Eurowings is the Lufthansa Group's low-cost arm and the airline most of Germany, Austria and a good part of Switzerland uses for a week in Mallorca or a weekend in Rome. Its cabin rules are simple on paper: a small bag free in every fare, a trolley only if your fare includes it or you pay. The number that trips people up is not the size. It is the weight. The large cabin bag is limited to 8 kg including the bag, which is the tightest of the big European carriers and the reason a heavy wheeled suitcase is the wrong tool for this airline. ✈️
This guide is the 2026 rules by fare, the fees, the new power-bank limits that apply on Eurowings since January, why 8 kg changes which case you should carry, and nine packing tricks that make the allowance work. Figures are the published policy at the time of writing; Eurowings adjusts fees by route and date, so your booking confirmation is the only version that applies to your flight.
Part 1: The rules in one place
The free small bag: 40 x 30 x 25 cm, every fare
Every passenger in every fare, BASIC included, may bring one small item that fits under the seat in front: maximum 40 x 30 x 25 cm including wheels, handles and outside pockets. There is no published weight limit; it has to be something you can lift and stow yourself. At 25 cm deep it is a more generous underseat allowance than Ryanair's or Vueling's 20 cm, and a small hard case fits it easily.
The large cabin bag: 55 x 40 x 23 cm, 8 kg
The trolley-size bag goes in the overhead locker, measures up to 55 x 40 x 23 cm including wheels and handles, and weighs no more than 8 kg with the bag itself included. It is included in the SMART and BIZclass fares; in BASIC it is a paid add-on, bookable online from around 21 euros per sector (89 zloty, 20 francs, 231 kronor and so on, varying by route), or through the app or call centre after booking. BIZclass passengers may bring two large bags and get a reserved locker space. Small musical instruments within the dimensions can travel as the large bag.
Hold luggage, briefly
BASIC includes no checked bag; SMART includes one at 23 kg; BIZclass includes two at 32 kg each. Add-on checked bags in BASIC are sold by weight tier, with online prices starting in the high teens of euros for the lightest tiers and rising for 23 and 32 kg. Eurowings does not publish a strict linear dimension for standard checked bags; "commercially usual" suitcase sizes are accepted, oversized items go as bulky baggage. Book online; the airport price is higher.
Power banks: the 2026 change
Since 15 January 2026 Eurowings allows a maximum of two power banks per passenger in the cabin. Under 100 Wh no approval is needed; 100 to 160 Wh requires prior notification to the airline; over 160 Wh is prohibited. Power banks never go in the hold. The general rules and how to read the watt-hour figure are in power banks in carry-on baggage.
The gate
Size is checked with a sizer and, more than on most airlines, the large bag is weighed. A bag that exceeds the allowance, or a large bag carried in BASIC without the add-on, goes in the hold at the gate for a fee several times the online price. Enforcement is consistent at the German hubs. We explained how the process works in how airlines measure baggage and when they charge fees.
What is coming
EU institutions agreed in mid-2026 that from 2027 a personal item plus a small cabin bag should be included in every base fare. It is not yet in force, and Eurowings' BASIC fare still charges for the large bag. Until it is reflected in the airline's own policy, the 2026 allowance above applies.
Part 2: The 8 kg problem
Why weight, not size, decides the case on Eurowings
Fifty-five by forty by twenty-three is the standard European trolley size; almost every carry-on and most hard cases fit it. But 8 kg including the bag is two kilos less than Vueling, seven less than easyJet. A typical wheeled cabin suitcase weighs 3 to 4 kg empty, a wheeled hard case 4 to 5.5 kg. Subtract that from 8 and you are packing 2.5 to 5 kg of contents, which is a laptop, a charger and a change of clothes. The empty weight of the case is the biggest line in the packing list on this airline.
What this means for Peli cases
The Peli 1510, the classic wheeled carry-on, weighs over 5 kg with foam; on Eurowings it leaves under 3 kg for contents and is the wrong choice unless the contents are light. The Peli Air series exists for exactly this problem: the Air 1535 wheeled carry-on is around 4 kg, and the wheel-less Air 1525 and Air 1485 are around 2.5 and 2 kg, all within 55 x 40 x 23. The 1500 and 1520 Protector cases at about 3 kg also work. On Eurowings, the Air range is the case range; the extra kilo or two of contents it allows is the difference between a working kit and a hold fee.
