With the busiest travel period of the Vietnamese year fast approaching, Vietnam Airlines is moving to strictly enforce its carry on baggage rules ahead of Tet 2026. Tighter checks at check in counters, boarding gates and even at aircraft doors are being rolled out as the flag carrier prepares for a sharp surge in domestic and international passenger numbers around Lunar New Year, when overloaded cabin bags have historically slowed boarding and strained limited overhead bin space. For travelers planning to fly home for family reunions or head off on holiday during Tet, understanding the latest rules and how they are being enforced will be crucial to avoiding delays, repacking stress and unexpected fees at the airport.
Why Vietnam Airlines Is Tightening Carry On Controls Ahead of Tet
Tet is traditionally the most intense travel season in Vietnam, and early forecasts for 2026 point to demand that could surpass pre pandemic levels. Domestic routes linking Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and key provincial cities typically operate near full capacity for several weeks before and after Lunar New Year, while international flights from major regional hubs also see a spike in returning Vietnamese expatriates and tourists. In this environment, even small inefficiencies in boarding can cascade into delays across the network.
Vietnam Airlines has flagged overloaded and oversized carry on baggage as a recurring cause of congestion at security lines, boarding gates and inside the cabin. When passengers bring more than their allowance, gate agents are forced to tag and check bags at the last minute, slowing down the boarding process. Once on board, crews must often mediate disputes over overhead bin space and rearrange luggage to ensure doors can be safely closed before departure. The cumulative impact is longer turnarounds, missed slot times and delays that are especially disruptive in a tightly timed Tet schedule.
To protect its peak season operations, the airline is signaling a firmer stance on enforcement rather than introducing a wholly new allowance. The emphasis for Tet 2026 is on consistent application of existing rules across all domestic and international stations. That means passengers who may have previously slipped through with slightly overweight backpacks or multiple shopping bags are more likely to be stopped, weighed, measured and asked to check items into the hold.
Airport partners and Vietnam’s aviation regulator have also urged airlines to better manage cabin baggage during peak periods, both for safety and efficiency reasons. With Tet flights often operating at or near 100 percent seat occupancy, the margin for improvisation on board is thin. Strict cabin baggage control is one of the most direct levers carriers can pull to keep departures on time and cabins orderly when every seat and every bin is in use.
The Core Carry On Rules You Must Now Expect to Be Enforced
The foundation of Vietnam Airlines carry on policy has not changed, but the airline’s communications and internal briefings indicate that front line staff will be under instructions to apply the regulations more strictly in the lead up to and during Tet 2026. At its simplest, every passenger aged two and above is entitled to a limited combination of a main cabin bag and a small personal item, subject to both weight and size limits.
For most Economy class travelers on tickets issued before early May 2025, the standard allowance remains one main piece of carry on baggage plus one accessory, with a total combined weight of up to 12 kilograms. Business class and Premium Economy passengers typically enjoy a more generous total of up to 18 kilograms, spread over two main pieces plus one accessory, as long as no single piece exceeds 10 kilograms. These figures cover the majority of current tickets, especially for those who booked Tet travel well in advance.
However, an important adjustment now affects Economy and Premium Economy passengers on many itineraries for tickets issued or changed on or after 5 May 2025. Under the revised structure, which will apply to a growing share of Tet 2026 travelers, the airline has reduced the combined weight of the main carry on item and personal accessory to 10 kilograms on most routes outside Europe, Oceania and the Americas. The previous 12 kilogram limit still applies on those long haul corridors, but regional and domestic travelers need to assume a leaner hand baggage entitlement.
Across all classes and routes, the physical dimensions of carry on bags remain key. The main cabin piece must fit within 56 x 36 x 23 centimeters, while the personal item such as a laptop bag or small handbag should not exceed 40 x 30 x 15 centimeters. These size limits are designed around standard overhead bins and under seat spaces. With enforcement tightening, travelers can expect more frequent use of bag sizers and more firm refusals if wheels, hard shells or overstuffed compartments push a bag beyond the permitted measurements.
New Focus on Economy and Premium Economy After 2025 Policy Shift
The sharpest changes affecting Tet 2026 travelers sit in the Economy and Premium Economy cabins, where Vietnam Airlines has already announced a reduction in the carry on weight allowance for many itineraries. This policy, which took effect for tickets issued from 5 May 2025 onward, is central to the airline’s carry on crackdown narrative. While the number of pieces has not changed one main item plus one personal item the total permitted weight on many routes has dropped from 12 kilograms to 10 kilograms.
The airline has stressed that this tighter limit does not apply to flights between Vietnam and the United States, Europe and Australia, where Economy and Premium Economy passengers still enjoy the previous 12 kilogram combined allowance in recognition of longer flight times and higher checked baggage entitlements. For regional and domestic travelers, however, the 10 kilogram ceiling is now the benchmark that airport staff are expected to enforce. That makes it especially important for Vietnamese families shuttling gifts, specialty foods and personal belongings during Tet to differentiate between long haul and intra Asia or domestic rules.
