Best cabin luggage for business travel

Cabin bag rules on the main UK airlines

Most review sites say a case is 'cabin size' without saying for which airline. The free allowance varies a lot. These figures are from each airline's own baggage page, checked on 27 Oct 2026; check again before you fly, as rules change.

• British Airways: one cabin bag up to 56 x 45 x 25cm, including wheels and handles, plus one handbag or backpack up to 40 x 30 x 15cm that fits under the seat. You must be able to lift the cabin bag into the overhead locker yourself, and BA says it may need to go in the hold.
• Jet2: one hand luggage bag up to 56 x 45 x 25cm and 10kg, plus a small under-seat bag up to 40 x 30 x 20cm, both included. Jet2 may put cabin bags in the hold when space runs out; it sells Guaranteed Cabin Luggage for an extra charge if that matters.
• easyJet: the free allowance is one under-seat bag up to 45 x 36 x 20cm and 15kg. A large cabin bag (56 x 45 x 25cm, 15kg) costs extra, and easyJet says it costs £60 if added at the gate.
• Ryanair: the free allowance is one small personal bag up to 40 x 30 x 20cm. The paid Priority & 2 Cabin Bags option adds a 10kg bag up to 55 x 40 x 20cm.
• Wizz Air: the free allowance is one under-seat bag up to 40 x 30 x 20cm and 10kg. WIZZ Priority adds a 10kg trolley bag up to 55 x 40 x 23cm.

What this means for a business traveller

A full-size 56 x 45 x 25cm cabin case fits the included allowance on British Airways and Jet2, and easyJet's paid large cabin bag. Ryanair's and Wizz Air's paid overhead bags are smaller (55 x 40 x 20cm and 55 x 40 x 23cm), so a deep 25cm case can fail their sizers even when you have paid. If your team mostly flies low-cost carriers on short trips, an under-seat bag may be the better buy.

Sizes include wheels and handles, so measure the case as it stands, not the shell. Airlines are strict: Which? reports a member charged £70 at the gate for a soft-lid case half a centimetre too big for the sizer.

Which? reports that from 2027 an EU rule will require airlines flying to and from the EU to allow a free cabin bag of at least 40 x 30 x 15cm, and notes it may not apply to non-EU airlines such as easyJet flying from the UK.

Before you order for a team

• Ask for a VAT invoice in the company name, and check whether the price shown is with or without VAT.
• Check the warranty length and whether it needs registering. Some brands, such as Tripp, advertise a five-year suitcase guarantee; read the terms before you rely on it.
• Pick one model and size for the whole team so spares and replacement wheels are simple to source.
• If cases are personalised or engraved, check the returns policy before ordering.
• Know the tax position. In its Employment Income Manual, HMRC says ordinary luggage such as suitcases does not qualify for tax relief for employees. Speak to your accountant before treating a case as a business expense.