Avianca allowance at a glance
| Bag | Maximum size | Maximum weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carry-on | 22x14x10 in55x35x25 cm | 22 lb10 kg | Free on Classic, Flex, Business, and international Light fares. Paid add on for domestic Basic fares. |
| Personal item | 18x14x8 in45x35x20 cm | No stated limit | Included free on every fare. Must fit under the seat ahead of you. |
| Checked bag | 62 in158 cm | 50 economy, 70 business lb23 economy, 32 business kg |
This page goes deeper on one part of the policy. The full record is at Avianca Baggage Rules.
Avianca carry-on size is 22 x 14 x 10 in (55 x 35 x 25 cm), wheels and handle included. The weight cap is 10 kg (22 lb), and that is what actually catches travelers. A lot of hardside bags that clear US domestic sizers by inches still land over 10 kg once packed.
That is where Avianca’s gate staff step in, not the box.
This page goes past what Avianca’s own baggage page prints. It covers which fares strip the Avianca carry-on size allowance entirely. It also covers what a failed bag costs at the gate.
It ends with which bags on the market sit under the box and the 10 kg cap. For checked bags and the full fee table, see the Avianca baggage rules page.
The box, and the weight cap most US flyers do not expect
The Avianca carry-on size limit is 22 x 14 x 10 in (55 x 35 x 25 cm). That is height by length by width, and wheels and handle count toward it. It is a fairly generous box by international standards.
The catch is weight. Most US carriers never weigh a cabin bag at all. Avianca does.
Ten kilograms is tight once a bag holds a laptop, shoes and a jacket. A light empty shell leaves more of that cap for what you actually pack.
What flies free, and what Basic fare takes away
A full carry-on rides free on Classic, Flex, Business, and the international Light fare. Basic fare is different.
On Basic, only a personal item is included. The carry-on becomes a paid add on instead of a free allowance.
This is the part that catches people off guard. One traveler reviewing Avianca described paying about USD 100 to bring hand luggage on a cheap fare. That lines up with how Basic strips the carry-on, not just the checked bag.
If a fare price looks unusually low, check whether it is Basic before you assume a carry-on comes with it.
The 22 x 14 x 10 in box is a touch deeper than the classic US domestic carry-on limit, which usually caps depth around 9 in. That extra inch of depth does not help much if the bag is already over 10 kg once packed, since Avianca’s staff care about the scale reading, not just whether the bag slides into a sizer.
The personal item box
The personal item allowance is 18 x 14 x 8 in (45 x 35 x 20 cm). It is included free on every fare, Basic included. It has to fit under the seat ahead of you, not the overhead bin.
A structured tote or a slim daypack works better here than a stuffed backpack. Gate agents tend to judge it by whether it visibly fits under the seat, not by measuring it.
What happens when a bag does not fit
Avianca’s baggage page does not publish a written gate check or sizer procedure. Traveler accounts do not describe a heavily enforced physical sizer at the gate, unlike some US budget carriers. The weight side is different.
What shows up in traveler reports is a bag that is visibly over 10 kg getting flagged. It then has to be repacked into the personal item or checked on the spot. That gate side fee usually runs higher than the prepaid online rate.
The safer habit is weighing the packed bag at home first. A cheap digital luggage scale settles it before you reach the counter.
Bags that fit the Avianca box and the weight cap
These carry-ons earn a spot here because the maker states a shell weight or a size class that fits Avianca’s box and its 10 kg limit. Measure any bag with wheels and handle attached before flying, since Avianca’s figure covers the whole exterior, not just the shell.
| Bag | Maker’s overall size | How it sits against Avianca’s box |
|---|---|---|
| Travelpro Maxlite 5 21 inch softside spinner | 23 x 14.5 x 9 in with wheels and handle, 5.4 lb empty, per Travelpro’s own listing | Fits under the 22 x 14 x 10 in box on width and depth with margin. Reviewers buy this line specifically for weight capped airlines. Keep the expansion zip closed, since expanding it pushes the depth past most gate boxes. |
| Samsonite Freeform 21 inch hardside carry-on | Marketed by Samsonite as its lightest hardside carry-on line | Sits in the same 21 inch class the box calls for. Samsonite pitches it as the pick for a carrier that weighs the cabin bag, which is exactly Avianca’s setup. |
| Delsey Paris Helium Aero 19 inch international carry-on | Built to the tighter international carry-on class rather than the larger US 22 inch box | The smaller 19 inch shell adds clearance under Avianca’s 22 x 14 x 10 in limit. Useful if you also connect onto a partner carrier with a stricter box. |
| SwissGear 7366 hardside 19 inch | A 19 inch hardside built for smaller international bins | Same logic as the Delsey. The smaller shell clears Avianca’s box with room and travels well on a connecting international leg with a tighter box. |
One bag worth flagging as a poor fit: a 22 inch hardside built to fill the full US domestic box. That size class, covered on our carry-on size guide, often runs heavier empty than the Maxlite or the Freeform above. That extra shell weight eats into the 10 kg allowance before you pack a single item.
Check any bag against Avianca’s box with our size checker tool before you buy or pack.
Travelers on a Basic fare who want to avoid the paid carry-on add on sometimes bring only the free personal item and pack it as densely as they can. A well built backpack rather than a loose soft bag holds its shape better under the seat, which matters if a gate agent glances at it twice.
The bottom line
Avianca carry-on size is 22 x 14 x 10 in (55 x 35 x 25 cm) and 10 kg, free on every fare except Basic. On Basic, only the personal item is included. The box itself is generous.
The weight cap is what trips people up. Pick a light shell, weigh it at home, and check the right way to measure carry-on luggage first.
Common questions
What is the Avianca carry-on size limit?
Avianca allows a carry-on up to 22 x 14 x 10 in (55 x 35 x 25 cm), wheels and handle included, with a 10 kg (22 lb) weight cap.
Does Avianca weigh carry-on bags?
Yes. Avianca weighs cabin bags, unlike many US domestic carriers that only check the size.
Is a carry-on free on every Avianca fare?
No. Basic fare includes only a free personal item. Classic, Flex, Business and the international Light fare include a free full carry-on.
What happens if my carry-on is over 10 kg at the Avianca gate?
Staff can require you to repack into your personal item or check the bag on the spot, usually at a higher walk up rate than prepaying online.
What is the Avianca personal item size?
The personal item allowance is 18 x 14 x 8 in (45 x 35 x 20 cm) and it is included free on every fare, including Basic.
Can I bring a 22 inch carry-on on Avianca?
A 22 inch bag can fit the box on height, but check the width and depth too, and weigh it packed, since Avianca enforces the 10 kg cap regardless of size.
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