Personal Item Fit Checker
Enter your under-seat bag’s dimensions and see which airlines accept it as a free personal item — with the exact margin for each.
How this tool works
Most airlines let every passenger bring one free personal item that must fit under the seat in front of you — a smaller allowance than the overhead carry-on. Because a bag can be turned any way to slide under the seat, we compare your bag’s three dimensions sorted largest-to-smallest against each airline’s sorted personal-item limit, the same way the under-seat space actually constrains it.
- Fits — every dimension is within the limit with more than 0.5 in to spare.
- Tight — it fits, but a dimension is within 0.5 in of the limit. A soft bag usually squeezes in; a rigid one may not.
- Too big — at least one dimension exceeds the personal-item limit (it may still fit the larger carry-on allowance — check our Carry-On Size Checker).
Some carriers (Emirates, Qatar, Qantas, Singapore, ANA, Turkish, Virgin Atlantic) don’t publish exact personal-item dimensions — they describe it as a “handbag or laptop bag.” Those are listed separately below and excluded from the numeric fit check; treat a normal small bag as acceptable and confirm at the gate.
Important: enforcement varies by airport and staff, and on some budget carriers the free personal item is the only free bag. Treat “Tight” as “verify before you fly.” Dimensions are normalized to inches from each airline’s published allowance.
Personal-item (under-seat) allowances in our database (25 airlines)
| Airline | Region | Max personal item (in) | As published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | US | 18 × 14 × 8 | 18 x 14 x 8 in | Soft-sided garment bags may not exceed 51 linear inches. Diaper bags, breast pumps, strollers and mobility devices do not count as your personal item or carry-on. |
| Delta Air Lines | US | Not published | No numeric size published | Delta also caps the carry-on at 45 linear inches (length + width + height), so a bag can be within 22 x 14 x 9 on each side and still be measured overall. |
| United Airlines | US | 17 × 10 × 9 | 17 x 10 x 9 in | United publishes the carry-on as 9 x 14 x 22 in; the order does not matter, the longest side is 22 in. |
| Alaska Airlines | US | Not published | No numeric size published | Alaska publishes BOTH a per-side limit of 22 x 14 x 9 in and a 45 linear-inch cap, explicitly including wheels and handles, and applies it across all aircraft types. |
| JetBlue | US | 17 × 13 × 8 | 17 x 13 x 8 in | All JetBlue fares include a carry-on plus a personal item, space permitting. An approved pet carrier counts as one of them. |
| Hawaiian Airlines | US | 18 × 14 × 8 | About 18 x 14 x 8 in | 25 lb (11.3 kg) cabin weight limit. |
| Southwest Airlines | US | Not published | No numeric size published | Southwest's 24 x 16 x 10 carry-on allowance is the most generous of the major US carriers. Wheels, handles and attachments count toward the dimensions. |
| Frontier Airlines * | US | 18 × 14 × 8 | 18 x 14 x 8 in | Both allowances include handles, wheels and straps in the measurement. |
| Allegiant Air * | US | 18 × 14 × 8 | 18 x 14 x 8 in | Measurements include all exterior dimensions — wheels, handles, pockets and decorations. |
| Air Canada | Canada | 17 × 13 × 6 | 17 x 13 x 6 in | Published in both units in Air Canada's Domestic Tariff: 9 x 15.5 x 21.5 in (23 x 40 x 55 cm). The tariff does not state whether wheels and handles are included. |
| WestJet | Canada | 16 × 13 × 6 | 16 x 13 x 6 in | WestJet publishes 56 x 23 x 36 cm (22 x 9 x 14 in) and states the bag must fit the sizer with wheels included. |
| British Airways | Europe | 15.7 × 11.8 × 5.9 | 15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 in | BA publishes in centimetres: cabin bag 56 x 45 x 25 cm plus a handbag/backpack 40 x 30 x 15 cm. Inches converted here. Note the 90 x 75 x 43 cm figure circulating online is BA's CHECKED bag limit, not the cabin bag. |
| Ryanair * | Europe | 15.7 × 11.8 × 7.9 | 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 in | Ryanair publishes in centimetres: small bag 40 x 30 x 20 cm, cabin bag 55 x 40 x 20 cm. Inches converted here. Note the widely-indexed 40 x 20 x 25 cm figure is from Ryanair's 2018 release and is SUPERSEDED. |
