Bag sizes
Carry-on size by airline, and does your bag fit?
Type the three sides of your bag: the checker says which airlines take it in the overhead bin, and by how much a side is over where it is not.
Will my bag fit? Your bag against 9 airlines
Fits as a carry-on (overhead bin)
9 of 9 airlines
- American AirlinesFits (22 × 14 × 9 in)
- Delta Air LinesFits (22 × 14 × 9 in)
- United AirlinesFits (22 × 14 × 9 in)
- Southwest AirlinesFits (24 × 16 × 10 in)
- Alaska AirlinesFits (22 × 14 × 9 in)
- JetBlueFits (22 × 14 × 9 in)
- Frontier AirlinesFits (24 × 16 × 10 in)
- Allegiant AirFits (22 × 16 × 10 in)
- Hawaiian AirlinesFits (22 × 14 × 9 in)
The usual carry-on size in the United States is 22 × 14 × 9 in (56 × 36 × 23 cm): that is the limit of American, Delta, United, Alaska, Hawaiian and JetBlue, wheels and handles included. Two airlines allow more. Southwest takes 24 × 16 × 10 in (61 × 41 × 25 cm), and Frontier 24 × 16 × 10 in (61 × 41 × 25 cm), though Frontier sells the carry-on separately unless your bundle includes it. Allegiant accepts 22 × 16 × 10 in (55 × 40 × 25 cm) and always charges for it. A bag of exactly 22 by 14 by 9 inches therefore fits every US airline on this site, and a bag a single inch longer is refused by most of them. Weight is rarely the problem: the large network airlines publish no weight limit for the carry-on, while Frontier caps it at 35 lb (15.9 kg). The real trap is the fare: on the cheapest tickets of some airlines, only the personal item under the seat is included, and the carry-on costs money or is not allowed at all.
Centimetres to inches, side by side
In inches
21.7 × 15.7 × 7.9 in
| Linear size | 45.3 in (115 cm) |
| Inches from cm | cm ÷ 2.54 |
Airlines measure with wheels and handles.
Sizes, fees and rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we check
Carry-on limits of the US airlines
The table gives the largest carry-on each airline accepts in the overhead bin, as written on its own carry-on page, with the reading date on each airline page of this site. Where an airline publishes inches only, the centimetres are our conversion.
| Airline | Carry-on size | Weight | On the cheapest fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 22 × 14 × 9 in (56 × 36 × 23 cm) | no published weight limit | included on every fare |
| Delta Air Lines | 22 × 14 × 9 in (56 × 35 × 23 cm) | no published weight limit | included on every fare |
| United Airlines | 22 × 14 × 9 in (56 × 35 × 23 cm) | no published weight limit | not on Basic Economy |
| Southwest Airlines | 24 × 16 × 10 in (61 × 41 × 25 cm) | no published weight limit | included on every fare |
| Alaska Airlines | 22 × 14 × 9 in (56 × 36 × 23 cm) | no published weight limit | included on every fare |
| JetBlue | 22 × 14 × 9 in (56 × 36 × 23 cm) | no published weight limit | included on every fare |
| Frontier Airlines | 24 × 16 × 10 in (61 × 41 × 25 cm) | 35 lb (15.9 kg) | paid extra or in a bundle |
| Allegiant Air | 22 × 16 × 10 in (55 × 40 × 25 cm) | no published weight limit | paid extra or in a bundle |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 22 × 14 × 9 in (56 × 36 × 23 cm) | no published weight limit | included on every fare |
How to measure a bag the way the sizer does
Stand the bag on its wheels and measure from the floor to the top of the handle housing: that is the height, usually the 22-inch side. Then measure the widest point from side to side, including side handles, and the depth from the front pocket to the back, including the wheels if they stick out. Fill the bag as you will on the day, because a soft bag swells by an inch or two when packed. The checker sorts your three numbers from longest to shortest before comparing them, so the order you type them in does not matter. A centimetre bag works too: switch the units and type what the label or your tape measure says.
Personal item or carry-on: how much more space?
Carry-on space vs personal item
1.4 times
| Personal item | about 33 liters |
| Carry-on | about 46 liters |
| Carry-on on the lowest fare | included |
Volume of the largest box allowed; soft bags rarely fill it.
When the bin is not the problem: the fare is
On the large network airlines the size is the same on every fare, but not the right to use the bin. United keeps its Basic Economy passengers to a personal item on most domestic routes, and a carry-on brought to the airport must be checked for a fee. American and Delta include a carry-on on their basic fares. The low-cost airlines go further: Frontier and Allegiant sell the carry-on as an extra, priced per flight, and a bag that turns up unpaid at the gate pays the highest price on their list. The basic economy page compares the rules fare by fare.
Flying to Europe or within the UK
European airlines publish their sizes in centimetres and several of them sit below the US standard. A 22 by 14 by 9 inch bag is 56 by 36 by 23 cm: too deep for Ryanair's paid cabin bag of 55 by 40 by 20 cm and right at the limit of Virgin Atlantic. Before a trip that combines a US airline and a European one, check the bag against both with the checker set to all airlines, or read the hand luggage sizes of the UK airlines.
Small regional jets
On small regional aircraft the bins are too shallow for a standard carry-on. American and Delta say so on their carry-on pages: on these flights the bag is tagged at the door and handed back on arrival, free of charge. It is not a size problem and it costs nothing; keep medicines, keys and power banks in the personal item in case the carry-on goes in the hold.