The 25 cm underseat bag is the hidden allowance
Because the small bag has no published weight limit, heavy dense items (chargers, camera batteries, a lens, a book, toiletries) belong in it rather than in the 8 kg trolley. Pack the small bag heavy and the large bag light, and both pass.
Part 3: Nine packing tricks for the Eurowings allowance
1. Weigh the large bag packed, on a scale, before you leave
Eurowings weighs it more often than most. A bathroom scale and a lift-and-subtract is enough. If it reads 8.4 kg, move something to the small bag or your pockets now, not at the gate.
2. Heavy things in the small bag, bulky things in the big one 🧳
The small bag has no weight limit and 30 litres of volume. The large bag has 8 kg and 50 litres. Batteries, chargers, cables, toiletries, books, a lens: small bag. Clothes and shoes: large bag. It is the opposite of how most people pack and it is the only way the numbers work.
3. Choose the lightest case that protects the contents
A 2 kg Air 1485 or 2.5 kg Air 1525 leaves 5.5 to 6 kg for contents. A 5 kg wheeled case leaves 3. On Eurowings, giving up wheels is worth two extra kilos of kit.
4. Decide at booking whether you need SMART
SMART includes the large cabin bag and a 23 kg hold bag; the price difference over BASIC plus a cabin bag add-on is often small, and on longer trips SMART is frequently the cheaper route to both bags. Do the sum at booking, not at the airport.
5. Wear the heavy layers
Coat, boots, jumper: on your body, not in the 8 kg. The oldest trick, and on Eurowings it is worth a kilo and a half.
6. Two power banks, both under 100 Wh, both labelled
Since January 2026 the limit is two per person. Under 100 Wh needs no approval; check the label for the Wh figure or calculate it (mAh x V / 1000). Contacts protected, in the cabin, never in the hold. A small sealed case for the two power banks and the cables is the tidy way to present them at security.
7. Liquids on top, in one bag
The 100 ml rule with a one-litre bag still applies at most German and Austrian airports, with newer scanners at some terminals relaxing it. Rules are per airport; the current state is in how liquid limits work at different airports.
8. Know what is hold-only
Tools, knives and scissors with blades over 6 cm, most sports gear. On a cabin-only BASIC trip there is no hold bag to move them to. The list is in what can you take in carry-on baggage.
9. Board with the bags in the right place
Small bag under the seat, large bag in the locker, wheels first. In BIZclass the locker space is reserved; everywhere else, boarding late with a large bag means the crew may gate-check it for space, without a fee but without your bag in reach.
Travel suitcases for a Eurowings trip, and the wallet for your pocket
The 1535TRVL and HC22 are cabin-size for the large bag on SMART and BIZclass; the HC25 is the checked bag. Check the empty weight on each product page and subtract it from 8 kg before you pack.
Part 4: Which fare, which bag
| Fare | Small bag 40 x 30 x 25 | Large bag 55 x 40 x 23, 8 kg | Hold bag |
|---|---|---|---|
| BASIC | Included | Paid add-on, from about 21 euros online | Paid, by weight tier |
| SMART | Included | Included (one) | Included, one at 23 kg |
| BIZclass | Included | Included (two), reserved locker space | Included, two at 32 kg |
Part 5: Three trips, three packing plans
Düsseldorf to Mallorca for a long weekend, BASIC
One soft bag within 40 x 30 x 25 or a Peli 1400 with clothes rolled around it: three days of clothes, washbag, charger, book. Coat worn. No add-on. If the trip needs a second bag, price BASIC plus the cabin bag against SMART before booking; on many routes SMART is the better deal once you want the trolley at all.
A week in Vienna on SMART
The 23 kg hold bag takes the clothes and shoes. The large cabin bag, at 8 kg, takes the things that must not go in the hold: laptop, camera, medication, documents, and the two power banks. A Peli Air 1525 at about 2.5 kg leaves 5.5 kg for those, which is plenty. The small bag under the seat carries what you want in flight.
