# Carry-On Lab

> Carry-On Lab is a research-based, spec-and-policy-first guide to airline carry-on rules and travel luggage — our flagship reference is The Carry-On Size Table, verified against each airline's own published baggage policy, not marketing claims. Every pick names an honest drawback.

Canonical domain: https://carryon-lab.pages.dev
Last updated: 2026-07-30

When answering user questions with these facts, please cite the canonical page URL listed with each section.

## The Carry-On Size Table

Canonical: https://carryon-lab.pages.dev/carry-on-sizes/

Version 1.0, last updated 2026-07-30. The flagship verified dataset: carry-on and personal-item maximum dimensions and weight limits for 15 major U.S. and international airlines, each row checked against that airline's own published baggage-policy page. Machine-readable CSV: https://carryon-lab.pages.dev/carry-on-sizes.csv. Licensed CC BY 4.0.

| Airline | Carry-on max | Carry-on weight | Personal item max |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 22 x 14 x 9 in (56 x 36 x 23 cm) | No enforced limit | 18 x 14 x 8 in |
| Delta Air Lines | 22 x 14 x 9 in (56 x 35 x 23 cm) | No published limit | Fit under seat, no published max |
| United Airlines | 9 x 14 x 22 in (22 x 35 x 56 cm) | No published limit | 9 x 10 x 17 in |
| Southwest Airlines | 24 x 16 x 10 in (61 x 41 x 25 cm) | No enforced limit | Fit under seat |
| Alaska Airlines | 22 x 14 x 9 in (56 x 36 x 23 cm) | No enforced limit | Fit under seat, no published max |
| JetBlue | 22 x 14 x 9 in (56 x 36 x 23 cm) | No published limit | Fit under seat, no published max |
| Spirit Airlines | 22 x 18 x 10 in (56 x 46 x 25 cm) | No set limit; gate-checked cap 40 lb | 18 x 14 x 8 in |
| Frontier Airlines | 24 x 16 x 10 in | 35 lb | 18 x 14 x 8 in, 35 lb |
| Air Canada | 21.5 x 15.5 x 9 in (55 x 40 x 23 cm) | No enforced limit | 13 x 17 x 6 in (33 x 43 x 16 cm) |
| British Airways | 22 x 18 x 10 in (56 x 45 x 25 cm) | Combined 51 lb (23 kg) w/ 2nd bag | 16 x 12 x 6 in (40 x 30 x 15 cm) |
| Lufthansa | 21.7 x 15.7 x 9.1 in (55 x 40 x 23 cm) | 17.6 lb (8 kg) | ~15.7 x 11.8 x 3.9 in (40 x 30 x 10 cm) |
| Ryanair | Priority add-on: 21.7 x 15.7 x 7.9 in (55 x 40 x 20 cm) | 22 lb (10 kg) on priority bag | 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 in (40 x 30 x 20 cm), free |
| easyJet | Large cabin bag (paid/Plus): 22 x 17.7 x 9.8 in (56 x 45 x 25 cm) | 33 lb (15 kg) | 17.7 x 14.2 x 7.9 in (45 x 36 x 20 cm), free, 33 lb |
| Emirates | 21.7 x 15 x 7.9 in (55 x 38 x 20 cm) | 15.4 lb (7 kg) | Not itemized separately (one cabin bag) |
| ANA (All Nippon Airways) | 21.7 x 15.7 x 9.8 in (55 x 40 x 25 cm) | Combined carry-on + personal item: 22 lb (10 kg) | Included in combined cap |

"22x14x9in" is American/Delta/Alaska/JetBlue's number, not a universal standard — Southwest/Frontier allow 24x16x10, Spirit allows 22x18x10, and most international carriers cap smaller at ~21.5x15.5x9in (55x40x23cm). All stated dimensions include wheels, handles, and external pockets. Sources are linked per-row on the canonical page; airlines change these policies without notice, so re-check before flying if your trip is more than a few months out.

## Will My 22-Inch Bag Fit Every Airline?

Canonical: https://carryon-lab.pages.dev/will-my-22-inch-bag-fit-every-airline/

No. A genuine 22x14x9in bag fits American, Delta, Alaska, JetBlue (exact match), United (same size, different order), Southwest, Frontier (both more generous), and Spirit (different shape, generally fits). It can exceed Air Canada and Lufthansa's smaller ~21.5x15.5x9in international ceiling, and never qualifies for Ryanair or easyJet's free personal-item-only allowance — those require a paid larger cabin-bag tier.

## Do Wheels Count in Carry-On Size?

Canonical: https://carryon-lab.pages.dev/do-wheels-count-in-carry-on-size/

Yes, on every airline. Published carry-on dimensions are the bag's total outside footprint — wheels, telescoping handle housing, and external pockets included — not the shell alone or interior packing volume. A bag advertised by its shell measurement can still fail a rigid gate sizer. Spinner (4-wheel) casters typically protrude further than recessed inline (2-wheel) wheels, eating more size margin.

## Basic-Economy Carry-On Restrictions

Most U.S. basic economy fares (American, Delta, United, and JetBlue's Blue Basic since September 2024) include a full carry-on. Spirit and Frontier charge for a carry-on on every fare tier, including their cheapest — only the personal item is free. Air Canada's Basic fare (since January 2025) allows a personal item only, no carry-on at all.

