Under-seat chart · verified 2026-07-02
Personal item size by airline — verified
The free under-seat bag is where budget airlines enforce hardest. Every number below is checked against the airline's official page, dated, and linked. Last full check: 2026-07-02.
Check my bag against an airline →
| Airline | Personal item max | Weight | Data | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 18 × 14 × 8 in | — | verified | official page · 2026-07-02 |
| Delta Air Lines | No published size limit | — | verified | official page · 2026-07-02 |
| Frontier Airlines | 18 × 14 × 8 in | 35 lb | verified | official page · 2026-07-02 |
| Southwest Airlines | 18.5 × 13.5 × 8.5 in | — | verified | official page · 2026-07-02 |
| United Airlines | 17 × 10 × 9 in | — | verified | official page · 2026-07-02 |
| Alaska Airlines | No published size limit | — | verified | official page · 2026-07-02 |
| Allegiant Air | 16 × 15 × 7 in | — | verified | official page · 2026-07-02 |
| British Airways | 18 × 14 × 8 in | — | verified | official page · 2026-07-02 |
| JetBlue | 17 × 13 × 8 in | — | verified | official page · 2026-07-02 |
| Lufthansa | 15.7 × 11.8 × 5.9 in | — | verified | official page · 2026-07-02 |
| Ryanair | 15.7 × 11.8 × 7.9 in | — | verified | official page · 2026-07-02 |
| Avelo Airlines | No published size limit | — | verified | official page · 2026-07-02 |
| Breeze Airways | 17 × 13 × 8 in | — | verified | official page · 2026-07-02 |
| Emirates | Not a separate item (economy) | — | verified | official page · 2026-07-02 |
| Hawaiian Airlines | No published size limit | — | verified | official page · 2026-07-02 |
| Qatar Airways | No published size limit | — | verified | official page · 2026-07-02 |
| Sun Country Airlines | 17 × 13 × 9 in | — | reported — re-verify | official page · 2026-07-02 |
| Turkish Airlines | 15.7 × 11.8 × 5.9 in | 4 kg | verified | official page · 2026-07-02 |
| easyJet | 17.7 × 14.2 × 7.9 in | 15 kg | verified | official page · 2026-07-02 |
| Spirit Airlines ceased ops | 18 × 14 × 8 in | — | verified | official page · 2026-07-02 |
Flying personal-item-only on purpose? That's a strategy — we wrote it up: the personal-item-only packing list. Wondering whether your daypack qualifies at all? Does a backpack count as a personal item answers it against every number in this table. Checking a suitcase instead? Checked bags are measured as a 62 linear inch sum.
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Common questions
Is a backpack a personal item?
It comes down to one number: the airline's published under-seat box, which is what the table on this page lists. Our dedicated page — does a backpack count as a personal item — walks it airline by airline and includes a checker you can measure your own pack against.
Is a duffel bag a personal item?
Same answer: any soft bag within the airline's personal-item dimensions qualifies. A duffel's advantage is squish — it can give an inch where a rigid mini-case can't.
What size personal item fits every airline?
Computed from the verified table on this page (as of 2026-07-02): a bag under about 16 × 10 × 7 in clears every published US-airline limit in this table. European carriers run tighter (Lufthansa and Turkish publish 40 × 30 × 15 cm), and several airlines publish no numbers at all (the gate sizer decides) — so measure conservatively.
Why do some airlines publish no personal item size?
Delta, Alaska and Avelo (among others) only say the bag must fit under the seat — the under-seat space varies by aircraft, and the sizer at the gate is the arbiter. Our table marks these honestly instead of inventing a number.