What size is a carry-on bag?
There is no single carry-on size for every airline. For example, Delta publishes 22 × 14 × 9 inches (56 × 35 × 23 cm), including wheels and handles, plus a 45-linear-inch (114 cm) total. easyJet’s included small bag is 45 × 36 × 20 cm; its larger 56 × 45 × 25 cm bag requires the relevant booking or benefit. Check which bag your fare includes before comparing dimensions.
Use your packed outside measurements, not the case’s “20-inch” or “22-inch” product name. The diagram below shows where to put the tape. The eight-airline comparison covers size, weight and fare differences.
How to measure carry-on luggage
A “22-inch” label is not enough: if a hypothetical case body is 22 inches high but its wheels and fixed handle make it 23 inches overall, compare 23 inches with the airline’s height limit. An expansion zip or a filled front pocket can instead increase depth. Measure all three sides again after packing.
Pack it, zip it closed and retract the telescopic handle. Include anything attached to the outside. If you intend to use the expansion zip, measure it expanded; closing it later only helps if the contents still fit. You need a tape measure, a hard floor and two straight objects such as books.
- Height: stand the case upright. Measure from the floor beneath its wheels to the highest fixed part, including the top grab handle.
- Width: measure across the widest outside points, including a side handle, feet or corner bulges.
- Depth: place the straight objects against the furthest front and back points without squeezing the bag. Measure the gap between them. A loaded front pocket is part of the bag.
- Weight: weigh the packed bag. If your allowance combines cabin bags, weigh both and add them; moving items between bags does not reduce their combined weight.
Record the units alongside the numbers. One inch is exactly 2.54 cm, but an airline’s published inch and centimetre figures may be rounded differently. Keep its original figures and diagram; do not round your measurement down to make it pass. Re-measure after repacking, rather than treating the empty bag’s measurements as permanent.
For a soft backpack, measure the packed shape without compressing it. At the airport, use the orientation shown on the airline’s gauge or follow staff instructions. Do not force it into a frame or assume every sizer is designed for wheels-first insertion.
Compare the booking, not just the suitcase label
Open the baggage page for the airline operating each flight, including the return and any codeshare connections. Check your fare and added bags in the booking. A personal item and an overhead bag can have different limits, and a second bag may need to be purchased.
| Flight example | What to compare |
|---|---|
| easyJet cabin bags | The included small bag is up to 45 × 36 × 20 cm. A large bag is up to 56 × 45 × 25 cm, with booking or fare/membership conditions. Both include handles and wheels and have a 15 kg limit; you must be able to lift and carry them yourself. |
| Delta carry-on baggage | Delta publishes 22 × 14 × 9 inches (56 × 35 × 23 cm), including handles and wheels, plus a 45-linear-inch (114 cm) total. Check its route-specific weight exceptions and operating-carrier guidance too. |
Worked example: a hypothetical 55 × 40 × 24 cm bag falls within easyJet’s large-bag dimensions, but exceeds Delta’s published width and depth. It also exceeds easyJet’s small-bag allowance. Its size alone neither buys an overhead-bag entitlement nor guarantees cabin space. This is a comparison of published limits, not an airport test.
Compare each side with the corresponding dimension in the airline’s diagram. If both individual dimensions and a linear total are specified, meet both. Do not offset a depth excess with unused height. For several airlines, check every allowance separately; “budget airline size” is not a single standard.
Keep one note per flight
Copy this outline into your own notes and fill it from your booking. Keep a screenshot of the allowance with the date you checked it.
- Flight/date and operating airline: _____
- Fare and bags included or purchased: _____
- Overhead bag limit / my packed dimensions and weight: _____
- Under-seat bag limit / my packed dimensions and weight: _____
- Combined-weight or bag-count restriction: _____
- Any dimension over / action before departure: _____
- Official baggage URL and date checked: _____
If a measurement is over the limit
Repack, use a smaller bag, or check the airline’s available baggage options before departure. Re-measure and re-weigh after moving anything. Moving items into a personal item only works if that item is allowed and still meets its own size, weight and count restrictions. Check purchase deadlines and the actual price in your booking; an online bag option may no longer be available at the gate.
If buying a case, ask the seller for its overall dimensions including protruding parts and its empty weight. One set of dimensions in a listing does not tell you whether wheels were included. Check the exact model, then compare it against your itinerary. Leave room for packing variation if possible, but no margin guarantees acceptance on every future flight.
Be ready if the bag goes into the hold
Cabin-space or aircraft restrictions can affect a bag that meets the stated measurements. Delta’s official page, for example, describes gate checking and limits on small Delta Connection aircraft. Check where you will collect a gate-checked bag and keep the tag or receipt.
Remove power banks and spare lithium batteries before handing over the bag. The FAA’s PackSafe guidance requires these in the cabin, including when a cabin bag is checked at the gate. Protect terminals from short circuits with suitable individual packaging or protective covers. Check your airline’s current capacity, quantity and onboard-use rules; they may be stricter.
Keep travel documents, essential medication, keys and valuables accessible in your permitted cabin item. Ask staff how to retain these if your booking allows only one bag. Follow the airline’s separate instructions for devices with installed batteries. Do not assume everything that can travel in the cabin can go into the hold.
Ready-to-leave checklist
Use these checks after your final repack. Tick marks are temporary and are not saved when you reopen the page.
Questions before you leave
Do wheels and handles count?
Both easyJet and Delta explicitly include them. Measure overall external dimensions and follow the operating airline’s wording, rather than assuming a product’s advertised size is the packed external size.
Will a bag one inch over be accepted?
You cannot rely on acceptance. If it exceeds a published limit, arrange a compliant bag or the appropriate baggage option. An empty flight or a previous successful trip does not change the allowance.
Is a backpack automatically a personal item?
No. Check the packed dimensions, stowage requirement and bag entitlement for the flight. A backpack’s name or capacity in litres does not establish that it qualifies.
Can a bag within the limits still be gate-checked?
Yes. Cabin space and aircraft restrictions can require this. Prepare items that must stay in the cabin and confirm the collection location with staff.
Measurement guide reviewed September 9, 2026; airline examples and diagram updated September 21, 2026. The linked airline and FAA pages remain the source for their rules. The worked example is illustrative. Recheck your booking and official rules before travel; this guide does not certify a bag or replace airline decisions.