Air Canada Economy Basic no longer includes a carry-on on most North American routes. Fares bought on or after January 3, 2025 get a personal item only. It is the biggest recent change in Air Canada baggage rules.
The restriction covers travel within Canada and to or from the US, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Any other bag has to be checked before security.
What happens if you turn up with a carry-on anyway
The bag gets checked, and at the airport that costs money. Gate handling runs $65 to $78 in Canadian or US dollars if you pay there.
Checking the bag before security in advance is far cheaper. The expensive version is discovering the rule at the gate.
If you need overhead space, buy a fare above Economy Basic. That is the only way Air Canada baggage rules give it to you on these routes.
The sizes themselves
The carry-on is 55 by 40 by 23 centimeters, roughly 21.5 by 15.5 by 9 inches. That is the European frame rather than the US one.
At 21.5 inches long it is slightly shorter than the 22 inch US standard. A bag sold as a US carry-on may not pass here.
The personal item is 43 by 33 by 16 centimeters, or 17 by 13 by 6 inches. It must fit under the seat in front.
No weight limit, but strict sizing
Air Canada publishes no carry-on weight limit. You must be able to lift the bag into the overhead bin unassisted.
What it does enforce is size, and it enforces it strictly at the gate. Sizers are used more consistently here than at most US carriers.
Measure your bag with wheels and handles included. Those count toward the 55 centimeter length.
Checked baggage and published fees
A standard checked bag is 23 kilograms, about 50 pounds, at 158 centimeters or 62 linear inches.
On Economy fares between Canada and the US, the first bag is $45 to $54. The second is $60 to $72.
Overweight from 50 to 70 pounds costs $100 to $120. Oversize from 63 to 115 linear inches costs the same.
How Air Canada baggage rules compare
The carry-on is shorter than the 22 by 14 by 9 used by Delta and United. It is wider and deeper in exchange.
The Basic fare restriction puts Air Canada alongside WestJet, whose UltraBasic fare also withholds the carry-on. WestJet goes further by not letting you buy one at all.
Both Canadian carriers are now stricter on entry fares than the US majors.
Booking around the restriction
Price Economy Basic against the next fare up before choosing. The difference is often less than a gate handling fee.
If Basic works for you, pack to the 17 by 13 by 6 personal item and commit to it. That is a real allowance for a short trip.
Run the totals in the baggage cost tool before you book.
The bottom line
Air Canada baggage rules now split sharply at the Basic fare. Above it you get a normal carry-on. Below it you get a personal item, and a bill if you guess wrong.
Confirm the dimensions in the size checker, and see how we verify these figures.
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