PLAY Airlines does not fly to the United States anymore. The Icelandic low cost carrier dropped its last three American routes in the fall of 2025. Those were Boston, Baltimore/Washington, and New York Stewart.
Anyone checking the PLAY Airlines carry on size limit today is likely planning a European trip. It probably has nothing to do with the US anymore.
PLAY Airlines carry on size, in two boxes
PLAY splits its cabin allowance into two separate items, not one bag. A personal item up to 42 by 32 by 25 centimeters, or 17 by 13 by 10 inches, rides free under the seat.
That personal item can weigh up to 10 kilograms, or 22 pounds. It is included on every fare, even the cheapest one.
The bigger piece is a wheeled carry-on up to 56 by 45 by 25 centimeters, or 22 by 18 by 10 inches. It can weigh up to 12 kilograms, or 26 pounds.
On the Basic fare that carry-on is a separate purchase. Buying it also gets you priority boarding, according to PLAY’s own carry-on page.
What each PLAY fare actually includes
PLAY sells four fare types. Only two of them include a carry-on bag by default. That trips up travelers who assume a wheeled bag comes with every ticket.
| Fare | Personal item | Carry-on bag | Checked bag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Included | Extra fee | Extra fee |
| Value | Included | Included | 1 bag up to 20 kg (44 lb) |
| Ski | Included | Extra fee | 1 bag up to 20 kg (44 lb), plus ski or snowboard gear |
| Flex | Included | Included | 1 bag up to 23 kg (50 lb) |
Basic passengers pay for the carry-on bag. They also pay for any checked bag.
Only Value and Flex bundle a wheeled cabin bag into the ticket price.
Checked baggage weight tiers, not one flat limit
PLAY prices checked bags by weight tier instead of a single allowance. The published options run 20 kilograms, 23 kilograms, and 32 kilograms per bag.
In pounds that is 44, 50, and 70 pounds, according to PLAY’s own check-in baggage page. That page does not list a maximum outer dimension for checked bags.
It also does not list a fixed fee table. Both appear to depend on route and booking time. Check the price at checkout rather than trust a number here.
For how other carriers structure similar tiers, see our baggage fees breakdown.
What happens at the gate
European low cost carriers typically size cabin bags with a physical frame. That happens at the gate or the bag drop, not with a tape measure.
Travelers comparing notes online describe PLAY the same way. A soft duffel that reads a centimeter over on paper can still pass if it squeezes into the frame.
A rigid case at that same stated size may not pass. The frame decides, not the label.
Pack a soft bag a little loose rather than packed rock solid. That way it can compress into PLAY’s frame instead of getting stopped at the counter.
PLAY versus Icelandair, the other Icelandic carrier
Icelandair still flies nonstop between the US and Keflavik. It is the natural comparison for anyone who used to fly PLAY across the Atlantic.
Check Icelandair’s own carry-on rules before assuming the two Icelandic carriers match. Sharing a home airport does not mean sharing a bag policy.
Norwegian Air, another long haul low cost carrier out of Northern Europe, has trimmed its own transatlantic routes before. PLAY is not the only one to pull back.
See Norwegian’s baggage rules if a trip has you weighing the two against each other.
Why the PLAY Airlines carry on size limit still matters for US travelers
PLAY no longer sells a ticket that touches the United States. Plenty of US travelers still book it for the European leg of a bigger trip. Think Keflavik onward to a beach town in the Canary Islands.
If that describes your itinerary, measure your bag against European carry-on size limits in general. PLAY’s own numbers sit close to that regional norm, not the roomier limits some US airlines allow.
Run your actual suitcase through the size checker tool before you fly. That matters most if your bag is rigid and will not compress at the gate.
The bottom line
The PLAY Airlines carry on size limit is really two numbers, not one. A free personal item at 17 by 13 by 10 inches. A carry-on at 22 by 18 by 10 inches that costs extra on the cheapest fare.
Checked bags run in three weight tiers up to 32 kilograms. PLAY keeps the exact dimensions and fees behind its booking flow, not on a public page.
None of it touches a US departure anymore, since PLAY exited its last American routes in 2025. Start with general carry-on rules if your own trip does begin or end in the US.
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