Transavia Cabin Baggage: Dimensions, Weight, and Price in 2026

Transavia thinks in terms of two distinct pieces of luggage, and that is where everything is decided. The small one, 40 x 30 x 20 cm, goes under the seat and costs nothing. The large one, 55 x 40 x 25 cm, goes in the overhead bin: it is included with a Smart or Max ticket, and is billed as an extra on a Basic or Plus ticket.

A Transavia 55x40x25 carry-on suitcase stays within the limits once the wheels and handle are measured.

The trap is not where you think it is. The 10 kg allowance does not cap one suitcase; it caps everything you bring on board, the small bag and the large suitcase added together.

The free Transavia hand luggage: 40 x 30 x 20 cm

Nobody pays for that piece of luggage. It is part of the journey on all four fares, and its only constraint is to fit within 40 x 30 x 20 cm, wheels and handles included in the measurement. Its place is mandatory: the space under the seat in front of you, never the overhead bin. On a Basic or Plus ticket, it is also the only luggage you will bring on board without paying a dime.

What fits in the 40 x 30 x 20 format

This size corresponds to a small backpack, a messenger bag, or a generous handbag. Concretely, you can easily fit:

• A laptop up to 15 inches in its case
• A toiletry bag with your liquids in travel size
• Your personal effects, phone, keys, wallet, and documents
• What you need to get through the flight: book, tablet, compact camera

The maximum size is measured including handles and wheels. A soft travel bag that is slightly bulging will pass; a rigid 45 cm suitcase will not pass, even when empty.

Items that do not count as luggage

Transavia allows certain items to be brought on board in addition to your hand luggage, without counting them. A coat or jacket worn on the arm, a folding umbrella, your medications accompanied by their prescription, as well as essential equipment if you are traveling with a baby: baby bottle, food for the trip, and a folding stroller, the latter being dropped off at the foot of the aircraft.

The Transavia carry-on luggage: 55 x 40 x 25 cm

The Transavia carry-on luggage measures a maximum of 55 x 40 x 25 cm, including wheels and handles. It travels in the compartment located above the seats. It is automatically included in the Smart and Max fares, and can be purchased as an option on the Basic and Plus fares, where the bill climbs if you wait too long.

The 10 kg is an overall ceiling, not a limit per piece of luggage

This is the most misunderstood rule of the Transavia policy, and the one that costs the most. The airline writes it in black and white: the total weight of the hand luggage and the carry-on luggage must not exceed 10 kilos. Therefore, 10 kg is not the limit for your carry-on suitcase, but 10 kg for everything you bring on board. Not all airlines that are strict on weight operate this way: the 8 kg required by Nouvelair only applies to the cabin piece, with its accessory having a separate allowance.

Concretely, if your handbag weighs 3 kg, there is only 7 kg left for the carry-on suitcase, shell included. With a 2.2 kg rigid suitcase, that leaves 4.8 kg for actual belongings. This is a calculation that almost no one makes before arriving at the gate, because most airlines reason per piece of luggage, not globally.

Dimensions: what the airline checks

The 55 cm height includes the wheels and the retracted telescopic handle. Many suitcases sold as standard carry-on size measure 55 cm for the shell alone and exceed the limit once the wheels are added: this is the classic trap of the metal sizer at the boarding gate. Transavia applies the same baggage allowance across its entire network, departing from Paris-Orly as well as Nantes or Lyon.

Carry-on luggage and handbag: can you have both?

Yes, and they add up instead of replacing each other. On a Smart or Max fare, as on a Basic or Plus fare with the option purchased, you board with the 55 x 40 x 25 cm carry-on luggage in the overhead bin and your 40 x 30 x 20 cm hand luggage under the seat. Only the weight is combined, within the 10 kg limit.

The Smart nuance: a place in the cabin subject to availability

A difference separates Smart from Max, and it is not visible in the dimensions. On a Smart fare, Transavia specifies that your carry-on luggage may be transported in the cabin subject to available space. On a Max fare, this proviso disappears from the conditions. On a full flight, it is therefore the Smart passenger who will see their suitcase go into the hold first.

