Are Airline Carry-on Bag Weight Restrictions Big Trouble for Travel Photographers?

Airlines are increasingly imposing weight restrictions for carry-on baggage. This is especially troublesome for travel photographers attempting to avoid checking their valuable photo gear. Today, these restrictions seem more prevalent overseas than in the United States.

In an overseas trip to India, I encountered some of these restrictions on an international flight and luckily my bag got in just under the limit. In this blog post, I’ll show these restrictions by airline and give you ideas on how you can still get your photo gear to your destination.

Here is a list of some airlines that have carry-on restrictions. Make sure you visit the airlines website and don’t just use this list. These restrictions continue to change and additional restrictions on size and personal items may apply depending on the airline and class. An easy was to do this is to do a Google search for:

Carry-on bag weight limit - Google Search

Airline	Weight	Dimensions
Air India	8 kg / 17.6 lbs	Sum of 3 dimensions cannot exceed 45 in (115 cm)
British Airways	23 kg / 51 lbs	56 x 45 x 25 cm / 22 x 18 x 10 in
Cathay Pacific	7 kg / 15.4 lbs	56 x 36 x 23 cm 22 x 14 x 9 in
Emirates	7 kg / 15.4 lbs	55 x 38 x 20 cm / 22 x 15 x 8 in
Gulf Air	6 kg / 13.2 lbs	45 x 40 x 30 cm / 17 x 15 x 12 in
Indigo Airlines	8 kg / 17.6 lbs	55 x 35 x 25 cm / 22 x 14 x 10 in
Jet Airways	7 kg / 15.4 lbs	55 x 35 x 25 cm / 22 x 14 x 10 in
Lufhansa	8 kg / 17.6 lbs	55 x 40 x 23 cm / 22 x 15 x 9 in
Qantas	7 kg / 15.4 lbs	56 x 36 x 23 cm / 22 x 14 x 9 in
SpiceJet	10 kg / 22 lbs	45 in / 115 cm (length x width x height)
Virgin Atlantic	10 kg / 22 lbs	23 x 36 x 56 cm / 9 x 14 x 22 in

What You Do About Airline Weight Restrictions

Research. Understand the airlines and the rules before you book your flights.
Some airlines allow personal carry on items (lady’s handbags and laptop cases). For example, Air India allows an additional 4kg laptop bag in addition to the carry-on bag. Use this additional personal bag to balance the weight.
Balance carry-on weight amongst passengers that are traveling with you.
Know the weight of your bag before you leave for the airport
Be selective on equipment, especially lenses. Take only what you need.
Move non-valuable and non-essential items to your check bags
Buy a Portable Travel Digital Luggage Scale or ask the hotel to borrow a scale to ensure you are still in guidelines for your return trip.

The Site may contain links to affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links. Our affiliates include: Amazon, Skylum Software, Topaz Labs, DxO, Viator, Hotelopia, and Langly Co.