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Carry-On vs Personal Item Size: Where Each US Airline Draws the Line

Dimensions from each airline's official baggage policy page

The six size limits compared

  • Airline size limit Carry-on limit 22×14×9 in 22 × 14 × 9 in (559 × 356 × 229 mm)
  • Airline size limit Carry-on limit 24×16×10 in 24 × 16 × 10 in (610 × 406 × 254 mm)
  • Airline size limit Carry-on limit 22×16×10 in 22 × 16 × 10 in (559 × 406 × 254 mm)
  • Airline size limit Personal item limit 18×14×8 in 18 × 14 × 8 in (457 × 356 × 203 mm)
  • Airline size limit Personal item limit 17×10×9 in 17 × 10 × 9 in (432 × 254 × 229 mm)
  • Airline size limit Personal item limit 17×13×8 in 17 × 13 × 8 in (432 × 330 × 203 mm)
View in AR Compare in the table

The short answer

  • 22×14×9 in carry-onDelta, United, American, JetBlue, Alaska, Hawaiian — six airlines publish the same limit (559×356×229 mm), wheels and handles included
  • 24×16×10 in carry-onSouthwest and Frontier (610×406×254 mm) — 2 in, 2 in and 1 in more than 22×14×9 in
  • 22×16×10 in carry-onAllegiant (559×406×254 mm) — same length as 22×14×9, 2 in wider and 1 in deeper
  • Personal itemUnited 17×10×9 in, JetBlue 17×13×8 in, American / Frontier / Allegiant 18×14×8 in. Delta, Southwest, Alaska and Hawaiian publish no dimensions — must fit under the seat
  • WeightOnly Frontier states a limit: 35 lb (15.9 kg) each. JetBlue states it has none; the other seven give no weight figure on their carry-on pages

See the sizes in AR (shown as boxes)

The four sizes as boxes at their published dimensions

Preparing 3D…

1 22×14×9 in2 24×16×10 in3 18×14×8 in4 17×10×9 in

On a phone, the "View in your room (AR)" button places the boxes in your room. The boxes are locked to the published dimensions and cannot be resized. They show size only and are not 3D replicas of the products.

Drawn to the same scale

24×16×10 in (dashed)22×16×10 in (dotted)22×14×9 in (solid)Carry-on bags18×14×8 in (dashed)17×13×8 in (dotted)17×10×9 in (solid)Personal itemsCard3.37×2.13 in
Same scale, showing the two longer sides of each limit, bottoms aligned. Left, the three carry-on limits: 24×16×10 in (Southwest, Frontier; dashed), 22×16×10 in (Allegiant; dotted) and 22×14×9 in (Delta, United, American, JetBlue, Alaska, Hawaiian; solid). Right, the three personal item limits: 18×14×8 in (American, Frontier, Allegiant; dashed), 17×13×8 in (JetBlue; dotted) and 17×10×9 in (United; solid). A credit card (85.6×54 mm, ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1) is shown for reference.

Size limits side by side

AirlineCarry-on (longest × middle × shortest side)Personal item (longest × middle × shortest side)Weight limit
Delta22×14×9 in (559×356×229 mm)No published dimensions — must fit under the seatNot stated on the policy page
United22×14×9 in (559×356×229 mm)17×10×9 in (432×254×229 mm)Not stated on the policy page
American (AA)22×14×9 in (559×356×229 mm)18×14×8 in (457×356×203 mm)Not stated on the policy page
Southwest24×16×10 in (610×406×254 mm)No published dimensions — must fit under the seatNot stated on the policy page
JetBlue22×14×9 in (559×356×229 mm)17×13×8 in (432×330×203 mm)No weight restriction (stated)
Alaska22×14×9 in (559×356×229 mm)No published dimensions — must fit under the seatNot stated on the policy page
Hawaiian22×14×9 in (559×356×229 mm)No published dimensions — must fit under the seatNot stated on the policy page
Frontier24×16×10 in (610×406×254 mm)18×14×8 in (457×356×203 mm)35 lb (15.9 kg) each, carry-on and personal item
Allegiant22×16×10 in (559×406×254 mm)18×14×8 in (457×356×203 mm)Not stated on the policy page

Millimeter values converted at 1 in = 25.4 mm and rounded to the nearest whole millimeter. Airlines that also list centimeters round them (American lists 56×36×23 cm and United 56×35×23 cm for the same 22×14×9 in). All nine airlines count wheels and handles in these dimensions (Frontier also straps, Allegiant also pockets and decorations). "Weight limit" is what the carry-on policy page states; "not stated" means the page gives no figure, not that bags are unweighed. Policies change — verify with your airline before travel.

Check your bag against the published limits

Measure the outside of the bag at its widest points, including wheels, handles and any packed pockets. Enter the three measurements in any order: each is compared with the airline's limit for the longest, middle and shortest side. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

Units

Enter three measurements above 0 and up to 100 in (254 cm).