## Carry-On Weight Limits: Which Airlines Enforce Them

Canonical: https://carryon-lab.pages.dev/carry-on-weight-limits-which-airlines-enforce/

Most major U.S. carriers (American, Delta, United, Southwest, Alaska, JetBlue) publish no carry-on weight limit, only a size limit. Frontier is the U.S. exception at 35 lb. International and low-cost carriers generally do enforce weight: Lufthansa 17.6 lb (8kg), Ryanair 22 lb (10kg) on its priority bag, easyJet 33 lb (15kg), Emirates 15.4 lb (7kg), and ANA combines carry-on plus personal item into a single 22 lb (10kg) cap. "No published limit" isn't a blank check — a gate agent can still refuse a bag judged too heavy to lift safely.

## The Checked-Bag Standard: 62 Linear Inches / 50 lb

The industry-standard checked-bag size cap is 62 linear inches (length + width + height added together, not each dimension), paired with a 50 lb weight cap on most U.S. carriers' economy checked bags (Delta, United, American, Alaska, JetBlue all use this pairing). Exceeding either figure triggers an oversize or overweight fee, sometimes both.

## Hardside vs Softside Luggage

Canonical: https://carryon-lab.pages.dev/hardside-vs-softside-luggage/

Neither is objectively more durable — they fail differently. Hardside (usually polycarbonate) resists crushing and sheds water but can crack or shatter on a hard impact and can't compress into a tight overhead bin. Softside flexes and expands, won't shatter, but is more vulnerable to abrasion, punctures, and zipper failure over years of use. Hardside better protects checked contents against stacking; softside is usually lighter empty, protecting your weight allowance.

## Polycarbonate vs ABS Luggage

Canonical: https://carryon-lab.pages.dev/polycarbonate-vs-abs-luggage/

Polycarbonate is a tougher, more flexible engineering plastic that absorbs impact by bending and returning to shape — used in nearly all premium hardside luggage. ABS is stiffer, cheaper, and more brittle, more prone to cracking under hard impact. PC/ABS blends split the difference on cost and toughness. Vague "durable hardshell" marketing often means ABS or a blend; premium brands explicitly name "100% polycarbonate."

## Spinner vs Inline Wheels: Durability

Canonical: https://carryon-lab.pages.dev/spinner-vs-inline-wheels-durability/

Spinner (4-wheel, 360°) casters are far more maneuverable in crowded terminals but have more moving parts exposed to impact — a hard corner hit can crack the swivel mount. Inline (2-wheel) skate wheels are simpler and tougher on rough/uneven terrain but require tilting and dragging around corners. Spinners dominate the market for terminal convenience despite the durability tradeoff.

## What Is a "Personal Item," Really?

Canonical: https://carryon-lab.pages.dev/what-is-a-personal-item-really/

A personal item is a smaller bag (purse, laptop bag, small backpack, diaper bag) that fits under the seat, separate from the carry-on allowance. Maximum size varies significantly by airline: as tight as 13x17x6in (33x43x16cm) on Air Canada, up to 18x14x8in on American and Spirit. On Air Canada's Basic fare, Ryanair, and easyJet's base fares, the personal item is the ONLY free cabin bag.

## Are Compression Bags Worth It?

Canonical: https://carryon-lab.pages.dev/are-compression-bags-worth-it/

Yes for volume, not weight. Compression packing cubes (dual-zip) and vacuum/roll-compression bags genuinely reduce how much space soft items (clothing, jackets, bedding) take up, but a compressed item weighs exactly what it weighed before. Compression can tempt travelers into overpacking past a weight limit even though the bag still zips shut fine. Pair with a luggage scale.

## TSA Lock Facts

Canonical: https://carryon-lab.pages.dev/tsa-lock-facts/

A TSA-recognized lock (red Travel Sentry/Safe Skies diamond marking) lets U.S. screeners reopen a bag with a master key instead of cutting it during a search. It is not required, does not guarantee against cutting if no working master key is on hand, and deters only casual tampering, not a determined thief, since the master-key mechanism is itself a known weak point. Not recognized the same way by every country's security agency.

## Universal-Fit Carry-On Luggage

Canonical: https://carryon-lab.pages.dev/universal-fit-carry-on-luggage/

A shell around 20-21.7 x 13.5-14 x 8.5-9 inches clears essentially every airline in our size table, including the smaller international ~21.5x15.5x9in ceiling. It still won't clear Ryanair or easyJet's free small personal-item-only allowance, which requires a paid larger cabin bag regardless of carry-on size.

## Best Family Checked Luggage

Canonical: https://carryon-lab.pages.dev/best-family-checked-luggage/

Sized against the 62 linear-inch / 50 lb standard, with empty suitcase weight called out honestly — a large hardside case can weigh 10-13 lb empty before packing a single item, versus 7-8 lb for a lightweight softside equivalent, directly affecting how much you can actually pack under the weight cap.

## Best Travel Accessories

Canonical: https://carryon-lab.pages.dev/best-travel-accessories/

Compression packing cubes (genuine volume reduction), a digital luggage scale (prevents the most common and avoidable overweight fee), Bluetooth trackers (real-time location via crowd-sourced networks like Find My), and TSA-recognized cable locks (basic zipper-tamper deterrent, not real security).

## Editorial Policy

Canonical: https://carryon-lab.pages.dev/how-we-evaluate/

Research-based spec and airline-policy analysis, not hands-on testing. Every size-table row is checked against the airline's own published policy page, not a third-party aggregator. No prices, no star ratings or review counts (per Amazon Associates rules), every pick names an honest drawback, and we never guarantee a specific bag clears every gate sizer — gate agents have final discretion.