Five Myths About Carry-On Bags

Many airline passengers seek to avoid those hefty checked-bag charges that the airlines levy by resorting to traveling only with carry-on luggage, using bags that seem to run the gamut of shape and size. The result is that aircraft bin space has emerged as the most hotly contested real estate on any flight. But what constitutes a carry-on bag? Here are five myths about carry-ons to read before your next flight.

1. There is a standard size for carry-on bags that's used by all of the major airlines.

Unfortunately, there isn't. JetBlue is one of the most generous carriers, permitting you to bring aboard a carry-on bag that measures 24 by 16 by 10 inches. But in 2014, United, American and Delta all changed the size limits of permissible carry-on bags to 22 inches long by 14 inches wide by 9 inches tall. That's an inch narrower than the previous 15-inch wide bag they had all allowed. Now an inch may not sound like much, but a lot of fliers got a rude awakening when their bags were placed in a bag sizer and rejected as carry-ons, forcing them to check the bag and pay a fee.

"Airlines have become more strict in enforcing carry-on rules," says George Hobica of Airfarewatchdog.com. "The three majors now have that 22 by 9 by 14 inch rule and have been known to enforce it to the inch in some airports at busy travel times, occasionally at the gate, but sometimes even before entering the TSA security lines. Other U.S. domestic airlines have a slightly more generous size limit. Some international carriers restrict the weight of carry-on bags as well."

USA TODAY

Don't get grounded by new carry-on size limits

While large domestic carriers seem to turn a blind eye to the weight of a carry-on bag, international carriers and smaller aircraft that are flown virtually anywhere in the world often have strict weight restrictions for every piece of luggage that a passenger brings on the plane. That's true for puddle jumpers in the Caribbean, small commuter planes and regional aircraft in the American West. The smart thing to do is to visit your carrier's website before you fly to see what the current rules are.

2. Carry-on bags are really all the same, it's not worth it to buy a better one.

There's no question that designing and selling carry-on bags is a growth industry for luggage manufacturers, who wrangle with changing airline restrictions about bag size and customer demand for even more packing space. But a well-designed carry-on can get past airline scrutiny and allow you to pack what you need. Steve Jordan, senior product developer of luggage at L.L. Bean, says that that the company sees "robust sales of our carry-on luggage as the airlines continue to charge fees for checked bags."

In particular, Jordan cites carry-on size rolling Pullmans and rolling duffle bags as the biggest sellers.

"We are also seeing the trend of travelers using travel packs and daypack-type backpacks," Jordan notes, "which allows folks to carry a second bag or keep their hands free altogether. Most of the daypacks have a larger capacity than a briefcase."

In your quest for the perfect carry-on bag, make sure that the dimensions listed include any wheels that protrude from the bag. Probably the hottest trend right now is luggage that expands for packing and then compress for traveling, allowing travelers to squeeze more into a bag. At the top end are bags like the Briggs & Riley U122CX Baseline, which measures 21 by 14 by 7.7 inches when closed but expands 25% for packing. It retails for $469. A more wallet-friendly choice is Eagle Creek's Tarmac 22, which measures 22 by 14 by 11 when open but compresses to 22 by 14 by 9. The retail price is $290.

3. The TSA has relaxed the laws about what they allow in a carry-on bag.

No, they haven't, but this was apparently news to domestic passengers who packed more than 2,200 firearms in their carry-on bags in 2014, which the TSA said was a 22% increase from the year before. Guns aside, there is a long list of other items that are forbidden in carry-on bags, from pepper spray and knives to baseball bats, ski poles, lacrosse sticks and realistic replicas of firearms.

On the other hand, there's a new item that the TSA recently said must go into your carry-on and not in your checked bag: e-cigarettes. The FAA made the call to ban them from checked luggage because they utilize lithium batteries and there's a concern over overheating or fires inside the cargo hold. You still can't smoke them on board, however.

If you're sick of paying checked bag fees every time you fly, Matt Granite has some news for you. Here are his top 5 ways to never pay those fees again. VPC

4. It's the flight attendant's job to make sure your carry-on fits.

"Making sure a bag fits doesn't mean it's my job to make it fit," says Heather Poole, a flight attendant and author of Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama, and Crazy Passengers at 30,000 Feet. "Or lift it! Heck no. I can help you, but I'm not doing it for you. We're doing it together."

Stowing bags properly is not just a matter of efficiency but safety and departure time. The gate agent, says Poole, "isn't allowed to shut the aircraft door until all bins are closed and passengers are seated. If the bag doesn't fit, off it goes."

