Passengers – and gate staff – will undoubtedly be relieved to hear that Jetstar will stop weighing bags (and possibly charging extra for them) at the gate. The airline is overhauling its carry-on baggage policy, scrapping the familiar 7kg weight limit in favour of a size-based system.
But putting cabin baggage in the overhead lockers will come at an added cost for some. Starting 2 February 2027, the ability to bring a larger cabin bag will become another paid option. The new model closely resembles those used by European low-cost carriers, such as Ryanair.
Every passenger can still bring a small underseat bag as part of their fare. But those wanting to bring a cabin-sized suitcase into the overhead locker will need to purchase Priority Carry-on, which will also include priority boarding. The changes will make it easier to find space for your bag – at a cost.
Qantas Classic Rewards booked on Jetstar won’t be affected, nor will existing bookings for travel after 2 February. In both cases, Priority Carry-on will be added complimentary.
Jetstar also says this feature will be included in some Economy bundles, though it hasn’t revealed which ones yet. Currently, the ‘Flex’ bundle receives a boosted carry-on allowance.
How will Jetstar’s new carry-on rules work?
Under the new policy, Jetstar will no longer ‘routinely’ weigh cabin baggage at check-in or the boarding gate. Instead, every passenger can bring one underseat bag measuring up to 40 × 30 × 20cm, such as a backpack, handbag or laptop bag.
Passengers wanting to bring a larger cabin bag (up to 56 × 36 × 23cm) will need to purchase Priority Carry-on. Most cabin suitcases fall into that range. For example, the popular Antler Stamford 2.0 carry-on measures 55.1 × 35.2 × 23cm.
Jetstar asks customers to keep overhead bags to 10kg or less for safety. Point Hacks understands that there will be some leniency if you go over that a bit, as long as you still meet the size rules and can safely lift the bag.
Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully says customers and crew consistently identified gate bag weighing and competition for overhead locker space as two of the more stressful parts of the airport experience.
“We know that weighing carry-on bags at the gate can be frustrating for our customers and for our crew/ To make packing easier, we’ve decided to remove the 7kg weight limit, so from February, the main thing customers will need to think about is the size of their carry-on.”
Also read: Jetstar Airbus A321neo review →
How much does Jetstar Priority Carry-on cost?
Priority Carry-on starts from $25 one-way on selected flights, although pricing varies by route. Club Jetstar members save 20% on baggage fees as a membership benefit. Here are some examples on launch:
- Launceston-Sydney: from $25
- Adelaide-Brisbane: from $26
- Sydney-Melbourne: from $33
- Perth-Bali: from $39
- Cairns-Tokyo (Narita): from $52
Qantas Classic Flight Rewards booked on Jetstar will include Priority Carry-on in the fare, along with the current complimentary checked baggage allowance.
Qantas American Express Ultimate
Offer ends: 17 Nov 2026
- Bonus points
- Up to 120,000 bonus Qantas Points¹
- Annual fee
- $450 p.a.
- Earn
- 1.25 Qantas Points earned per $1 on eligible everyday purchases. 2.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on selected Qantas products and services in Australia. 0.5 Qantas Point per $1 at government bodies in Australia. After a total of 100,000 Qantas Points is earned in a calendar year, the everyday earn rate will change from 1.25 to 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent.
Qantas American Express Ultimate
Offer ends: 17 Nov 2026
- Bonus Points
- Up to 120,000 bonus Qantas Points¹
- Annual Fee
- $450 p.a.
- Earn
- 1.25 Qantas Points earned per $1 on eligible everyday purchases. 2.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on selected Qantas products and services in Australia. 0.5 Qantas Point per $1 at government bodies in Australia. After a total of 100,000 Qantas Points is earned in a calendar year, the everyday earn rate will change from 1.25 to 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent.
Earn 70,000 bonus Qantas Points¹ with the Qantas American Express Ultimate Card when you apply online by 17 November 2026, are approved, and spend $5,000 in the first 3 months. Plus, an additional 50,000 bonus Qantas Points when you spend a further $5,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of your second year Card Membership. New Amex Card Members only. T&Cs apply.
Summing up
If you normally travel with nothing more than a backpack or handbag, the new policy may actually simplify your journey. There’s no longer any need to worry about whether that bag weighs slightly more than 7kg.
However, travellers who typically rely on a cabin-sized roller bag may find themselves paying more. While the old 7kg limit disappears, overhead locker access is effectively becoming another optional extra. At least priority boarding is being added, so you should find it easier to stash your bag.
Like Ryanair, every passenger receives a free personal item that fits beneath the seat. Those wanting overhead locker space pay an additional fee, which also includes priority boarding. When I flew Ryanair earlier in 2026, I was impressed by how few people travelled with big cabin bags.
Jetstar says bundling larger cabin bags with priority boarding will help manage limited overhead locker space and improve on-time performance. Whether passengers see that as a simplification or simply another ancillary fee will likely depend on how they usually travel. Tellingly, Jetstar doesn’t make any mention that fares will go down because of this change.
