Which Airlines Allow the Biggest Personal Item? (Ranked)
Personal item size limits for 39 airlines ranked biggest to smallest, with box volume in liters, which bags fit, and airlines with no published limit.
If you're trying to travel with just a personal item, the airline matters more than the bag. The free under-seat bag ranges from roomy enough for a long weekend to barely bigger than a laptop sleeve, depending on who you fly.
We track the published personal item limits of 39 airlines, so we lined them all up. The biggest allowance is almost three times the size of the smallest.
Short version: The biggest published personal item is 18 x 14 x 8 in (45 x 35 x 20 cm), about a 33-liter box, on American, Frontier, Allegiant and Avianca. In Europe, easyJet is the most generous at 45 x 36 x 20 cm. The smallest is 40 x 30 x 10 cm (about 12 liters) on AirAsia, Singapore Airlines and Vietjet. Delta, Southwest and Alaska don't publish a size at all: it just has to fit under the seat.
The ranking
Ranked by the volume of the box each airline allows, biggest first. Airlines with the same box share a rank. The last column shows whether a full-size carry-on is included on the cheapest fare, because that changes how much the personal item matters.
| # | Airline | Size limit | Box volume | Full carry-on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Allegiant Air | 18 x 14 x 8 in 45 x 35 x 20 cm | about 33 L | Paid extra |
| 1 | American Airlines | 18 x 14 x 8 in 45 x 35 x 20 cm | about 33 L | Included |
| 1 | Frontier Airlines | 18 x 14 x 8 in about 46 x 36 x 20 cm | about 33 L | Paid extra |
| 1 | Avianca | 18 x 14 x 8 in 45 x 35 x 20 cm | about 33 L | Paid extra |
| 5 | easyJet | 45 x 36 x 20 cm about 17.7 x 14.2 x 7.9 in | about 32 L | Paid extra |
| 5 | LATAM Airlines | 17.8 x 13.8 x 7.9 in 45 x 35 x 20 cm | about 32 L | Paid extra |
| 5 | Volaris | 45 x 35 x 20 cm about 17.7 x 13.8 x 7.9 in | about 32 L | Paid extra |
| 8 | Breeze Airways | 17 x 13 x 8 in about 43 x 33 x 20 cm | about 29 L | Paid extra |
| 8 | JetBlue | 17 x 13 x 8 in 43.2 x 33 x 20.32 cm | about 29 L | Included |
| 10 | United Airlines | 17 x 10 x 9 in 43 x 25 x 22 cm | about 25 L | Included |
| 10 | Copa Airlines | 17 x 10 x 9 in 43 x 25 x 22 cm | about 25 L | Included |
| 12 | Wizz Air | 40 x 30 x 20 cm about 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 in | about 24 L | Paid extra |
| 12 | Ryanair | 40 x 30 x 20 cm about 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 in | about 24 L | Paid extra |
| 12 | Vueling | 40 x 30 x 20 cm about 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 in | about 24 L | Depends on fare |
| 12 | ANA (All Nippon Airways) | 40 x 30 x 20 cm about 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 in | about 24 L | Included |
| 12 | Jetstar | 40 x 30 x 20 cm about 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 in | about 24 L | Included |
| 17 | Aer Lingus | 15.5 x 11.5 x 8 in 40 x 30 x 20 cm | about 23 L | Depends on fare |
| 18 | Air Canada | 17 x 13 x 6 in 43 x 33 x 16 cm | about 22 L | Included |
| 18 | Porter Airlines | 17 x 13 x 6 in 43 x 33 x 16 cm | about 22 L | Included |
| 20 | WestJet | 16 x 13 x 6 in 41 x 33 x 15 cm | about 20 L | Depends on fare |
| 21 | Air France | 16 x 12 x 6 in 40 x 30 x 15 cm | about 19 L | Depends on fare |
| 21 | British Airways | 16 x 12 x 6 in 40 x 30 x 15 cm | about 19 L | Included |
| 23 | Lufthansa | 40 x 30 x 15 cm about 15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 in | about 18 L | Included |
| 23 | KLM | 40 x 30 x 15 cm about 15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 in | about 18 L | Included |
| 23 | Iberia | 40 x 30 x 15 cm about 15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 in | about 18 L | Included |
| 23 | Turkish Airlines | 40 x 30 x 15 cm about 15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 in | about 18 L | Included |
| 23 | Vietnam Airlines | 40 x 30 x 15 cm about 15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 in | about 18 L | Included |
