If you’ve ever held your breath while a Jetstar agent wheels the scales out at the boarding gate, this one’s for you. From 2 February 2027, Jetstar Airways is scrapping its 7kg carry-on weight limit.
In its place comes a size-based carry-on model that will look familiar to anyone who has flown Ryanair or easyJet in Europe: one free bag that fits under the seat in front of you, and a paid add-on if you want to use the overhead locker.
It’s genuinely good news for anyone who has ever repacked a hoodie at the gate - and an extra cost for anyone who normally travels with a full-size cabin roller.
What’s changing
Under the new model, what matters is where your bag fits, not what it weighs on a scale.
1. Included with every fare: one underseat bag
Every Jetstar fare will still include one personal item at no extra cost - a small backpack, handbag, laptop bag or similar.
- Maximum size: 40 × 30 × 20 cm
- Weight: no routine scale weigh-in, though Jetstar asks you to keep it reasonable (around 10kg or less) so you can lift and stow it yourself
- Travelling with an infant: parents get an additional underseat bag allowance for baby items at no charge
2. Overhead locker access: Priority Carry-on
If you want to bring a larger cabin suitcase for the overhead bins, you’ll need to buy Priority Carry-on.
- What you get: a second, larger bag up to 56 × 36 × 23 cm in the overhead locker, plus priority boarding
- Price: from $25 one-way, varying by route
- Availability: capped per flight, so overhead space is guaranteed for those who pay
Indicative one-way pricing Jetstar has flagged:
| Route | Priority Carry-on from |
|---|---|
| Launceston - Sydney | $25 |
| Sydney - Melbourne | $33 |
| Perth - Bali | $39 |
Old rules vs new rules at a glance
| Current policy (until Feb 2027) | New policy (from 2 Feb 2027) | |
|---|---|---|
| Main restriction | Strict 7kg total weight | Size and placement |
| Included allowance | 2 items up to 7kg combined | 1 underseat bag (40 × 30 × 20 cm) |
| Overhead locker | Included in standard fare, within the 7kg cap | Requires Priority Carry-on |
| Gate weigh-ins | Routine scale checks | Discontinued for standard bags |
Why Jetstar is making the switch
Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully says the change came out of customer and crew feedback, with gate weigh-ins and the scramble for locker space repeatedly flagged as the most stressful part of the airport experience.
“We know that weighing carry-on bags at the gate can be frustrating for our customers and for our crew… By giving customers an underseat bag with the option to add Priority Carry-on, we can make better use of overhead locker space, streamline boarding and help more flights depart on time.”
— Stephanie Tully, Jetstar CEO
There’s a commercial logic here too. Selling locker space is standard practice for European low-cost carriers, and it turns a boarding bottleneck into a revenue line while reducing the number of bags that need to be gate-checked at the last minute.
What it means for you
If you travel light, you’re better off. No scales, no anxiety, and a 40 × 30 × 20 cm bag is a reasonably generous underseat allowance - most 20-25L daypacks will fit.
If you normally bring a cabin roller, budget an extra $25-$40 each way. On a return Sydney - Melbourne trip that’s roughly $66 on top of your fare, which is worth factoring in when you’re comparing Jetstar against Virgin Australia or Qantas on price. Sometimes the “cheap” fare stops being the cheapest once you add it.
If you’re a family, the maths changes: Priority Carry-on is per passenger, so a family of four wanting two overhead bags may find checked baggage better value.
Before you book
- Existing bookings: if you’re already booked to travel on or after 2 February 2027, Jetstar will automatically upgrade your booking to include Priority Carry-on free of charge.
- Which flights: the change applies to Jetstar Airways (JQ) flights. It does not apply to Jetstar Japan (GK) flights, which keep their own baggage rules.
- Checked baggage: unchanged, with allowances available for purchase up to 40kg per passenger.
The bottom line
This is one of the bigger shake-ups to Australian domestic carry-on rules in years, and it lands squarely in the “depends on how you pack” category. If you can live out of a backpack, Jetstar just got less stressful and no more expensive. If you can’t, start treating Priority Carry-on as part of the ticket price when you compare fares.
You’ve got until February 2027 to work out which camp you’re in - and in the meantime, browse our latest flight deals to see where Jetstar is currently cheapest.
Details are per Jetstar’s announcement. Prices are indicative and vary by route - check Jetstar’s baggage pages for the final rules closer to February 2027.