Budget airlines rarely announce a fee. They announce a change, and you work out afterwards that it costs you money. Jetstar's announcement today is a clean example — and because Jetstar Airways flies out of Changi to Melbourne, Perth and Bali, it lands on Singapore travellers as much as Australian ones.
> Quick view: from flights departing 2 February 2027, every Jetstar Airways (JQ) fare includes one underseat bag only (up to 40 x 30 x 20cm) · a second, larger overhead bag (up to 56 x 36 x 23cm) needs the paid Priority Carry-on, from A$25 (~S$23) one-way, route-dependent and limited per flight · the 7kg limit goes but a 10kg-per-item limit stays · flights booked before 5 August 2026 departing after the switch get Priority Carry-on free, with refunds on any +7kg add-on already paid.
What Jetstar actually announced
The airline is dropping its 7kg carry-on weight limit and moving to what it calls a size-based model, "similar to other leading low-fares carriers around the world". From 2 February 2027, every JQ booking includes one underseat bag at no extra cost — a backpack, handbag or laptop bag, up to 40 x 30 x 20cm.
Anything beyond that is a purchase. Customers who need a second bag, or whose bag simply does not fit the underseat dimensions, buy Priority Carry-on, which allows one larger bag in the overhead locker up to 56 x 36 x 23cm and puts you among the first to board.
Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully framed it as choice: "travelling with less means paying less", with the option to add more if you need it. The airline points to its own research, in which customers and crew named gate weighing and hunting for locker space as the most stressful parts of the airport experience.
The prices Jetstar has published
Priority Carry-on starts at A$25 one-way on selected flights and varies by route. Jetstar's own examples, all one-way:
| Route | From |
|---|---|
| Launceston to Sydney | A$25 |
| Adelaide to Brisbane | A$26 |
| Sydney to Melbourne | A$33 |
| Perth to Bali (Denpasar) | A$39 |
| Cairns to Tokyo (Narita) | A$52 |
Two caveats sit in Jetstar's own fine print. Those are launch prices for buying Priority Carry-on at the time of booking, on select one-way flights travelling between 2 February and 18 March 2027, and they reflect availability at publication. They are also quoted on the basis of payment by PayID, Jetstar voucher, Jetstar Gift Card or Qantas Points redemption — other payment methods attract Jetstar's usual payment fee on top.
No Singapore-dollar price has been published. A$25 converts to roughly S$23, and the Perth–Bali example at A$39 (about S$35) is the closest published proxy for a medium-haul leisure route of the kind Changi passengers fly. Until the fee shows up in the Singapore booking flow, treat any SGD figure as an estimate.
The part the headlines are getting wrong
"Jetstar scraps 7kg limit" is only half the story. On Jetstar's own carry-on update page, the first FAQ is "Do I still need to weigh my carry-on?" — and the answer is yes. A 10kg limit per item remains for safety, and you must be able to lift and carry your own bags, including into the overhead locker.
So the honest summary is not "no more weight limit". It is:
- Today: 7kg across your carry-on, or 14kg over two items if you paid for or bundled the +7kg option
- From 2 Feb 2027: 10kg per item, judged mainly on size, maximum two items on board — with the second item now a paid extra
What genuinely disappears is the routine gate weigh-in: Jetstar says it will no longer routinely use cabin baggage scales. That is a real improvement to the boarding experience. It is not the same as an unlimited allowance.
The 5 August cutoff — today's date is the line
This is the single most actionable detail, and it is dated today.
For flights booked before 5 August 2026 that depart on or after 2 February 2027, Jetstar says you will receive Priority Carry-on regardless of your fare or bundle type, at no extra cost — and if you previously paid for the +7kg carry-on option, that purchase is refunded. Group bookings are excluded. There is nothing to do; Jetstar will send an updated itinerary and an email, and you can check the allowance in Manage booking.
Bookings made from today onward do not get that. If you are pricing a Jetstar fare for travel from February 2027 and you carry more than a laptop bag, the honest comparison is fare plus Priority Carry-on — which is exactly the arithmetic these unbundling moves are designed to obscure.
Everything else that changes
- Two items maximum on board, whatever you buy.
- Boarding order becomes Business Class (select international flights), then Priority Carry-on customers, then everyone travelling with an underseat bag only — subject to operational requirements.
- Priority Carry-on is capacity-limited and sells out per flight. If you booked a fare that includes it and then change flights, or your flight is disrupted, it may not be available on the new flight; Jetstar says it will offer alternative baggage options.
- At the gate with two bags but only an underseat allowance? You can upgrade to Priority Carry-on subject to availability. If it has sold out, or the bag is oversized, it gets checked and extra fees apply.
- Garment bags are allowed as a substitute for the overhead bag with Priority Carry-on, up to 114 x 60 x 11cm.
- Infants under two travelling on a lap get an underseat bag included from 2 February 2027.
- Checked baggage is unchanged, still purchasable up to 40kg per passenger.
- Jetstar Japan (GK) flights are not affected and keep the 7kg/14kg weight rules — so a JQ-to-GK connection carries two different allowances on one trip.
- Mixed-date returns: an outbound before 2 February 2027 follows the old weight rules; a return on or after it follows the new size rules.
What it means if you fly Jetstar out of Changi
Jetstar Airways' Singapore network is Melbourne, Perth and Bali (Denpasar), with onward connections across Australia — leisure routes where most people are not travelling with a laptop bag and nothing else. A week in Perth or Bali is a cabin-bag trip for a lot of Singaporeans, and from February 2027 that cabin bag has a price on it.
Three practical takeaways:
- If you booked before today for travel after 2 Feb 2027, do nothing but check your email. You are covered, and you may be owed a +7kg refund.
- From now on, compare total cost, not headline fare. A fare that looks S$20 cheaper than a rival stops being cheaper once an overhead bag is added.
- A genuine 40 x 30 x 20cm backpack is now a money-saving purchase. The free allowance is generous by underseat standards but strict on dimensions — measure before you assume, because at the gate the alternative is checked-bag fees.
*Photo: Jetstar official media assets. All figures and rules above are from Jetstar's media release of 5 August 2026 and its own carry-on update page — confirm current terms with Jetstar before booking, as prices and availability can change.*
