American Airlines Carry-On Size in 2026: Rules and Limits

The two bags you can bring

American Airlines gives every passenger one carry-on bag and one personal item, in every cabin from Basic Economy to first. The personal item is the small bag that slides under the seat in front of you, like a purse, a backpack, or a laptop bag. The carry-on is the larger roller or duffel that goes in the overhead bin. Keep both within the limits and you can travel without paying to check a bag.

The exact carry-on and personal item size

The carry-on limit is 22 x 14 x 9 inches, which is 56 x 36 x 23 cm, and that total includes the handles and the wheels. If the bag does not slide into the metal sizer at the gate or the checkpoint, the agent can make you check it. The personal item limit is 18 x 14 x 8 inches, or 45 x 35 x 20 cm, and it has to fit under the seat. American does not publish a weight limit for carry-on bags, but you do have to lift yours into the overhead bin without help, so pack to a weight you can manage.

Basic Economy keeps the full carry-on

This is where American parts ways with some rivals. A Basic Economy ticket on American still includes the full carry-on bag plus the personal item, the same as a Main Cabin fare. You are not dropped down to one small bag. The catch is boarding order. Basic Economy normally boards in Group 9, unless eligible status, 15,000 Loyalty Points or card benefits provide earlier boarding, so by the time you reach the plane the overhead bins are often full and your carry-on may be checked to the hold at the gate. If you cannot risk that, move the essentials into your personal item before you board.

What does not count against your limit

Some items ride free and do not use up your carry-on or personal item slot. American lists diaper bags at one per child, a breast pump, a small soft sided cooler of breast milk, and child safety seats, strollers, and medical or mobility devices. A coat and an umbrella also come aboard without counting, and so does anything you buy past the security checkpoint, including food and duty free.

Regional American Eagle flights change the math

Many shorter American routes are flown by regional partners under the American Eagle name on smaller jets. Those planes have limited overhead space, so a bag larger than the personal item size is valet checked at the gate, tagged, and returned to you on the jet bridge when you land, at no charge. The Embraer E175 is the one regional jet that still accepts a normal carry-on. Look at the aircraft type on your itinerary, and if it is a small regional plane, plan to keep what you need in the personal item you carry on by hand.