Size matters, especially when dealing with something as important as the dimensions of your carry-on bag. Passengers are avoiding checking luggage due to the cost and the risk of airlines losing their belongings. As a result, people are attempting to carry as much as possible onto the plane. Consequently, airlines have become strict about the size and number of items allowed. It’s essential to have a bag that fits within the airline’s size restrictions. Here’s a link showing the current size bags allowed on many airlines.
Since airlines are looking for any way possible to make more money, collecting fees to gate-check a “too big” bag for the overhead bins is an easy way to do it. We’ve even encountered gate agents who claimed our bags were too large when they most certainly were not. See, it fits just fine.
You’ll see websites telling you their bags are “carry-on approved” or that they “fit in the overhead bin.” Don’t believe them. I’ll share a story of how Sharon and I learned the hard way that 22 inches doesn’t necessarily mean EXACTLY 22 inches.
Sharon loved her full-size Victorinox suitcase so much that she purchased a matching carry-on bag that perfectly fit her needs—the Victorinox Nxt 5.0 Mobilizer 22-inch.
Having stated dimensions of 22 “H x 14″ W x 9” D, it’s the exact size most domestic U.S. airlines say you can bring as a carry-on. We were proud of our purchase until we went on our first flight. I put the bag in the overhead compartment and the door wouldn’t close. I mean, it closed if I put the bag in sideways, but that’s not why we bought a bag that was the proper size. Depending on the airline, I could put the bag wheels out and it would fit. We took the bag to a sizer and found the bag wouldn’t fit. The bag had the right dimensions, but only if you didn’t count the wheels.
Notice how the wheels stick out under the bag and in the back a bit? This was just enough to make the bag “non-regulation.” The bag is wonderful, but it was too much of a pain to risk having to gate-check it if we ran up against the wrong airline employee. We now only use it for road trips.
When we were doing research, I picked up a new bag for myself. I read travel blogs and message boards where people were saying how great TravelPro bags are. When picking the size, I played it safe and got the 20-inch bag. The bag I purchased was the Crew 9 version, which has since been discontinued. I love this bag, and it’s as great as everyone said. To replace her new bag, Sharon decided to get the updated Crew 10 – 20-inch Expandable Business Plus Rollaboard (also no longer available – this was a couple of years ago).
This bag’s dimensions are listed at 20 H x 14 W x 9 D. Several reviewers on Amazon give slightly different “real world” dimensions of 21 1/4 x 14 x 9 1/2. The wheel design is the most important thing for getting this bag to fit in the “sizer.”
See how the wheels are built into the side of the case? This makes you lose a bit of storage space, but wheels or handles sticking out are the main reason bags do not fit the sizing requirements. I noticed the problem of my version 9 bag tipping forward was fixed on this version with those little feet things.
The newest version of this bag is the Crew VersaPack Max Carry-on Rollaboard which also has compatible packing cubes.
I love having carry-on bags that fit perfectly in the overhead bins and take up the least amount of space possible. We still come across planes where we cannot lay our bags flat in the overhead bins, but at least that’s the airline’s fault and not ours.
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2 comments
This post is so relatable. AFAIK, all of the manufacturers who say their bags are 22″ have an asterisk of “excludes wheels and handles,” which is infuriating. So, none of their 22″ bags are carry-on compliant, and you’re especially screwed if you travel to/from/within Europe or Asia, where they measure your bag more often. You have to get a 19″ or 20″ (or *maybe* a 21″) bag instead. Regardless, the bags themselves weigh so much that you’re bound to exceed the allowance, too (I don’t know why so many airlines have such ridiculously low weight limits of 8kg/17.6lbs). :-\
@Tennen – agree with the weight limit issue. Flew Singapore Airlines JFK-SIN with a standard carry on bag which met their size requirements. It weighed, as I recall, 13 KG or around 28 1/2 pounds and I was told I had to check it due to weight since it was otherwise a safety issue. Obviously I comply with their rules but don’t understand how US airlines can safely allow carry ones with practically no weight restriction (as long as it is the proper size and you can get it into the overhead bin) but an A350ULR plane configured with a small number of seats than normal (all business and premium economy) has a problem with what I consider a relatively light bag. BTW, not a financial issue since no charge for checked bags on that flight.