Nov 21, 2016, 8:48 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
American Airlines Carry-On Baggage Limits
Strict enforcement directive issued 28 August 2015)
Strict enforcement directive issued 28 August 2015)
American Airlines Carry-on baggage (link)
Q. Why is AA suddenly becoming so picky about sizing bags?
A. AA formulates carry on baggage policy that meets FAA criteria as well as airline established criteria; these are submitted to the FAA and if approved become the airline's policy. If the airline repeatedly violated their FAA-approved policy, they can be held accountable by the FAA. Recently, during an FAA audit, AA was found to be violating its FAA-approved carry on policy.
What can I carry on?
You can bring 1 carry-on bag and 1 personal item per person (exception: infants. Exception: some regional aircraft have insufficient bin space for otherwise "legal" bags, so carry-on bags might be limited, or even prohibited. If the latter, they will usually be "valet checked" airside and delivered at the jetway before you enter the gate area.
Carry-on bag
Your carry-on bag should be: You can travel with horizontal rolling and/or hanging garment bags as your carry-on bag if: You can also carry on a soft-sided garment bag of up to 51in or 130cm (length + width + height)
Personal item
Your personal item must be smaller than your carry-on, able to fit under the seat in front of you and can include: Additional allowed items
You can also bring: Liquids and restricted items
TSA allows certain duty-free liquids through security in your carry-on bag if they’re properly packaged in a security tamper-evident bag (STEB). If you’re traveling with liquids or are unsure about any item, please contact the TSA.
For more, e.g. special items, etc. please use link
Q. Why is AA suddenly becoming so picky about sizing bags?
A. AA formulates carry on baggage policy that meets FAA criteria as well as airline established criteria; these are submitted to the FAA and if approved become the airline's policy. If the airline repeatedly violated their FAA-approved policy, they can be held accountable by the FAA. Recently, during an FAA audit, AA was found to be violating its FAA-approved carry on policy.
What can I carry on?
You can bring 1 carry-on bag and 1 personal item per person (exception: infants. Exception: some regional aircraft have insufficient bin space for otherwise "legal" bags, so carry-on bags might be limited, or even prohibited. If the latter, they will usually be "valet checked" airside and delivered at the jetway before you enter the gate area.
Carry-on bag
Your carry-on bag should be:
- Up to 45 inches (22 x 14 x 9 in or 115 centimeters (23 x 36 x 56 cm) including handles and wheels
- Able to fit comfortably into the sizer we’ve provided at the airport
- Please note, you’ll also need to be able to lift your bag into the overhead bin
- They fit comfortably in the bag sizer
- They measure up to 22" length x 14" width x 9" height or 115cm (56 x 36 x 23 cm)
Personal item
Your personal item must be smaller than your carry-on, able to fit under the seat in front of you and can include:
- A purse
- A briefcase
- A laptop bag
- Similar items such as a tote
You can also bring:
- Outerwear such as coats, wraps and hats
- A book or newspaper
- A small bag of food to eat on the flight
- An approved safety seat for a lap or ticketed child
- A pillow or blanket
- An umbrella stroller for a lap or ticketed child
- A diaper bag for a lap or ticketed child
- Duty free items
- Assistive devices (e.g. wheelchairs, walkers, portable oxygen concentrators, CPAP machines etc.)
- Breast pump
TSA allows certain duty-free liquids through security in your carry-on bag if they’re properly packaged in a security tamper-evident bag (STEB). If you’re traveling with liquids or are unsure about any item, please contact the TSA.
For more, e.g. special items, etc. please use link
22 x 14 x 10
So today I took measurements of the sizer at my airport... There is obviously some slippage and subjectivity in the eye of (s)he who must be obeyed due to the open ended 1/4" lines outlining the baggage dimensions placed either horizontally or vertically. But, strictly speaking, the outside edge of the lines are 22' and 14". The depth is a definitive full 10 inches from the back board to the inner side of the metal tube running low laterally across the front of the sizer. This is the current sizer that I measured:
22 x 14 x 10
...We are given a 22 x 14 x 9 but there is some room to maneuver. We have 22" and 14" with a very subjective but limited amount of slippage. And there is definitely 10" of depth.
The subjectivity would be greatly reduced if the sizers were constructed, as Delta's, to form a full sided box.
Those on the margin should really test their bags in advance in all of the different positions to see which allows the most favorable view of its size if required to use the sizer at the gate.
So today I took measurements of the sizer at my airport... There is obviously some slippage and subjectivity in the eye of (s)he who must be obeyed due to the open ended 1/4" lines outlining the baggage dimensions placed either horizontally or vertically. But, strictly speaking, the outside edge of the lines are 22' and 14". The depth is a definitive full 10 inches from the back board to the inner side of the metal tube running low laterally across the front of the sizer. This is the current sizer that I measured:
22 x 14 x 10
...We are given a 22 x 14 x 9 but there is some room to maneuver. We have 22" and 14" with a very subjective but limited amount of slippage. And there is definitely 10" of depth.
The subjectivity would be greatly reduced if the sizers were constructed, as Delta's, to form a full sided box.
Those on the margin should really test their bags in advance in all of the different positions to see which allows the most favorable view of its size if required to use the sizer at the gate.
AA e-mail to customer re: carry on baggage
and
Comparison of USA airlines carry-on limits Apr '25 by Outdoor Gear Lab
and
Airline carry on variances and the new IATA recommended standard
and
New IATA recommended standard vs. current common
[/CENTER]
AA carry on / carryon baggage rules & enforcement (master thd)
Jun 11, 2014, 12:49 pm
#62
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: DFW, DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat, SWA A-list +
Posts: 1,007
From AA.com
http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInforma...nAllowance.jsp
You can bring one small carry-on bag plus one personal item per passenger as long as the carry-on bag fits comfortably in the sizer without being forced and does not exceed overall dimensions of 45 inches (length + width + height).