| easyJet * | Europe | 17.7 × 14.2 × 7.9 | 17.7 x 14.2 x 7.9 in | easyJet publishes in centimetres: large cabin bag 56 x 45 x 25 cm, small bag 45 x 36 x 20 cm, both including handles and wheels. Inches here are converted. |
| Lufthansa | Europe | 15.7 × 11.8 × 5.9 | 15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 in | Lufthansa publishes in centimetres: carry-on 55 x 40 x 23 cm at 8 kg, personal item 40 x 30 x 15 cm. Inches converted here. The carry-on is included on Economy Light, Comfort and Flex and above. |
| Air France | Europe | 16 × 12 × 6 | 16 x 12 x 6 in | Air France publishes both units itself: hand baggage 55 x 35 x 25 cm (21.7 x 13.8 x 9.9 in), small bag 40 x 30 x 15 cm (16 x 12 x 6 in). Departures from the US are limited to 1 hand baggage plus 1 small bag. |
| KLM | Europe | 15.7 × 11.8 × 5.9 | 15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 in | KLM publishes in centimetres: hand baggage 55 x 35 x 25 cm including handles and wheels, small bag 40 x 30 x 15 cm. Inches converted here. |
| Emirates | Middle East | Not published | No numeric size published | Emirates publishes 55 x 38 x 22 cm and gives its own imperial figure of 21.6 x 14.9 x 8.6 in. Departures from India are governed instead by a 115 cm total-dimensions rule, and Brazil departures allow 10 kg. |
| Qatar Airways | Middle East | Not published | Laptop or handbag | 50 x 37 x 25 cm, 7 kg (Economy). Personal item has no separate published dimensions. |
| Turkish Airlines | Europe | 15.7 × 11.8 × 5.9 | 15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 in | Turkish publishes in centimetres: cabin baggage 23 x 40 x 55 cm at 8 kg, personal item 40 x 30 x 15 cm at 4 kg. Inches converted here. |
| Qantas | Oceania | Not published | No numeric size published | Qantas publishes the overhead bag as 56 x 36 x 23 cm with its own inch figures of 22 x 14 x 9, measured including wheels and packed-away handles. The 115 cm linear rule still quoted on third-party sites is stale — it now applies only to bulky items on a purchased extra seat. |
| Singapore Airlines | Asia | 15.7 × 11.8 × 3.9 | 15.7 x 11.8 x 3.9 in | Singapore Airlines publishes NO per-side carry-on dimensions — the only rule is that length + width + height must not exceed 115 cm (45.3 in) per piece, at 7 kg. Economy and Premium Economy get 1 piece; Suites, First and Business get 2. |
| Aer Lingus * | Europe | 15.5 × 11.5 × 8 | 15.5 x 11.5 x 8 in | Aer Lingus publishes 55 x 40 x 24 cm — the 24 cm depth is deeper than the 23 cm most carriers allow. |
| Virgin Atlantic | Europe | Not published | No numeric size published | Published as 23 x 36 x 56 cm; inches converted here. The document does not state whether wheels and handles are included. |
| ANA (All Nippon Airways) | Asia | 15.7 × 11.8 × 7.9 | 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 in | ANA applies BOTH a 115 cm total-dimensions rule and per-side maximums of 55 x 40 x 25 cm, including wheels and handles. On domestic aircraft with fewer than 100 seats the limit tightens to 100 cm total and 45 x 35 x 20 cm. |
FAQ
What counts as a personal item versus a carry-on?
The personal item is the smaller, free bag that must fit under the seat in front of you — a backpack, purse, laptop bag or small tote. The carry-on is the larger bag that goes in the overhead bin. This tool checks the under-seat personal-item limit; use the Carry-On Size Checker for the overhead bag.
My bag is “Too big” here — does that mean I can’t fly with it?
No. It just means it’s over the free personal-item limit. It may still fit the airline’s larger carry-on allowance (which is often a paid extra on budget fares). Check it against the Carry-On Size Checker.
Why don’t some airlines show a numeric result?
Carriers like Emirates, Qatar, Qantas, Singapore, ANA and Virgin Atlantic describe the personal item as a “handbag or laptop bag” without publishing exact dimensions. We list them separately so we don’t invent numbers; a normal small bag is generally accepted.
Do they measure the personal item at the gate?
Less often than the carry-on, but budget airlines increasingly have an under-seat sizer. If your result is “Tight,” pack a soft-sided bag that compresses and keep it under the published dimensions with wheels or bulges included.
How current is the data?
The database shows a last-updated date. Airlines change allowances occasionally — especially budget carriers — so treat results as guidance and confirm on the airline’s official baggage page before flying.