Have questions about how big your carry-on baggage is and whether it will fit in the overhead on your carrier?** This guide tells you about airline size and weight guidelines for carry-on to help you avoid surprise TSA issues, baggage fees, and a stressful start to your trip. Let’s walk through this airline-by-airline overview and find out the size and weight of carry-on luggage.
What is the standard size for carry-on luggage?
Most local airlines are adamant about roughly the same carry-on dimensions. In the U.S., carry-on size typically is **22 x 14 x 9 inches**. International flights will be slightly smaller, around **21.5 x 15.5 x 9 inches**.
You can add the following to your measurement because some bags have handles or wheels protruding: Make sure to take out measuring tape entirely to avoid any last-minute surprises.
Some airlines, such as Delta, American Airlines, Southwest, and Air Canada, use linear inches to measure carry-ons. What this means is that you must add up the height, width, and depth of your bag together for a total dimension.
How many pounds or kilos are allowed inside of each carry-on bag?
Carry-on bags have weight restrictions that are pretty arcane and vary from airline to airline. Most U.S. carriers are not strict here. American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, and United Airlines do not have strict weight limits. Just ensure you can easily hoist the duffel bag into the overhead bin without help.
On the other hand, some airlines can be strict. For example, Qantas, Qatar Airways, and Singapore Airlines limit their carryon to **15 lbs** whereas British allows a weight of up to **51 lbs**. Always check well with the airline rules before flying.
If you are close to the limit on the scale, most airlines will have no problem letting you by but just be sure to check beforehand so you know when traveling.
What is a personal item on an airplane?
Most of airlines permit a carry-on bag, along with one **personal item**, such as a laptop bag purse, or briefcase. While there are size restrictions, your general guideline is that your item should fit under the seat in front of you.
Special items such as a diaper bag, some medical equipment, or even a fragile collection may be allowed as a carry-on by most airlines; however, it’s always best to confirm with the airline beforehand to avoid complications.
Carryon size around the world
Carry-ons International airlines have varying sizes of carry-on luggage as compared with domestic flights. For most international airlines, the maximum size is **21.5 x 15.5 x 9 inches** or **46 linear inches**.
Some airlines like Qatar Airways have a little fewer restrictions, still with the maximum carryon size of **20 x 15 x 10 inches or 45 linear inches**. Be much more careful when flying on smaller or budget airlines in Europe since their restrictions tend to be tighter in terms of weight and dimensions.
Carryon luggage vs. personal item: What’s the difference?
The primary distinction between **carry-on luggage** and a **personal item** is almost straightforward, so you probably don’t need me to tell you: one fits up in the overhead bin, and the other squeezes under the seat in front of you.
With careful use of your carry-on allowance, it’s a good opportunity to avoid checking any luggage at all, thus saving you from losing some pieces of baggage and hassle at baggage claim. Most of the airlines offer the carry-on bag free of cost with the price of the ticket, though some budget airlines charge for carry-on, so it’s good to know whether you are carrying one or not before getting to that stage.
Personal items, such as laptops or cameras, are usually allowed in addition to your carry-on bag free of charge, provided they meet the size restrictions.
Don’t know if your carry-on bag meets the size requirements?
Put all the guesswork away when trying to figure out if your bag will work by utilizing KAYAK’s **Bag Measurement tool**. It’s a feature that you can find within their app, where it lets you measure your luggage using your phone camera. Additionally, what airline baggage policies are dealing with, making it super easy and sure whether your carry-on will pass that flight’s requirements.
Carry-on policies for domestic airlines
Although size and weight rules have varied slightly between airlines, most domestic US airlines have standardized them. Indeed, very few have weight limits in place. Of the larger US carriers, only **Hawaiian Airlines** and **Frontier Airlines** strictly enforce weight limits on carry-ons.
Most airlines, including Delta, Alaska Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines, don’t specify measurements. Just use your discretion with personal items: if your item fits under the seat in front of you, you’re set.
Airline Carry-On and Personal Item Policies
Size: Carry-on: 22 x 14 x 9 inches
Weight: No limit listed for carry-on
Personal item size: Must be able to fit under the seat in front.
Weight: No limit listed for a personal item
Carry-on size: 22 x 14 x 9 inches
Carry-on weight limit: Not specified
Personal item size: 18 x 4 x 8 inches
Personal item weight limit: Not specified
Carry-on size: 22 x 14 x 9 inches or 45 linear inches
Carry-on weight limit: No limit, unless excepted in cases
Personal item size: Must fit in front of the seat
Personal item weight limit: Not specified
Carry-on size: 24 x 10 x 16 inches
Carry-on weight limit: 35 lbs
Size of carry-on: 22 x 14 x 9 inches
Maximum weight for carry-on: 25 lbs
Size of personal item: It must fit under a seat
Maximum weight for the personal item: N/A
Size of carry-on: 22 x 14 x 9 inches
Carry-on: No specific maximum weight
Size of personal item: 17 x 10 x 9 inches
Weight of personal item: unspecified
Cab size: 24 x 16 x 10 inches
Not mentioned
Personal Item size: 16.25 x 13.5 x 8 inches
Not mentioned
Carry-on Size of International Air Lines
Normally, rules on international airlines differ according to the different types of fairs paid and class flown. Although economy, business, and first-class fare will have some similarities, restrictions upon the number of carry-on or personal items allowed vary between classes. Consider checking your particular fare or class when you are packing.
Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), and Turkish Airlines tend to be similar in weight and size restrictions for carry-ons. Weight restrictions vary, but on an international carrier, most carriers enforce some or strict weight limits on carry-ons and personal items, except Air Canada.
Carry-on: 22 x 18 x 9 inches
Weight: No restriction
Personal item: 18 x 14 x 8 inches
Weight: None
Carry-on: 22 x 18 x 10 in
Weight: 51 lbs maximum
Personal item: 16 x 12 x 6 in
Personal item weight: 51 lbs maximum