Jetstar's new rules, the Australian airline that applies the upper cabin compartment as a paid service

Jetstar aircraft. The Australian low-cost airline will charge passengers who want to use the upper cabin compartment from February 2027. Photo: Kyodo News.

JAKARTA - Jetstar passengers must prepare for new additional costs. Starting February 2027, putting a carry-on bag in the overhead bin of the Australian low-cost airline will no longer be automatically free.

Kyodo News, quoted Thursday, August 6, reported that the policy was taken after passengers and airline staff named the two most stressful things at the airport, namely bags that were weighed at the departure gate and the difficulty of finding space in the overhead bin.

Jetstar is the latest low-cost airline to impose a fee for carry-on bags in the cabin. Similar practices are common at a number of low-cost airlines in the United States and Europe.

Passengers can still carry a handbag, laptop bag, or small backpack without additional charge. The condition is that the bag is within the specified size and can be placed under the front seat.

However, passengers who want to use the upper compartment of the cabin must pay. The cost starts at 25 Australian dollars or around 18 US dollars for one way. The high rate depends on the flight route.

Bags stored in the overhead bin can weigh up to 10 kilograms. Jetstar said the bags were no longer weighed by airline staff when passengers queued to board the plane.

The old rule on the 7 kilogram weight limit will also be removed for small bags placed under passenger seats.

Kyodo News noted that airlines in Australia and New Zealand had previously imposed additional fees for checked baggage, seat selection, food, and some in-flight entertainment options.

However, aviation industry analyst Sharon Petersen said Jetstar was the first airline to charge a fee for the use of overhead bins.

"This policy will trigger a reaction because Australian travelers have very high expectations," said Petersen, CEO of AirlineRatings.com.

According to Petersen, Australian passengers have long been accustomed to full service from the airline.

"For a very long time they have lived in a bubble that only contains full service options," Petersen said.

Jetstar said the new rules would reduce queues and confusion at departure gates. The airline also assessed that the overhead bin space could be used more efficiently and boarding the plane became smoother.

"By giving customers one bag under the seat and the option to add Priority Carry-on, we can better utilize overhead bin space, streamline boarding, and help more flights depart on time," Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully said.

Priority Carry-on is an additional service to bring a bag into the cabin and use the overhead compartment.

Tully said this policy allows customers to only pay for the services they need.

However, Petersen assessed that Jetstar's position is different from European low-cost airlines that have implemented similar rules. The basic price of Jetstar tickets, said Petersen, is generally still higher than Ryanair or Wizz Air.

"Jetstar's starting prices are generally well above what Ryanair or Wizz Air can offer. Mostly because Australia doesn't have that level of competition, as well as because wages, taxes and operating costs are much higher here," said Petersen.