The maximum dimensions cannot exceed any of the following measurements: 22" long x 14" wide x 9" tall or 115cm (56 x 36 x 23 cm). All carry-on items should be stowed in an overhead bin.
Personal item - includes: purse, briefcase, laptop bag OR a similar item such as a tote that does not exceed 36 inches( length+width+height) and must fit under the seat in front of you. For travel after June 11, 2014, the personal item does not have specific size requirements, but must be smaller than your carry-on bag and must fit under the seat in front of you.
http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInforma...nAllowance.jsp
You can bring one small carry-on bag plus one personal item per passenger as long as the carry-on bag fits comfortably in the sizer without being forced and does not exceed overall dimensions of 45 inches (length + width + height).
The maximum dimensions cannot exceed any of the following measurements: 22" long x 14" wide x 9" tall or 115cm (56 x 36 x 23 cm). All carry-on items should be stowed in an overhead bin.
Personal item - includes: purse, briefcase, laptop bag OR a similar item such as a tote that does not exceed 36 inches( length+width+height) and must fit under the seat in front of you. For travel after June 11, 2014, the personal item does not have specific size requirements, but must be smaller than your carry-on bag and must fit under the seat in front of you.
Jun 11, 2014, 12:54 pm
#64
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
It's the likes of 20 x 15.5 x 8 inch cabin bags that fit some variations of the AA cabin bag rules representation (by way of having dimensions total less than 45 linear inches) but not necessarily the sizer.
Jun 11, 2014, 1:03 pm
#65
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SLC
Programs: DL PM, Hilton/Marriott Gold
Posts: 971
Isn't that 45 linear inches by way of 22x14x9 inches? Then it fits both the sizer and all the variations of AA cabin-bag rules that have been valid for some years now.
It's the likes of 20 x 15.5 x 8 inch cabin bags that fit some variations of the AA cabin bag rules representation (by way of having dimensions total less than 45 linear inches) but not necessarily the sizer.
It's the likes of 20 x 15.5 x 8 inch cabin bags that fit some variations of the AA cabin bag rules representation (by way of having dimensions total less than 45 linear inches) but not necessarily the sizer.
Jun 11, 2014, 1:40 pm
#66
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: AA PLT 3MM
Posts: 1,135
Jun 11, 2014, 1:57 pm
#67
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
The US airline industry cartel's Big 3 kingpins seem to have become more hostile over cabin bag dimensions than most of the other US common carriers. Given AA/US, DL and UA are rather aggressively devaluing the frequent flyer program miles/benefits for most of their customers, ditching them for other airlines (or playing Kayaker) is going to get a lot easier as all the small cuts add up to push customers to largely abandon loyalty. Perhaps the cabin bag issue will be bigger or smaller than anticipated in getting/losing customers for the legacy airlines. It is noticeable that DL's contracts/conditions of carriage even more recently have only mentioned 45 linear inches and not said anything about having to fit in a sizer which excludes many bags that are at or under 45 linear inches.
.... maybe DL isn't so bad amongst the Big 3 cartel kingpins if you don't care much at all about airline "loyalty" program benefits.
.... maybe DL isn't so bad amongst the Big 3 cartel kingpins if you don't care much at all about airline "loyalty" program benefits.
Jun 11, 2014, 2:08 pm
#68
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 3,049
I went for a 20" bag and even that is only just inside the allowed limits as they seem to forget to measure including the wheels ...
Jun 11, 2014, 2:19 pm
#69
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 3,049
According to here: http://www.aa.com/i18n/aboutUs/ourPl...eing737800.jsp, the overhead bin width on a 737-800 is 78". Allowing for a bit of tolerance, and handles, such a bin should be able to fit five 14" wide bags, but likely only four 15.5" ones.
Jun 11, 2014, 2:22 pm
#70
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
It's not an excuse when AA had made representations that indicate that many such bags are allowable as cabin bags by way of being less than 45 linear inches -- allowable even if the bag exceeds the sizer by a small bit on one side.
Jun 11, 2014, 2:53 pm
#71
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SLC
Programs: DL PM, Hilton/Marriott Gold
Posts: 971
FAs need to be more proactive about shuffling bags to fit more efficiently, removing smaller items and telling the owner to stick it under the seat, etc. Bag sizer totalitarianism just alienates customers.
Jun 11, 2014, 3:04 pm
#73
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 3,049
The statements to be found in any of the commonly accessible areas have included the individual dimensions for some time now so nobody using ordinary and reasonable diligence could fail to be aware of the limits.
You appear to have found a few places where this is not the case, but that does not alter the fact that AA have made the intended limits clear and easy to find, finding somewhere that doesn't mention them appears to take rather more effort though ...
Jun 11, 2014, 3:22 pm
#74
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 3,049
If the bags are all inside the limit then there is no need for any of this.
I, and from the comments on this thread, some others around here do not regard this as 'totalitarianism' but merely correct enforcement of rules that many (most?) have no problem following.
For four years there have been no changes in the dimensions of the allowable bag size, yet still people are trying to slide past a rule they are all very much aware of ...
Jun 11, 2014, 3:22 pm
#75
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
I find it cute that some may think AA makes things clear about cabin bag allowances even as AA makes inconsistent representations about something which should be relatively simple: the 45 linear inches rule.
Last edited by GUWonder; Jun 11, 2014 at 3:28 pm