bag vs limit
2.1" to spareTopo Designs Rover Pack Mini
13.5 × 8.5 × 3.75 inEnormous margin against every limit here, and it looks like a normal bag rather than travel gear. Ten litres is a daybag though, not a travel bag.
Lufthansa allows a cabin bag of 55 × 40 × 23 cm — 21.7 × 15.7 × 9.1 inches — and weighs it at 8 kg (17.6 lb), which most US carriers never do. The under-seat item is 40 × 30 × 15 cm.
Fare class: Economy Basic on short and medium haul is personal item only — no overhead bag. Light, Classic, Comfort and Flex all include both, as does every long-haul Economy fare.
Counter-intuitively it is Basic, not Light, that drops the cabin bag. The 8 kg limit is real and enforced more than US travellers expect.
Measure the outside, wheels and handles included — that’s what they measure at the gate.
Links below are Amazon affiliate links — we earn a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you. No brand paid to appear here or to rank above another.
Enormous margin against every limit here, and it looks like a normal bag rather than travel gear. Ten litres is a daybag though, not a travel bag.
The anti-theft option that actually fits — slash-resistant panels, locking zips, RFID pocket, and a 13-inch laptop sleeve, all inside United’s width.
Pacsafe’s own site is JavaScript-gated, so this comes from a retailer spec rather than the brand. The 0.2 inches of width margin rests on that number.
55 × 40 × 23 cm, which is 21.7 × 15.7 × 9.1 inches, up to 8 kg (17.6 lb).
Yes — 40 × 30 × 15 cm, or 15.7 × 11.8 × 5.9 inches. It goes under the seat in front of you.
No — it is 0.3 inches over. Lufthansa allows 21.7 × 15.7 × 9.1 inches, and the standard US 22 × 14 × 9 does not fit inside that.
Economy Basic on short and medium haul is personal item only — no overhead bag. Light, Classic, Comfort and Flex all include both, as does every long-haul Economy fare.
Of the bags we track, 7 of 16 carry-ons fit the cabin limit and 2 of 25 personal items fit the under-seat limit. All of them are under the weight limit empty.
Manufacturers publish dimensions inconsistently, and a “20-inch” spinner is almost never 20 inches once you count the wheels. Where a brand states dimensions including wheels and handles, that’s the number we use. Where it only publishes the case, we say so on the card. Airlines measure the outside of your bag — wheels, handles, straps and all. Anything marked borderline is down to the gate agent, and remember that a soft bag squashes into a sizer while a hard shell won’t.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Product links on this page are affiliate links and cost you nothing extra.
Limits verified August 2026 against each carrier’s published policy. Airlines change these without notice — always confirm before you fly. Spirit Airlines ceased operations on 2 May 2026 and is no longer listed.
Airline Bag Size Checker v1.0.15 · last updated 2026-08-12