It pays to pack light when you travel – many budget airlines now charge you an extra fee if you want to check in your luggage, turning that cheap deal into something pricier than expected. So if you hate paying extra fees or are just paranoid about airlines losing your luggage, we’ve read all the fine print and put together this guide to help you figure out your carry-on allowance for various low cost carriers that operate out of Singapore’s Changi Airport, covering the essentials from cabin luggage size to excess baggage costs.
Comparing budget airlines carry-on luggage allowance
These are the low cost carriers that currently operate in Singapore’s Changi Airport as of December 2019. Click on the airlines to read about the rules in more detail as each airline defines what is included in their carry-on allowance quite differently.
| LOW COST AIRLINE | MAX NO. OF CARRY-ON ITEMS | MAX CABIN BAG DIMENSIONS | MAX CARRY-ON WEIGHT |
| Scoot | 2 | 54cm x 38cm x 23cm | 10kg / 15kg |
| Jetstar Asia | 2 | 56cm x 36cm x 23cm | 7kg / 14kg |
| AirAsia | 2 | 56cm x 36cm x 23cm | 7kg |
| Cebu Pacific Air | 2 | 56cm x 36cm x 23cm | 7kg |
| Lion Air | 1 | 40cm x 30cm x 20cm | 7kg |
| VietjetAir | 2 | 56cm x 36cm x 23 cm | 7kg / 10kg |
| Spring Airlines | 1 | 40cm x 30cm x 20cm SpringPlus: 55cm x 40cm x 20cm | 7kg |
| Urumqi Air | 1 / 2 | 40cm x 30cm x 20cm Business: 55cm x 40cm x 20cm | 7kg / 14kg |
| JEJU Air | 2 | 55cm x 40cm x 20cm (max 115cm) | 10kg |
| IndiGo | 2 | 55cm x 35cm x 25cm | 10kg |
| Air India Express | 2 | Max 115cm + fit into storage bin or under seat | 7kg |
| GoAir | 1 | Max 108cm GoBusiness: 55cm x 35cm x 20cm (within 115cm) | 7kg |
Scoot baggage allowance
- 2pcs: 1 cabin bag (Within 54cm x 32cm x 23cm) + 1 laptop/handbag
- Max weight: 10kg (Economy) or 15kg (ScootPlus)
- Excess baggage: S$20-30 per excess kg
Scoot is the low-cost carrier of the Singapore Airlines Group that flies to over 60 destinations – mostly in and around Asia but as far as Berlin and Athens – from Changi Airport Terminal 1.
Scoot offers a more generous weight limit compared to other budget airlines on this list, and gives you the option to purchase something called Extra Cabin Allowance where you can carry an additional 7kg of carry-on luggage on top of the normal carry-on allowance, which is not something many other budget airlines offer.
Read more about Scoot’s baggage policies and restrictions for details.
Jetstar Asia baggage allowance
- 2pcs: 1 main item (Within 56cm x 36cm x 23cm) + 1 small item (must fit under seat)
- Max weight: 7kg (Starter) or 14kg (Flex + Business Class)
- Excess baggage: S$20-25 per excess kg
Jetstar Asia is a part of the Jetstar Group which is owned by Qantas Airlines. They are based out of Changi Airport Terminal 1 and their routes mostly cover the Asia Pacific region.
Jetstar Asia’s Flex bundle or Business Class already has quite a generous amount of extra cabin luggage for those who don’t want to check in their bags, but they also offer a +7kg Extra Carry On Baggage add-on where you can purchase up to 14kg additional carry-on luggage on certain routes – that’s a possible 28kg of carry-on luggage.
For families, note that foldable strollers, infant food and approved infant car seats all count towards the cabin baggage allowance for Jetstar Asia.
Read more about Jetstar Asia’s baggage policies and restrictions for details.
AirAsia baggage allowance
- 2pcs: 1 cabin bag (Within 56cm x 36cm x 23cm) + 1 small bag (40cm x 30cm x 20cm)
- Max weight: 7kg
- Excess baggage: S$23 per excess kg
AirAsia is a Malaysian low cost carrier operating out of Kuala Lumpur International Airport that flies to over 110 cities across Asia. Their counters can be found at Terminal 4 in Changi Airport.
For those with mobility issues, you can bring assistive devices like crutches and canes as well as foldable wheelchairs without batteries on board and these are not included in the carry-on allowance.
Read more about Air Asia’s baggage policies and restrictions for details.
Cebu Pacific Air baggage allowance
- 2pcs: 1 hand carry baggage (Within 56cm x 36cm x 23cm) + 1 hand bag (35cm x 20cm x 20cm)
- Max weight: 7kg
- Excess baggage: S$20 per excess kg
Cebu Pacific Air is the largest carrier in the Philippines operating out of Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Non-stop routes from Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 4 include Manila, Cebu, Clark, Davao and Iloilo.
Read more about Cebu Pacific Air’s baggage policies and restrictions for details.
Lion Air baggage allowance
- 1pc: 1 cabin bag (Within 40cm x 30cm x 20cm)
- Max weight: 7kg
- Excess baggage: Not listed on website. Email to enquire.
Lion Air is an Indonesian low cost airline and the largest private carrier in Indonesia. From Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3, you can connect directly to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, Indonesia’s main hub in Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport as well as Bangkok through sister company Thai Lion Air.
Lion Air offers one of the lowest carry-on baggage allowance on this list. They used to offer free 20kg check-in baggage but have stopped since January 2019 – now you will need to pre-purchase check-in baggage by the kilo.