| 28 | AirAsia | 40 x 30 x 10 cm about 15.7 x 11.8 x 3.9 in | about 12 L | Included |
| 28 | Singapore Airlines | 40 x 30 x 10 cm about 15.7 x 11.8 x 3.9 in | about 12 L | Included |
| 28 | Vietjet Air | 40 x 30 x 10 cm about 15.7 x 11.8 x 3.9 in | about 12 L | Included |
| – | Alaska Airlines | No size published Must fit under the seat | – | Included |
| – | Delta Air Lines | No size published Must fit under the seat | – | Included |
| – | Southwest Airlines | No size published Must fit under the seat | – | Included |
| – | Jet2 | No size published Must fit under the seat | – | Included |
| – | Qatar Airways | No size published Must fit under the seat | – | Included |
| – | Emirates | No size published Must fit under the seat | – | Included |
| – | Japan Airlines (JAL) | No size published Must fit under the seat | – | Included |
| – | Qantas | No size published Must fit under the seat | – | Included |
| – | Air New Zealand | No size published Must fit under the seat | – | Included |
Volume is just length x width x height of the limit, so it's a box, not a bag. A soft backpack that's listed at about 30 liters is usually what fits a 33-liter box, because bags are rounded and have straps, handles and pockets. The backpack size calculator converts liters to real dimensions.
The pattern: budget airlines give you the biggest free bag
Look at the top of that table: Frontier, Allegiant, easyJet, LATAM, Avianca, Volaris. Nearly all of them charge extra for a full-size carry-on on their cheapest fare.
That's not an accident. On those airlines, the personal item is the free bag. It's sized to be useful on its own, and it's the bag they'll measure. Frontier in particular has a reputation for checking every passenger's bag: one r/HerOneBag user said they were shocked to watch staff make every single person put their bag in the sizer.
The full-service airlines at the bottom, like Lufthansa, KLM, British Airways or Singapore Airlines, include a big carry-on in most fares, so their personal item is meant to be a small extra: a handbag, a laptop bag, a slim backpack.
American Airlines is the standout: it allows the biggest published personal item of any full-service airline we track and includes a carry-on on its standard fares.
Biggest personal item by region
United States and Canada. American, Frontier and Allegiant top the list at 18 x 14 x 8 in. JetBlue and Breeze allow 17 x 13 x 8 in. United's is 17 x 10 x 9 in: long enough, but only 10 inches wide, which is where a lot of backpacks fail. Air Canada and Porter allow 17 x 13 x 6 in, and WestJet 16 x 13 x 6 in, so depth (6 in, about 15 cm) is the limit to watch in Canada.
Europe. easyJet is the clear winner at 45 x 36 x 20 cm, and its personal item can weigh up to 15 kg. Ryanair, Wizz Air, Aer Lingus and Vueling allow 40 x 30 x 20 cm, which is the size most "personal item" backpacks are designed around. The legacy airlines (Lufthansa, KLM, Air France, British Airways, Iberia, Turkish) allow 40 x 30 x 15 cm, and Turkish adds a 4 kg weight limit. If you're flying Europe's budget airlines, our guide to how strict Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air really are covers the sizers and the gate fees.
Latin America. LATAM, Avianca and Volaris all allow about 45 x 35 x 20 cm, among the biggest anywhere. Copa matches United's 17 x 10 x 9 in.
Asia and Oceania. This is where the smallest limits are. AirAsia, Singapore Airlines and Vietjet allow 40 x 30 x 10 cm: only 10 cm deep, roughly a laptop bag. ANA and Jetstar allow 40 x 30 x 20 cm. Vietnam Airlines allows 40 x 30 x 15 cm.
No published size. Delta, Southwest, Alaska, JAL, Qantas, Air New Zealand, Emirates, Qatar and Jet2 don't give dimensions for the personal item. The rule is simply that it fits under the seat in front of you: Delta's examples are a purse, briefcase, small backpack, laptop bag or camera bag. In practice that's often generous, but there's no number to point to if a crew member disagrees, and the space under the seat shrinks a lot on small regional jets.
