Personal item size limits by airline, October 2026
Your personal item is the one bag most fares include for free, and airlines do not agree on how big it can be. Below is each airline's published limit as of 2026-10-26, copied from the airline's own baggage page.
| Airline | Limit (in) | Limit (cm) |
|---|---|---|
| Frontier | 18 x 14 x 8 | 46 x 36 x 20 |
| Allegiant | 18 x 14 x 8 | 45 x 35 x 20 |
| Breeze | 17 x 13 x 8 | 43.2 x 33 x 20.3 |
| Sun Country | 17 x 13 x 9 | 43.2 x 33 x 22.9 |
| Southwest | Not published as a size | - |
| JetBlue | 17 x 13 x 8 | 43.2 x 33 x 20.3 |
| Alaska | Not published as a size | - |
| United | 17 x 10 x 9 | 43 x 25 x 22 |
| American | 18 x 14 x 8 | 45 x 35 x 20 |
| Delta | Not published as a size | - |
| Hawaiian | Not published as a size | - |
| Air Canada | 17 x 13 x 6 | 43 x 33 x 16 |
| WestJet | 16 x 13 x 6 | 41 x 33 x 15 |
| Ryanair | 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 | 40 x 30 x 20 |
| Wizz Air | 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 | 40 x 30 x 20 |
| easyJet | 17.7 x 14.2 x 7.9 | 45 x 36 x 20 |
| British Airways | 15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 | 40 x 30 x 15 |
| Lufthansa | 15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 | 40 x 30 x 15 |
| Air France | 15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 | 40 x 30 x 15 |
| Emirates | Not published as a size | - |
| Singapore Airlines | 15.7 x 11.8 x 3.9 | 40 x 30 x 10 |
Dimensions are listed longest side first. Some airlines publish them in another order.
What stands out
Frontier, Allegiant and American publish 18 x 14 x 8 inches. United's limit is narrower at 17 x 10 x 9 inches, so a bag that passes at Frontier can be too wide at United. Ryanair and Wizz Air use 40 x 30 x 20 cm. British Airways, Lufthansa and Air France publish 40 x 30 x 15 cm, which is shallower still.
Several large airlines, including Southwest, Alaska, Hawaiian and Delta, describe a personal item as a bag that fits under the seat rather than giving fixed dimensions.
How to use this
Find the smallest limit among the airlines you fly most and choose a bag inside it. Our fit checker compares any bag with any of these limits in every orientation.