VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: New, tighter luggage rules for Economy from February 2026

If you’re one of those travellers who treat ‘carry-on only’ as an extreme sport, Virgin Australia is about to spoil your fun with new luggage rules.

From 2 February 2026, you are going to have to read the fine print on your ticket confirmation. What a pain.

Most Economy passengers will be limited to just one carry-on bag, plus a small personal item. The new rules aim to cut the chaos of overhead bins and make boarding smoother. That is, to try and stop passenger overhead locker Jenga. ,You know when some passengers located at the back of the plane fill the forward overhead bins with their luggage. And, then the passengers seated in the front of the cabin have to find space at the back of the aircraft for their bags. The downside is boarding and deplaning disorder. Our friends over at ET are reporting the change.

The new carry-on, one up, one down rules

Virgin’s new approach is what it calls ‘one up, one down’. Put your larger bag in the overhead locker, and your single small personal item (handbag, laptop bag or backpack) under the seat in front.

For most passengers in Economy, that means:

• 1 × main carry-on bag, up to 8 kg, overhead
• 1 × small personal item, fitting under the seat (max 45 × 33 × 20 cm)

That’s it. Disobey, and your hand luggage could end up in the hold. But the hope is for no more musical chairs with your suitcase in row 28 while you’re sitting in row 8.

Virgin uses a survey where nearly 80% of those questioned want stricter enforcement of cabin luggage rules. No surprises there.

Economy X and frequent flyers get upgraded to Business Class luggage allowance

It’s not all bad news. If you have paid the premium to be seated in Economy X, you’ll get the same cabin baggage perks as Business Class and top-tier Gold and above Velocity members.

That means:

• 2 × carry-on bags, total weight 14 kg (one piece can weigh up to 8 kg)
• 1 × small personal item (under-seat)

This also applies to Velocity Gold, Platinum and Platinum Plus members, and as well as those flying in Business Class.

It’s a smart move to add to the benefits that Economy X already offers, including priority boarding and reserved locker space.

Parents, strollers now count as one item

Flying with an infant? You’ll need to rethink how you organise your baby requisites with what goes on board.

From February, collapsible strollers will count as your one main carry-on bag. Previously, they were an allowable extra. Parents could bring an additional 7 kg of baby items, but that’s being replaced by one small personal item (like a nappy bag) instead. This will not make parents happy. I’m putting money on a reversal of this decision, in the name of family friendliness.

Virgin vs Qantas on Economy on board luggage allowances

Virgin claims it ‘benchmarked’ its new rules against other airlines — though when you put them side-by-side, Qantas still gives you a little more wiggle room.

Here is a comparison table on in cabin luggage, which comes at no charge with your ticket on both Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin.

Airline	Cabin	Carry-on pieces	Weight limit	Personal item	Notes on change
Virgin Australia (from Feb 2026)	Economy	1 bag	8 kg	Yes (fits under seat)	Extra 1 kg but one bag only
	Economy X	2 bags	14 kg total (max 8 kg each)	Yes	Same as Business & Velocity Gold+
	Business	2 bags	14 kg total (max 8 kg each)	Yes	Unchanged
Qantas	Economy	2 bags	10 kg limit per piece. 14 kg total	Yes	Garment bag as 2nd piece
	Business	2 bags	10 kg limit per piece. 14 kg total	Yes	Garment bag as 2nd piece
Jetstar	Economy	2 Bags	7kg total	Yes	Can upgrade to 14kg for fee

So while Virgin’s tightening the reins, Qantas still comes out ahead — especially with its new Airbus A321XLRs, which boast 60% larger overhead lockers. On those birds, Qantas promises there’s room for one wheelie bag per passenger, something Virgin’s 737s can only dream of.

Why Virgin’s making the change

Surprise, surprise, it’s all about making more money. Virgin is refitting its Boeing 737s to squeeze in up to 12 more Economy seats. That’s two more rows of 3-3 seating, to boost potential revenue. That means less overhead space per passenger overall.

Enforcing stricter carry-on limits helps avoid the mid-cabin game of bin Tetris, or luggage Jenga that often delays boarding and clogs aisles on arrival.

While passengers are trying to load less luggage in the hold to avoid extra charges and speed their exit from the airport, airlines are working in the opposite direction. They are trying to maximise their income by increasing seat capacity and charging for luggage. It’s part of a worldwide airline trend of cracking down on over-stuffed carry-ons to keep flights on time and crew less cranky.

2PAXfly Takeout

If you’re an occasional holidaymaker, you probably won’t mind checking a bag. But for frequent flyers and business travellers, this change could be a hassle, especially if you’re used to zipping through security with two pieces of handluggage, and nothing checked in.

Still, Economy X just got a little more attractive, particularly with its newly matched Business Class baggage allowance. For $30–50 more per leg, you can keep your bags close at hand. For some, that’s an OK deal, however it makes the Qantas/Virgin/Jetstar choice more borderline.

I have often found that once you consider what you are not getting with Virgin and Jetstar, it makes the extra expense of Qantas, with more inclusions worth considering. That is, of course if you value the Qantas inclusions like, meal, booze cabin luggage and seat allocation. Always compare like with like.