Originally Posted by
Adam Smith
Perhaps you're mistaken about the measurements of your bag. A bag that's ~26" (~10 cm over the limit, according to you) doesn't fit that way in the bins. The bins have a depth (treating the distance from the aisle towards the windows as "depth") of about 22". That's true of the A320 family, 223s, 7M8s, 777s, and 787s (and the DF side of J on E75s). A bag that has a height of 26" has to be rotated - rather than the axis between the wheels and the handle being perpendicular to direction of travel, they would have to be parallel to direction of travel, thus taking up the space that two regulation-sized roll-aboards would require.
If your bag does actually fit in the proper orientation, then it's probably not the 25.5-26" that you implied it was earlier, it's probably more like 22" (maybe it's 10 mm oversized, not 10 cm?). If that's the case, it shouldn't really an issue, because it will probably (a) not raise eyebrows with AC staff and (b) pass muster with AC's sizers, whether physical or electronic. (I and many others have bags that were advertised as 22" when purchased, but they fit the sizers fine). And if it's ~26", it's not going to fit properly and may well catch AC staff's attention either at the gate or on the plane, especially if the load is high.[...]
Flew with the classic Kirkland Signature rollaboard bag on AC twice, no problems. I did measure it and you are correct, the actual height of the body of the bag is just under 22", but it has a handle and such sticking up.
The bins on the 737-800 planes that AC is flying are "taller" than bins on other aircraft I have used. My rollaboard (and most others) can actually be turned on the side, so that the handle on the top is oriented vertically (perpendicular to the floor) instead of horizontally (parallel to the floor). Possibly the employees are well aware of this and are therefore less stringent about monitoring rollaboard size when on these aircraft.
I had some fish in boxes which were carefully loaded so as to be under 70 lbs and they never even bothered to weigh them, not mine nor my friend's.