Personal item size by airline
Personal items range from 40 × 30 × 10 cm (15.7 × 11.8 × 3.9 in) on AirAsia, Singapore Airlines and Scoot to 48 × 34 × 23 cm (18.9 × 13.4 × 9.1 in) on Qantas. Delta, Southwest, Alaska, Hawaiian, Batik Air, Cathay Pacific and Jetstar publish no size at all: the bag just has to fit under the seat in front of you.
Checked against the airlines’ websites on
- 48 × 34 × 23 cmQantas
- 17 × 13 × 9 inSun Country and Avelo
- 45 × 36 × 20 cmeasyJet
- 18 × 14 × 8 inAmerican, Frontier and Allegiant
- 45 × 33 × 20 cmVirgin Australia
- 17 × 13 × 8 inJetBlue and Breeze
- 40 × 30 × 20 cmRyanair, Wizz Air and Jet2
- 17 × 10 × 9 inUnited
- 43 × 33 × 16 cmAir Canada
- 36 × 25 × 25 cmMalaysia Airlines
- 41 × 33 × 15 cmWestJet
- 40 × 30 × 15 cmBritish Airways
- 40 × 30 × 10 cmAirAsia, Singapore Airlines and Scoot
Personal item limits
Each airline’s own unit comes first; “≈” marks a conversion we made where the airline prints only the other unit. Delta, Southwest, Alaska, Hawaiian, Batik Air, Cathay Pacific and Jetstar give no size, only that the bag fits under the seat in front of you.
| Airline | Free under-seat bag | Size | Weight | Wheels and handles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | Personal item | 18 × 14 × 8 in45 × 35 × 20 cm | None published | Not stated |
| Delta Air Lines | Personal item | No size published | None published | Not stated |
| United Airlines | Personal item | 17 × 10 × 9 in43 × 25 × 22 cm | None published | Not stated |
| Southwest Airlines | Personal item | No size published | None published | Not stated |
| JetBlue | Personal item | 17 × 13 × 8 in43.2 × 33 × 20.3 cm | None published | Not stated |
| Alaska Airlines | Personal item | No size published | None published | Not stated |
| Frontier Airlines | Personal item | 18 × 14 × 8 in≈about 46 × 36 × 20 cm | 35 lb≈about 15.9 kg | Wheels and handles included |
| Allegiant Air | Personal item | 18 × 14 × 8 in45 × 35 × 20 cm | None published | Wheels and handles included |
| Hawaiian Airlines | Personal item | No size published | None published | Not stated |
| Sun Country Airlines | Underseat item | 17 × 13 × 9 in≈about 43 × 33 × 23 cm | None published | Not stated |
| Breeze Airways | Personal item | 17 × 13 × 8 in≈about 43 × 33 × 20 cm | None published | Not stated |
| Avelo Airlines | Personal item | 17 × 13 × 9 in43 × 33 × 22 cm | None published | Not stated |
| Airline | Free under-seat bag | Size | Weight | Wheels and handles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Canada | Personal item | 43 × 33 × 16 cm17 × 13 × 6 in | No weight limit | Wheels and handles included |
| WestJet | Personal item | 41 × 33 × 15 cm16 × 13 × 6 in | None published | Wheels and handles included |
| Airline | Free under-seat bag | Size | Weight | Wheels and handles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryanair | Small personal bag | 40 × 30 × 20 cm≈about 15.7 × 11.8 × 7.9 in | None published | Not stated |
| easyJet | Small under-seat bag | 45 × 36 × 20 cm≈about 17.7 × 14.2 × 7.9 in | 15 kg≈about 33 lb | Wheels and handles included |
| British Airways | Handbag | 40 × 30 × 15 cm16 × 12 × 6 in | None published | Not stated |
| Wizz Air | Small carry-on bag | 40 × 30 × 20 cm≈about 15.7 × 11.8 × 7.9 in | 10 kg≈about 22 lb | Not counting wheels and handles |
| Jet2 | Small under-seat bag | 40 × 30 × 20 cm≈about 15.7 × 11.8 × 7.9 in | None published | Not stated |
| Airline | Free under-seat bag | Size | Weight | Wheels and handles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AirAsia | Small bag | 40 × 30 × 10 cm≈about 15.7 × 11.8 × 3.9 in | Within the 7 kg total | Not stated |
| Malaysia Airlines | Personal item | 36 × 25 × 25 cm≈about 14.2 × 9.8 × 9.8 in | Within the 7 kg total | Not stated |
| Batik Air Malaysia | Personal item | No size published | Within the 7 kg total | Not stated |
| Singapore Airlines | Additional item | 40 × 30 × 10 cm≈about 15.7 × 11.8 × 3.9 in | None published | Not stated |
| Scoot | Personal item | 40 × 30 × 10 cm≈about 15.7 × 11.8 × 3.9 in | Within the 10 kg total | Not stated |
| Cathay Pacific | Small item | No size published | Within the 7 kg total | Not stated |
| Airline | Free under-seat bag | Size | Weight | Wheels and handles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jetstar Airways | Small item | No size published | Within the 7 kg total | Not stated |
| Qantas | Underseat bag | 48 × 34 × 23 cm≈about 18.9 × 13.4 × 9.1 in | 10 kg22 lb | Wheels and handles included |
| Virgin Australia | Personal item | 45 × 33 × 20 cm≈about 17.7 × 13 × 7.9 in | 8 kg≈about 18 lb | Not stated |
One bag for every airline
Take the smallest limit on each side and you get a bag that passes everywhere: 14.1 × 9.8 × 3.9 in (36 × 25 × 10 cm) fits all 21 published personal item limits here. For US airlines alone it’s 17 × 10 × 8 in; for the UK and Europe, 40 × 30 × 15 cm; for Asia, 36 × 25 × 10 cm; for Canada, 41 × 33 × 15 cm; for Australia, 45 × 33 × 20 cm.
