Carry-On Size, Packing and Lost Luggage

Luggage questions are about three things: what size carry-on is allowed, how to fit a trip into one, and what to do when a checked bag doesn’t show up. Here are the answers.

On this page:

What size carry-on bag is allowed?

Short answer: For the largest U.S. airlines, 22 x 14 x 9 inches including wheels and handles, plus a personal item. Budget fares and foreign airlines differ.

There is no single federal carry-on size; each airline sets its own. American, Delta and United all publish a maximum of 22 x 14 x 9 inches (56 x 36 x 23 cm), including wheels and handles, for a carry-on that goes in the overhead bin. You may also bring a smaller personal item — a purse, laptop bag or small backpack — that fits under the seat in front of you.

Watch for these catches:

• “22-inch” suitcases are not always 22 inches. Many brands measure the body only. Measure yours with the wheels and handle included.
• Basic economy and low-cost airlines may not include a full-size carry-on at all, only a personal item, and charge at the gate for anything bigger.
• Airlines outside the U.S. often have smaller size limits and a weight limit for carry-ons, sometimes quite low.
• Small regional jets may not fit standard bags in the bins, so you may be asked to leave yours at the aircraft door for the hold.

Check your airline’s baggage page for your exact fare before you pack, and expect stricter enforcement on full flights, when gate agents use the bag sizer.

What should I do if the airline loses my luggage?

Short answer: Report it before you leave the airport, keep receipts for essentials, and know your right to a bag-fee refund and compensation.

Most “lost” bags are delayed, not gone, and usually turn up within a day or two. What you do in the first hour matters:

• Report it at the airport, at the airline’s baggage service office, before you leave. Get a written report and a file reference number.
• Ask what the airline will cover for essentials while you wait, and keep every receipt for toiletries and clothing.
• Give a delivery address and track the file online.

Know your rights. Airlines must compensate passengers for reasonable expenses caused by a delayed bag, up to limits set by law, and on international trips the Montreal Convention applies, which requires a written complaint for a delayed bag within 21 days of receiving it. Under the DOT rules, if you paid to check a bag and it is not delivered within 12 hours of a domestic flight’s arrival (15 hours for international flights of 12 hours or less, 30 hours for longer ones), the airline must refund the bag fee. See DOT’s baggage guidance.

If the airline declares the bag lost, file a full claim listing the contents. Then check what your travel insurance, credit card or homeowner’s or renter’s policy will add. Next time, put a tracking tag and a copy of your itinerary inside the bag, and photograph what you pack.