What size bag fits the most airlines
If you fly lots of different airlines, the useful number isn't the biggest limit, it's the smallest one you'll hit. The largest bag that fits every published personal item limit we track is 40 x 25 x 10 cm (15.7 x 9.8 x 3.9 in). That's tiny, because of the 10 cm Asian limits.
More practically:
- 40 x 30 x 20 cm (about 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 in) fits the published personal item limit of American, Frontier, Allegiant, JetBlue and Breeze, plus Ryanair, Wizz Air, easyJet, Vueling, LATAM, Avianca, Volaris, ANA and Jetstar. A soft backpack around 20 liters usually fits here.
- 40 x 30 x 15 cm (about 15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 in) also fits the European legacy airlines, Vietnam Airlines and the Canadian airlines (Air Canada, Porter, WestJet), where depth is the limit.
- United and Copa are the odd ones out: 17 x 10 x 9 in means the bag can't be more than 10 inches (25 cm) wide, so many 40 x 30 cm backpacks fail on width.
People in packing communities land on similar numbers. A common suggestion on r/HerOneBag for a personal-item-only bag is to aim for 20 to 26 liters, and to treat 30 liters as too big for many airlines unless you underpack it. If you already own a bag, the bag size checker shows which airlines it fits as a personal item. The personal item size chart has all 39 limits on one page.
Before you size up: three catches
1. Sizes include everything. Wheels, handles, side bottles and the bulge from overpacking all count. A backpack that fits 40 x 30 x 20 cm empty can fail when it's stuffed. Our guide on whether a backpack counts as a personal item covers why depth is usually what fails.
2. The crew can still ask you to put it under the seat. One of the most discussed r/onebag threads was about exactly this: on a full flight, flight attendants often ask people with smaller bags to move them under the seat so bigger suitcases fit in the overhead bins. It happens most on full flights and smaller planes. A popular workaround: keep a small pouch or tote with your in-flight things (water, book, headphones, snacks) and put that under the seat before boarding finishes.
3. Underseat space isn't the same on every plane. A bag within the airline's limit can still be a tight fit on a regional jet or in a seat with an entertainment box under it. Aisle and window seats sometimes have less room than the middle.
Roller or backpack for a personal item?
Both work. The recurring r/onebag argument goes like this:
- Backpacks hold more for their size, are easier on stairs, cobblestones and crowded transit, and leave your hands free.
- Underseat rollers are easier on your back and shoulders, look tidier for business travel, and are great when your trip is car to airport to hotel. But wheels and the handle eat into the size limit, so they hold less, and they're heavier for the same volume.
If you'll walk a lot between places, most people pick the backpack. If you won't, a small roller is easier on your body.
Frequently asked questions
Which airline allows the biggest personal item?
Among the airlines we track, the biggest published personal item is 18 x 14 x 8 in (45 x 35 x 20 cm) on American Airlines, Frontier, Allegiant and Avianca. In Europe, easyJet allows the most at 45 x 36 x 20 cm.
Which airline has the smallest personal item size?
AirAsia, Singapore Airlines and Vietjet allow 40 x 30 x 10 cm, only 10 cm deep. That's about the size of a slim laptop bag.
Does Delta have a personal item size limit?
Delta doesn't publish dimensions for the personal item. It has to fit under the seat in front of you, and Delta gives examples such as a purse, briefcase, small backpack, laptop bag or camera bag. Southwest and Alaska work the same way.
What size backpack fits as a personal item on most airlines?
A soft backpack of about 20 liters that measures no more than 40 x 30 x 20 cm (about 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 in) fits the published limit of American, Frontier, JetBlue and Europe's budget airlines. Legacy European and Canadian airlines want 15 cm (6 in) or less in depth, and United wants 10 in (25 cm) or less in width.
Why do budget airlines allow bigger personal items?
On many budget airlines the personal item is the only free bag, because a full-size carry-on costs extra. It's sized to be useful on its own, and staff often check it with a sizer.
Can a flight attendant make me put my bag under the seat?
Yes. On full flights the crew often asks passengers with smaller bags to put them under the seat so larger carry-ons fit in the overhead bins. Keep the things you need during the flight in a small pouch so it's easy either way.
