The wasted-allowance gap: how much free cabin space you leave behind with only a personal item
Short answer: a personal item alone uses a fraction of your free cabin allowance. Pair it with the carry-on every airline includes and the free total runs from about 69 L (European legacy) to 79 L (US carriers). Travelling with only a 6 L personal item leaves 60–73 L of free space on the table — space you have already paid for in your fare.
Two free bags, not one
Almost every fare includes two free cabin items: a carry-on and a personal item. The personal item gets the attention because it is the one that gets measured at the gate, but the carry-on is the larger of the two and it is also free.
| Region / example | Personal item (max box) | Carry-on (typical) | Free total |
|---|---|---|---|
| European legacy (Lufthansa, SWISS, Air France, KLM, BA, Iberia, Condor) | 18.0 L | ~50.6 L (55 × 40 × 23 cm) | ~68.6 L |
| European low-cost (Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz, Transavia, Vueling, Eurowings) | 24.0–30.0 L | paid / ~44 L (priority) | 24–30 L free, more if paid |
| US legacy (American, United, Southwest) | 25.2–34.8 L | ~45.6 L (22 × 14 × 9 in) | ~71–80 L |
| US low-cost (Spirit) | 33.0 L | paid | 33 L free |
The gap is the point
A 25 × 17 × 14 cm bag is 5.95 L. On a European legacy fare, showing up with only that bag means you are using 6 L of a 68 L free allowance — you have left roughly 63 L of space you already paid for. That is not a violation; it is just unused. The personal item is the bag you keep with you; the carry-on is the bag you stow. Both are free, and the depth limit applies to the one you keep.
Where the low-cost model differs
Low-cost carriers shrink or charge for the carry-on. Ryanair's free allowance is only the 40 × 30 × 20 cm under-seat item; the bigger cabin bag is an add-on. So on those fares the "wasted allowance" is smaller because there was less free to begin with — which is exactly why a free personal item that fits every sizer is worth more on a budget ticket.
Should you buy the Jelkin 25 for this?
Travelling with only a 6 L personal item leaves 60–73 L of allowance you already paid for. So this bag is not a substitute for a carry-on — it is the other half of a pair. Buy it if you already have a stowed bag and want the under-seat half to be guaranteed free; read the volume page first if you want one bag to do everything.
Jelkin 25 Cloud — the 25 × 17 × 14 cm bag this page keeps referring to
- 25 × 17 × 14 cm · 600 g empty (640 g with the detachable strap) · ~4.2 L usable
- Cloud faux shearling, 12 mm pile, with smooth calfskin trim and a stiffened Sellier frame
- Fits phone, wallet, keys, AirPods, lip gloss, sunglasses and an iPad mini — all at once
- Does not fit a 13-inch laptop or a change of shoes. We publish that on purpose.
$99 with free shipping and duties included · ships to 60+ countries · 30-day returns · 11 colours · The Duo — $169 · The Trio — $249
See the Jelkin 25 CloudHow to check this yourself before you fly
- Check what your fare actually includes. Legacy fares bundle a carry-on and a personal item; low-cost fares usually keep only the personal item free.
- Let the carry-on do the volume work and the personal item do the access work — things you need mid-flight.
- Measure the personal item's depth against 15 cm, because that is the number the gate checks on the item you keep with you.
- Do not treat a 4.2 L bag as your only luggage for more than a day trip. That is how people end up buying a second bag at the airport.
Keep reading:
- airline personal item size checker — all 19 carriers side by side
- one-centimetre depth cliff — why 15 cm decides six airlines
- the 25 cm bag that fits every sizer — length-vs-depth end to end
- why external dimensions lie about capacity — how we measure bags
- Jelkin 25 — the 25 × 17 × 14 cm bag measured on this page
繼續閱讀
The personal-item volume ceiling: how many litres each airline actually allows (2026)
One centimetre of depth costs you six airlines: a 19-carrier personal item analysis (2026)
Faux shearling care: the 3 mistakes that permanently flatten the nap
External dimensions lie: how we measure real bag capacity (25×17×14 ≠ 5.95L usable)
The 25cm bag that fits every airline sizer — measured 25×17×14cm
Condor personal item size 2026: the new 40 x 30 x 15 cm rule from 1 May