Duty free · checked 20 Oct 2026
Duty free and your free baggage
Duty-free shopping and a free under-seat bag can live happily together. Some airlines let you carry one duty-free bag on top of your allowance; others expect it to go inside your bag. Know your airline’s rule before you shop, and you won’t be repacking at the gate.
01
Check before you shop
Find your airline below. If duty free must fit inside your bag, leave space for it when you pack.
02
Keep it small
Even where an extra bag is allowed, it still has to fit under the seat or in the locker, and gate staff have the final say.
03
Keep liquids sealed
Leave bottles in the sealed security bag with the receipt inside until you reach your final destination.
Rules by airline
From each airline’s official pages. to re-check marks rows where part of the answer is low-confidence. Quoted wording is the airline’s own.
| Airline | Extra duty-free bag allowed? | Must duty free or a handbag fit inside your bag? | Gate fee (extra or oversize) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryanair | YesOfficial wording: 'Your duty-free bag containing duty-free items is permitted in the cabin along with your cabin bags.' No size or quantity limit is stated. Free small bag is 40x30x20cm, under the seat. | No for duty-free, per current help page. Handbags and laptop bags ARE the free small bag; there's no separate handbag allowance. | 10kg bag brought to the gate without a booked allowance: refused or put in the hold for €/£46–75. Oversize bag over 55x40x20cm: €/£70–75. A small bag that fails the sizer: refused, or hold for a fee. | Source 2 3 4Checked 20 Oct 2026 |
| easyJet | YesOfficial 'Handheld belongings' list: 'umbrella, overcoat, crutches, walking stick, one standard bag of goods bought at the airport' may be brought in addition. ONE standard airport-shop bag; no size given. Cabin bags themselves: max two per person (free small bag 45x36x20cm, 15kg, under seat, plus a paid or included large bag 56x45x25cm). | No for one standard airport-purchase bag or an overcoat. Handbag, rucksack and laptop bag ARE the small cabin bag. | Large cabin bag at the gate: £60. Any non-purchased or oversized bag at the gate goes in the hold for the airport bag fee (Fees page; snippet shows £48 – unconfirmed). | Source 2Checked 20 Oct 2026 |
| Wizz Airto re-check | YesConditions of carriage list 'duty free items bought in the airside departure lounge, after passing through the security check' as a free 'small size Personal Property'. Airside purchases only; no size figure given. Free carry-on is 40x30x20cm, 10kg. | Handbag, laptop bag, purse and small backpack ARE the free carry-on. A coat may be carried in addition. A neck pillow must fit inside the bag. | Oversize or extra item: excess fee at the gate per the website (amount not shown on pages read – unconfirmed; secondary sources say about €65). WIZZ Priority bought at the airport costs €65–75. | Source 2 3Checked 20 Oct 2026 |
| Transavia | Yes'You can also always take an umbrella, a walking stick and one bag with duty free items on board.' One bag. Hand luggage 40x30x20cm, 10kg (combined 10kg with a paid 55x40x25 cabin bag). | No for one duty-free bag. Handbag and small backpack ARE the personal item. | Over size or weight: surcharge of €70 or more at the gate, bag goes in the hold. | SourceChecked 20 Oct 2026 |
| Virgin Atlantic | YesBaggage guide lists 'A small amount of duty free goods' among extras, along with a coat and a handbag 'as you would normally use it'. Economy hand bag is 10kg, 56x36x23cm. | No – a handbag or small backpack (used normally) and a small amount of duty-free are extras. | Not confirmed – check with the airline | SourceChecked 20 Oct 2026 |
| Norwegian | Yes'Everyone can also bring one airport shopping bag in addition to their ticket type allowance.' One bag. Underseat bag 30x40x20cm; combined hand-baggage weight 10kg (LowFare/LowFare+) or 15kg (Flex). | No for one airport shopping bag. Handbag and laptop bag are the underseat bag. | Not confirmed – check with the airline | SourceChecked 20 Oct 2026 |
