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Travel & Airport English vocabulary · Luggage & Baggage Problems

Carry-on

Meaning in travel & airport english, with examples

/ˈkæri ɑːn/nounCore term

In travel & airport english, carry-on means: A small bag or suitcase you are allowed to take into the cabin of a plane with you, within the airline's size and weight limits.

In Turkish: kabin bagajı, el bagajı

How it is used

Mostly American; British English says hand luggage or cabin bag. Airlines set carry-on rules, for example one bag plus one personal item such as a handbag or laptop bag. An oversized carry-on may be taken at the gate and put in the hold.

Example sentences

  1. I'm only travelling with a carry-on, so I can go straight to security.

  2. Your carry-on is too big for the cabin, so we'll have to check it in.

Common collocations

  • carry-on bag
  • carry-on luggage
  • carry-on allowance
  • personal item
  • hand luggage
  • checked baggageBags you hand over at check-in or bag drop; they travel in the hold of the plane and you collect them at baggage claim after landing.
  • baggage allowanceThe amount of luggage, in number of bags and weight, that your ticket lets you take on a flight without paying extra.
  • overhead binThe closed storage space above the seats in a plane where passengers put their cabin bags and coats.
  • liquidsDrinks, creams, gels, sprays and pastes, which many airports allow in cabin bags only in small containers inside a clear plastic bag.

More terms: Luggage & Baggage Problems

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