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 22, 2017, 1:27 pm
#946
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: AA LT Gold
Posts: 3,644
Ehh no. There's a very big difference between noticing a large carry-on and enforcing the rules and making every passenger size their bag thus slowing the boarding process and delaying the flight. Sounds like this GA is the one who needs counselling and if s/he lacks the sense to eyeball bags and only pull out those that are on the bubble or clearly too large vs making everyone size their bag they should be put in a more menial job that matches their cognitive abilities.
Actually I think it would save time.
What is a waste of time is people arguing with the GA or people forcing their bag in the sizer when obviously it does not fit.
Putting the bag in the sizer (if it fits) takes merely 10 seconds?
The bottle neck in the boarding process are the pax taking forever to take their seats or store their bags in the overhead bin, can anybody argue that?
Jun 22, 2017, 2:17 pm
#947
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,435
Your points are true, but subjectivity causes the gray area in between.
What if my bag (which normally takes 10 seconds to fit in) is a little bit stuffed on a particular trip, and I have to press it into the sizer harder than usual. In my mind, it still fits, but I simply had to press it down harder. But in the GA's mind, it did not fit. He sees me pressing down and immediately bans me to luggage check, thinking I am "forcing it."
It's subjective. I call it fitting it in and the employee calls it forcing. The subjectivity of it all causes delays.
Jun 22, 2017, 2:32 pm
#948
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,004
This moron caused a 35 minute delay in boarding.
Jun 23, 2017, 3:52 pm
#949
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 687
Was chased down the jet bridge today for carrying my companions bag for them. When the gate agent told me I was only allowed two bags (I had 3) I mentioned I was carrying my companions bag because who was standing right next to me. He said that it was recorded on the camera and before I walked through the doors my companion had to be holding the bag.
What do people do in situations where their companion cannot carry a bag (wheel chair, crutches, sling, to old, etc,)? Or is this a made up policy by an over eager gate agent?
What do people do in situations where their companion cannot carry a bag (wheel chair, crutches, sling, to old, etc,)? Or is this a made up policy by an over eager gate agent?
Jun 23, 2017, 11:02 pm
#950
Formerly known as billinaz
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Goodyear,AZ for now then FL Spacecoast
Programs: US Airways Dividend Miles, American AAdvantage, Avis Preferred, Budget Rapid Rez, Hilton Honors
Posts: 1,145
Was chased down the jet bridge today for carrying my companions bag for them. When the gate agent told me I was only allowed two bags (I had 3) I mentioned I was carrying my companions bag because who was standing right next to me. He said that it was recorded on the camera and before I walked through the doors my companion had to be holding the bag.
What do people do in situations where their companion cannot carry a bag (wheel chair, crutches, sling, to old, etc,)? Or is this a made up policy by an over eager gate agent?
What do people do in situations where their companion cannot carry a bag (wheel chair, crutches, sling, to old, etc,)? Or is this a made up policy by an over eager gate agent?
Jun 24, 2017, 12:02 am
#951
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP, 1865 Voyager, *G
Posts: 112
I carry three bags (roller + laptop, and a garment bag) while my gf carries one all the time. They ask if we're together and count four bags and that's the end of it.
I have issues with "you squeezed it into the sizer, you need to check your bag" on occasion -- which is super annoying, especially since AA specifically says they won't insure what's in that carry-on AFAIK -- and I know it'll fit, but I don't have "you can't carry three bags" as an issue (unless I'm by myself, obviously).
I have issues with "you squeezed it into the sizer, you need to check your bag" on occasion -- which is super annoying, especially since AA specifically says they won't insure what's in that carry-on AFAIK -- and I know it'll fit, but I don't have "you can't carry three bags" as an issue (unless I'm by myself, obviously).
Jun 24, 2017, 12:09 am
#952
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,574
I carry three bags (roller + laptop, and a garment bag) while my gf carries one all the time. They ask if we're together and count four bags and that's the end of it.
I have issues with "you squeezed it into the sizer, you need to check your bag" on occasion -- which is super annoying, especially since AA specifically says they won't insure what's in that carry-on AFAIK -- and I know it'll fit, but I don't have "you can't carry three bags" as an issue (unless I'm by myself, obviously).
I have issues with "you squeezed it into the sizer, you need to check your bag" on occasion -- which is super annoying, especially since AA specifically says they won't insure what's in that carry-on AFAIK -- and I know it'll fit, but I don't have "you can't carry three bags" as an issue (unless I'm by myself, obviously).
Jun 24, 2017, 12:16 am
#953
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP, 1865 Voyager, *G
Posts: 112
Not to get into a lengthy debate, but the sizers absolutely do not match the overhead baggage space any longer in many cases, especially with the refits. The 737 refits made it worse and my bag fits in all cases, except when the expander is used, no matter how "full" it looks.
Jun 24, 2017, 1:30 am
#954
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,574
Not to get into a lengthy debate, but the sizers absolutely do not match the overhead baggage space any longer in many cases, especially with the refits. The 737 refits made it worse and my bag fits in all cases, except when the expander is used, no matter how "full" it looks.
If it doesn't fit in the sizer without effort to get it in, it is too large
Jun 24, 2017, 9:40 pm
#955
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: AA 1.6MM EXP; UA GS; SPG LTG,Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,477
Jun 25, 2017, 6:50 am
#956
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 6,431
Little known fact: more than one piece of luggage can fit into an overhead bin if the luggage is small enough. If your luggage is so large that it takes up the entire bin, others won't be able to use the bin. This is true even though your luggage fits in the bin.
Jun 25, 2017, 6:06 pm
#957
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: I 35 south bound, finally stopped
Programs: LT Plt, 4mm, *A GLD, burned out medical provider, executing our estate plan
Posts: 1,665
If you are one of the rare readers of this thread who is unsure about your carry on sizing, check out this forum
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-products-639/
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-products-639/
Jun 25, 2017, 7:43 pm
#958
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 687
Not sure what you're calling BS on... anything related to AA's customer service is unsurprising to me at this point.
My question was more around if it was a hard and fast rule somewhere that two per person has to be met when getting onto the plane when traveling with multiple people. If yes, when someone isn't able to carry the bag themselves what's the policy in that situation.
My question was more around if it was a hard and fast rule somewhere that two per person has to be met when getting onto the plane when traveling with multiple people. If yes, when someone isn't able to carry the bag themselves what's the policy in that situation.
Jun 25, 2017, 9:02 pm
#959
Formerly known as billinaz
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Goodyear,AZ for now then FL Spacecoast
Programs: US Airways Dividend Miles, American AAdvantage, Avis Preferred, Budget Rapid Rez, Hilton Honors
Posts: 1,145
Not sure what you're calling BS on... anything related to AA's customer service is unsurprising to me at this point.
My question was more around if it was a hard and fast rule somewhere that two per person has to be met when getting onto the plane when traveling with multiple people. If yes, when someone isn't able to carry the bag themselves what's the policy in that situation.
My question was more around if it was a hard and fast rule somewhere that two per person has to be met when getting onto the plane when traveling with multiple people. If yes, when someone isn't able to carry the bag themselves what's the policy in that situation.
Jun 25, 2017, 9:30 pm
#960
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: AA 1.6MM EXP; UA GS; SPG LTG,Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,477
Don't get me started on musical instruments. A guitar takes up an entire bin worth of roll-ons.