Qantas baggage allowance changes sharply between domestic jets and international Economy. Domestic Economy normally includes 14 kg of cabin baggage across the permitted bags, with no item over 10 kg. International Economy normally allows just 7 kg, including your small personal item.
The standard overhead bag measures up to 56 x 36 x 23 cm, including wheels and handles.
A domestic connection doesn’t automatically give your international flight the larger cabin allowance. Checked baggage follows a separate set of rules. Start with your operating airline, cabin and route, then check the allowance printed in your booking.
Qantas baggage allowance: choose your cabin row first
| Qantas operated flight | Permitted cabin pieces | Total cabin weight |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic Economy or Business, except Dash 8 | One overhead bag, one underseat bag and one small personal item | 14 kg total; maximum 10 kg per item |
| International Economy, except departures from India | One overhead bag and one small personal item | 7 kg total |
| International Premium Economy, Business or First, except India departure rules | One overhead bag, one underseat bag and one small personal item | 14 kg total; maximum 10 kg per item |
| Domestic QantasLink Dash 8 Q400 | One overhead bag and one small personal item | 7 kg total |
| Departing India in Economy | One overhead bag only; no additional personal item | 7 kg |
| Departing India in Business | One overhead bag only; no additional personal item | 10 kg |
Those totals cover the permitted combination. They aren’t an allowance for each bag. A 7 kg suitcase plus a 3 kg backpack doesn’t meet the international Economy limit.
Cabin baggage is included on Qantas flights. The important choice isn’t whether to buy an overhead bag add-on. It’s which of the published cabin allowance rows applies to every flight you will board.
Overhead bags, underseat bags and personal items are different
| Bag category | Maximum dimensions | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Overhead bag | 56 cm high x 36 cm wide x 23 cm deep; about 22 x 14 x 9 inches | Usually your compact roller or main travel bag |
| Underseat bag | 34 cm high x 48 cm wide x 23 cm deep; published inch figures 13 x 18 x 9 | A backpack, small duffel or large handbag, only when your allowance includes this category |
| Small personal item | No separate numeric maximum published | A small handbag, cross body bag or laptop in a slim sleeve; it must fit under the seat |
| Soft garment bag | 114 x 60 x 11 cm | Counts toward your allowance; it must stow under the seat or overhead |
Use the centimeter figures when buying luggage. Published inch equivalents are rounded. Measure your packed bag at its widest points, including wheels, handles and bulging outer pockets.
The distinction between an underseat bag and a personal item matters most in international Economy. That cabin doesn’t include the separate large underseat bag category. A full backpack doesn’t become an extra permitted bag simply because it fits under a seat.
For a laptop to count as the small personal item, carry it in a slim bag. A large laptop backpack counts toward the normal cabin allowance. Our underseat bag buying guide helps compare actual dimensions without confusing physical fit with entitlement.
Put your smaller bag under the seat when required. Exit row and bulkhead seating can require overhead stowage instead. A seat without storage in front doesn’t create an extra bag allowance.
Plan the whole journey around its tightest cabin limit
Consider a hypothetical Brisbane to Sydney to Singapore trip in Economy. Your roller weighs 9 kg and your small bag weighs 3 kg. The 12 kg total can meet the domestic jet weight rules if the bags also meet their size categories.
It exceeds the international cabin total by 5 kg. Moving 2 kg from the roller to the smaller bag changes nothing. You must reduce the combined weight or place suitable contents in checked baggage.
A second example catches a different mistake. A 6 kg roller plus a 1 kg slim laptop bag can meet ordinary international Economy rules. For a flight departing India, the separate laptop bag isn’t permitted as an additional personal item.
Consolidate into the single permitted overhead bag before boarding from India. Keep the total within that flight’s limit. Don’t assume an outbound Australian departure and your return departure have identical bag combinations.
If another airline operates a segment, compare its own cabin policy. The Emirates cabin and checked rules and Air New Zealand baggage guide can help with common connections. A QF flight number alone doesn’t establish who operates the aircraft.
Jetstar Airways flights booked directly through Qantas have separate cabin rules. For flights before February 2, 2027, Economy permits 7 kg across a main bag and small item. Business permits 14 kg across two items, with no item above 10 kg.
Qantas publishes a different Jetstar arrangement for flights from February 2, 2027. That future rule doesn’t apply to an October 2026 departure. Check the dated Jetstar row if you are booking travel beyond that change.
Dash 8 flights need a different packing plan
QantasLink Dash 8 Q400 flights have a 7 kg cabin maximum. Small wheelie bags don’t fit overhead. Staff collect them at boarding and return them on arrival.
Prepare for that handover before you reach the aircraft. Keep medication, documents, valuables and permitted batteries accessible in your small personal item. Ask where to collect the roller rather than assuming it will arrive at the usual baggage carousel.
