Personal Item Size 2026: Limits for 21 Airlines (in, cm and Litres)

How we checked: we opened each airline's own baggage page on 3 November 2026 (Aer Lingus and Iberia again on 4 November) and calculated the litres ourselves, because no airline publishes them. Every row links to the page we read. Spirit Airlines is not listed because it stopped flying on 2 May 2026. Sun Country is missing because its website blocked our access, and we don't print figures we couldn't read. We are an independent guide, not an airline.

Personal item size limits by airline (2026)

"Box litres" means the largest volume the airline's dimensions allow (length × width × depth). "Says it measures" and "If it's too big" report only what the airline's own page says.

≈ = our conversion; the airline publishes only the other unit. Litres for US airlines are calculated from the inch figures, so American and Allegiant show 33.0 L even though their own cm figures (45 × 35 × 20) give 31.5 L. Wizz Air measures without handles, and wheels may add up to 5 cm. WestJet's page gives 15 cm in its table and 14 cm in its text. Aer Lingus prints both units, and its inch figure (15.5 × 11.5 × 8 in) is slightly smaller than its cm figure; the table uses the cm figure.

Three details the table can't hold:

• United lets you bring nothing extra: "Small purses or bags are not allowed in addition to your personal item and carry-on."
• Air Canada is the exception. You may bring "an additional small purse or bag, provided it is no larger than 25 x 30 x 14cm (10 x 12 x 5.5 in)".
• Delta Connection flights with 50 seats or fewer allow personal items only on board; larger bags get a pink Gate Claim/Planeside tag and go in the hold.

What size bag fits every airline?

A bag up to 17 × 10 × 8 in (43 × 25 × 20 cm) fits all seven US airlines in the table that publish a limit. For all 18 airlines in the table that publish a size, including the European and Canadian ones, stay at or under 40 × 25 × 14 cm (about 15.7 × 9.8 × 5.5 in), which holds about 14 litres. If you shop in inches, choose 15.5 × 9.5 × 5.5 in, which also passes Aer Lingus's inch figures.

We worked these out by sorting each airline's three dimensions from longest to shortest and taking the smallest value in each position:

Aer Lingus's own inch figures (15.5 × 11.5 × 8 in) are slightly smaller than its 40 × 30 × 20 cm, so a 40 cm bag is 0.6 cm over the inch version. That is why the inch size to shop for is 15.5 × 9.5 × 5.5 in rather than the straight conversion (15.7 × 9.8 × 5.5 in): it fits Aer Lingus in both units.

Delta, Southwest and Alaska/Hawaiian publish no numbers, so no size can be guaranteed there; they only require the bag to fit under the seat in front of you.

Does an 18 × 14 × 8 in bag count as a personal item?

An 18 × 14 × 8 in bag counts as a personal item at only three of the 18 airlines in our table that publish a size: American, Frontier and Allegiant. Bags are also sold as 17 × 10 × 9 in ("United size"), which fits only United and Avelo, and as 40 × 30 × 15 cm, which fits every airline here that publishes a size except United (WestJet only on its 15 cm table figure, Aer Lingus only on its cm figure).

We checked each size the same way as above: longest side against longest side, middle against middle, shortest against shortest, using each airline's own figures.

Three edge cases. American and Allegiant also print 45 × 35 × 20 cm, which is 0.7 cm shorter than 18 in, so an 18 × 14 × 8 in bag matches their inch figure exactly and has no margin; the same goes for a 17 × 10 × 9 in bag at United, whose rounded 43 × 25 × 22 cm is slightly smaller than its inch figure. A 40 × 30 × 15 cm bag fits Aer Lingus on its cm figure but not on its 15.5 × 11.5 in figure.

The table is for rigid bags: a soft backpack, duffel or weekender that is a little over may squeeze into a sizer, but a hard-shell under-seat case won't give, so buy hard cases at or below the limit.

Is a 30L or 35L backpack a personal item?

A 35-litre backpack is too big for every airline in our table if it is full. The largest limit, 18 × 14 × 8 in, makes a box of 33.0 litres, and nothing that holds 35 litres fits inside a 33-litre box.

A 30-litre backpack can only pass at the five airlines whose box is larger than 30 litres: American, Frontier and Allegiant (33.0 L), Avelo (32.6 L) and easyJet (32.4 L). Even there, it must be close to box-shaped and not packed to bursting. A full 30 L pack cannot fit United's limit (25.1 L), Ryanair's, Wizz Air's or Aer Lingus's (24.0 L), or the 40 × 30 × 15 cm limit at Lufthansa, BA, Air France, KLM and Iberia (18.0 L).

The litre number on a backpack's label is the maker's own figure. A sizer tests length, width and depth, so measure the bag after you have packed it, with straps and side pockets included.

What counts as a personal item?

Any small bag that fits the limit and goes under the seat in front of you counts, whether it is a backpack, a handbag or a laptop bag. The size limit is the airline's, not TSA's: TSA's FAQ says carry-on sizes "vary by airline" and tells travellers to contact the airline. TSA screens what is inside, such as liquids in containers of 3.4 oz (100 ml) or less in one quart-size bag.