Read more about Lion Air’s baggage policies and restrictions for details.
VietjetAir baggage allowance
- 2pcs: 1 hand bag (Within 56cm x 36cm x 23cm) + 1 small hand bag (lady’s handbag or jacket bag or laptop bag)
- Max weight: 7kg (Eco) or 10kg (Skyboss)
- Excess baggage: S$18-26 per excess kg
VietjetAir is a Vietnamese low cost airline and the first privately owned carrier in Vietnam that offers international flights around Asia. From Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 4, you can fly directly to Hanoi, Da Nang or Ho Chi Minh City and connect to smaller Vietnamese cities.
Upgrade to Skyboss to get more carry-on luggage and you can also enjoy other business class perks like priority seats and selection, a luxury lounge and more check-in luggage.
Read more about VietjetAir’s baggage policies and restrictions for details.
Spring Airlines baggage allowance
- 1pc: 40cm x 30cm x 20cm for SpringSaver, 55cm x 40cm x 20cm for SpringPlus
- Max weight: 7kg
- Excess baggage: S$24-33 per excess 5-kg blocks
Spring Airlines is a Chinese low cost airline carrier based out of Shanghai. You can fly nonstop from Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 4 to Shanghai’s Pudong airport every day.
SpringPlus lets you carry a larger bag than the standard size though the weight allowance doesn’t change, but Spring Airline’s excess baggage charges are comparatively lower than the other airlines on this list.
Read more about Spring Airline’s baggage policies and restrictions for details.
Urumqi Air baggage allowance
- 2pcs: 1 pc, within 40cm x 30cm x 20cm (Economy) or 2pcs within 55cm x 40cm x 20cm (Business)
- Max weight: 7kg (Economy) or 14kg (Business)
- Excess baggage: S$90-160 per bag
Urumqi Air is a low cost carrier based out of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in northwestern China. Most of their routes are domestic to cities around China. You can fly nonstop from Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 4 to Urumqi, the capital of XUAR, or to Wuhan in the Hubei province.
While Urumqi Air’s Business Class carry-on allowance is quite generous, it also offers complimentary 23-32kg of check-in luggage for most tickets so economy passengers should largely be able to avoid paying for excess baggage.
Read more about Urumqi Air’s baggage policies and restrictions for details.
JEJU Air baggage allowance
- 2pcs: 1 carry on bag (Within 55cm x 40cm x 20cm) + 1 small bag
- Max weight: 10kg
- Excess baggage: S$50-100 for first 15kg, S$12-19 per excess kg
JEJU Air is South Korea’s first low cost carrier covering routes across South-east Asia, East Asia and Russia. Despite its name, you can’t actually fly to Jeju Island direct from Singapore, but you can fly from Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 4 non-stop to Busan in the southern region of South Korea.
On top of a more generous carry-on weight limit, JEJU Air also provides complimentary check-in luggage for most of its tickets (10kg for infants, 15-20kg for rest), so there’s a good chance you will not need to pay for excess baggage unless you’re carrying oversized items.
Read more about JEJU Air’s baggage policies and restrictions for details.
IndiGo baggage allowance
- 2pcs: 1 hand baggage (Within 55cm x 35cm x 25cm) + 1 personal item
- Max weight: 10kg (7kg hand baggage, 3kg personal item)
- Excess baggage: S$10 per excess kg
IndiGo is an Indian low cost carrier based out of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi airport and mostly covers domestic travel in India, the Middle East and Asia. They codeshare with Turkish Airlines for international routes to Europe. From Terminal 2 in Singapore’s Changi Airport, you can fly direct to Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Tiruchirappalli and Vijayawada.
IndiGo has quite a generous carry-on weight allowance and for infants, they enjoy a 7kg and pram complimentary allowance. Singapore to India flights also offers complimentary check-in baggage of 15-30kg for all passengers. Their excess baggage rates are also one of the lowest (S$10/kg)
Read more about IndiGo’s baggage policies and restrictions for details.
AirIndia Express baggage allowance
- 2pcs: 1 cabin bag (Within 56cm x 36cm x 23cm) + 1 laptop bag
- Max weight: 7kg
- Excess baggage: S$30 for excess 5kg, S$60 for excess 10kg
AirIndia Express is a low cost carrier based out of Kerala and owned by the Air India Group. Besides domestic travel, they also cover Southeast Asia and the Middle East. It’s located in Changi Airport Terminal 2. On AirIndia Express, you can fly direct from Singapore to Tiruchirappalli, Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Kochi and Bengaluru.
For new parents, there is a 7kg carry-on allowance for infants on top of a 10kg check-in baggage allowance. AirIndia Express also offers a generous 20-30kg of complimentary check-in baggage allowance for all passengers.
Read more about AirIndia Express’s baggage policies and restrictions for details.
GoAir baggage allowance
- 1pcs: total dimensions within 108cm (GoSmart) or within 56cm x 36cm x 23cm (GoBusiness)
- Max weight: 7kg
- Excess baggage: S$25 per excess kg
GoAir is a low cost carrier based out of Mumbai and owned by the Air India Group. Most of their flights are domestic, but they also cover Phuket, Bangkok and the Middle East. From Changi Airport Terminal 4, you can fly non-stop to Bengaluru or Kolkata.
Infants have a complimentary 7kg carry-on allowance while all Singapore-India routes enjoy 20kg complimentary check-in luggage allowance.
Read more about GoAir’s baggage policies and restrictions for details.
Originally published on Dec 2019. The details and prices are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
