Carry On Luggage - Weight Seems to Vary Quite A Bit by Airline

I've made 7 trips to Europe with an 8kg (17.6#, Lufthansa) carryon, so I fell that that weight is reasonable. 5kg (11#, Alitalia) might be a little unreasonable. Most European airlines have the same (8kg) restriction as Lufthansa (SAS) or slightly higher (KLM, Air France).

Most U.S. flag airlines, if you want to put up with the lack of service, etc, allow up to 40# and British Air has no weight restriction, just size.

All U.S. based carriers, British Air, Air France, and KLM allow carry-on luggage over 25 lbs. Then comes a bunch around 22, then 17.6, then 13.2. (That covers most of the airlines.)

You're right Patricia... carry-on restrictions are all across the board. Definitely check with your carrier's website before heading over. I have not seen the weight rule enforced, just the size rules???

This link might help - It has the web addresses and info on many low-budget European airlines: CLICK HERE

Just back from a trip that included 2+ weeks in Italy where we flew Alitalia from Rome to Naples and then from Naples to Venice.I had been frightened by their supposed luggage limits for carryon so we checked ours but people were boarding with bags that were obviously way heavier and larger than the advertised limits and nobody ever was stopped.I have heard that it can happen though so its a crapshoot.

Thanks for all your input. We've done carryon before but didn't give much thought to weight -- just size. I though I'd better check with all the new ways the airlines are collecting money -- and was surprised to see all of the variations.

If it's all on one ticket. The rules on your ticket are supposed to be the correct rules that every airline will abide by. Unfortunately, that may not always be true.

I carry one bag that weighs at most 18 lbs. and have never had any trouble. If someone wanted to weigh it, I could pull out snacks to get to 15 lbs. If needed, I could stand to lose my 3-1-1 bag and carry a sweater to get to 12.

I'm flying with Swiss International Airlines soon, and their hand baggage/carry-on allowance essentially mirrors their parent company, Lufthansa. As Lee outlined, weight must not exceed 8kg and dimensions cannot exceed 55x40x20 cm (although I believe Lufthansa may allow a slightly larger size for a garment bag carry-on). This is acceptable. If you’re over on size or weight, the airlines reserve the right to charge an extra fee and/or make you check your bag.