Knowing Norwegian Air’s hand luggage rules before you fly can help you avoid unexpected fees at the airport. This guide explains cabin bag sizes, weight limits, fare allowances, and the rules for travelling with items such as pushchairs, musical instruments, and medication.
- Small under-seat bag: Up to 30 × 20 × 38 cm (12 × 8 × 15 in). Included with all fare types.
- Overhead cabin bag: Up to 55 × 40 × 23 cm (22 × 16 × 9 in). Included with LowFare+ and Flex fare types.
In this article
- Norwegian Air cabin bag size, weight, and allowance.
- Special hand luggage rules on Norwegian Air.
- Top three hand luggage tips for Norwegian Air.
- Norwegian hand luggage FAQs.
Norwegian Air cabin bag size, weight, and allowance.
As is the case with most European carriers, Norwegian’s baggage allowance, including the size and weight of your bags, depends on which ticket type you buy. The illustration and table here give you a clear overview of Norwegian Air’s dimensions and weight allowances.
What bags fit Norwegian’s under-seat size limit?
Norwegian refers to this under-seat bag as a personal item – it must measure no more than 30 × 20 × 38 cm (12 × 8 × 15 in) and fit under the seat in front of you.
If the overhead locker is full, Norwegian may check your cabin bag in at the gate. To make the most of your baggage allowance, see KAYAK’s guide to packing a suitcase.
Bag types that typically fit include slim laptop bags, small backpacks, and tote bags. A standard 40L rucksack is unlikely to fit under the seat. Soft-sided bags are usually the safest choice, as they can compress to fit the dimensions more easily than rigid-framed bags.
Which Norwegian fares include a cabin bag?
| Fare type | Underseat bag allowed | Overhead cabin bag allowed |
|---|---|---|
| LowFare | Yes | No |
| LowFare+ | Yes | Yes |
| Flex | Yes | Yes |
Special hand luggage rules on Norwegian Air.
Some items follow different baggage rules compared to Norwegian Air’s standard hand luggage allowance. Here’s what you need to know if you’re travelling with children, musical instruments, or medication.
Flying with children.
Hand luggage allowances for children flying with Norwegian Air depend on their age. Children under two don’t have a hand luggage allowance, but you can bring a reasonable amount of baby food and milk or formula for the flight. Children aged 2–11 have the same hand luggage allowance as adults travelling on the same fare.
Pushchairs and car seats are included in your ticket at no extra cost. If your ticket includes an overhead cabin bag, you can bring an approved pushchair or travel pram into the cabin instead of your cabin bag, or check these items into the hold free of charge.
Flying with musical instruments.
You can bring a relatively small musical instrument on board as long as it doesn’t exceed your fare type’s hand luggage allowance. You can also bring a larger instrument like a violin instead of hand luggage.
It can be slightly larger than a typical cabin bag but mustn’t exceed 90 × 35 × 20 cm (35 × 14 × 8 in) in size or weigh more than the permitted weight for your fare type.
Tips for travelling with a musical instrument:
- Use a hard case and pack your instrument securely so it won’t move around during the flight.
- Label your instrument with your name and phone number, including the international dialling code.
- Loosen the tension on string instruments and bows to help prevent damage.
- Make sure your travel insurance covers your instrument.
Flying with medication.
You can bring necessary medication on board at no extra cost, but you must follow Norwegian’s guidance. If in doubt, contact them for confirmation.
Keep all your medication in your hand luggage and, where possible, in its original packaging. Note that cabin crew aren’t allowed to administer your medication and cannot store it for you.
You can bring oxygen, respirator, ventilator, POC, or CPAP machines on board, but you must contact the airline beforehand to organise it. In such cases, you may also have to provide a medical certificate to confirm that you’re fit to fly.
Top three hand luggage tips for Norwegian Air.
from travel expert Duncan Madden
1. Pick the right fare and pack smart.
The difference between LowFare+ and Flex is weight, not bag size. Flex gives you an extra 5 kg, but no extra space. Before you book, do a practice pack to see how much your bag weighs.
Choosing a lightweight backpack instead of a heavy suitcase also leaves you more weight for your belongings and could save you from paying for a more expensive fare.
2. Pack only what you need.
Keep medicines, baby essentials, and valuables in your bag under the seat so that they’re always within easy reach. Leave bulky toiletries at home where you can – hand luggage liquid rules already limit what you can bring, and most everyday essentials can be bought at your destination.
Before you fly, check Norwegian’s restricted items list. You can also bring one airport shopping bag with duty-free purchases alongside your hand luggage allowance.
3. Travelling with a musical instrument? Get to the gate early.
Arriving at the gate early gives you the best chance of finding space in the overhead locker for your instrument. If the lockers are full, Norwegian may require you to check it into the hold, even if it’s fragile.
Norwegian hand luggage FAQs.
Norwegian’s baggage policy varies depending on the ticket type you purchase. If you purchased LowFare, you’re allowed one small under-seat bag. LowFare+ and Flex fare allow for a small under-seat bag and an overhead cabin bag, but Flex has higher weight limits.
No, a duty-free bag purchased at the airport does not count towards your baggage allowance. Norwegian permits one airport shopping bag (in the original retailer’s bag) in addition to your standard small bag or cabin bag allowance. It must be purchased airside (post-security), at the airport.
Norwegian Air is quite strict in applying its baggage and personal item weight and size policy. If your bags do exceed the size or weight limits of your fare type, you may be charged extra at the gate to check them into the hold.
Adding a cabin bag to a Norwegian LowFare fare costs extra and is cheapest when added at the time of booking – prices vary by route and date.
Buying it at the gate is significantly more expensive. LowFare+ and Flex fare include the cabin bag in the ticket price. Check Norwegian’s baggage charges page for current route-specific fees.
Norwegian follows the standard EU liquids rule: each liquid container must hold no more than 100 ml, and all containers must fit in a single, resealable, transparent 1-litre plastic bag – one bag per passenger.
This applies to all Norwegian flights departing from EU and EEA airports. Exceptions include baby food, breast milk, and prescription medication in sufficient quantities for the journey.