Vietnam Airlines has promoted the revised allowance through customer channels and social media, advising passengers to pack with a scale and to shift heavier items into their free checked baggage wherever possible. As Tet approaches and airports grow busier, the airline is likely to reinforce these messages on booking pages, mobile apps and pre departure emails, warning that overweight cabin bags will be checked and may incur fees. The aim is to push compliance upstream, reducing arguments at the gate and minimizing last minute offloading of bags that exceed the new thresholds.
Premium Economy travelers, particularly on domestic routes where this product is increasingly offered, should pay close attention. While they enjoy a more comfortable cabin and higher checked baggage allowance, their cabin baggage rules are now broadly aligned with Economy on many routes governed by the post 2025 policy. Those who are used to relying on extra overhead bin space for work equipment or personal items will need to adjust and make fuller use of their checked allowance instead.
Special Cases: ATR72 Flights, Children and Families Traveling for Tet
Beyond the standard jet operations that dominate the Vietnam Airlines network, a number of Tet 2026 travelers will find themselves on regional services operated by smaller turboprop aircraft, notably the ATR72. On these flights, cabin storage is more limited and the airline applies stricter carry on rules. The typical allowance on ATR72 routes is capped at around 7 kilograms in total for carry on items, including one main piece and one personal item. This is significantly less than the 10 to 12 kilogram thresholds on larger Airbus and Boeing aircraft, and enforcement tends to be more rigid because bins and closets fill quickly.
Families should be particularly mindful of rules for infants and children, given the heavy family orientation of Tet travel. Vietnam Airlines distinguishes between infants under two years old without a separate seat and older children or infants with a booked seat. Infants not occupying a seat do not receive a full adult carry on allowance, but they are generally permitted one small hand item of up to around 3 kilograms that can include essential baby supplies such as milk, food and nappies. A fully foldable stroller or cradle that fits in cabin stowage may also be accepted, though if overhead space is unavailable the stroller will be tagged and carried in the hold at no extra charge.
Children aged two and above, along with infants occupying a separate seat, are normally entitled to the same carry on baggage allowance as adults in their respective class of service. For Tet 2026, however, parents should expect that those allowances will be scrutinized and enforced just as they are for adults. That means school age children carrying small suitcases or bulky backpacks may be asked to weigh and, if necessary, check their bags if the family’s combined cabin baggage clearly exceeds the limit.
Given the cultural importance of gifting at Lunar New Year, many families also travel with food items, decorations and presents that they prefer to keep close at hand. The airline’s renewed focus on safety and weight balance means that staff will be less likely to overlook additional plastic bags, gift boxes or shopping sacks brought into the cabin. To avoid stressful confrontations at the boarding gate with small children in tow, families are strongly advised to consolidate these items into checked baggage well before departure and to limit the number of loose carry on articles they attempt to bring on board.
How Enforcement Will Look at the Airport During Peak Season
In practical terms, the Tet 2026 carry on crackdown will be most visible at check in counters and boarding gates, where Vietnam Airlines has instructed staff to actively screen for overweight and oversized hand baggage. Passengers can expect more frequent requests to place cabin bags on scales and to insert suitcases or backpacks into metal sizing frames. Items that exceed the weight or size limits are to be tagged for checked transport, with agents advised not to make exceptions simply because flights are busy or boarding times are tight.
At security checkpoints, passengers may also notice airline and airport staff redirecting travelers with multiple large bags back to the check in area. While security personnel focus primarily on safety screening, they increasingly coordinate with carriers during peak seasons to flag obvious violations of cabin baggage rules. By the time passengers arrive at the gate, the expectation is that most non compliant items have already been removed from the cabin stream. However, gate staff retain the authority to make final checks and to insist that additional bags be checked if overhead bins are likely to be overloaded.
Enforcement extends onto the aircraft itself, particularly during the boarding process. Cabin crew will be under pressure to ensure that all luggage is properly stowed without blocking aisles, exits or the space under seats. If bins fill, they may call ground staff back to the aircraft door to offload extra bags into the hold, even if this means brief delays. Travelers accustomed to quietly slipping extra shopping bags into partially empty bins should not assume that this will be possible on crowded Tet flights, where every cubic centimeter of space is likely to be accounted for.
The airline is also expected to reinforce a long standing rule that passengers keep their personal items at their feet rather than occupying overhead space. In theory, only the main carry on piece should go into the bins, with laptops, handbags and small backpacks stored under the seat in front. During Tet operations, this rule becomes critical to maximizing shared space. Passengers who place all of their belongings in overhead lockers may be politely but firmly instructed to remove smaller items and keep them at their feet for the duration of the flight.
What Happens If Your Bag Is Over the Limit
For travelers arriving at the airport with overweight or oversized carry on luggage during the Tet 2026 surge, the likely outcome is that the bag will need to be checked in. Check in and gate agents are authorized to remove non compliant items from the cabin and process them as checked baggage, subject to standard checked baggage allowances and any applicable excess fees. In some cases, particularly for travelers who have already used their free checked allowance, this can add a significant and unwelcome cost at the last minute.
