Mistakes to avoid with carry-on luggage at the airport

Liquids: the rule is changing airport by airport

Since July 2025, several Italian airports — including Fiumicino, Malpensa, Linate, Bergamo, Catania, Bologna and Turin — have installed the latest generation scanners Hi-Scan 6040 CTiX, which allow you to keep liquid containers of up to 2 liters in your carry-on without having to take them out. The old 100 ml limit, however, remains in effect at airports not yet updated and, especially, for flights to the United States and Israel, where it's best to always follow the classic rules for transporting liquids in carry-on baggage to avoid the risk of confiscation.

Personal baggage dimensions change from airline to airline

Ryanair and Wizz Air accept only a free personal baggage of 40x30x20 cm to be kept under the seat, while easyJet is more generous with 45x36x20 cm and a maximum weight of 15 kg; for a larger cabin bag you almost always need a paid option like Priority. Finding this out at the gate, when the bag doesn't fit in the size checker, costs a surcharge that reaches €70 on Ryanair and Wizz Air and about €29 on easyJet.

Weight and prohibited items purchased during travel

The maximum weight of carry-on baggage — generally 10 kg on Ryanair and Wizz Air — is checked especially when the bag already looks at the limit of dimensions, creating additional queues right at times of heaviest traffic at the check. Similarly, items bought at a duty-free shop outside the EU during the outbound connection, such as alcohol or perfumes in bottles above the allowed threshold, can be confiscated at the return flight check if the bag is no longer sealed or exceeds the allowed volume.

If you're flying from or to an airport you don't know, verify your carry-on baggage dimensions on your airline's website before packing, not at the moment of packing: the difference between 40x30x20 and 45x36x20 cm is exactly what decides whether you pay a surcharge at the gate.