Cabin Baggage Rules for Domestic Flights in India: 7 kg, Size and Extra Bag

Quick answer

On every big Indian airline the free cabin bag limit for Economy is 7 kg, and only one main bag is allowed. IndiGo, Air India and Akasa Air also let you carry one small personal item (handbag or laptop bag) of up to 3 kg that fits under the seat. SpiceJet counts the laptop bag or purse inside the same 7 kg, and Air India Express’s 7 kg covers your bag plus the personal item together. Keep the main bag within about 115 cm (length + width + height), and check your e-ticket, because the fare you bought decides the check-in bag, not the cabin bag.

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Domestic cabin baggage allowance at a glance

This is for Economy on domestic flights inside India, as printed on each airline’s own page (sources at the bottom). Business and First, codeshare flights and international routes can differ.

All five allow only one main cabin bag. Air India’s page links this to the BCAS “One Hand Baggage Rule” (Circular 6/2000), whatever your frequent-flyer status. And a bag within 7 kg but too big for the bin can still go to the hold.

IndiGo cabin baggage rules (domestic)

IndiGo’s baggage allowance page allows one handbag up to 7 kg and 115 cm (L + W + H) per passenger, plus one personal article such as a ladies’ purse or a small bag containing a laptop, weighing no more than 3 kg. Its cabin baggage page gives the maximum size as 55 × 35 × 25 cm, and says the 115 cm total includes wheels and handles, which is where many “cabin size” trolleys fail.

Small print worth knowing

• Soft or non-wheeled bags may have to go under the seat in front (not in emergency-exit or first rows).
• If your bag cannot fit safely in the overhead bin, IndiGo may check it in to keep the flight on time.
• Power banks and spare lithium batteries must be in hand baggage only, kept within reach, not used or charged during the flight, a maximum of two per passenger, each not over 160 Wh.

Air India hand baggage rules

Air India allows 7 kg in Economy and Premium Economy and 10 kg in Business and First. The bag can be up to 55 cm high, 40 cm long and 20 cm wide (115 cm total). You may also carry one personal item of up to 3 kg that fits under the seat, such as a handbag, a laptop bag, a camera bag or a folding umbrella. Personal-item bags can be at most 40 × 30 × 20 cm; over 90 cm in total, it counts as your main cabin bag.

Overweight cabin bag on Air India

This is the one airline in our list that publishes a clear paid upgrade at the gate. Air India says you can carry a cabin bag of up to 12 kg only after paying excess hand baggage charges, listed as ₹3,000 on domestic flights. A cabin bag over 12 kg must be checked in, with excess baggage charges as applicable.

Air India Express cabin baggage

Air India Express is the strictest on paper. Its booking page says every passenger, whatever the fare or route, gets 7 kg of cabin baggage covering one bag plus one personal item. So the laptop bag is not extra here. The cabin bag can be up to 56 × 36 × 23 cm and the personal item up to 40 × 30 × 10 cm. The Xpress Lite fare is cabin-bag only (0 kg check-in), so check the fare name before you book a cheap ticket with a suitcase in mind.

If you need more weight, Air India Express sells an Xtra Carry-On add-on for extra cabin baggage. See the exact allowance and price on your booking, because the airline lists it under its add-ons.

Akasa Air cabin baggage rules

Akasa Air’s baggage page allows one handbag up to 7 kg and 115 cm (L + W + H), on both domestic and international flights. In addition, you can carry one personal item that fits under the seat and weighs 3 kg or less. Akasa’s list of examples includes a handbag or waist pouch, a laptop in a slim bag or a tablet in a sleeve, a camera, a light jacket, a folding umbrella, a neck pillow, medicines and reading material. It also says final acceptance is subject to security screening.

For babies, Akasa allows one extra handbag of up to 7 kg and 115 cm per infant on domestic flights (no separate check-in allowance), plus one stroller or pram per infant at no charge.

SpiceJet hand baggage rules

SpiceJet allows one piece of hand baggage up to 7 kg, and its baggage page says this includes the weight of a laptop bag or ladies’ purse. Size depends on the aircraft: 55 × 35 × 25 cm (115 cm) on Boeing flights and 50 × 35 × 23 cm (108 cm) on the smaller Q400. If you are booked on a Q400 route, a standard “cabin trolley” may be too big.

What going over costs on SpiceJet

SpiceJet’s Citizen’s Charter says hand baggage over 7 kg is charged at ₹750 per kg on domestic flights if the extra weight is found at boarding. Its baggage terms also describe a pre-paid “Carry More On-Board” option of up to 5 kg extra, so the cabin total does not exceed 12 kg. Oversized or overweight hand baggage is tagged and sent to the hold, to be collected from the arrival belt. On a Hand Baggage Only fare, the one 7 kg piece must include your laptop and any shopping bags.

Liquids, power banks and other cabin bag rules

Weight is only half the story; security screening is the other half. Air India’s cabin baggage page and IndiGo’s allowance page both describe the same liquids rule: containers of up to 100 ml each, all fitting in one transparent, re-sealable 1-litre bag. Shampoo, toothpaste, sunscreen and hair gel all count; prescription medicines and baby food are exceptions on Air India’s page but still go through screening.

Power banks are treated as spare batteries, so they go in the cabin bag only (SpiceJet says the same). Air India’s page limits lithium-ion batteries to 100 Wh and spare batteries to two; IndiGo allows up to two devices of 160 Wh each and says not to use or charge them in flight. Most phone power banks print their Wh rating on the back (a 20,000 mAh pack at 3.7 V works out to about 74 Wh); check yours before you fly.

How to pack a 7 kg cabin bag without stress

1. Weigh it at home. The bag’s own weight counts towards the 7 kg, so check the empty weight on the product page before you buy a new trolley or backpack; a lighter bag leaves more room for clothes.
2. Use the personal item on IndiGo, Air India and Akasa. Move the laptop, charger and documents to the under-seat bag (3 kg). On SpiceJet and Air India Express this does not help, because it all counts in the same 7 kg.
3. Measure with wheels and handles. IndiGo’s 115 cm includes them, and SpiceJet’s Q400 limit is only 108 cm.
4. Read your e-ticket. Check-in baggage depends on the fare type (for example, Air India Express Xpress Lite has 0 kg), so a cheap fare may not include a suitcase.
5. Buy extra weight in advance if you know you need it. Air India Express says pre-booking excess baggage online works out cheaper than paying at the airport counter; check the airline’s own page for current charges.

Planning the rest of the trip? Our guide on the best time to book domestic flights in India covers fares, and Goa trip budget for 3 days is a ready-made short plan.

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Book the flight and stay

1. Compare dates on our flight search, or open Trip.com flights / Cleartrip flights. Check the fare’s baggage line before you pay.
2. Book the stay on our hotel search or MakeMyTrip hotels, and add day trips from tours and activities if you need them.
3. 48 hours before departure, do web check-in (see our web check-in guide) and weigh the bag one last time.

We don’t quote fares or add-on prices; check current prices on the airline or booking site. Your e-ticket and the airline’s own page always win if anything here differs. More ideas on our travel page.

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