"Within the limit" means none of the three sides is longer than the airline's published side. "Over by" gives the difference on the side that is too long. The comparison uses the airlines' inch figures (centimeter inputs are converted at 1 in = 2.54 cm); the centimeter figures the airlines print are rounded to whole centimeters, so a bag measured to those — for example American's 56×36×23 cm for 22×14×9 in — shows here as over by a few millimeters. Alaska and Hawaiian also state a 45 linear-inch total, which 22 + 14 + 9 already equals. Fit in the airport sizer is decided at the gate; this table only compares numbers.

What the numbers mean

Six of the nine airlines publish the same carry-on limit, 22×14×9 in: Delta, United, American, JetBlue, Alaska and Hawaiian. A bag that passes on one of those six passes on all six. Alaska and Hawaiian (which now share one policy page) also state the limit as 45 linear inches; 22 + 14 + 9 is exactly 45, so a bag within the three sides meets the total automatically.

Southwest and Frontier allow 24×16×10 in — 2 in more on the longest side, 2 in more on the middle side, and 1 in more on the shortest side. A 22×14×9 bag fits within their allowance on every dimension. The reverse is not true: a bag built to the 24×16×10 maximum exceeds the 22×14×9 limit on all three sides, by 2 in, 2 in and 1 in. Allegiant sits between the two: 22×16×10 in keeps the 22 in length but allows 2 in more width and 1 in more depth than 22×14×9.

For personal items, five airlines publish dimensions and four do not. United's 17×10×9 in and JetBlue's 17×13×8 in share the 17 in length; JetBlue allows 3 in more width but 1 in less depth. The 18×14×8 in used by American, Frontier and Allegiant is 1 in longer and 4 in wider than United's limit but 1 in thinner on its shortest side. No published personal item limit is smaller than another on all three sides, so an under-seat bag that fits one airline can still be over on a single side at another.

Weight is the exception rather than the rule. Frontier is the only one of the nine whose carry-on page states a limit, 35 lb (15.9 kg) each for the carry-on and the personal item. JetBlue states that it currently has no weight restriction for carry-on bags; the other seven carry-on pages give no weight figure at all.

Product links

Paid links: as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Check the dimensions on each listing before you buy.

Carry-on bags up to 22×14×9 in on Amazon

Carry-on bags up to 24×16×10 in on Amazon

Carry-on bags up to 22×16×10 in on Amazon

Personal item bags up to 18×14×8 in on Amazon

Personal item bags up to 17×10×9 in on Amazon

Personal item bags up to 17×13×8 in on Amazon

FAQ

What is the standard carry-on size for US airlines?

Six of the nine airlines on this page publish the same carry-on limit: 22×14×9 in (559×356×229 mm), wheels and handles included — Delta, United, American, JetBlue, Alaska and Hawaiian. Southwest and Frontier allow 24×16×10 in (610×406×254 mm); Allegiant allows 22×16×10 in (559×406×254 mm). These limits apply as of the checked dates listed in the sources; policies can change, so verify with your airline before travel.

What are the personal item size limits for US airlines?

United publishes 17×10×9 in (432×254×229 mm), JetBlue 17×13×8 in (432×330×203 mm), and American, Frontier and Allegiant 18×14×8 in (457×356×203 mm). Delta, Southwest, Alaska and Hawaiian do not publish specific dimensions — they require the item to fit under the seat in front of you.

Is a 22×14×9 carry-on allowed on Southwest?

Yes. Southwest's carry-on limit is 24×16×10 in, which is larger than 22×14×9 in on every side, so a 22×14×9 bag is within Southwest's allowance. The same is true of Frontier (24×16×10 in) and Allegiant (22×16×10 in).

Which US airlines have a carry-on weight limit?

Of the nine airlines on this page, only Frontier states a weight limit on its carry-on page: 35 lb (15.9 kg) each for the carry-on bag and the personal item. JetBlue states that it currently has no weight restriction for carry-on bags. The other seven — Delta, United, American, Southwest, Alaska, Hawaiian and Allegiant — give no carry-on weight figure on their carry-on policy pages as of the checked dates.

Do the size limits include wheels and handles?

Yes, at all nine airlines. Delta, United, American, JetBlue, Alaska, Hawaiian, Frontier and Allegiant say so in their size rule; Southwest counts wheels, handles and attachments. Frontier also counts straps and Allegiant also counts pockets and decorations. Measure the outside of the bag at its widest points, and measure a soft or expandable bag after packing it.

All size comparisons

See also: iPhone 17 lineup sizes — all four models drawn to the same scale. Switch 2 vs Switch OLED vs Steam Deck — handheld console sizes.

Sources