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Qantas Personal Item Size (2026)

Qantas lets you bring a free personal item under the seat, such as a cross-body bag, small handbag or slim laptop bag. Qantas publishes no size in cm.

Quick answer

Qantas allows 1 small personal item under the seat in front. Official examples from the carry-on page: 1 cross-body bag, 1 small handbag, or 1 laptop in a slim bag.

No height × width × depth centimetres are printed for the personal item on the Australian or US carry-on pages. This page goes by Qantas’s examples and under-seat placement; check qantas.com in case a size is added later.

It is in addition to your route’s overhead and underseat rights:

  • Domestic Economy and Business: overhead 56 × 36 × 23 cm, underseat 34 × 48 × 23 cm, and personal item; 14 kg total (10 kg max per item).
  • International Economy: overhead and personal only; 7 kg total; no underseat bag.
  • International First, Business and Premium Economy: overhead, underseat and personal; 14 kg total, 10 kg per item.
  • Flights departing India: overhead only. Official wording: “Additional personal items aren’t permitted.”
  • Dash 8: overhead and personal; 7 kg (no underseat piece).

Laptop rule: For a laptop to count as the personal item, it must be in a slim bag. Laptops in large laptop bags count as part of the carry-on allowance.

Exit row or bulkhead: If you have more than one carry-on bag, Qantas asks for 1 up, 1 down. At exit row or bulkhead, the underseat bag goes in the overhead lockers.

Weight: Personal item counts toward the same total kg as your other cabin pieces (14 kg or 7 kg depending on route and cabin). No separate personal-item kg is published.

See our Qantas carry-on page for the full list of cabin pieces, and our Qantas baggage fees page for hold bags.

Last verified:

Official sources:

How we check: We only publish what these official pages say. See How we verify fees.

Table

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Field Value Source
Official max cm Not published Qantas carry-on page (Australia)
Official examples Cross-body bag; small handbag; laptop in slim bag Qantas carry-on page
Placement Under the seat in front Qantas carry-on page
Count 1 personal item Qantas carry-on page
Cost Included (free) with carry-on allowance Qantas carry-on page
Weight Counts toward route total (14 kg or 7 kg); no separate personal kg Qantas carry-on page
Underseat bag contrast 34 × 48 × 23 cm (published) Qantas carry-on page
Overhead contrast 56 × 36 × 23 cm Qantas carry-on page
India departures Personal item not permitted Qantas carry-on page
Laptop exception A large laptop bag counts as carry-on, not as the personal item Qantas carry-on page (laptop note)
Infant food and nappy bag Small bag with food and nappies in addition to adult allowance Qantas carry-on page
Exit row or bulkhead Underseat bag goes in the overhead Qantas carry-on page (“1 up, 1 down”)

Wheels and handles: not specified for the personal item. It must fit under the seat when packed. Overhead and underseat sizes explicitly include wheels and handles.

Free and paid

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Fare or market This personal item Overhead 56×36×23 Underseat 34×48×23 Hold
Red eDeal, domestic Yes Yes Yes 1 piece up to 23 kg included (see our Qantas baggage fees page)
Flex, domestic Yes Yes Yes Economy hold included (see our Qantas baggage fees page)
Red eDeal and Flex, international Economy Yes (not India) Yes No Economy hold included
Premium Economy, Business and First Yes (not India) Yes Yes Higher hold allowance
Departing India No Yes (only piece) No Per cabin
Dash 8 Yes Yes No 1×23 kg

Gotchas

  • No official personal-item cm. Stick to Qantas examples (cross-body, small handbag, slim laptop bag) and under-seat fit.

  • Underseat bag is not the personal item. Underseat has 34 × 48 × 23 cm and is not allowed on international Economy.

  • India: personal item banned on departures.

  • Slim laptop bag only for personal-item treatment.

  • Weight: the personal item counts toward the 7 kg or 14 kg cabin total.

  • Exit row or bulkhead: under-seat space may be blocked; use the overhead for the second bag.

  • Connecting to a Dash 8 or another flight with the lowest allowance: pack the personal item light.

  • Jetstar via Qantas uses different “small item” wording. Follow Jetstar’s own rules when that applies.

Traveler caution: Bring a truly small under-seat piece (cross-body bag or slim laptop bag). Measure the overhead and underseat bags to published cm; do not assume the personal item can be a second wheelie.

FAQ

What is the Qantas personal item size?
Qantas does not publish centimetre dimensions for the personal item on its carry-on page. It must fit under the seat in front. Official examples: cross-body bag, small handbag, or laptop in a slim bag. It is separate from the underseat bag sized 34 × 48 × 23 cm.

Does Qantas allow a free personal item plus a carry-on?
Yes on most flights: personal item plus overhead (and underseat when your cabin and route allow). Exception: flights departing India are overhead only, with no additional personal item.

Is a Qantas underseat bag the same as a personal item?
No. The underseat bag has published max 34 × 48 × 23 cm and is a listed piece on domestic and international premium cabins. The personal item is a separate, smaller piece, defined by examples rather than a size. International Economy gets overhead and personal, not the underseat bag.

Can I bring a laptop bag as my Qantas personal item?
Only if it is a slim bag. Official note: laptops in large laptop bags count toward the carry-on allowance, not the personal item.

Does Red eDeal include a personal item?
Yes (except India departures). Red eDeal follows Economy carry-on rules for the route: domestic includes personal item with overhead and underseat; international Economy includes personal item with overhead only.

Does the personal item count toward the 7 kg or 14 kg limit?
Yes. Cabin weight limits are totals across your allowed pieces. There is no separate published kg just for the personal item.

Related

Disclaimer

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