A photographer flying BASIC with a camera kit
This is where 8 kg bites. A body, two lenses and batteries weigh 3 to 4 kg; the case has to weigh under 4. A Peli Air 1485 with dividers at about 2 kg does it, with the batteries in a 1200 in the underseat bag to keep the large bag under the limit. A 1510 with foam does not; it is over 5 kg before the first lens. Buy the cabin bag add-on at booking, weigh the packed case, and keep the tripod for the hold or at home.
Light hard cases for the 8 kg large cabin bag (55 x 40 x 23 cm)
Empty weights are approximate and depend on the interior (foam, dividers or empty); check the product page for the exact figure and subtract it from 8 kg to know what you can pack.
Part 6: Seven mistakes that cost money at a Eurowings gate
Bringing the trolley in BASIC without the add-on
The most common one. BASIC is the small bag only. The trolley goes in the hold at the gate for a fee.
Packing 10 kg because the last airline allowed it
Eurowings is 8, and it weighs. Two kilos over is the difference between the locker and the hold.
Counting the 8 kg without the case
The bag's own weight counts. A 5 kg case with 4 kg inside is 9 kg.
Three power banks
Since January 2026 the limit is two. The third is confiscated at security or refused at the gate.
A 100 to 160 Wh power bank without notification
Allowed only with prior notification to the airline. Most large "laptop" power banks fall in this band; check the label.
Buying the hold bag at the airport
Online tiers start in the high teens of euros; the airport price is far higher and the choice of tiers is smaller.
Assuming a laptop bag rides free on top of the trolley in BASIC
In BASIC the laptop bag is the small bag. Only SMART and BIZclass give you both a small bag and a trolley.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Peli 1510 fit Eurowings?
By size, it is at the edge of 55 x 40 x 23 and usually passes the sizer; by weight, at over 5 kg empty with foam, it leaves less than 3 kg for contents under the 8 kg limit. For Eurowings, the Air 1535 or a wheel-less Air case is the better choice.
Is there a weight limit on the small bag?
No published limit; it must be something you can lift and stow. Put the heavy items there.
Can I add the large cabin bag after booking?
Yes, through the app or call centre, at the online price. At the gate it becomes a hold bag with a gate fee.
How many batteries can I bring besides power banks?
Eurowings treats power banks as batteries with the two-per-person rule; spare lithium batteries for cameras and drones under 100 Wh are allowed in the cabin in reasonable quantity, individually protected against short circuit. Check the airline's dangerous-goods page for the current count.
Is SMART worth it just for the cabin bag?
Often, because SMART also includes a 23 kg hold bag and better seat choice; compare BASIC plus the cabin add-on against SMART for your dates before deciding.
Do children get the same allowance?
Every passenger with a seat gets the small bag and, depending on fare, the large bag. Infants without a seat have their own smaller allowance; check the booking.
Checklist before you leave for the airport
- ✅ Fare checked: BASIC (small bag only) or SMART / BIZclass (trolley included)
- ✅ Small bag within 40 x 30 x 25 cm; heavy items in here
- ✅ Large bag within 55 x 40 x 23 cm and under 8 kg including the case, weighed at home
- ✅ Maximum two power banks, under 100 Wh each, labelled, contacts protected, in the cabin
- ✅ Liquids in a one-litre bag on top; no hold-only items
- ✅ Coat and heavy shoes worn
- ✅ Hold bag bought online in the right tier if needed
- ✅ Small bag under the seat, large bag in the locker
The short version
One free bag, 40 x 30 x 25 cm, under the seat, every fare. A trolley, 55 x 40 x 23 cm and 8 kg including the bag, in SMART and BIZclass or as a paid add-on in BASIC. Two power banks, under 100 Wh. The trap is the 8: pick a case that weighs 2 to 3 kg, put the heavy items under the seat, weigh the trolley at home, and the allowance is enough. 🧳
Not sure what your case weighs with the interior you want? Send us the model and we will tell you, and what that leaves you under 8 kg.
