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Do all airlines have the same carry-on size?
Limits change; confirm with your airline before you fly. Every figure here links to the airline page it came from.
American Tourister Stratum 3.0 Carry-On Spinner
22 x 15 x 9.5 in, wheels and handles included; 7.3 lb listed
This American Tourister Stratum 3.0 is listed at 22 x 15 x 9.5 inches with wheels included, a size that clears Southwest, Spirit, Frontier and Allegiant's more generous box limits but is a half inch too wide and too tall for American, Delta, United, Alaska, JetBlue, Hawaiian, Breeze, WestJet, Virgin Atlantic and Qantas' common 22 x 14 x 9 inch limit. Whether it fits depends entirely on which airline is on the ticket.
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Do all airlines publish the same carry-on size?
No. Even among airlines that publish a full length, width and height, the numbers vary by several inches. American, Delta, United, Alaska, JetBlue, Hawaiian, Breeze, WestJet, Virgin Atlantic and Qantas all publish 22 x 14 x 9 inches. Southwest and Frontier allow 24 x 16 x 10 inches. Spirit allows 22 x 18 x 10 inches. Allegiant allows 22 x 16 x 10 inches. Air Canada is slightly tighter at 21.5 x 15.5 x 9 inches. Qatar Airways, at 20 x 15 x 10 inches, publishes the shortest length of any airline in this guide's data.
Which airlines allow more room than the common 22 x 14 x 9 inches?
Southwest and Frontier both allow 24 x 16 x 10 inches, two inches longer, two inches wider and an inch deeper than the American or Delta figure. Spirit allows an extra 4 inches of width at 22 x 18 x 10 inches. Allegiant allows an extra 2 inches of width and an extra inch of depth at 22 x 16 x 10 inches. All three are commonly assumed to be strict about baggage since they charge for a carry-on or a checked bag, but their box size is actually more generous than several full-service carriers in this guide's data.
| Airline | Published carry-on box |
|---|---|
| American, Delta, United, Alaska, JetBlue, Hawaiian, Breeze, WestJet, Virgin Atlantic, Qantas | 22 x 14 x 9 in |
| Southwest, Frontier | 24 x 16 x 10 in |
| Spirit | 22 x 18 x 10 in |
| Allegiant | 22 x 16 x 10 in |
| Air Canada | 21.5 x 15.5 x 9 in |
| Icelandair | 21.6 x 15.7 x 7.8 in |
| Emirates | 21.6 x 14.9 x 8.6 in |
| Qatar Airways | 20 x 15 x 10 in |
Which airlines are tighter than the common 22 x 14 x 9 inches?
Qatar Airways' 20 inch length cap is 2 inches shorter than the common figure. Air Canada's 21.5 inch length is half an inch shorter. Icelandair caps height at 7.8 inches and Ryanair at about 7.9 inches, both well under the usual 9 inches. Emirates caps height at 8.6 inches, a tenth of an inch under a bag that hits exactly 8.7. None of these differences are marketing, they come straight from each airline's own published baggage page.
A real example: one bag, different results depending on the airline
The American Tourister Stratum 3.0 (B0FJPCD1VH, $71.99) lists its carry-on size, wheels included, at 22 x 15 x 9.5 inches. Sorted largest to smallest against Southwest and Frontier's 24 x 16 x 10 inch limit, every side clears with room left over. Against American Airlines' or Delta's 22 x 14 x 9 inch limit, the same bag is half an inch too wide and half an inch too tall. It clears Spirit and Allegiant's wider limits without issue, and it clears Air Canada by the same margin it misses American or Delta by.
Do carry-on weight limits vary just as much?
Most US and Canadian airlines publish no carry-on weight limit at all in this guide's data, only a size limit. Frontier and Breeze are exceptions, each capping a carry-on at 35 lb. Most international carriers do publish a weight cap, and those vary widely: Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and Qantas international economy all cap at 7 kg, while Ryanair, Aer Lingus and Wizz Air allow 10 kg, and Air France and KLM allow 12 kg. A bag that is sized correctly can still be turned away for weight on an airline that caps it.
Are personal item and checked bag sizes just as inconsistent?
Personal item sizes range from 17 x 13 x 8 inches at JetBlue and Breeze to 18 x 14 x 8 inches at American Airlines, Spirit, Frontier and Allegiant. Several airlines, including United, Delta, Hawaiian, Aer Lingus and Virgin Atlantic, allow a personal item but do not publish a maximum size for it on their own page, so this site prints no number for those and says to check the airline directly. Checked bag weight is more consistent: 50 lb or 23 kg is the standard first free bag across nearly every airline in this guide, with some premium cabins and a few international routes allowing up to 70 lb or 32 kg.
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Frequently asked questions
Is 22 x 14 x 9 inches a universal standard for carry-on bags?
It is the most common figure among the airlines in this guide's data, used by American, Delta, United, Alaska, JetBlue, Hawaiian, Breeze, WestJet, Virgin Atlantic and Qantas, but it is not universal. Southwest, Frontier, Spirit and Allegiant all allow more room, while Qatar Airways, Air Canada, Icelandair, Ryanair and Emirates all publish a tighter number on at least one side.
Why does the same bag pass on one airline and fail on another?
Because each airline sets its own length, width and height, and those numbers are compared side by side, not averaged. A bag can clear a generous limit like Southwest's 24 x 16 x 10 inches by several inches on every side while missing American or Delta's tighter 22 x 14 x 9 inches by half an inch on two of the three sides, which is exactly what happens with several popular carry-on models.
Do budget airlines always have the tightest carry-on limits?
Not in this guide's data. Southwest, Frontier, Spirit and Allegiant, all low-cost or ultra-low-cost, publish more generous box dimensions than several full-service carriers. The tightest limits actually belong to Qatar Airways on length and to Icelandair and Ryanair on height, so assuming a full-service carrier is automatically more forgiving is not reliable.
Should I just buy a bag sized to the strictest airline I fly?
That is the safest approach if a trip involves multiple airlines with different limits, since a bag that clears the tightest one will clear every more generous one too. If every trip is on the same one or two airlines, sizing to their specific published number instead can buy noticeably more packing room.
Researched, not professional advice. Airline rules change; confirm with your airline before you fly.