How to get around with max. 7 kg of luggage
Since mid-2017 I am traveling with carry-on luggage only, whenever I am going on a flight. This means you need to know, how many ounces can you bring on a plane? To stay below the 7 kg or 15 pounds limit of the airline, and depending on the type of airplane, sometimes it is only 5 kg on domestic flights.
Traveling minimalistic = freedom
Travel with light luggage is very convenient and this minimalism gives me a feeling of freedom. For me, it’s not the freedom to buy and keep everything I want. I rather save the money an live on its interest. In fact, the most material stuff keeps dragging us down. It rather satisfies the need for security, but this is a fallacy:
- If the tiger spots the two of us, who can run faster?
- You with a lot of luggage or me with a little?
- Wouldn’t it be smart to leave it all behind?
That’s ok in the jungle, but not if you are in a hurry running to your gate, after getting stuck in a traffic jam on the way to the airport, in case the security control took ages or after hopping on the wrong tube on my way to London Gatwick airport. I experienced that last year and it was convenient to run to the check-in counter – it was even less convenient that the gate was already closed by the time I arrived.
Reduction of luggage saves resources and money, due to the trend that most budget airlines ask you pay extra already for the first piece of check-in luggage, some of them up to 40 €. So it saves you 80 € on a return trip. For that kind of money, you can buy the things from the drug store at your destination e. g. sun protection, insect repellant, shampoo or toothpaste, a second pair of shoes, another pair of pants and a rain cape in rainy season if needed. You can leave all of it behind on your way back. In most Asian countries those items are anyway much cheaper than in Europe.
How many ounces can you bring on a plane?
The international size limitations in economy class are mostly:
- one bag
- up to 7 kg and
- a size of 55 cm x 36 cm x 23 cm, or 22 inches * 14 inches * 9 inches
- which slightly varies depending on the airline, here some examples:
| Cathay Pacific | 1 cabin bag + 1 personal item | 56cm x 36cm x 23cm | 7kg |
| China Airlines | 1 cabin bag | 56cm x 36cm x 23cm | 7kg |
| Emirates | 1 cabin bag | 55cm x 38cm x 20cm | 7kg |
| Etihad Airways | 1 cabin bag + 1 personal item | 50cm x 40cm x 25cm | 7kg |
| Fiji Airways | 1 cabin bag + 1 personal item | 55cm x40cm x 23cm | 7kg |
| Garuda Indonesia | 1 cabin bag + 1 personal item | 56cm x 36cm x 23cm | 7kg |
| Japan Airlines | 1 cabin bag + 1 personal item | 55cm x 40cm x 25cm | 10kg |
| Jetstar | 1 cabin bag + 1 personal item | 55cm x 36cm x 23cm | 7kg |
| KLM | 1 cabin bag | 55cm x 35cm x 25cm | 12kg |
| Lufthansa | 1 cabin bag + 1 personal item | 55cm x 40cm x 23cm | 8kg |
| Malaysia Airlines | 1 cabin bag + 1 personal item | 55cm x 35cm x 25cm | 7kg |
| Qantas | 1 cabin bag + 1 personal item | 48cm x 34cm x 23cm | 7kg |
How many ounces can you bring on a plane?
How to reduce your luggage by another 2 kg?
I found a way to reduce the weight of your luggage by another 2 kg, to get even on a flight with a 5 kg limitation. This trick shown in the video can be used as well to reduce the weight of the luggage from 9 kg to 7 kg, e. g. on the way back home if you added some souvenirs to your luggage. So far it worked for me always, even on the airlines, who don’t explicitly allow one additional personal item.
Navigation at your destination
To be able to navigate with Google Maps upon arrival, independent from a WiFi/UMTS connection, it is necessary to download the maps onto your mobile phone before your departure, preferably using a WiFi connection. This video explains how to do it: