SKY express caps the carry-on bag on its cheapest fares at 8 kilograms. That is about 17.6 pounds, lighter than some airlines allow for a personal item alone. The SKY express baggage policy ties nearly every allowance to which of seven fares you booked.
The gap between the cheapest and the priciest fare is bigger than most travelers expect. SKY express is the Greek carrier based on Crete. It flies under code GQ to more than 30 Greek islands, plus a handful of cities in Europe.
It shares a similar name with Sky Airline, the Chilean low cost carrier, but the two companies are unrelated. Most US travelers meet SKY express as a connecting flight after landing in Athens on a bigger international carrier.
Carry-on and personal item rules
The cabin bag limit is 55 by 40 by 23 centimeters. In US terms that is about 21.7 by 15.7 by 9.1 inches, wheels and handles included. Weight is 8 kg on economy fares and 13 kg on the BLISS and BLISS+ business fares.
SKY express publishes the full allowance by fare on its own site. A 13 kg business bag is about 28.7 pounds. There is no separate laptop allowance beyond the personal item below.
One personal item is also included on every fare. It measures up to 40 by 30 by 15 centimeters and stores under the seat ahead of you. It travels in addition to the cabin bag, not instead of it.
Checked baggage depends on which fare you booked
This is where the SKY express baggage policy gets more generous, if you pick the right fare. SKY offer and SKY joy include no checked bag at all. SKY Basic and SKY joy+ include one bag up to 15 kg.
SKY enjoy includes one bag up to 23 kg. BLISS and BLISS+ each include two bags up to 32 kg. Every checked bag is capped at 156 centimeters, about 61.4 inches, once you add length, width, and height together.
A single passenger can check up to 5 bags. Each one still tops out at 32 kg. Past that, an extra seat has to be booked for the piece.
| Fare | Carry-on weight | Checked bag included |
|---|---|---|
| SKY offer | 8 kg | None |
| SKY joy | 8 kg | None |
| SKY Basic | 8 kg | 1 x 15 kg |
| SKY joy+ | 8 kg | 1 x 15 kg |
| SKY enjoy | 8 kg | 1 x 23 kg |
| BLISS | 13 kg | 2 x 32 kg |
| BLISS+ | 13 kg | 2 x 32 kg |
Extra bags, overweight, and oversize charges
Under the SKY express baggage policy, buying a bag online beats paying at the airport counter every time. A domestic Greek bag bought online runs from about EUR 16 for 15 kg to about EUR 30 for 32 kg. At the airport a comparable bag runs EUR 35 to EUR 50.
The airport option is often not sold below 23 kg at all. International routes cost more, from roughly EUR 15 online up to EUR 75, depending on distance and weight.
Weight over your fare’s checked allowance costs about EUR 5 to EUR 10 per kilogram. Online is always cheaper than the counter. A bag over the 156 centimeter total triggers an oversize charge of roughly EUR 45 to EUR 80.
Why island turboprops change the math
Travelers in community forums describe a pattern the fare chart alone does not show. On many island routes, SKY express flies smaller turboprop aircraft with tight overhead space. Gate staff there routinely check cabin bags that would otherwise fly with you.
One traveler reported gate agents weighing bags more than once before boarding. Enforcement of the 8 kg cabin limit reads as real, not just posted. Multiple accounts describe a couple charged for an overweight bag at check-in.
Others avoided the fee by shifting a few heavy items into a jacket or a pocket first. That trick works at a check-in counter. It never would at a security checkpoint.
SKY express versus other ways to island hop in Greece
Aegean Airlines, the larger Greek national carrier, covers many of the same island routes. Its own baggage rules are worth checking before you compare prices. Budget carriers such as easyjet and Wizz Air also serve Greek islands in summer.
Both run tight cabin weight checks of their own. See the pages for easyjet and Wizz Air if either is on your itinerary. Either way, weigh your bag before you leave the hotel.
Our carry-on size checker catches an oversized bag before the gate does. The baggage fee calculator compares buying a bag online against paying at the counter.
The bottom line
The SKY express baggage policy rewards planning ahead, not adding a bag after booking. Pick a fare that already includes the checked bag you need. Keep your cabin bag under 8 kg on economy fares, and expect that limit to be checked, not just posted.
The general rules on checked baggage and baggage fees cover the basics that apply across most airlines. This page assumes you already know those and just want the numbers for SKY express.
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