SYDNEY – Passengers travelling on Jetstar will now be able to double their carry-on baggage allowance from 7kg to 14kg after the Australian low-cost carrier introduced the option.
The increase sees Jetstar beat rival budget airline Tigerair’s offering, which allows for 7kg of carry-on luggage with the option to increase to 12kg.
Virgin Australia allows 7kg carry-on allowance for standard fares.
Jetstar’s option to increase the carry-on allowance to 14kg matches national carrier Qantas, who increased their carry-on limits in March this year for all domestic and international flights, with the exception of domestic Dash 8 services.
However, there’s a catch. Like Qantas’ requirements, no single carry-on bag on Jetstar can exceed 10kg. It means passengers who purchased the 14kg option must spread the weight over two bags.
While Jetstar travellers who purchased a flex bundle or business class ticket will automatically have a 14kg allowance, the add-on is not available on all routes and is also subject to availability.
The company website stated that “…if additional carry-on is sold out for your flight and your carry-on baggage exceeds your allowance, you’ll have to check in your carry-on baggage at a higher cost”.
While the fee to double your carry-on allowance is as low as A$19 (US$12.90) for some domestic fares, international routes like Sydney to Bangkok or Manila attract much higher fees at an additional A$67 and A$107 respectively each way.