Jetstar to Charge for Overhead-Bin Carry-on Bags From 2027

MELBOURNE — Jetstar Airways (JQ) will begin charging economy passengers who want to place a carry-on bag in an overhead locker, recasting its basic cabin-baggage allowance around one free item stored beneath the seat.

The policy is due to take effect in February 2027. Under the new model, passengers may bring a purse, laptop bag, or small backpack that meets Jetstar's specified under-seat dimensions without an additional charge. Travelers who need a larger cabin bag and overhead-bin space will have to buy a product called Priority Carry-on.

According to the Associated Press report on Jetstar's announcement, Priority Carry-on will start at A$25 one way, with the price varying by route. The product will include priority boarding and permit an overhead-bin bag weighing up to 10 kilograms.

What Changes for Passengers

Jetstar's current economy carry-on rules include as much as 7 kilograms across two items: one main bag measuring up to 56 by 36 by 23 centimeters for the overhead locker and one smaller item for storage under the seat. Some fares and add-ons include a higher 14-kilogram combined allowance, although no single item may exceed 10 kilograms.

The 2027 policy removes the standard overhead-bin bag from the basic allowance. That is the material change: a passenger traveling today with a compliant roller bag and a personal item under a basic economy allowance would need to alter that packing strategy or pay for Priority Carry-on after the new rules begin.

Jetstar has not published the complete route-by-route fee schedule in the sources reviewed for this draft. The airline's final dimensions for the free under-seat bag and the full list of fares or bundles that include Priority Carry-on were not detailed in the announcement reported by AP.

Boarding Process Is Part of the Product

Jetstar is not selling storage space alone. Priority Carry-on passengers will board earlier, giving them access to overhead lockers before travelers carrying only a free under-seat item.

Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully said the structure would make better use of limited locker space, streamline boarding, and help flights leave on time. The airline said surveys of passengers and staff identified gate-side bag weighing and difficulty finding overhead space among the more stressful parts of the airport experience, AP reported.

Eligible Priority Carry-on bags will no longer be weighed as passengers line up to board, according to the report. Size limits and the 10-kilogram maximum will still apply, meaning the policy changes where and how compliance is managed rather than eliminating cabin-baggage restrictions.

The operational logic is straightforward. When more customers arrive with cabin bags than the lockers can accommodate, agents and cabin crew must rearrange bags or move some items to the hold. Those interventions consume time during a tightly sequenced boarding process. Jetstar is attempting to control that demand before passengers reach the aircraft by linking larger cabin bags with a paid, earlier boarding group.

A More Unbundled Base Fare

The change pushes Jetstar's base fare further toward the model used by several ultra-low-cost carriers in the United States and Europe, where a small personal item is included but a full-size carry-on bag costs extra.

For fare comparisons, passengers will need to look beyond the headline ticket price. A traveler who requires an overhead bag must compare Jetstar's fare plus Priority Carry-on with competing fares that may already include a larger cabin allowance. Checked baggage may also be a relevant alternative, depending on the route and price offered during booking.

Jetstar says the approach allows customers to pay only for what they need. It also converts overhead-bin access into an ancillary product and reduces what is included for passengers who currently travel with a standard cabin bag at no extra charge.

What Happens Next

Jetstar has yet to detail in the sources reviewed how the policy will apply to existing reservations, connecting itineraries, and customers whose fare bundles already include additional cabin baggage.

Until those details are released, passengers should follow the allowance shown on their itinerary rather than assume the 2027 rules apply to current travel.