breakthrough/what-changes-are-coming-air-travel-starting-september-1

Travelers to Europe, take note: changes to carry-on baggage rules https://www.prensa.com/economia/viajeros-a-europa-tomen-nota-cambios-en-las-reglas-del-equipaje-de-mano/

But also this short article:
https://in-cyprus.philenews.com/insider/eu-dispel-rumours-of-mandatory-carry-on-bag-regulations/

EU dispel rumours of mandatory carry-on bag regulations The European
Commission has clarified that there are no upcoming EU regulations
mandating airlines to include a 10-kilogram carry-on bag as part of
their tickets.

Additionally, there is no current common standardised size for
carry-on luggage.

The Commission said that in July it organised a workshop to discuss
potential industry-wide standards for carry-on luggage weight and
dimensions, however, these have not been ratified into a directive.

The Commission expects to receive more details from the industry soon
and plans to hold another workshop in the autumn.

Im traveling through Europe on Sept. 4th and I don't know if I may be able with getting away not paying hand carry-on luggage.

Thanks.

Posted by
1068 posts

From everything I have read, the new ruling relates to the minimum size of the carryon. Each airline can allow a larger size but if a person has luggage that meets the new size, an airline must allow it. Airlines, like Ryan Air, had a much stricter requirement. Now they must allow a carryon the meets the new requirement. Air France recently revised their carryon requirement downward, but it is still larger than the new ruling.

Posted by
16091 posts

Early bloggers and psuedo news sites confused the new carry on sizes with the new liquids ruling and ran with it. Others followed without fact checking.

If a change was happening this Sunday, don't you think the major news organizations in Europe would mention it? And none of the airlines affected--Ryanair, Wizz Air, Easyjet--say a word.

But some "influencers" are running with it.

Posted by
982 posts

Oh, how I love regulations. Especially the vague, complicated, self-contradictory variety. (But they do provide a monetization potential for those who can, or claim they can, explain them.)

Posted by
2844 posts

" Each airline can allow a larger size but if a person has luggage that meets the new size, an airline must allow it. Airlines, like Ryan Air, had a much stricter requirement. Now they must allow a carryon the meets the new requirement."

Where does that come from? Lufthansa has always shown an 8 kg limit. The EU is telling them that it is now a 10 kg max? There is nothing on Lufthansa.com stating that 10 kg is the upper limit effective next month. And an additional 4.4 pounds would make their carryon limit much easier to meet.

Posted by
1547 posts

Please everyone, first read all the replies in this thread before adding another

As explained in various posts in this thread already, there are NO new EU-rules about the weights and sizes of hand luggage. Standardization of hand luggage sizes and weight is a wish of the European Parliament, but that wish/resolution hasn’t been made into law (yet).

The only thing that changes per September 1, is the rule with regards to liquids inside the hand luggage. The containers in which you bring the liquids can only be up to 100 ml in size and all your liquids must fit in a 1 liter bag.