Carry-On vs Checked Bag: Airline Baggage Rules, Fees and How to Pack

Published 23 Jul 2026 · Updated 21 Aug 2026 · FlyLemo

The baggage line on a fare tells you more about the real price of a flight than the headline number does. It reads something like "Carry-on: included, Checked: 0" or "1PC 23kg", and learning to read it before you pay is the single most useful baggage skill there is. This guide covers that first, then the rules, then how to pack for whichever option you pick.

How to read the baggage line before you pay

Every fare FlyLemo shows carries its baggage allowance, and so does every airline checkout page. Three phrasings to recognize:

• Personal item only. On US basic economy and on most European low-cost carriers, the fare includes one small bag that fits under the seat and nothing else. A roller bag in the overhead bin is an extra charge, and it is cheapest when added at booking.
• Carry-on included, checked 0. Standard on US main-cabin economy for domestic trips. You get the overhead bin; a checked bag costs extra each way.
• 1PC or 2PC. A piece-concept allowance, common on international tickets. 1PC means one checked bag up to a stated weight, usually 23 kg (50 lb). Transatlantic economy often gives 1PC; many US, UK and Canada to India fares give 2PC, which is one reason people carry so much on that route.

Add the bag fee to any fare that does not already include what you need, then compare. Our all-in pricing covers the mandatory parts; a checked bag is optional, so adding it is on you.

Piece versus weight: why allowances differ by region

Airlines based in the US and Canada, and most carriers flying to and from them, use the piece concept: a number of bags, each under a weight cap. Many airlines within India, the UK and Europe use the weight concept instead: a total number of kilos, split however you like. The same airline can apply different systems on different routes. If your trip pairs a transatlantic leg with a domestic Indian or European connection on a separate ticket, the smaller allowance is the one to pack for.

What goes in the cabin no matter what

• Spare lithium batteries and power banks. These must travel in the cabin, never in a checked bag. Airlines enforce it at the counter.
• Medication, passport, keys, chargers, one change of clothes. If your checked bag arrives a day after you do, these are what you will want.
• Liquids in containers of 100 ml (3.4 oz) or less, together in one clear quart-size bag. Some airports have newer scanners that relax this, but the old limit still applies at the next airport you pass through, so pack to it.

When carry-on only is the right call

Any trip under about a week, any trip with a tight connection, and any trip where you change hotels every couple of days. You skip the bag drop, you walk off the plane and straight out, and there is no bag to lose when a connection goes wrong. The discipline is in the packing, covered below.

When to check a bag

Two weeks or more, winter clothing, anything for children, gifts for family abroad, or a 2PC international allowance you have already paid for. Also check a bag if your carry-on would be over the cabin weight limit on an airline that enforces one; several Asian and European carriers weigh cabin bags at the gate.

Add the bag at booking or through the airline's manage-booking page before the day of travel. Airport counter prices for the same bag are usually the highest the airline charges.

A one-bag method for a week away

1. Lay out clothes for seven days, then put a third of them back. Plan to wash once.
2. Pick one color family so every top works with every bottom.
3. Wear the heaviest shoes and the jacket on the plane.
4. Roll soft items, fold structured ones, and use two or three packing cubes so the bag survives a security search still organized.
5. Weigh the packed bag on a bathroom scale before you leave. Cabin limits of 7 to 10 kg are common outside North America.

If your checked bag does not arrive

Go to the airline's baggage desk before you leave the arrivals hall and file a report. You will get a file reference, often called a PIR number, and you need it for everything that follows: delivery updates, reimbursement for essentials, and any later claim. Keep your bag tag receipt, because the number on it is how the bag is traced. Most delayed bags turn up within a day or two; the report is what gets the bag delivered to your door instead of sitting at the airport.