| Air France | Yes'Not considered hand baggage or a small bag, but may be carried in the cabin: ... 1 bag of duty-free items purchased on board or at the airport.' One bag. Small bag 40x30x15cm; total 12kg in Economy. | No for one duty-free bag. A coat being worn is also extra. Purse, soft bag or satchel = the small bag. | Oversize hand baggage must be checked in and 'may result in additional fees' (amount unconfirmed). | SourceChecked 20 Oct 2026 |
| Jet2 | No10kg hand luggage 56x45x25cm, plus one small under-seat bag 40x30x20cm 'such as a handbag, laptop bag or airport purchase'. | The airport purchase IS the under-seat bag option. It's not listed as an additional item (so a handbag plus a duty-free bag on top of the 10kg bag is unconfirmed). | Oversize or overweight hand luggage goes to the hold; a charge 'may' apply. Secondary sources say £45/€55 – unconfirmed. | Source 2 3Checked 20 Oct 2026 |
| Vueling | NoFree underseat bag 40x30x20cm; overhead bag 55x40x20cm, 10kg, if booked. The 'as well as your hand luggage' list (umbrella, crutches, medical devices, wheelchair, up to 2 ensaimadas) does NOT include duty-free. | Yes in effect – duty-free isn't listed as an extra item. | Underseat bag over 40x30x20 at the gate: €60–75 per item per flight. Any bag over 55x40x20: €110–140. The fee also applies to any piece not booked in advance. | Source 2Checked 20 Oct 2026 |
| Aer Lingus | NoOne small personal item 40x30x20cm, 'e.g. small handbag, laptop, duty free or baby changing bag', plus a 10kg 55x40x24 bag if booked or included. | Duty-free is listed as an example OF the one small personal item, not as an extra. | 10kg bag brought to the gate without the allowance: €35 to put it in the hold (Europe). On Saver fares, a 10kg bag can be dropped at check-in free. | SourceChecked 20 Oct 2026 |
| British Airways | NoStandard: one handbag/laptop bag (40x30x15cm) plus one cabin bag (56x45x25cm), each up to 23kg (sizes not re-read today – unconfirmed). Basic short-haul fares: handbag only (unconfirmed). | Yes: 'Duty-free purchases count towards your hand baggage allowance, so please store them inside your bag before boarding.' | Extra bags may be checked into the hold; if you've used your free checked allowance, you pay for extra bags (amount varies, unconfirmed). | SourceChecked 20 Oct 2026 |
| Lufthansa | No'Your purchases made in the Duty Free area are not considered an additional permitted item of baggage and ... the permitted amount of carry-on baggage may not be exceeded.' Personal item 40x30x15cm; carry-on 55x40x23cm, 8kg (Economy Basic short-haul: personal item only). | Yes – duty-free must stay within the allowance. Lufthansa lists shopping bags as personal items, to go under the seat. | Non-compliant carry-on goes in the hold at your expense: EUR 60–110 / USD 75–125 depending on route. Credit card only. | SourceChecked 20 Oct 2026 |
| TUI Airways | Not confirmed – check with the airlineOne 10kg hand bag 55x40x20cm, plus one small personal item 40x30x20cm under the seat. Duty-free liquids must stay in the sealed security bag with the receipt. | Not confirmed – check with the airline | Oversize or overweight bag goes to the hold; 'a charge may apply' (amount unconfirmed). | Source 2Checked 20 Oct 2026 |
| Loganairto re-check | Not confirmed – check with the airlineCabin bag up to 6kg, 40x35x18cm, plus a small handbag (Fly Flex+ also allows a slimline laptop bag). No duty-free rule stated. | Not confirmed – check with the airline | Not confirmed – check with the airline | SourceChecked 20 Oct 2026 |
| SAS | Not confirmed – check with the airlineUnderseat bag 40x30x15cm (18L); carry-on 55x40x23cm, 8kg (not on Economy Light in Europe unless bought). The official page read today doesn't mention duty-free. | Not confirmed – check with the airline | Carry-on bought at the airport or gate: €45–55 (or DKK/NOK/SEK equivalent) depending on route. Too big or heavy: goes in the hold for a fee. | SourceChecked 20 Oct 2026 |
