Yea, I'd agree with that.

The Pelican 1510 is my carry on case. It fits wheels out almost everywhere except RJ's. According to the manufacturer, it is the largest Pelican Case for carry on.

By the way, if you know which Pelican case matches your bag dimensions, this chart is helpful.

There are a few planes with smaller bins. I haven't paid attention to which ones, I just know that on occasion I hit one that's way smaller than normal and my rollaboard doesn't fit. Everything else it works just fine.

It's not my fault there are planes with undersized bins. I have no problem with it-doesn't-fit-check-it on standard size bins.

If my bag is within the airline's specifications, then it should not matter how it fits in the bin. The Zuca bag is well under the specs for US, but it does not fit wheels in/out in all the planes and must be put in sideways on occasion. There is, incidentally, room between a Zuca bag and the bin door, so someone could certainly jam something in that space. I have no problem carrying a Zuca bag on a plane even if it does not fit in the bin to the preference of other pax.

Keep in mind, however, that people on US seem to bring on regular-sized suitcases and try to jam them in the OHBs.

+1 If the airline wanted to ensure bags would fit on a specific AC then they should 1. place the sizer for that AC at the boarding gate. If the bag doesn't fit then it is checked. 2. Utilize the sizer for the smallest bin when bags are placed in wheels first. Plain/plane and simple.

The problem is that both the airline's specifications and the manufacturer's specificatons are unclear. For instance, if it says that carry on bags can't be more than 21" high, does that include the wheels and handle? I don't recall ever seeing a clarification of this in any manufacturer's or airline's statement.

Further uncertainty is introduced because even if the bag is a little over 21" with the wheels and handle, most of the time they will still let you bring it on board -- but some airports and/or airline staff might be strict enough not to let you bring it on board.

Plus both official rules and the strictness with they are enforced vary from country to country.

Plus as some have noted, different aircraft have different size bins.

My feeling is that it's entirely reasonable that if I have a carry on bag, I want to know for certain before I go to the airport: will it or will it not be allowed on any commercial passenger aircraft I board as carry on, yes or no not well sort of or yes most of the time but. But apparently this situation is impossibly difficult to bring about.

My Pelican 1510 is within the FAA guidelines and fits in every sizer, barely. Yet, on occasion I must put it in sideways.

I have no objection to gate checks, as opposed to regular checks where it comes out on the belt.

No airline will take responsibility for the approximately $20K in tools and electronics I carry for my work. That is the reason I carry it. So, I take special notice of regulations and make certain that I am within them.

If a FA says that I must check my tools (gate check is fine) then we have a problem. I carry a TSA lock, just in case, but I really, really do not want to check it with the regular baggage.

I was almost removed from a NW flight several years ago for this very reason. The overhead was full of jackets, souvenirs and such and I was stuck as the last person boarding a full flight, with no bin space remaining. The discussion was lively until someone volunteered to hold his coat so I could stow my tools.

The airline and/or FAA set guidelines, I follow, end of story. You can put your coat on my case, after I get it up there. And in case you are wondering, I always put my computer case under the seat at my feet. I do not put both pieces in the bin.