Checked baggage on Dash 8 services normally means one piece up to 23 kg. Extra Frequent Flyer and Qantas Club allowances don’t apply. Operational weight limits can also affect whether additional baggage travels with you.
Lord Howe Island has its own split: two pieces totaling 23 kg, with limits of 14 kg and 9 kg respectively. The second piece may travel separately. Put immediate essentials in the bag you expect to receive first.
Checked baggage: pieces in some markets, kilograms in others
The standard Qantas baggage allowance below is for Qantas operated flights without extra status benefits. It doesn’t replace an itinerary’s ticketed allowance. Partner flights and special regional routes need their own check.
| Cabin | Australian domestic | North or South America | Other international routes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | One piece up to 23 kg | One piece up to 32 kg | 30 kg total |
| Premium Economy | Consult ticket for any domestic connection | Two pieces up to 32 kg each | 40 kg total |
| Business | Two pieces up to 32 kg each | Two pieces up to 32 kg each | 40 kg total |
| First | Consult ticket for any domestic connection | Three pieces up to 32 kg each | 50 kg total |
No single checked piece can exceed 32 kg. A weight allowance permits multiple pieces within the total. A piece allowance controls both the number of bags and each bag’s weight.
For example, two 15 kg cases total 30 kg. That can satisfy the weight allowance on an ordinary international Economy route outside the Americas. On a route allowing one piece, those same cases exceed the included piece count.
Checked size is calculated by adding height, width and depth. The standard domestic maximum is 140 cm per piece. The international maximum is 158 cm per piece.
A hypothetical 75 x 50 x 30 cm case totals 155 cm. It fits the international sum but exceeds the domestic standard. A luggage label saying “large checked” tells you neither result.
For Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands, check the specific booking date conditions. Rules changed for bookings made or changed from October 1, 2026. Additional baggage is purchased at the airport, and lower priority bags may travel later.
Keep these exceptions beside the official checked baggage table when reviewing your ticket. Don’t treat an island service like an ordinary mainland domestic flight.
Status benefits increase checked baggage, not cabin weight
Silver members and Qantas Club members normally get one checked piece up to 32 kg in domestic Economy. Gold, Platinum and Platinum One normally get two pieces up to 32 kg each. These benefits exclude Dash 8 services.
Outside the Americas, international Economy totals normally rise to 42 kg for Silver or Qantas Club. Gold gets 46 kg; Platinum and Platinum One get 50 kg. The 32 kg maximum per piece still applies.
For international Economy to North or South America, the published Silver and higher Qantas tiers show three pieces up to 32 kg each. Other cabins and oneworld tiers have separate tables. Put your membership number into the booking before relying on a benefit.
Membership benefits aren’t cumulative. Being both Silver and a Qantas Club member doesn’t double them. The cabin limit still follows the route and cabin table.
These benefits apply to qualifying Qantas and QantasLink flights with QF numbers, excluding Dash 8 aircraft. Eligible Emirates flights have their own listed geographic conditions. Don’t transfer the benefit automatically to Jetstar or another codeshare operator.
What extra baggage costs
Prepaid prices depend on route, cabin and membership tier. Eligible extra baggage can be purchased during booking or through Manage booking until three hours before departure. A prepaid extra piece doesn’t automatically increase that piece’s permitted weight.
The airport charges below were published on October 17, 2026, for applicable Qantas operated flights. They are excess charges, not the price of your included bag or a universal prepaid quote.
| Applicable airport excess | Published charge |
|---|---|
| Australian domestic, extra piece beyond allowance | AUD 161 per extra piece |
| Australian domestic, piece over its applicable 23 kg allowance | AUD 64 heavy charge per piece; never over 32 kg |
| To North or South America, extra piece beyond allowance | AUD 315 per piece, up to 32 kg |
| From North or South America, extra piece beyond allowance | USD 210 per piece, up to 32 kg |
| Australia to or from Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa or Tonga | AUD 21 per excess kilogram |
| Australia to or from Asia | AUD 37 per excess kilogram |
| Asia to or from the United Kingdom or Europe | AUD 63 per excess kilogram |
| Australia to or from Europe, South Africa or the United Kingdom | AUD 84 per excess kilogram |
A hypothetical domestic Economy traveler without status brings one 26 kg case. The issue is a heavy piece, not an extra piece. Buying another bag doesn’t fix the first case unless you repack within each allowance.
Check extra baggage eligibility and the airport fee schedule before paying. Online purchase has exclusions for other operators and certain connections involving another airline within 24 hours. Excess bags can travel on a later flight if aircraft capacity is insufficient.
