Flying with just a personal item — a bag that stows underneath the seat in front of you, rather than in the overhead bin — has become more and more standard, especially on budget airlines. (You can blame Spirit for this, after it introduced fees for carry-on luggage in 2010. It caused so much outrage that it prompted a response from Congress.) But what counts as a personal item isn’t always clear, though if you’re trying to stick to a budget and don’t want to pay for your slot in the overhead bin, you’ll want to make sure that bag will fit into those dreaded luggage sizers at the airport.
Many airlines stipulate that a personal item should measure under 17 by 13 by 8 inches. American and Spirit airlines are a teeny bit more generous, with 18 by 14 by 8 inches — but check your airline to be sure. It’s especially important to remember that these baggage measurements include anything that might stick out from your bag — like wheels or handles — and airport staff have been known to charge bags as carry-ons if they notice anything peeking out over the luggage sizer. Also, it’s worth noting that personal item means one bag only, so don’t be surprised if airport staff ask you to stuff your cross-body bag or purse inside your personal item — or be stuck with an additional fee.
As with carry-on guidelines, some airlines are stricter than others on this. Usually the more budget an airline, the harder a time they’ll give you; Frontier, for example, has admitted to paying a commission to airport staff for identifying and charging passengers traveling with a bag too large. Many airlines will also have luggage sizers at the gate to test your bag against. But you may also get somebody who’s lenient — and who is more concerned about getting passengers on the plane than whipping out the tape measure to check how many inches wide your bag is. Last year, for example, I tried my luck with an overstuffed backpack on even the stingiest, strictest of European airlines and skirted by without a fee. Another, less risky, option is to read our guide to the best personal items, instead of sweating about if your backpack or tote will fit inside the luggage sizer. If you want to just cut to the chase, we’ve got a few personal items below that will definitely fit under your seat — or if you simply can’t fit an entire trip’s worth of luggage below the seat in front, make sure to check out which carry-ons and weekenders we think are worth the extra fee.
Some personal items we like
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