Home / Carry-on vs personal item
Carry-on vs personal item
A personal item is a small bag (purse, laptop bag, small backpack) that fits under the seat in front of you, and it is free on every fare. A carry-on is a larger bag, usually a wheeled suitcase, that goes in the overhead bin. It is free on most full-service airlines but costs extra on Frontier, Spirit, Allegiant, Sun Country, Breeze, Avelo, Ryanair, easyJet, Volaris.
Side by side for US airlines
| Airline | Personal item (under seat) | Carry-on (overhead) |
|---|---|---|
| American | 18 × 14 × 8 in | 22 × 14 × 9 in free |
| United | 17 × 10 × 9 in | 22 × 14 × 9 in free |
| Southwest | 18.5 × 13.5 × 8.5 in | 24 × 16 × 10 in free |
| Frontier | 18 × 14 × 8 in | 24 × 16 × 10 in paid |
| Spirit | 18 × 14 × 8 in | 22 × 18 × 10 in paid |
| Allegiant | 18 × 14 × 8 in | 22 × 16 × 10 in paid |
| JetBlue | 17 × 13 × 8 in | 22 × 14 × 9 in free |
| Sun Country | 17 × 13 × 9 in | 24 × 16 × 11 in paid |
| Breeze | 17 × 13 × 8 in | 22 × 14 × 9 in paid |
| Avelo | 17 × 13 × 9 in | 22 × 14 × 9 in paid |
What usually counts as each
Personal item: handbag, laptop bag, briefcase, small backpack, camera bag, diaper bag. Coats, a small bag of food bought after security, and medical devices usually do not count toward either allowance.
Carry-on: roller suitcase, duffel, larger backpack, garment bag. If your carry-on will not fit the bin or the flight is full, it may be checked at the gate; on full-service airlines that is usually free, on budget airlines a gate-checked bag costs the most.
Check a bag against every airline with the fit checker.