Air Canada Baggage Allowance and Fees (2026)

Air Canada baggage allowance: Most fares include 1 carry-on (23 × 40 × 55 cm) and 1 personal item (33 × 43 × 16 cm), and each checked bag can weigh up to 23 kg (50 lb) and measure up to 158 cm (62 in). Economy Basic within Canada and to or from the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America allows only the personal item on board, and the first checked bag costs 45 Canadian or US dollars plus tax for tickets bought on or after April 13, 2026.

Last checked: September 26, 2026

Your fees depend on when you bought your ticket and where you're flying. Prices from Air Canada's baggage fee notice exclude taxes. Amounts shown as ranges, such as 100 to 120 Canadian dollars, include tax of 0 to 20 percent. These rules cover Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express.

Air Canada baggage allowance by fare (Economy)

All checked bag amounts exclude tax. Each bag can weigh up to 23 kg (50 lb) and measure up to 158 cm (62 in).

Economy Basic: what's included

• On board: one personal item (33 × 43 × 16 cm) on flights within Canada and to or from the U.S., Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. A coat and a small purse up to 25 × 30 × 14 cm (10 × 12 × 5.5 in) are also allowed. Check the Air Canada personal item size guide to see what fits.
• Anything bigger, like a roller bag or a large backpack, has to be checked before security. On those routes, the first checked bag costs 45 Canadian or US dollars plus tax for tickets bought on or after April 13, 2026.
• At the gate: when you check in online or at a kiosk on Basic, Air Canada asks for a card to pre-authorize a gate handling fee of 65 to 78 Canadian or US dollars, tax included. It's charged if you bring a carry-on to the gate.
• Exceptions:
  • If you're connecting onward to another international destination, a standard carry-on is allowed. See Air Canada carry-on size for the limits.
  • Air Canada's December 4, 2024 fare change notice says Aeroplan Elite Status members, Star Alliance Gold members and Aeroplan Premium credit cardholders can still bring a standard carry-on on Basic (Aeroplan Core cardholders get the personal item only). Air Canada's current carry-on page doesn't repeat this, so confirm your benefits with Air Canada before you fly.
  • Mobility aids, medical devices and strollers are exempt.
• Long-haul Basic (Europe, Asia and the other routes listed above): the carry-on is included, but the first checked bag costs 90 Canadian or US dollars plus tax.

Overweight, oversize and extra bags

• A bag over 23 kg (50 lb), up to 32 kg (70 lb), is overweight. A bag over 158 cm (62 in), up to 292 cm (115 in), is oversize. Either one costs 100 to 120 Canadian dollars with tax, according to Air Canada's baggage fees page (which Air Canada dates October 28, 2024), and a bag that's both pays a single fee.
• Bags over 32 kg (70 lb) aren't accepted as baggage. They have to go by Air Canada Cargo.
• If you're checking an extra, overweight or oversized bag, get to the airport at least 120 minutes before departure.

Taxes, ticket date and where you pay

• Air Canada's published bag prices of 45, 60, 90 and 120 Canadian or US dollars exclude tax. Air Canada's calculator shows prices with the maximum estimated tax.
• Your allowance is set by the date your ticket was issued. Tickets bought before April 13, 2026 (short-haul) or May 14, 2026 (long-haul) can have different fees.
• You pay bag fees at check-in: online, in the app, at a kiosk or at the counter.

What is the Air Canada baggage allowance?

Most Air Canada fares include one standard carry-on up to 23 × 40 × 55 cm (9 × 15.5 × 21.5 in) and one personal item up to 33 × 43 × 16 cm (13 × 17 × 6 in). Each checked bag can weigh up to 23 kg (50 lb) and measure up to 158 cm (62 in) in total. How many checked bags are free depends on your fare, route and the date you bought your ticket.

Does Air Canada Economy Basic include a carry-on?

No. On flights within Canada and to or from the U.S. (including Hawaii and Puerto Rico), Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, Economy Basic tickets bought on or after January 3, 2025 include only one personal item on board. Other bags must be checked before security. If you bring one to the gate, a gate handling fee of 65 to 78 Canadian or US dollars, tax included, can apply, and Air Canada asks for a card to pre-authorize that fee when you check in online or at a kiosk. If you're connecting onward to another international destination, a standard carry-on is allowed.

How much is a checked bag on Air Canada Economy Basic?

For tickets bought on or after April 13, 2026, the first bag costs 45 Canadian or US dollars and the second costs 60 Canadian or US dollars, plus tax, within Canada and to or from the U.S. (including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. For tickets bought on or after May 14, 2026 for travel between Canada or the U.S. and Europe, Africa, Asia and the South Pacific, the Middle East or South America, the first bag costs 90 Canadian or US dollars and the second costs 120 Canadian or US dollars, plus tax.

Does Air Canada Economy Standard include a free checked bag?

Yes, but only on longer international trips. For tickets bought on or after May 14, 2026 for travel between Canada or the U.S. and Europe, Africa, Asia and the South Pacific, the Middle East or South America, the first bag is free and the second costs 120 Canadian or US dollars plus tax. Within Canada and to or from the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America, Standard fares pay 45 Canadian or US dollars for the first bag and 60 Canadian or US dollars for the second, plus tax, on tickets bought on or after April 13, 2026.

Does Air Canada Economy Flex include a free checked bag?

Yes, the first checked bag is free on Economy Flex. For tickets bought on or after April 13, 2026, the second bag costs 60 Canadian or US dollars plus tax within Canada and to or from the U.S. (including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. For tickets bought on or after May 14, 2026 for travel between Canada or the U.S. and Europe, Africa, Asia and the South Pacific, the Middle East or South America, the second bag costs 120 Canadian or US dollars plus tax.

What is Air Canada's overweight baggage fee?

A bag weighing over 23 kg (50 lb), up to 32 kg (70 lb), or measuring over 158 cm (62 in), up to 292 cm (115 in), is charged as overweight or oversize. Air Canada's baggage fees page, which it dates October 28, 2024, lists the fee as 100 to 120 Canadian dollars including tax. If a bag is both overweight and oversize, you pay one fee. Bags over 32 kg (70 lb) are not accepted as checked baggage and must go by Air Canada Cargo.

Is it cheaper to pay Air Canada bag fees online?

Air Canada publishes one checked bag price and lets you pay it when you check in online, in the app, at a kiosk or at the counter. It does not list a separate online discount. The bigger cost risk is at the gate. On an Economy Basic fare, a bag that has to be checked at the gate can trigger a gate handling fee of 65 to 78 Canadian or US dollars, tax included.

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Fees, fare bundles, and size rules change. Confirm the latest limits and live bag prices on official Air Canada pages before you travel. BagRule is an independent publisher and is not affiliated with Air Canada.