Carry On Bag Dimensions – All the Dimensions You Would Ever Need to Ensure Your Carry On Fits for All Flights

Thinking of going for a carry-on only trip? Depending on where you’re coming from and where you’re going, your carry-on bag dimensions can vary. Let’s imagine that we’re traveling across the continent of our dreams, and you’ve booked a whole bunch of regional and budget airlines to get you from one location to the next. Trying to save some money, you try the carry-on only style, and pack your entire life into one tiny bag. Just as you’re about to board your flight though, you’re stopped by the flight attendants. They’re eyeing your bag and … oh no! Your bag is juuuuuust a little too large to go into the cabin, so they force you to check it in, and you’re stuck with a check baggage fee. This totally could have been avoided if some background work was done!

Have no fear, for I’ve created a list that takes away that leg work for you. This list is a work in progress! At the moment, you’ll find a list of carry-on restrictions and limitations for more than 80+ airlines servicing North America and Africa. I’ll be making regular updates to include more airlines as I find them.

This post is lengthy! Here are some links to jump to the content you’re looking for. Enjoy!


Summary of Carry-On Luggage Size Guide

Background Information

Definition of a carry-on baggage:

Dimensions from airlines are as of 2019. Since airlines have different definitions, terms, and dimensions of what carry-on baggage are, let’s define what constitutes a piece of carry-on baggage in the tables below:

  1. A bag/luggage that can be brought with you inside the cabin in the passenger compartment of the plane instead of the cargo compartment
  2. If the plane allows you to bring two bags with you inside the cabin (e.g. a personal item + carry-on), the dimensions in the tables below will list the larger of the two dimensions listed by the airline

Assumptions regarding the dimensions of a carry-on luggage for an airline:

Many airlines split the allowable size and weight limits of their passengers’ carry-on luggage by the type of passenger as well as the flight distance (e.g. first, business, economy plus, economy, etc and domestic vs international.). To ensure we accommodate everybody using the airline, the dimensions recorded for all airlines will follow the dimensions provided for:

  1. Economy / basic flight fare passengers
  2. Regional routes

This ensures that as long as your carry-on/hand carry meets the dimensions listed below, your carry-on will fit all flights offered by that airline.

Summary

Standard International Choice

Heys Cruise Fashion Spinner 21” Carry On
21 in x 13.5 in x 9.0 in

Standard Dimensions for African Airlines

Traveler’s Choice Travel Select Amsterdam Two-Piece Carry-On Luggage Set
21 in x 14 in x 8 in (luggage)
15 in x 11 in x 6 in (tote)

Standard Dimensions

The standard dimensions that I’ve found for carry-on, unaccompanied baggage, hand luggage, hand baggage, or whatever terminology you’d like to call it is:

Carry-On Luggage Size Chart

North America

Africa

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