Even when additional fees are not charged because the passenger remains within their checked baggage entitlement, being forced to check a bag at the gate can be inconvenient. Travelers may need to remove valuables, electronics, travel documents and medications on the spot and transfer them into a smaller bag or personal item. This repacking, often done in crowded gate areas with limited seating, can be stressful and time consuming, especially for families and older passengers.
In extreme cases where both cabin and hold limits are exceeded or where baggage cannot be accepted for operational reasons, passengers may be denied boarding until they can reduce or redistribute their belongings. While such outcomes are rare, the pressure on operations during Tet makes airlines less flexible about bending rules. Vietnam Airlines is likely to adopt a consistent stance that the responsibility for compliance lies with the passenger, particularly since updated allowances and reminders have been widely communicated in advance of the holiday season.
For connecting itineraries involving partner airlines, non compliance with Vietnam Airlines rules on the initial segment can also have knock on effects. A bag checked unexpectedly at the gate may need to be re tagged or re screened for onward segments, introducing risks of delayed or mishandled baggage. Tet travelers with tight connections should be especially cautious about relying on cabin space for essential items and should instead build in redundancy by spreading important belongings across compliant carry on and checked bags.
Practical Packing Strategies to Avoid Problems This Tet
The most effective way to sidestep Vietnam Airlines carry on crackdown is to plan and pack with the strictest interpretation of the rules in mind. Travelers should begin by confirming the exact baggage allowance linked to their ticket, paying close attention to whether it was issued before or after the 5 May 2025 policy change and whether the itinerary includes long haul sectors to or from Europe, Oceania or the Americas. In ambiguous cases, it is prudent to assume the lower 10 kilogram allowance for Economy and Premium Economy carry on and to use a home scale to verify the combined weight of the main bag and personal item.
Once the weight budget is clear, travelers can prioritize keeping only essentials in the cabin. Important documents, medications, valuables, a change of clothes, compact electronics and basic personal items should take precedence. Heavier, less fragile belongings such as shoes, bulkier clothing, non perishable food gifts and sealed packaged goods are better shifted into checked baggage, where Vietnam Airlines generally offers generous allowances on both domestic and international routes. By deliberately front loading weight into the hold, passengers create a buffer that reduces the risk of unpleasant surprises at the gate.
Choosing the right type of cabin bag also matters. Soft sided suitcases or duffel style bags are more forgiving than hard shell cases when it comes to fitting within the 56 x 36 x 23 centimeter frame, especially if overhead bins are partially full. Travelers should avoid attaching multiple external pouches or overfilling expansion zippers that can push dimensions beyond the permitted limit. A slim, lightweight laptop bag, small backpack or handbag that clearly fits under the seat in front will generally be accepted as a personal item without issue.
For families, coordination is key. Rather than allowing every family member to bring multiple loosely packed bags, it is often easier to consolidate belongings into a manageable number of compliant cabin pieces and to check the rest. Parents should also think through what will be needed on board for children snacks, toys, spare clothes and concentrate these into one clearly designated family carry on and one compact personal bag, keeping their overall number of pieces and weight within the rules. This structured approach not only reduces the risk of enforcement friction but also makes navigating crowded terminals and boarding queues more manageable.
Looking Ahead: What Tet 2026 Travelers Should Expect
Vietnam Airlines intensified focus on carry on baggage ahead of Tet 2026 reflects broader trends in the airline industry, where carriers are increasingly unwilling to tolerate cabin baggage creep during peak periods. As air travel rebounds and aircraft once again depart full, the days of casually boarding with multiple oversized bags are fading. For Vietnam’s flag carrier, aligning actual passenger behavior with published rules is seen as essential to protecting operational reliability and on time performance during the all important Lunar New Year window.
Tet 2026 travelers should therefore expect a more disciplined, rules based experience at the airport and on board. That will likely include clearer signage about baggage rules at check in areas, more frequent announcements, and staff who are prepared to say no to excess or non compliant cabin bags even when passengers protest. While this may feel stricter than in past years, the payoff should be smoother boarding, fewer last minute scrambles to find space for luggage and more predictable departure times in a season when every minute counts.
For travelers who take the time to understand and respect the updated rules, the carry on crackdown should not be a source of anxiety. By packing thoughtfully, weighing bags in advance and planning to make full use of checked baggage allowances, passengers can navigate Vietnam Airlines Tet 2026 operations with minimal friction. In turn, a more orderly boarding process helps keep flights running on schedule, getting millions of Vietnamese and visitors alike where they want to be in time for family gatherings, holiday celebrations and the first moments of the Lunar New Year.
Ultimately, the message from Vietnam Airlines is straightforward. Tet is a time of movement, reunion and celebration across the country, but it is also a period of intense pressure on Vietnam’s aviation system. By cooperating with stricter carry on enforcement and packing within clearly defined limits, travelers play a direct role in keeping that system running smoothly. For anyone planning to take to the skies during Tet 2026, understanding what you can and cannot bring into the cabin is now as important as having a valid ticket and a confirmed seat.