How do I get a carry-on on United?

Carry-on bag Carry-on bags are not included unless you're flying to South America, across the Atlantic or on an international flight across the Pacific. You can prepay to check a bag or check a carry-on at your gate for the regular bag fee plus an additional $25.



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Basic Economy You can't bring a carry-on bag unless you're flying to South America, across the Atlantic or across the Pacific. All other bags have to be checked. Note, if you check a carry-on at your gate, you'll be charged the standard bag fee plus an additional $25.

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Many airlines will allow you to bring a carry-on bag and personal item for free. However, some airlines may only allow a personal item that fits under your seat for free. Anything larger (e.g. a bag that's too big to fit under the seat but can fit into the overhead compartment) may require extra payment.

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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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One free checked bag when traveling within the continental U.S. or to Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. Two free checked bags when traveling between the U.S. and South America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

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Two free checked bags when traveling within the continental U.S. or to Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. Three free checked bags when traveling between the U.S. and South America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

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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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Discounted fare: Q, V, W. Deep-discounted fare: L, K, S, T. Lowest discounted fare: G. Basic economy: N (on domestic flights).

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Keep in mind that upgrading to Economy Plus will only net you more legroom, guaranteed in-seat power access and a seat closer to the front of the plane; it will not get you an additional baggage allowance.

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Why does my ticket say no carry-on bag? Not all fares allow carry on bags so be sure when purchasing your ticket what is allowed. Otherwise you will have to pay to check the bag. All fares do allow a personal item that must fit and be stowed under the seat in front of you.

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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.

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With most airlines, there's no difference between the actual seats in the main cabin versus basic economy. But the policies outside of your seats — like how much luggage you can bring and how easy (and cheaply) you can change your flights — can be significantly different.

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