Connections: cabin limits and checked allowances follow different logic
Qantas baggage allowance needs two separate connection checks. For cabin baggage, plan around the lowest allowance on your itinerary. Checked baggage can instead follow the international allowance across qualifying domestic connections.
The Qantas international checked allowance applies when domestic and international flights are on the same ticket. It can also apply on separate tickets with a connection that same calendar day. Present both tickets at check-in, and confirm any exceptions.
Mixed airline journeys need more care. If your bags aren’t checked through, a different allowance may apply each time you check in. Your baggage tag shows the destination through which the bag is checked.
For a final ticketed destination in the United States or Canada, the airline marketing the first ticketed flight determines the applicable baggage rules. Read the ticketed allowance rather than importing Qantas numbers onto every partner segment.
Children, strollers and medical equipment
Children aged two and over have the adult cabin allowance. Infants under two don’t have a separate standard cabin allowance. An extra small bag of food and diapers needed during the flight is permitted.
A stroller taken into the cabin counts as one of the adult’s permitted pieces. It must collapse to 56 x 36 x 23 cm or less and weigh no more than 7 kg. Cabin strollers aren’t permitted on Dash 8 or Embraer E190 aircraft.
Checking a stroller follows different rules. An infant traveling with an adult can have three eligible infant items checked free, each up to 32 kg. Children aged two through eleven can have two eligible child items checked free.
Eligible items include a stroller, portable cot or car seat. Infants have no standard domestic checked bag, but international infant allowances include 10 kg. For North or South America, that is one piece with a maximum dimensional sum of 115 cm.
Required medical equipment, supplies and assistive technology can travel in addition to standard cabin baggage. The published cabin limit is 10 kg per piece within cabin size restrictions. Australia to US mobility equipment has additional protections when it can be safely stowed.
Required medical equipment and two mobility items can also be checked without an additional charge. Arrange powered mobility aids and equipment needing approval before departure. Don’t assume a general suitcase allowance describes equipment handling.
Power banks and the bag you may hand over
Qantas permits up to two power banks per passenger, each no larger than 160 Wh. Units over 100 Wh through 160 Wh require airline approval and declaration at check-in. Protect exposed terminals.
Keep power banks and spare batteries in the cabin, within reach. Use the seat pocket or the space under the seat ahead. Power banks cannot be used or charged during the flight, including through the seat’s USB port.
Remove them before a roller goes into the hold, including a bag collected at boarding. The Qantas battery rules distinguish power banks from other spare batteries. Our power bank packing guide explains capacity labels and terminal protection.
Security screening is a separate check. Plan toiletries using the rules at your departure and transfer airports. See our liquids guide before packing the bag you will keep with you.
Before you close the suitcase
- Read the operating airline and cabin for every segment, including the return journey.
- Choose the tightest cabin weight and permitted bag combination.
- Measure all packed outer dimensions, then weigh every cabin item together.
- Check whether your hold allowance is expressed in pieces or total kilograms.
- Confirm membership benefits in the booking instead of adding them yourself.
- Keep batteries, medication and documents accessible before any boarding handover.
When choosing a new bag, start with the empty weight. A heavy roller uses much of a 7 kg budget before packing begins. Compare full dimensions and empty weight in our carry-on luggage selection guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is Qantas carry-on baggage 7 kg or 14 kg?
Domestic jets normally allow 14 kg total, with no item over 10 kg. International Economy and Dash 8 Q400 flights normally allow 7 kg total. International premium cabins normally allow 14 kg, but departures from India have separate limits.
Can I take a backpack and a suitcase on Qantas?
Domestic jets and international premium cabins include an overhead bag, an underseat bag and a small personal item. International Economy normally includes only the overhead bag and a small personal item. A large backpack isn’t automatically that small personal item.
Does Qantas include a checked bag?
Qantas operated flights include checked baggage. Standard Economy usually includes one 23 kg piece domestically, one 32 kg piece for the Americas, or 30 kg elsewhere internationally. Special routes, partner flights and ticketed allowances can differ.
Can I split a 30 kg Qantas allowance into two bags?
Yes, if your ticket gives a total weight allowance, such as standard Economy outside the Americas. Both bags together must stay within 30 kg and meet the size limits. A one piece allowance doesn’t permit the same split without an extra piece charge.
Does Qantas status increase my cabin baggage allowance?
The published cabin allowance follows route and cabin, rather than Frequent Flyer tier. Eligible status benefits increase checked baggage. Dash 8 services exclude the usual extra Qantas Frequent Flyer and Qantas Club checked allowances.
Will an oversized Qantas cabin bag be checked?
A bag exceeding the cabin limits must be checked, subject to hold baggage rules and applicable excess charges. Dash 8 Q400 wheelie bags are collected at boarding because they don’t fit overhead. Remove power banks, spare batteries and essential items first.