It also comes down to money, since delays are costly. That's also true for flight attendants, who, remarkably, are not compensated for their time helping you stow your bag.

"We're paid for flying time only," Poole says. "The time clock doesn't start ticking until the brakes are released and we back away from the gate."

5. The airlines may nickel and dime us, but at least they're not charging for carry-on bags.

Get out your wallet. Frontier charges between $25 and $35 for carry-on bags, depending on what level of economy-class ticket you have. Think you can outsmart them and just gate check? Think again. They charge $50 for any bag that has to be gate checked, a fee that is going up to $60 on May 1, 2015. Spirit is even more onerous, charging anywhere from $26, if you pay during online check-in, to $100 if you wait to pay at the gate. Allegiant is another airline charging for carry-on bags. These carriers do permit one free "personal item," such as a purse or backpack, but it can measure no more that 18 by 14 by 8.

So will the major US carriers follow suit and begin charging us for carry-ons? George Hobica of Airfarewatchdog says that it's "very doubtful this will happen, but never say never."

Contributed by Everett Potter, Special for USA TODAY

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Airlines Change The Carry-On Rules

Recently I had a very unpleasant surprise in the TSA line at New York's JFK airport. No, they did not do a touchy-feely pat-down or confiscate something.

Just before actually getting to the TSA agent's podium, a red-jacketed person (who I believe was hired by American Airlines as a subcontractor but not an actual employee) insisted that I put my beloved Rimowa four-wheeled suitcase in a bag sizer. Keep in mind that I was flying in business class, and that I've taken this same 21-inch suitcase all around the world on almost every major airline and quite a few not-so-major ones.

To make a long story short, it was rejected as "too big." What I didn't realize, because it's never become an issue, is that American (as well as Delta and United) have fairly new carry-on bag limits, including a 14-inch maximum width, and my Rimowa is 15 inches wide, as are many carry-ons. Even though it's an inch shorter than the 22-inch length limit, and an inch shorter than the official 9-inch depth limit, back to check-in I went. And the line was so long I almost missed my flight. I was then told that this is a new "FAA regulation" but I doubt that's true, since some airlines still have more generous allowances.

One of my colleagues insists that this is a revenue ploy by the airlines: enforce the limits to the letter, and they'll get more checked bag fees (since I was flying in business class I didn't pay a fee, but others might not be so lucky).

And these size limits are fairly recent policies. In fact, United made the change on March 2, 2014. Their previous policy was that no dimension could be over 22 inches and the total overall dimensions no more than 45 inches. So these very specific measurements really change the game, and will be causing a lot of headaches -- and heartaches when people learn they will have to leave their very expensive (in some cases) favorite bags in the closet or sell them on eBay.

Or change airlines. It's interesting that not all airlines have the same size limits. Southwest and JetBlue have a more generous 24-by-16-by 10-inch carry-on limit, which, again, makes that "FAA" claim suspect.

If you're looking for the "perfect" carry-on bag, here's some advice.

First, obviously, make sure it's small enough to comply with even these new, more stringent size limits. Second, four-wheeled suitcases (so-called "spinners"), I've found, are easier to handle than two-wheeled models (and should you ever have to check your bag for whatever reason, spinners are treated more gently by baggage handlers,as this explains). But surprisingly, there aren't that many rolling carry-ons that meet the new Delta/American/United guidelines. The issue isn't with the 22-inch length because there are plenty of those available; where they fall "short" is exactly where I got nabbed: in the 14-inch width. In fact, I couldn't find a single suitcase from my beloved Rimowa brand that qualified, nor could I find a current model from Samsonite.

And third, consider getting a suitcase with a good warranty.

Some of the four-wheeled carry-ons that do fit all airlines' limits are the Briggs and Riley U122CX Baseline at 21 by 14 by 7.7 inches and 8.9 pounds (approximately $469) and the Travelpro Platinum Magna at 21 by 14 by 9 inches and 7.6 pounds (approximately $239). Although the Briggs and Riley is more expensive, it does come with an unconditional warranty: no matter who's at fault (you, the airline, or any other party) they'll fix it for free for as long as you own it.

A great budget choice is the hard-sided CalPak Valley 20-inch Carry-On Spinner at 20 by 13.5 by 9.2 inches and 7 pounds (approximately $60).

With a little research, you'll find that several other carry-on bags meet the new size requirements, but many current models are too big by just an inch or even a half-inch. And don't assume that you'll be able to sneak by just because your bag is an inch too big. As I discovered, that may not happen.

George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com 

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