The US carry-on standard is 22 x 14 x 9 inches, used by American, Alaska, United, Delta, JetBlue, and Hawaiian. Southwest, Frontier, and Sun Country allow a slightly larger box, closer to 24 x 16 x 10 inches. International carriers publish in centimeters first, and the numbers rarely match the US box exactly. This chart lines up 15 airlines side by side so you can pack to the tightest limit on your itinerary instead of guessing.
The 2026 carry-on chart, 15 airlines side by side
Every dimension below comes from each airline’s own baggage page, checked for the 2026 policy year. Air Canada, TAP Air Portugal, Lufthansa, British Airways, and Ryanair publish in centimeters first, so treat that column as the authoritative one and read the inches as a close conversion for planning. For the wider pattern across European carriers beyond the five listed here, see our European carry-on size guide.
| Airline | Carry-on max (in) | (cm) | Weight limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 22 x 14 x 9 | 56 x 36 x 23 | None published | Included even in Basic Economy. American Eagle regional jets often gate check it for free. |
| Alaska Airlines | 22 x 14 x 9 | 56 x 36 x 23 | None published | Same 45 linear inch math as American. Personal item has no fixed box, so measure the packed bag. |
| United Airlines | 22 x 14 x 9 | 56 x 36 x 23 | None published | Basic Economy gets a personal item only on most routes. Transatlantic, transpacific, and South America Basic Economy still include the carry-on. |
| Delta Air Lines | 22 x 14 x 9 | 56 x 35 x 23 | None published | Also caps the combined total at 45 linear inches. Flights of 50 seats or fewer allow a personal item only. |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 22 x 14 x 9 | 56 x 36 x 23 | Around 25 lb in most guidance | Now part of Alaska Air Group since the 2024 merger, so confirm the current page before flying. |
| Southwest | 24 x 16 x 10 | 61 x 41 x 25 | None published | Two free bags, no carry-on or checked bag fee. Still subject to a gate check on a full flight. |
| JetBlue | 22 x 14 x 9 | 56 x 36 x 23 | None published | Included on Blue Basic. Personal item runs 17 x 13 x 8 inches. |
| Sun Country | 24 x 16 x 11 | 61 x 41 x 28 | Up to 35 lb, strictly enforced | Carry-on is a paid add-on, not free. The included item is the smaller 17 x 13 x 9 inch personal item. |
| Frontier | 24 x 16 x 10 | 61 x 41 x 25 | Up to 35 lb | Carry-on is a paid add-on, like the checked bag. Only the personal item, 18 x 14 x 8 inches, is free. |
| Allegiant | 22 x 16 x 10 | 56 x 41 x 25 | None published for domestic flights | Carry-on is also a paid add-on. The free item is an 18 x 14 x 8 inch personal item. |
| Air Canada | 21.5 x 15.5 x 9 | 55 x 40 x 23 | None published, must be liftable | Economy Basic tickets bought since January 2025 often include a personal item only, not a free carry-on. |
| TAP Air Portugal | 22 x 16 x 10 | 55 x 40 x 25 | Up to 22 lb (10 kg) | Personal item is capped at just 4.4 lb, one of the tightest weight rules in this chart. |
| Lufthansa | 21.5 x 15.5 x 9 | 55 x 40 x 23 | 8 kg, about 17.6 lb | Economy Basic on short and medium haul includes only the personal item, no separate carry-on bag. |
| British Airways | 22 x 18 x 10 | 56 x 45 x 25 | No fixed limit widely published | Personal item is 40 x 30 x 15 cm and fits under the seat. |
| Ryanair | 21.5 x 15.5 x 8 | 55 x 40 x 20 | 10 kg, about 22 lb | This is a paid Priority add-on. The bag free with every fare is a small 16 x 12 x 8 inch under seat item only. |
Spirit Airlines wound down all operations in May 2026 and is not included here. If an old bookmark or habit still points you to Spirit’s size chart, use the Frontier or Allegiant row instead, since both run a similar 24 x 16 x 10 inch box with a paid carry-on add-on.
Carry-on essentials
Move through the airport fast and keep everything in its place from gate to gate.
Sizer reality, what the chart does not show
The measurement includes wheels and handles
Every number in that chart is an outside measurement of the packed bag, not the empty shell. Wheels, side handles, and any bulging outside pocket count toward the total. A bag that measures 21.5 x 13.5 x 8.5 inches empty can grow past 22 x 14 x 9 once it is packed and the side pockets are full, which is exactly the gap that gets a bag pulled at the gate.
Gate sizers decide the argument, not the tape measure at home
Airports use a metal or hard plastic sizer frame at the ticket counter, the security checkpoint, or right at the gate. If the packed bag does not slide into that frame without force, the agent’s call is final regardless of what a tape measure said at home. Soft sided bags have some give, but a rigid hard shell case does not, so measure the hard shell case at its widest point, not the manufacturer’s listed size.
When a compliant bag still gets gate checked
A bag that passes the sizer can still get checked for free if the flight is full and the overhead bins run out of room before boarding finishes. Late boarding groups are the most exposed, which is exactly why Basic Economy fares that board last carry more gate check risk even when the airline’s printed size limit has nothing to do with the fare class.
Basic Economy carve-outs that actually remove the bag
Most US Basic Economy fares still include the full carry-on, just with worse boarding position. United is the exception on domestic and short international routes, where Basic Economy gets a personal item only, no full size carry-on, unless the flight is transatlantic, transpacific, or to South America. Air Canada made a similar change for Economy Basic tickets bought since January 2025, and Lufthansa’s Economy Basic fare on short and medium haul flights includes only the personal item as well. Check the fare rules before you pack a roller bag, since the size chart alone will not tell you whether the bag is allowed.
