BUDGET airline Jetstar is giving passengers two choices with its new baggage policies: pack a thin suitcase or a fat wallet.

From next week, carry-on baggage limits on all Jetstar flights will be cut from 10kg to 7kg, with specialist “cabin baggage officers” already in place to police weight restrictions.

People caught trying to sneak overweight carry-on luggage through the gate will be forced to check it in and pay a $50 fee on domestic flights or $160 on international flights.

The 7kg allocation includes a second, smaller bag, such as a handbag, meaning passengers carrying such items are likely to have as little as 5kg left over for their main carry-on bag.

This follows a change to Jetstar’s checked bag fee structure less than a year ago, from a fixed-price system to a sliding scale where passengers pay more or less, depending on which airports they are using and when they are flying.

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The reduced carry-on allowance could increase income for the airline by forcing some passengers to pay for checked luggage on trips where they had previously only needed a free carry-on bag.

A Jetstar spokesman claimed, however, that the reduction in carry-on baggage was due to the frustration customers felt when they boarded a flight, only to discover a lack of space in the overhead lockers.

“To address this we are reducing the amount of baggage that customers can bring on board, which will align us with other carriers in Australia and across the Asia-Pacific region,” the airline said when it first announced the change.

“This change will help speed up the boarding process, enable more flights to depart on time and ensure all customers get their fair share of overhead locker space.”

Virgin already has a 7kg carry-on baggage limit in place for its customers.

Tigerair is continuing with its 10kg allowance but warned in September that it would start cracking down on passengers who flouted the rules.

A three-month grace period in which Tigerair reduced its excess baggage penalties by 40 per cent will to expire on December 11.