Volaris allowance at a glance
| Bag | Maximum size | Maximum weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carry-on | 21.7×15.7×9.8 in55x40x25 cm | 22 lb10 kg | Not included on the cheapest fare. The Zero fare carries a personal item only and a carry-on must be bought, or comes with the Plus bundle. Carry-on and personal item together must not exceed 20 kg. |
| Personal item | 17.7×13.8×7.9 in45x35x20 cm | No stated limit | Included on every fare including Zero, and must fit under the seat in front. |
| Checked bag | 62 in158 cm | 55 lb25 kg |
This page goes deeper on one part of the policy. The full record is at Volaris Baggage Rules.
Volaris caps its cabin bag at 10 kg, not just a box size. That number trips up more travelers than the box itself. Volaris carry-on size is really two questions.
Does the bag fit 55 x 40 x 25 cm, and does the packed weight stay under 22 pounds. The carrier states the limit on its own baggage policy page. The box is 55 by 40 by 25 cm, or about 21.7 by 15.7 by 9.8 inches.
The bag alone is capped at 10 kg. The carry-on plus personal item together cannot pass 20 kg.
That combined weight rule is unusual among budget carriers. Most only weigh a cabin bag for show. Volaris puts a scale at the counter and checks the number.
Whether the box gets measured at the gate
Volaris’s own materials do not spell out how often a sizer template shows up at a specific gate, and no reliable traveler account settles it. What is confirmed is the weight side.
Volaris states the combined 20 kg cap in writing. A scale at the podium is a normal part of boarding here. That is not true on carriers that only eyeball a bag’s shape.
Read more on how sizers work in general at gate check and sizers.
The fare tier most people get wrong
Volaris carry-on size only matters if the fare includes one. The Zero fare covers a personal item only, nothing more. Basica adds a 15 kg checked bag, but still no carry-on.
That surprises travelers who assume any paid fare includes a roller bag. Only Plus bundles the carry-on, along with a 25 kg checked bag. Book Zero or Basica and show up with a full size roller, and the counter adds the bag at the pricier airport rate.
This tier trap runs across most budget carriers, not just Volaris. Read more at the lowest fare tiers in general.
The personal item is the one bag everyone gets
Every fare, including Zero, includes one personal item. It can be up to 35 by 45 by 20 cm, about 17.7 by 13.8 by 7.9 inches. It has to fit under the seat.
Say a bag fails the carry-on box or the 10 kg scale, and the fare has no carry-on included. The traveler then pays the airport add on rate. That rate runs higher than adding the bag online in advance, per Volaris’s own policy page.
Compare the two boxes at personal item versus carry-on before you pack.
Checked bags and the hard weight ceiling
Checked bags top out at 158 linear cm, about 62 inches, on any fare that includes one. Basica includes one bag up to 15 kg. Plus includes one up to 25 kg, and extra bags can be added up to 25 kg each.
No single piece may exceed 45 kg, even after paying an overweight fee. Volaris prices bag fees on a route based schedule rather than one flat table. Check the live rate on the carrier’s own site before booking.
A number pulled from a blog may be stale.
Bags that fit the Volaris box
The 55 x 40 x 25 cm box is roomier on depth than the classic US 22 x 14 x 9 inch limit. Its 21.7 inch height is tighter than it looks, though, and the 10 kg cap rules out some popular carry-ons before you even pack them.
The Samsonite Freeform 21 inch hardside is sold as Samsonite’s lightest hardside, at 6.5 lbs empty. The manufacturer’s own specifications list the case at 23 by 15 by 10 inches, wheels and handle included. That is taller than Volaris carry-on size limits allow.
This bag needs to travel checked, not carried on.
The Travelpro Maxlite 5 21 inch softside has the same problem on paper. Its listed overall size is 23 by 14.5 by 9 inches at 5.4 lbs empty. The height again runs past the Volaris box, even though the bag is one of the lightest carry-ons sold pound for pound.
A smaller international class case tends to fare better than a US market 21 inch spinner on Volaris. The Delsey Paris Helium Aero 19 inch international carry-on is built for the tighter European and Asian cabin classes. Those boxes sit closer to Volaris’s own limit than the bigger US nominal sizes do.
| Product | Maker’s stated size or weight | Fit against the 21.7 x 15.7 x 9.8 in box |
|---|---|---|
| Samsonite Freeform 21 inch hardside | 23 x 15 x 10 in overall, 6.5 lbs empty | Too tall as sold, light enough once packed under 10 kg |
| Travelpro Maxlite 5 21 inch softside | 23 x 14.5 x 9 in overall, 5.4 lbs empty | Too tall as sold, among the lightest bags on the market |
| Delsey Paris Helium Aero 19 inch international | Built for tighter international cabin limits | The 19 inch class sits closer to this box than a 21 inch US bag |
The 10 kg carry-on cap and the 20 kg combined cap both get checked at the counter. A home scale is worth more here than on most US airlines. The Etekcity digital luggage scale lets a traveler weigh the packed bag before leaving for the airport, when swapping out a heavy item still costs nothing.
Measure any bag the same way the gate would, per how to measure carry-on luggage. Then run the numbers through the size checker tool before deciding a bag will pass.
How Volaris compares
Against other budget carriers on the same routes, the Volaris box beats Frontier’s on room and comes close in spirit to Allegiant’s. The 10 kg weight cap, though, is stricter than either US carrier applies to a cabin bag. A suitcase that clears a US domestic sizer should not be assumed to clear Volaris on weight alone.
The full Volaris baggage rules overview covers checked bag pricing and fare bundles in more depth.
The bottom line
Volaris carry-on size comes down to two numbers most travelers only check one of: 55 by 40 by 25 cm and 10 kg. Buy the Plus fare for a carry-on to be included at all. Weigh the packed bag at home, and lean toward a smaller international class case over a US market 21 inch spinner if the fit is close.
Common questions
How big can a Volaris carry-on be?
The bag must fit 55 by 40 by 25 cm and weigh no more than 10 kg, per Volaris’s own baggage policy page.
Does the cheapest Volaris fare include a carry-on?
No. The Zero fare includes only a personal item, and Basica adds a checked bag but still no carry-on. Only Plus includes a carry-on.
What is the Volaris personal item size limit?
Up to 35 by 45 by 20 cm, and it must fit under the seat in front of you, on every fare including Zero.
Does Volaris weigh carry-on bags?
Yes. Volaris caps the carry-on at 10 kg and caps the carry-on plus personal item together at 20 kg combined.
How much can a Volaris checked bag weigh?
Up to 15 kg on Basica or 25 kg on Plus, with a 158 linear cm size limit and a 45 kg hard ceiling even after paying an overweight fee.
Are Volaris bag fees the same on every route?
No. Volaris prices checked and carry-on add ons on a route based schedule rather than one flat table, so the cost varies by itinerary.
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