TAP puts a 2 kilogram limit on your personal item. That is the lowest published figure of any carrier we track. It is also the detail that catches people out in TAP Air Portugal baggage rules.
Two kilograms is a laptop and a charger. It is not a loaded backpack.
The cabin allowance in full
The cabin bag is 55 by 40 by 25 centimeters, roughly 22 by 16 by 10 inches, at 10 kilograms. That is a generous frame with a normal weight limit.
The personal item is 40 by 30 by 15 centimeters at 2 kilograms and must fit under the seat in front.
TAP lists the two limits separately rather than as one combined weight. The 10 kilograms belongs to the cabin bag alone.
Why the 2 kilogram rule matters
Most airlines publish no weight limit for the personal item at all. Those that do usually allow 4 kilograms or more.
At 2 kilograms, TAP leaves you almost no room to shift weight out of the cabin bag. The usual trick of moving books and shoes into the smaller bag does not work here.
Pack the cabin bag to 10 kilograms and keep the personal item genuinely light. That is the shape TAP Air Portugal baggage rules expect.
The Discount fare and what is unclear
TAP sells fares from Discount up through Executive. Free hold baggage runs from none on Discount to two 32 kilogram pieces on Executive.
Whether the Discount fare also excludes the cabin bag is not stated on the hand baggage page. We are not going to guess at it.
Check the fare conditions in your booking. The cabin entitlement is stated there against the ticket you are buying.
Checked baggage
Economy checked pieces are 23 kilograms, about 50 pounds, at 158 centimeters total. Business raises that to 32 kilograms, about 70 pounds.
The size cap of 158 centimeters holds in both cabins. Only the weight moves.
Basic, Classic and Plus sit between Discount and Executive, each adding allowance as the fare rises.
How TAP Air Portugal baggage rules compare
The 55 by 40 by 25 cabin bag matches Iberia almost exactly, and both allow 10 kilograms. The difference is entirely in the personal item.
Iberia publishes no weight limit for its personal item. Turkish allows 4 kilograms, double what TAP does.
Our European carry-on size guide sets the cabin limits out together.
Packing for a Lisbon connection
Lisbon is the hub for most TAP itineraries from the United States. Cabin bags are weighed there more consistently than at US departure airports.
Weigh both bags separately at home rather than as a pair. The two limits are enforced independently.
If you are close on the personal item, wear the heavy layer rather than packing it. Outerwear carried on you is not counted.
The bottom line
TAP Air Portugal baggage rules give you a big cabin bag and a very small second one. Plan around the 2 kilogram personal item, because it is the limit you are most likely to break.
Confirm the dimensions in the size checker, and see how we verify what goes on this page.
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