| KLM | Not confirmed – check with the airlineSmall bag 40x30x15cm plus hand baggage 55x35x25cm; combined 12kg (Basic: small bag only). 'Can I bring tax-free purchases? Absolutely.' | Not confirmed – check with the airline | Too large or heavy: must be checked in for a fee (amount unconfirmed). On full flights, compliant bags may be gate-checked free. | SourceChecked 20 Oct 2026 |
| Eurowingsto re-check | Not confirmed – check with the airlineBasic includes one small bag (40x30x25cm reported). Official page blocked by a bot check today. | Not confirmed – check with the airline | Not confirmed – check with the airline | SourceChecked 20 Oct 2026 |
| Voloteato re-check | Not confirmed – check with the airlineFree small bag 40x30x20cm under the seat; with Priority, plus a 55x40x25 bag (combined 10kg). Official page blocked today. | Not confirmed – check with the airline | Not confirmed – check with the airline | SourceChecked 20 Oct 2026 |
| Iberia Expressto re-check | Not confirmed – check with the airlinePersonal item 40x30x15cm under the seat, plus a 10kg cabin bag 56x40x25cm (per the Iberia Express blog). Duty-free liquids must be in the sealed bag with the receipt. | Not confirmed – check with the airline | Not confirmed – check with the airline | Source 2Checked 20 Oct 2026 |
Notes for each airline
- Ryanair
- Ryanair's older stance (that duty-free must fit in your bag) is often repeated online. The official help centre now says the duty-free bag is permitted alongside cabin bags. Gate staff decide; the bag still needs to be stowable.
- easyJet
- CORRECTED 2026-10-20: the earlier version said there was no exemption. The 'Handheld belongings' section of the official page lists one standard bag of airport purchases.
- Wizz Air
- Airport rules may be stricter and prevail (GCC 15.2.6).
- Virgin Atlantic
- Source is Virgin's official baggage PDF for bookings from 9 Dec 2019. It's still hosted, but a current help-centre page wasn't read – re-check.
- Jet2
- Busy flights may move 10kg bags to the hold (free) unless you've bought Guaranteed Cabin Luggage. At Prague, duty-free liquids up to 1L are allowed onboard if they stay in the sealed bag (official Jet2 airport page).
- Lufthansa
- Any bag brought to the gate counts as carry-on.
- TUI Airways
- TUI advises asking security to reseal duty-free if you connect.
- Loganair
- Small turboprops have limited cabin space.
- SAS
- SAS's official FAQ says bottles of alcohol must go in checked baggage unless they meet the liquid rules. The duty-free STEB exemption isn't mentioned there.
- KLM
- KLM recommends having tax-free purchases sealed in the shop if you transfer; some airports confiscate unsealed items.
- Eurowings
- Re-check the official page in a browser.
- Volotea
- Re-check the official page in a browser.
- Iberia Express
- Iberia group pages cover Iberia mainline. Iberia Express's own baggage page wasn't read.
Sealed security bags (STEBs)
Liquids bought airside, such as perfume or spirits, are usually handed to you in a sealed, tamper-evident bag (a “STEB”). Here’s how to keep them through security.
The basics (UK)
Keep the receipt sealed inside the bag where it can be seen, and don’t open it until you reach your final destination. Security staff may still open items to screen them.
Connecting in the EU
If you bought liquids outside the EU (at an airport or on board) and change planes at an EU airport, they must be in a sealed security bag from the point of purchase, with the receipt inside. Some airports confiscate unsealed items.
Connecting in the USA
Duty-free liquids over 100 ml can stay in your hand baggage only if they were bought internationally within the last 48 hours, sealed by the shop in a clear tamper-evident bag with the receipt, and unopened. They still have to clear screening, and the TSA recommends putting them in checked baggage when you can.
Don’t forget the way home
Your UK airport may allow containers up to 2 litres, but your return airport may still limit liquids to 100 ml. Pack for the strictest airport on your trip.
Sources, checked 20 Oct 2026: gov.uk · lufthansa.com · klm.com · tsa.gov.
Airline rules change often and gate staff have the final say on what fits. Check your airline’s own page and your booking before you fly.