Can a full backpack be a personal item?

In general, your personal item should be smaller than your carry-on and under the specific airline's carry-on dimensions, allowing it to fit under the seat in front of you. In most cases, backpacks are considered personal items as long as they fit under the seat in front of you.



People Also Ask

American Airlines
According to airline policy, any personal items stowed beneath seats should not exceed 18 inches by 14 inches by 8 inches.

MORE DETAILS

While some airlines specify size limitations for personal items, others simply require the item to be small enough to fit underneath the seat in front of you. For personal items, here's the standard size on major airlines in the United States: American Airlines – 18” x 14” x 8”

MORE DETAILS

Usually, many airlines won't check every carry-on but will instead go for ones that look oversized. If your luggage does not fit in the sizer, you might have to pay a checked bag fee along with the gate checking fee and have your bag transferred to the airplane's cargo.

MORE DETAILS

A Spacious Underseat Bag
Luckily, Tortuga makes backpacks that work as underseat carry ons. 30L or 40L backpacks are great options for primary carry ons but are usually too big to be considered personal item that need to be small enough to slide easily under the seat in front of you.

MORE DETAILS

The short answer: Yes, a backpack is generally considered a personal item if it fits under the seat in front of you. Most airlines offer a few examples of things that fit into the “personal item” category, such as a purse, laptop bag, or a briefcase, but they don't usually include “backpack” on those lists.

MORE DETAILS

Southwest Airlines' website recommends a personal item that's no larger than 18.5 inches x 8.5 inches x 13.5 inches. Spirit Airlines allows a personal item for all travelers that must not exceed 18 inches x 14 inches x 8 inches, including handles and wheels.

MORE DETAILS

While personal item size restrictions vary across airlines, most airlines consider a small backpack, purse, briefcase, or laptop bag to be a personal item. These must always fit under the seat in front of you. Many airlines restrict passengers to one personal item and one carry on bag.

MORE DETAILS

If your carry-on is 1-2 inches over the size limit, don't stress about it too much. Most likely, you'll be allowed to pass through without anyone saying anything. But be prepared that if you encounter a strict airline employee, you might have to check it in.

MORE DETAILS

In general, travelers are permitted to bring into the plane one personal item and one carry-on bag with them on most flights. The personal item is often a small bag, such as a handbag or laptop bag, that is able to be stowed away beneath the seat that is directly in front of you.

MORE DETAILS

Unless your carry-on is extremely large, the airline employees at the gate most likely won't ask to measure it. If they'd ask each passenger to measure their carry-on, the boarding would take too long. This could cause delayed flights, which airlines don't want.

MORE DETAILS

Firearms, ammunition, and fireworks are prohibited, as are all knives and safety razors (including pocket knives and Swiss Army knives). Straight razors and replacement blades for straight razors are also not allowed. Most tools also cannot be packed in carry-on luggage, as they have the potential to cause harm.

MORE DETAILS

Your backpack will generally be allowed as a carry-on if it's under 50 liters, or about 22 x 14 x 9 inches. Get a 45-liter backpack if you want to carry as much stuff as possible on the plane with you.

MORE DETAILS

Can I bring two backpacks as carry-on on a plane? Yes, you can bring both a carry-on and a personal item backpack onto the plane. Your carry-on goes in the overhead compartment, and your personal item goes below your seat. In most cases, you cannot bring two carry-ons that both go in the overhead bin.

MORE DETAILS

The only time this might be worth the risk is if your personal item is only an inch or so bigger than that of the limits stated, and is soft-sided. At least if it's only slightly bigger, you should still be able to pad it down and demonstrate it fits in the sizer if required to.

MORE DETAILS

Air Canada (AC) allows 1 carry-on bag and 1 personal item (purse, briefcase, laptop bag) per passenger fee free. Carry-on should not exceed the following size and weight restrictions: 46 linear inches (21.5 x 15.5 x 9 in) or 118 centimeters (55 x 40 x 23 cm) including handles and wheels.

MORE DETAILS

The answer is yes. You can use a duffel bag as a carry-on item. However, you should ensure that the duffel bag's size and weight meet the airline's specific restrictions on carry-on luggage. You should also consider the bag's shape, as some airlines have limitations that may affect your duffel bag's usability.

MORE DETAILS

Most airlines allow passengers to bring on both a carry-on and a personal item like a backpack, laptop bag, purse, briefcase, shopping bag, etc. The general rule of thumb is that your personal item is smaller in dimension than your carry-on bag and it can fit underneath the seat in front of you.

MORE DETAILS

The main reason they don't scrutinize weight for carry-on bags is that they don't need to. Per Skift: When engineers design a plane, they make intricate calculations about the weight of passengers and the bags that they may bring on board….

MORE DETAILS

A personal item is any type of luggage that fits underneath the plane seat in front of you. Most domestic airlines in the United States require a personal item to be 18” x 14” x 8” or smaller in size. Personal items can include a purse, briefcase, small backpack, laptop bag, weekender or small duffel bag.

MORE DETAILS

If your backpack doesn't fit, you may be asked to check it at the gate.

MORE DETAILS