Airlines list the same examples:

• Backpacks: a "small backpack" at Frontier, Allegiant, Breeze, Avelo and Delta; "backpack" at United and Southwest; "rucksack" at easyJet; "backpack or handbag" at Iberia; "small backpack" at Wizz Air.
• Handbags and purses: yes, a handbag uses up your personal item. American calls it "your personal item like a purse or small handbag". Air Canada's page is the only one we read that allows a small purse on top of the allowance (up to 25 × 30 × 14 cm).
• Crossbody bags: Southwest lists "purse (including crossbody bags)" as a personal item, and WestJet lists a "purse/crossbody bag". A crossbody bag is your personal item, not an extra.
• Laptop bags and briefcases: named by Delta, United, Alaska, Breeze, Avelo, Aer Lingus and easyJet. Delta also names belt bags and fanny packs.

Some things don't count against the allowance. At American, diaper bags (one per child), a breast pump, a small cooler of breast milk, child safety seats, strollers and medical or mobility devices are extra. Delta adds a jacket or umbrella, food or drink bought after security and duty-free shopping. Air Canada allows a coat and food to eat on board, and Southwest says neck pillows do not count. A pet carrier counts as your personal item or carry-on at Southwest and Breeze.

Why can't you wear a crossbody bag during takeoff?

In the US, federal rules say an airline may not let a plane "take off or land unless each article of baggage is stowed" in an approved compartment or under a seat (14 CFR 121.589(c)). Passengers "must comply with instructions given by crewmembers" on stowage. The rule has no exception for a bag worn across your body, which is why crew can ask you to take it off and put it under the seat for takeoff and landing.

In the first row and at emergency exits, expect the bag to go in the overhead bin instead. Aer Lingus, for example, says that if you are "seated in row 1 (economy or business class) or at an emergency exit, you must store your baggage in an overhead locker."

Personal item vs carry-on: what's the difference?

The personal item is the small bag that goes under the seat. The carry-on is the larger bag that goes in the overhead bin. Budget fares often include only the personal item.

Basic economy: when the personal item is all you get

United's Basic Economy page says that if your personal item "does not fit under the seat, you'll have to check it at the gate and pay a $75 fee." MileagePlus Premier members, Star Alliance Gold members and primary holders of qualifying United co-branded cards still get a free carry-on on Basic Economy; the Gateway and Select cards do not qualify. JetBlue now says it lets you "bring one carry-on and one personal item on all fares", Blue Basic included.

What happens if your personal item doesn't fit?

Your bag usually goes in the hold for a fee. Where an airline publishes both prices, paying before the gate is cheaper:

If you think your bag is borderline:

1. Measure it packed, at home, including wheels, handles and straps (Frontier and easyJet count them in the personal-item limit).
2. Buy the bag online before the airport if the fare allows. Frontier and easyJet say airport prices are higher, and Ryanair charges more at the gate than at its bag-drop desk.
3. Check it at the counter, not the gate. Southwest tells passengers to check an oversize item "at the ticket counter before you head to your departure gate". On Lufthansa, that means getting to the desk before it closes; see our Lufthansa check-in deadlines.
4. Move valuables to your pockets before a bag is gate-checked. United asks passengers to keep medication, vapes, keys and other essentials in the personal item in case the carry-on goes in the hold.

Some gate-checks are free. On American Eagle regional jets a bag over the personal-item size is valet-checked at no charge, and Delta Connection jets with 50 seats or fewer tag larger bags at the plane. When a flight is full, KLM, Iberia and Lufthansa check compliant cabin bags free. If a gate-checked bag arrives damaged, report it before you leave the airport; our guide to claiming for a damaged or lost bag covers the deadlines.

Which personal item sizes online are out of date?

Several limits still quoted online are out of date. The main changes behind them: Allegiant now publishes 8 × 14 × 18 in, Spirit stopped flying on 2 May 2026, JetBlue's Blue Basic now includes a carry-on, and Air Canada's Economy Basic tickets bought on or after 3 January 2025 include only a personal item on North American and Caribbean routes. The airlines' own pages said this on 3 November 2026:

Always check the airline's own website rather than a third-party "airline help" page, some of which are fake customer-service listings.

FAQ

Is a backpack a personal item?

Yes, if it fits the airline's limit and goes under the seat in front of you; Delta, United, Southwest, Frontier, Allegiant, Breeze, Avelo, Iberia, Wizz Air and easyJet all name backpacks. A backpack too big for the under-seat limit counts as a carry-on, which costs extra on basic and low-cost fares.

Can a handbag and a backpack both count as personal items?

Usually not, because a handbag uses up the one personal item. Air Canada is the only airline on our list whose page allows a small purse (up to 25 × 30 × 14 cm) on top of the allowance.

Does the personal item have a weight limit?

Most airlines in our table publish no weight limit for the personal item. Frontier caps it at 35 lb, Wizz Air at 10 kg and easyJet at 15 kg. At Air France and KLM the small bag and cabin bag together may weigh 12 kg in Economy.

Can my personal item be a small rolling suitcase?

Sometimes. easyJet's free bag can be "a small trolley case" if it fits 45 × 36 × 20 cm with wheels and handles. Frontier counts wheels in its 18 × 14 × 8 in limit, and Wizz Air says wheels may add no more than 5 cm.

Do airlines actually measure personal items?

Some say so on their pages. Frontier says the personal item "will be checked during boarding". Ryanair uses sizers at the boarding gate, Air Canada has automated sizers, and United asks Basic Economy passengers to show their personal item at the check-in counter. Delta, Southwest, JetBlue and BA mention no personal-item check on the pages we read.