A while ago, one of our friends reached out to us with a travel-related question. He’s not a frequent traveler and was headed out of town for a quick weekend. He wanted to bring a carry-on bag with him but was concerned that the airline might make him check the bag at the gate. His question was if there’s any way to know, in advance, if the airline would be likely to gate check bags.
When I first heard the question, I answered, “It depends.”
There are several things you can do to help you make sure that there will still be space in the overhead bins for your bag.
Get a Co-Branded Credit Card
One sure way to get an early boarding group, regardless of the ticket type you purchased, is to have a co-brand credit card with the airline you’re flying with.
With Delta, American and United, you’ll get priority boarding if you have one of their credit cards. That should ensure there’s going to be enough space left in the overhead bins.
Pay for Priority Boarding or Seats
If you don’t have a credit card with the airline you’re flying on, there’s another way to get preferred boarding. If you pay for any of the extra space seats (like Main Cabin Extra or Comfort+) or pay for United’s Priority Boarding option, you’ll get to board the plane earlier than the other passengers. However, you may also be able to purchase less expensive preferred seats, like those offered by Delta, to get yourself into an earlier boarding group.
Check To See How Full The Plane Is
This is by no means a perfect method, but you can look the night before your flight and see the seating chart. If there are still a bunch of seats open, there’s a better chance your flight isn’t that full and there’ll be plenty of empty seats. That would mean plenty of extra space in the overheads.
Of course, this isn’t a definitive method to learn how full your flight is. If there’s a bunch of basic economy passengers, they won’t receive seat assignments until they arrive at the gate. I’ve seen a half-empty plane fill up just hours before departure.
If you depend on this method to figure out if you’ll have to gate check your bag, I’d plan on possibly having to hand your bag over at the gate.
Ensure Your Bag Meets Size Limits
Every airline has different requirements for carry-on bags and the size of a personal item. Here’s a list of the requirements for U.S.-based airlines. If your bag is well within the requirements, the gate agents might be more willing to let you bring it aboard than if it’s clearly over the limit. Just be prepared if you’re told your bag is too large to fit in the overhead bin (even if it isn’t).
If you’re looking for a bag that’ll fit in the space under the seat in front of you, check out this carry-on bag that usually fits those requirements.
Understand The Passenger Mix On Your Plane
The passenger mix on your flight can make a huge difference in the overhead space available.
If you’re on a flight full of frequent travelers who are trying to get home on a Friday afternoon, it’s likely that there’ll be a bunch of people who can board the flight before you and they’ll be carrying a maximum-sized roll-aboard bag. If you’re flying to Orlando on a Saturday morning, it’s more likely you’ll be traveling with a bunch of families with kids and their mini-sized Bluey carry-on bags filled with their iPads and snacks. That flight will tend to have plenty of space in the overhead bin.
Final Thoughts
Securing overhead bin space often requires planning ahead or paying extra—whether by having airline status, a co-branded credit card, or purchasing a preferred seat. While smaller bags and less crowded flights can improve your chances, there’s no guarantee.
If you want to avoid surprises, double-check your bag’s size, arrive at the gate early, and have a backup plan in case you’re asked to gate-check. Sometimes, preparation can make all the difference in ensuring a smoother travel experience.
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5 comments
Buying an economy plus seat on United does NOT get you earlier boarding. You’d have to separately purchase their “early boarding” if you specifically want that.
Thanks for the info. It looked like buying Economy Plus would put you ahead of those in Economy from the website. Priority Boarding puts you into group 2. I’ll try and clarify.
Use a travel backpack. They always look for wheelie bags when asking people to gate check.
I fly southwest the only thing is u don’t have assigned seats I fly alone so it not to bad just finding a seat when u are c person not Aor B. Person but u can upgrade for a fee??? Other wise I love southwest
How about this: Just be legal according to the airline you are on. There are differences so “one size does NOT fit all necessarily. One might think that the airline has to follow the Federal guidelines but they are set to mean no larger than this. It does NOT mean that any airline cannot go smaller. Check with the airline you are flying on and follow their directions.