Jetstar will remove its 7kg carry-on weight limit from 2 February 2027, replacing it with a size-based model in which every fare includes one underseat bag and overhead locker access becomes a paid Priority Carry-on product starting at A$25 one-way. Gate weighing will end; a 10kg guideline remains for passengers to lift their own bags.
TWO PROBLEMS SOLVED BY THE SAME CHANGE
Jetstar is changing its carry-on baggage model, removing the 7kg weight limit from February 2027 and shifting to a size-based approach similar to other low-fares carriers. From that date every Jetstar Airways booking will include one underseat bag (a backpack, handbag or laptop bag) at no extra cost. Customers needing more, or whose bag does not meet the underseat size requirement, can purchase Priority Carry-on, which permits a second larger bag in the overhead locker and boarding among the first group.
The airline states the change follows extensive research and feedback from customers and crew, who consistently identified having bags weighed at the gate and struggling to find room in overhead lockers as among the more stressful parts of the airport experience. Those two complaints are connected, and the new model addresses them together. Weighing at the gate is a consequence of an allowance defined by weight; locker congestion is a consequence of every passenger being entitled to overhead space regardless of whether they need it. Defining the free allowance by size and confining it to under the seat removes the need to weigh anything, and converts overhead capacity from an entitlement into a product with a price attached — which is also how it becomes possible to predict how much of it will be used on any given flight.
Jetstar Chief Executive Stephanie Tully said weighing carry-on bags at the gate could be frustrating for customers and crew, and that removing the 7kg limit meant the main consideration would be size. She said that by giving customers an underseat bag with the option to add Priority Carry-on, the airline could make better use of overhead locker space, streamline boarding and help more flights depart on time, and that the model provided more choice while helping keep fares low — travelling with less means paying less, with the option to add more.
THE SPECIFICS
- Underseat bag, included in every fare: up to 40 × 30 × 20cm.
- Overhead bag, available with Priority Carry-on: up to 56 × 36 × 23cm, plus priority boarding.
- Cabin baggage scales will no longer be routinely used, but Jetstar asks customers to keep carry-on to 10kg so they can safely lift it themselves.
- Customers travelling with an infant may take an extra underseat bag for baby items at no cost.
- Checked baggage is unchanged and remains purchasable up to 40kg per passenger.
Priority Carry-on is limited in availability and starts at A$25 one-way on selected flights, with prices varying by route: Launceston to Sydney from A$25, Adelaide to Brisbane from A$26, Sydney to Melbourne from A$33, Perth to Bali from A$39 and Cairns to Tokyo Narita from A$52. The change applies to all Jetstar Airways flights departing from 2 February 2027, excluding group bookings of ten or more passengers, and does not apply to Jetstar Japan operated flights. Customers holding existing bookings for travel after that date will be upgraded to include Priority Carry-on at no cost.
Note: Prices quoted are those published at launch for Priority Carry-on purchased at the time of booking on selected one-way flights between 2 February and 18 March 2027, reflect availability at the time of publication, may vary, and are based on specified payment methods. Other conditions apply — see jetstar.com/fees.
Source and Images: Jetstar Airways
