After spending months thinking and analyzing new luggage, I finally decided to get the Briggs & Riley Transcend. One piece I got was the 21" expandable carry-on bag. On my outbound Xmas flight, I had expanded it, so I checked the suitcase. On my return flight, the suitcase wasn't expanded, but it was admittedly very full. I carried it on, and much to my dismay, it wouldn't fit in the MD-80 overhead bins (on either side of the plane, wheels first, sideways...you name it). The luggage was too thick (i.e., the overhead bin's height wasn't high enough). So I had to check it. Needless to say, I was very frustrated because I check luggage about once a year, and carry it on dozens of other times. If I can't carry this piece on to the AA plane I fly 95% of the time, it's useless to me.

I got it home and measured the luggage depth before I unpacked it...pushing 14" at the deepest point, but I don't think I even got to that point. Unpacked, it's about 11" deep. Mind you, the B&R published depth is 8.5", but that's really the packing space. The handle is on the outside of the luggage, so once you factor in wheels, handle hardware and the suitcase itself, the entire thing is 11" deep (if you've packed lightly).

So my question, does anyone know the height of the MD-80 overhead bins? Will a very lightly packed 11" deep bag fit into them? Or am I SOL, left to persuade a luggage store to accept some gently used luggage (which I otherwise love) that now has scuffs on it because it's now been checked twice? Does anyone have anything from the Transcend line that they carry on AA?