Weight limits matter more than travelers expect
Most US carriers, including American, Alaska, United, Delta, JetBlue, and Southwest, publish no fixed carry-on weight limit. The real ceiling is whether you can lift the bag into the bin yourself. International and low-cost carriers work differently. Lufthansa caps its carry-on at 8 kilograms, about 17.6 lb. TAP Air Portugal and Ryanair both cap the larger cabin bag at 10 kilograms, about 22 lb. Sun Country and Frontier publish a more generous 35 lb ceiling, still enforced at check in. If your trip includes a European or budget international leg, weigh the packed bag at home before you fly.
One bag that clears almost everything
Look down the inches column and three numbers set the real limit. The shortest length allowed anywhere in this chart is 21.5 inches, shared by Air Canada, Lufthansa, and Ryanair’s paid cabin bag. The narrowest width is 14 inches, the figure used by American, Alaska, United, Delta, JetBlue, and Hawaiian. The shallowest depth is 8 inches, set by Ryanair’s paid cabin bag. Put those three numbers together and a bag no larger than 21.5 x 14 x 8 inches clears every airline in this chart, standard fare, no gate roulette.
That math has one honest exception. Ryanair’s truly free bag, the one included with every fare and not the paid Priority add-on, is a small under seat item capped around 16 x 12 x 8 inches. No wheeled roller bag fits that box. So a 21.5 x 14 x 8 inch bag will clear the paid Ryanair cabin allowance and every other airline in this chart, but it will not travel free on Ryanair’s base fare. That is the one binding constraint worth knowing before you assume a single bag clears everything, everywhere, for free.
Pair that size with a packed weight under 17.6 lb, Lufthansa’s ceiling and the tightest weight rule in the chart, and one bag realistically clears every airline here on both size and weight. That is a tight box for a wheeled suitcase, closer to a soft duffel or a compact 21 inch spinner than a standard 22 inch roller, but it is the honest answer if a single bag has to survive a mixed domestic and international itinerary without a repack.
Carry-on vs the personal item
The carry-on is not the only bag doing work here. Every airline in this chart also allows a free personal item, the smaller bag that fits under the seat in front of you, and its size varies just as much as the overhead bag does. TAP Air Portugal caps the personal item at a strict 4.4 lb, while American’s runs a roomier 18 x 14 x 8 inches with no published weight limit. See the full personal item size chart by airline before you decide what goes in which bag.
Treat the personal item as the bag that survives no matter what happens to the carry-on. If the overhead bag gets valet tagged at the door of a regional jet or gate checked on a full flight, the personal item stays with you. Pack medicine, a charger, travel documents, and anything you cannot replace at baggage claim into that bag, not the roller.
Some travelers skip the debate entirely and just check a bag instead, especially on airlines where the carry-on itself carries a fee. Compare the real tradeoff, cost against convenience, on our carry-on vs checked bag guide, and look up the exact price on our baggage fees by airline page before you decide.
Official baggage pages checked for this chart
These are the official pages checked while building this chart, useful if you want to confirm a number before you fly.
- Delta Air Lines carry-on baggage, checked for the 22 x 14 x 9 inch and 45 linear inch rules.
- United Airlines carry-on baggage, checked for the Basic Economy personal item carve-out.
- Frontier Airlines bag options, checked for the 24 x 16 x 10 inch paid carry-on and the 35 lb weight cap.
- Allegiant Air baggage policy, checked for the 22 x 16 x 10 inch paid carry-on and personal item size.
- Lufthansa carry-on baggage, checked for the 8 kilogram weight cap and the Economy Basic personal item only rule.
- Air Canada carry-on baggage, checked for the centimeter dimensions and the Economy Basic change.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 24 inch carry-on too big?
Not always. A 24 x 16 x 10 inch bag clears Southwest, Frontier, and Allegiant, but it is too long, too wide, or too deep for the 22 x 14 x 9 inch box used by American, Alaska, United, Delta, JetBlue, and Hawaiian. Check the specific airline before you buy a 24 inch bag as your only carry-on.
Does Southwest allow a bigger carry-on than other airlines?
Yes. Southwest allows 24 x 16 x 10 inches, larger in every dimension than the 22 x 14 x 9 inch standard used by American, Alaska, United, Delta, JetBlue, and Hawaiian. Sun Country and Frontier allow a similarly larger box, and Southwest also skips the carry-on and checked bag fees that Frontier and Allegiant charge.
Do airlines actually measure carry-on bags?
Yes, with a metal or plastic sizer at the ticket counter, the security checkpoint, or the boarding gate. Enforcement gets stricter as a flight fills up, since a bag that squeezes through at check in can still get pulled and gate checked once the overhead bins run out of room.
What happens if a carry-on bag is too big?
Most airlines gate check it for free during boarding and return it on the jet bridge when you land. Budget carriers such as Frontier, Allegiant, and Ryanair are more likely to charge an oversize or gate handling fee instead, so it is safer to keep the packed bag inside the published box than to count on a free gate check.
Useful next pages
See the free under seat bag limit for every airline in this chart, the bag that stays with you if the carry-on gets checked.
Weigh the real cost and time tradeoff before you pay for a carry-on that barely fits.
Look up the checked bag price for your specific airline before travel day.