Can I put my personal bag in the overhead bin?

“So many passengers place all of their belongings in the overhead just to free up the area at their feet for legroom, and that creates an overhead space issue,” says Karina Kay, a flight attendant based in Las Vegas. But personal items are meant to be stored under the seat in front of you, Kay says.



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The personal item is typically described as a purse, briefcase, camera, food container, or laptop. The carry-on bag would go in the overhead compartment and the personal item would go under the seat in front of you.

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Just be aware that small planes usually have much smaller overhead bins, too, so when measuring your bag, pay extra attention to how tall the frame portion of your pack is, as that's the part that can't be compressed or smashed down. But as a general rule, if your backpack is under 45L, you're probably good to go.

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Technically, any piece of luggage that you “carry on” to an airplane is a carry-on bag. Most airlines allow one piece of carry-on luggage or “hand baggage” that can fit in the overhead bin, plus a “personal item” (a smaller purse, computer bag, diaper bag, small backpack, etc.

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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.

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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.

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Most bins can only handle carry-on luggage that is 22 inches tall, including wheels.

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So, yes, if your backpack is small enough that you can fit it under the seat in front of you, then it's a personal item. This designation becomes especially important when you're flying on a low-cost carrier or have booked a basic economy ticket on a larger airline.

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Most airlines maintain carry-on item measuring racks in front of the check-in counter and/or gate service counter. Technically, if your bag (or other type of carry-on item) won't fit completely into that rack, it is oversized and must be checked.

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If your carry-on is too big, you will either have to pay penalty fees or check your luggage. Checking your luggage means that your carry-on won't be traveling with you but will instead be sent to the airplane cargo, and you will be able to claim it once the plane lands.

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If it is a problem, they make you either check it at the front desk, the gate, or if you're having trouble fitting it in the overhead bin or under your seat, the flight attendant will help you gate check it plane side. You would be able to pick it up at baggage claim.

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Domestic carry-on policies. A good rule of thumb is that if your carry-on bag fits under the seat in front of you, it's considered a personal item. This includes small backpacks, purses, briefcases, laptop bags, etc. Larger bags, including suitcases, must fit in the overhead bin compartment.

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We don't have to leave our trusty products at home. If you are packing your makeup in your carry-on, just make sure that any liquids are in a container that is 3.4 ounces or less. You can also take as many 3.4 ounce containers as you want, as long as they all fit into one quart-sized, clear bag.

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Yes, you can pack shoes in your carry-on bag when traveling. Shoes are considered personal items, and they are generally allowed in your carry-on luggage. This also helps you save some more space in your primary luggage, in case you wanted to add some more to it.

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Generally, you're allowed one carry on and one personal item, such as a purse, suit bag, briefcase. As long as your backpacks conform to the airline size specifications for hand luggage, it's not a problem that both your carry-ons are backpacks.

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Can you put clothes in your personal items? Certainly, you can pack clothes in your personal items or carry-on bag.

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Maximizing space for your essentials without exceeding airline weight limits and luggage size is key when traveling via air. Most major airlines in the United States such as American Airlines, Southwest and Delta, allow you to bring one personal item for free, on top of your carry-on bag.

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You're allowed 1 carry-on bag and 1 personal item. Your carry-on bag can be up to 45 inches (22 x 14 x 9 in) or 115 centimeters (23 x 36 x 56 cm) including handles and wheels. Your personal item needs to be smaller than your carry-on item and must fit under the seat in front of you.

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As a general rule of thumb, anything smaller than the dimensions of a carry-on can be considered a personal item. However, every airline has different restrictions for size. In most cases, your backpack should be no more than 18 x 14 x 8 inches.

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A personal item is any bag that fits under the airplane seat in front of you, though the precise dimensions of these bags vary by carrier. You can use pretty much any bag ranging from duffels and weekenders to backpacks and sling bags, but for the most part, they should be under 18 x 14 x 8 inches.

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Hand luggage is rarely measured and even less often weighed. It does happen and some airlines are very strict but the majority of airlines only weigh checked luggage. Before boarding most flights, there is a sizer close to the gate.

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