“Often passengers will arrive with a suitcase, personal items, coats, and sometimes even shopping bags,” says Josephine Remo, a Copenhagen-based former flight attendant with Scandinavian Airlines. “Obviously, all of that does not fit under the seat.”
Cue a scenario sure to happen more often as the holiday travel season ramps up: flight attendants removing personal items like small backpacks, jackets, or shopping bags from the overhead bins and requesting owners to place them under the seat in front of them. “In general, passengers need to understand that the overhead bins are for everyone and no one is entitled to a certain amount of space,” Remo says. If you’re boarding with more than one personal item, know that you’ll likely need to condense your belongings to fit on your person or under the seat in front of you—additional overhead space is not guaranteed.
Does a pet carrier count as a personal item?
It depends on the airline, but generally, most major US airlines allow a pet carrier as a piece of carry-on luggage. But the carrier must fit under the seat in front of you (meaning your second bag may have to go in the overhead compartment), and passengers must make a reservation ahead of time, as most airlines have limits on the number of pets traveling in the cabin. There’s also usually an additional fee.
What are the guidelines for major US carriers?
American
American requires personal items to have dimensions less than 18″ x 14″ x 8″. Good news for travelers flying basic economy on American: The carrier has announced those fares now come with one carry-on for free, in addition to a personal item, to all destinations.
Delta
Delta does not list specific dimension requirements for personal items on its website, but like other airlines, requires them to fit under the seat in front of you.
JetBlue
All JetBlue fares include a personal item that must fit under the seat in front of you and must not exceed 17″ 13″ x 8.” Passengers with Blue, Blue Plus, Blue Extra, and Mint fares can bring a carry-on bag (space permitting) that fits in the overhead bin, plus a personal item. The airline also specifies that any additional or larger carry-on bags brought to the gate will incur a fee ($65 for the first or second checked bag) and need to be checked.
Blue Basic fares only include one personal item. There are a few exceptions, however: Mosaic members; travelers on a JetBlue transatlantic flight; those who combine a Blue Basic fare with an Even More Space seat (on all legs, if connecting); active US military; and unaccompanied minors.
Southwest
Southwest allows a personal item for all passengers such as a purse, small backpack, food container, or laptop. The carrier does not specify the required dimensions of personal items, but states the item must be able to fit under the seat in front of you.
United
Personal items on United flights must not exceed total dimensions of 17″ x 10″ x 9″. United has an online baggage fee calculator to estimate costs to check a bag, noting that it’s cheaper to pay for these fees ahead of time.
What about personal items on budget airlines and low-cost carriers?
The personal item issue gets a bit trickier when it comes to budget carriers, which generally allow passengers one free personal item but charge for full-size carry-on luggage. Spirit Airlines, for example, has a range of fees for a carry-on beyond the personal item included in ticket prices. But, as its website notes, if you know you’ll have a larger carry-on bag, it’s advisable to pay during the booking process to avoid paying more later in the game (like a recent $99 at-the-airport carry-on fee we found on the carrier’s “Spirit Bag-O-Tron” baggage calculator).
