- Jetstar will charge for overhead locker use from 2nd February 2027
- Free underseat bag capped at 40 x 30 x 20cm replaces 7kg weight limit
- Priority Carry-on costs from AU$25 one-way and includes priority boarding
- European Parliament voted for free cabin bags in base fares from 2027
- Existing bookings for post-February 2027 flights will receive free Priority Carry-on upgrade
Jetstar passengers will soon pay to use the overhead locker, even as the airline scraps its long-standing 7kg weight limit. From 2nd February 2027, every Jetstar Airways fare will include just one free underseat bag – a backpack, handbag or laptop bag, capped at 40 x 30 x 20cm. Anyone wanting to bring a larger bag for the overhead locker will need to pay for it separately, under a new add-on called Priority Carry-on. Jetstar frames the change as a simplification – dropping a strict weight limit in favour of a size-based system used by low-cost carriers elsewhere.
The new rules apply to all Jetstar Airways (JQ) flights departing from 2nd February 2027, with the exception of group bookings of 10 or more passengers. Jetstar Japan (GK) operated flights are not affected. Under the current system, economy passengers can bring cabin baggage up to a 7kg weight limit, checked at the gate. From February, that weight limit disappears entirely for the included underseat bag, with the focus shifting to size instead. Jetstar says gate weigh-ins and overhead bin congestion were the two most commonly cited stress points for both passengers and crew.
For anything that needs to go in the overhead locker, passengers will need to purchase Priority Carry-on. It allows one bag up to 56 x 36 x 23cm and up to 10kg, and includes priority boarding. Jetstar will no longer routinely weigh carry-on bags at the gate, but is asking passengers to keep bags within that 10kg limit so they can lift and stow them safely themselves. Travellers with an infant will still get a second underseat bag for baby items at no extra cost, and there is no change to checked baggage, which remains purchasable up to 40kg per passenger.
Jetstar says Priority Carry-on starts from AU$25 one-way on selected routes, though pricing is dynamic and varies by sector and demand. For return international itineraries, that can mean over AU$100 added to a fare simply to bring a standard-sized cabin bag. Passengers with existing bookings for flights departing after 2nd February 2027 will be upgraded to include Priority Carry-on at no extra cost, according to Jetstar.
Jetstar spokesperson shared: “Gate weigh-ins and overhead bin congestion were the two most commonly cited stress points for both passengers and crew.”
