Airline Personal Item & Carry-On Bag Size Compatibility

Most major U.S. airlines publish personal-item limits around 18 × 14 × 8 in (45 × 35 × 20 cm). There’s no true industry standard, but the Personal Duffel 27L (PD27) was designed to fit within those real-world under-seat constraints at 17 × 11.5 × 8 in (43 × 29 × 20 cm).

Airlines often post conservative dimensions online, while the actual sizers at the airport—and the space under the seat—can be more forgiving depending on aircraft and seat layout. And because the PD27 is soft-sided, how you pack it matters: don’t overstuff it and it can compress slightly to fit tighter, more constrained bag sizers.

In the table below, “Listed / Tested” compares the airline’s published limits with real-world experience traveling with the PD27. Always confirm requirements with your airline before flying, as policies can change. Last updated: February 2026.

 

Airline Personal Item (IN) Personal Item (CM) Fits as Personal Item? (Listed / Tested) Carry-On (IN) Carry-On (CM) Fits as Carry-On?
Air Canada 17 × 13 × 6.3 43 × 33 × 16 LIKELY / YES 22 × 16 × 9 55 × 40 × 23 YES
Air France 16 × 12 × 6 40 × 30 × 15 LIKELY 22 × 14 × 9 55 × 35 × 25 YES
Air Transat 17 × 12.5 × 5.1 43 × 31 × 13 LIKELY / YES 22 × 16 × 9 55 × 40 × 23 YES
Alaska Airlines 14 × 12 × 9 35 × 30 × 22 LIKELY 22 × 14 × 9 56 × 36 × 23 YES
Allegiant 18 × 14 × 8 45 × 35 × 20 YES 22 × 16 × 10 55 × 40 × 25 YES
American Airlines 18 × 14 × 8 45 × 35 × 20 YES 22 × 14 × 9 56 × 36 × 23 YES
British Airways 16 × 12 × 6 40 × 30 × 15 LIKELY 22 × 18 × 10 56 × 45 × 25 YES
Cathay Pacific 16 × 12 × 6 40 × 30 × 15 LIKELY 22 × 14 × 9 56 × 36 × 23 YES
Delta 17 × 13 × 9 43 × 33 × 23 YES 22 × 14 × 9 56 × 36 × 23 YES
EasyJet 18 × 14 × 8 45 × 36 × 20 YES 22 × 18 × 10 56 × 45 × 25 YES
Emirates 18 × 14 × 8 45 × 35 × 20 YES 22 × 15 × 9 55 × 38 × 22 YES
Flair 17 × 13 × 6 43 × 33 × 16 LIKELY / YES 22 × 16 × 9 55 × 40 × 23 YES
Frontier 18 × 14 × 8 46 × 36 × 20 YES 24 × 16 × 10 61 × 40 × 25 YES
Hawaiian Not specified Not specified LIKELY / YES 22 × 14 × 9 56 × 36 × 23 YES
Jet Blue 17 × 13 × 8 43 × 33 × 20 YES 22 × 14 × 9 56 × 36 × 23 YES
KLM 16 × 12 × 6 40 × 30 × 15 LIKELY 22 × 14 × 10 55 × 35 × 25 YES
Korean Air 16 × 12 × 6 40 × 30 × 15 LIKELY 22 × 16 × 8 55 × 40 × 20 YES
Lufthansa 16 × 12 × 6 40 × 30 × 15 LIKELY 22 × 16 × 9 55 × 40 × 23 YES
Porter Airlines 17 × 13 × 6.3 43 × 33 × 16 LIKELY / YES 22 × 16 × 9 55 × 40 × 23 YES
Qantas 19 × 13.4 × 9 48 × 34 × 23 YES 22 × 14 × 9 56 × 36 × 23 YES
Qatar 16 × 12 × 6 40 × 30 × 15 LIKELY 20 × 15 × 10 50 × 37 × 25 YES
Ryanair 16 × 12 × 8 40 × 30 × 20 LIKELY / YES 22 × 16 × 8 55 × 40 × 20 YES
SAS 16 × 12 × 6 40 × 30 × 15 LIKELY 22 × 16 × 9 55 × 40 × 23 YES
Southwest 18 × 13 × 8 46 × 33 × 20 YES 24 × 16 × 10 61 × 40 × 25 YES
Spirit 18 × 14 × 8 45 × 35 × 20 YES 22 × 18 × 10 56 × 46 × 25 YES
United 17 × 10 × 9 43 × 25 × 22 LIKELY / YES 22 × 14 × 9 56 × 36 × 23 YES
Virgin Atlantic 16 × 12 × 6 40 × 30 × 15 LIKELY 22 × 14 × 9 56 × 36 × 23 YES
WestJet 16 × 13 × 6 41 × 33 × 14 LIKELY / YES 22 × 14 × 9 56 × 36 × 23 YES