Price of Transavia carry-on luggage according to your fare

Transavia markets four fares, and the baggage allowance changes at each level. Smart and Max include carry-on luggage, Basic and Plus do not. Counter-intuitively, the Plus is more generous in the hold than the Smart, but less so in the cabin.

The Plus fare is the one that surprises. It includes 20 kg of hold baggage, seat selection, and free flight changes, but leaves the carry-on luggage as a paid option. If your need is to take a suitcase on board rather than put 20 kg in the hold, the Smart option works better than the Plus, even though it is sold as the lower fare.

Adding luggage after booking

The price of carry-on luggage is not fixed: Transavia applies dynamic pricing that depends on the route, the season, and the time of purchase. However, the rule is constant: the later you add the luggage, the more it costs. Buying it at the time of booking is always cheaper than paying for it at the airport, and infinitely cheaper than the 70 euro or more supplement applied at the gate. Full details of the conditions can be found on the official Transavia website.

If your trip requires more volume, the question shifts to the hold. We have detailed the allowances, price per kilo, and dimensions in our guide to hold luggage with Transavia.

Liquids and prohibited items in the cabin on Transavia

Transavia applies European regulations, which are identical in all EU airports. Your liquids must travel in containers of 100 ml maximum, grouped in a transparent, resealable one-liter bag, i.e., approximately 20 x 20 cm, at a rate of one bag per passenger. The same restrictions and the same list of prohibited products apply regardless of the airline when departing from a European airport.

The 100 ml rule in practice

This applies to all cosmetics and similar products: gels, creams, toothpaste, perfume, but also drinks and foods with a pasty texture. A 200 ml bottle that is half empty remains prohibited, because it is the capacity printed on the container that counts, not the remaining volume. The bag must be taken out of your luggage at the security checkpoint and put through separately.

Medications, food, baby items, and electronic cigarettes

Liquid medications exceeding 100 ml are accepted upon presentation of a prescription. Baby milk and baby food are authorized in quantities necessary for the flight if you are traveling with a child. Electronic cigarettes and power banks must travel in the cabin, never in the hold, and must not be used on board. Items purchased duty-free after the checkpoint remain allowed in their sealed bag.

Oversized luggage: what happens at the boarding gate

If your carry-on luggage does not comply with your booking, in size or weight, Transavia will take charge of it, transport it in the hold, and charge a fee of 70 euros or more, depending on your booking. Checking it in the hold is non-negotiable and payment is made on the spot, in front of the queue, when the agent scans your boarding pass. This surplus is charged per piece of luggage and per leg, so a round trip is paid for twice.

Checking at the boarding gate

Staff prioritize checking full cabins, i.e., flights where the overhead bin is at risk of saturation. On a full flight, verification is systematic and the metal sizer decides: if the suitcase does not enter freely, it goes into the hold. On an empty flight, many borderline bags pass without control. Relying on this is a gamble, not a strategy.

Measuring your suitcase before leaving

The only reflex that eliminates the risk is to measure your luggage at home, including wheels and handle, and weigh it with a luggage scale or bathroom scale. If you are hesitating between several formats, our guide to carry-on luggage by airline summarizes the dimensions accepted by each carrier.

Choosing a carry-on suitcase suitable for Transavia

A suitcase designed for Transavia respects the 55 x 40 x 25 cm limit including wheels, and not just the shell. This is the first criterion, the one that avoids the surcharge.

The second is the empty weight, and it weighs heavier at Transavia than elsewhere because of the 10 kg overall ceiling. First count your hand luggage: a 3 kg bag leaves only 7 kg for the suitcase. Of this 7 kg, a 2.2 kg shell leaves you 4.8 kg for belongings, while a 3.5 kg shell leaves only 3.5 kg. With the same handbag, the choice of suitcase changes what you can actually bring by more than a third.

A soft suitcase forgives a slight excess thanks to its compression, while a rigid suitcase better protects fragile equipment but will not give an inch in the sizer. If you alternate between several airlines, be aware that the Transavia format is more generous than most European low-cost carriers: our guides on the rules for Vueling and Wizz Air show that a suitcase calibrated to the strictest formats will pass everywhere, including on Transavia.

Frequently asked questions about Transavia carry-on luggage