Rounded down, so it stays inside every limit. Depth is usually the side that catches people out.
When it’s the only free bag
On Frontier, Allegiant, Sun Country, Breeze, Avelo, Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air, the personal item is the one bag every fare includes: a carry-on for the overhead bin costs extra. That makes the under-seat limit the one to pack to:
- Frontier Airlines: personal item 18 × 14 × 8 in
- Allegiant Air: personal item 18 × 14 × 8 in
- Sun Country Airlines: underseat item 17 × 13 × 9 in
- Breeze Airways: personal item 17 × 13 × 8 in
- Avelo Airlines: personal item 17 × 13 × 9 in
- Ryanair: small personal bag 40 × 30 × 20 cm
- easyJet: small under-seat bag 45 × 36 × 20 cm
- Wizz Air: small carry-on bag 40 × 30 × 20 cm
United’s Basic Economy, Air Canada’s Economy Basic and WestJet’s UltraBasic work the same way on most routes. See carry-on vs personal item for how the two allowances fit together.
Check an under-seat size
Each published personal item limit, with every airline a bag that size fits under the seat on:
- 18 × 14 × 8 inFits 3 of 21 under-seat limits
- 17 × 13 × 9 inFits 3 of 21 under-seat limits
- 17 × 13 × 8 inFits 10 of 21 under-seat limits
- 17 × 10 × 9 inFits 4 of 21 under-seat limits
- 40 × 30 × 20 cmFits 13 of 21 under-seat limits
- 40 × 30 × 10 cmFits 19 of 21 under-seat limits
- 45 × 36 × 20 cmFits 4 of 21 under-seat limits
- 40 × 30 × 15 cmFits 16 of 21 under-seat limits
- 48 × 34 × 23 cmFits 1 of 21 under-seat limits
- 45 × 33 × 20 cmFits 6 of 21 under-seat limits
- 43 × 33 × 16 cmFits 11 of 21 under-seat limits
- 41 × 33 × 15 cmFits 12 of 21 under-seat limits
- 36 × 25 × 25 cmFits 1 of 21 under-seat limits
Questions
What counts as a personal item?
A bag small enough to go under the seat in front of you: a purse, briefcase, laptop bag or small backpack. Airlines let a few things on without counting, such as a coat, an umbrella, food bought at the airport, a diaper bag or a breast pump; United and American list theirs on their pages.
Can a backpack be a personal item?
Yes, if it fits the airline’s personal item limit and goes under the seat. A small daypack usually does; a 30-litre hiking pack usually doesn’t. On United that means 17 × 10 × 9 in or less.
Do airlines weigh personal items?
Few set a weight at all: Frontier, easyJet, Wizz Air, Qantas and Virgin Australia do. The rest only need it to fit under the seat.
What size personal item fits every airline?
A bag no bigger than 14.1 × 9.8 × 3.9 in (36 × 25 × 10 cm) meets every personal item limit published here. For US airlines alone, 17 × 10 × 8 in is enough.
Sources
- American Airlines: Carry-on bags and size limits (checked 28 October 2026)
- Delta Air Lines: Carry-On Baggage (checked 28 October 2026)
- United Airlines: Carry-on bags (checked 28 October 2026)
- Southwest Airlines: Carryon and Personal Item Policy (checked 28 October 2026)
- JetBlue: Carry-On Bags (checked 28 October 2026)
- Alaska Airlines: Carry-on luggage size limit (checked 28 October 2026)
- Frontier Airlines: Bag size limits (checked 28 October 2026)
- Allegiant Air: Carry-On and Checked Baggage Policy, Size & Fees (checked 28 October 2026)
- Hawaiian Airlines: Carry-on luggage size limit (checked 28 October 2026)
- Sun Country Airlines: Bags and optional services (checked 28 October 2026)
- Breeze Airways: Bag allowance and dimensions (checked 28 October 2026)
- Avelo Airlines: Carry-on bags (checked 28 October 2026)
- Ryanair: General Terms and Conditions of Carriage, Article 8: Baggage (checked 28 October 2026)
- easyJet: Cabin bags (checked 28 October 2026)
- British Airways: Baggage essentials (checked 28 October 2026)
- Wizz Air: Cabin baggage (checked 28 October 2026)
- Jet2: Baggage (checked 28 October 2026)
- AirAsia: Baggage (checked 28 October 2026)
- Malaysia Airlines: Cabin baggage (checked 28 October 2026)
- Batik Air Malaysia: Baggage allowance (checked 28 October 2026)
- Singapore Airlines: Cabin baggage (checked 28 October 2026)
- Scoot: Baggage allowance, policy and rules (checked 28 October 2026)
- Cathay Pacific: Fare classes (checked 28 October 2026)
- Air Canada: Carry-on baggage (checked 28 October 2026)
- WestJet: Carry-on baggage (checked 28 October 2026)
- Jetstar: Carry-on baggage (checked 28 October 2026)
- Qantas: Carry-on baggage allowances (checked 28 October 2026)
- Virgin Australia: Carry-on baggage (checked 28 October 2026)
Airline rules change. Spotted a figure that no longer matches the airline’s website? Tell us; corrections are logged on the sources page.