Personal Item Size Limits for 75+ Airlines in 2026 (in + cm)

Fees, policies, and figures in this guide reflect what we verified as of Oct 2026 and can change afterward. Our live tools and the data behind them are re-verified more often than the written guide.

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The personal item is where the carry-on game has actually moved in 2026. Every airline still publishes a 22 x 14 x 9 inch carry-on dimension, give or take an inch, but the personal item has fragmented into a wild range, from 11.8 x 7.9 x 3.9 inches (30 x 20 x 10 cm) on VietJet and Bamboo Airways to 18 x 14 x 8 inches on American, Allegiant, Frontier, and Viva Aerobus. That gap matters more every year, because more travelers are flying personal-item-only to skip carry-on fees, and “personal item” can mean anything from a laptop bag to a small roller suitcase depending on which airline you booked.

This is the part most carry-on guides get wrong. They quote “one personal item that fits under the seat” and call it a day. That is fine if you fly the same airline every trip. If you book whatever was cheapest last Thursday, you need actual numbers, in inches and centimeters, with a per-airline source. That is what this page is.

The quick answer: The smallest published personal item size in 2026 is 11.8 x 7.9 x 3.9 inches (30 x 20 x 10 cm), shared by VietJet and Bamboo Airways, with Thai Airways next at 37.5 x 25 x 12.5 cm and AirAsia, Scoot, and Singapore Airlines at 15.7 x 11.8 x 3.9 inches (40 x 30 x 10 cm). The European standard is 40 x 30 x 15 cm (15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 inches), used by most Lufthansa Group and other legacy European carriers. The most generous published personal item is 18 x 14 x 8 inches (about 2,016 cubic inches), shared by American, Allegiant, Frontier, and Viva Aerobus. 17 airlines in our data set, including Delta, Southwest, Qatar, and Cathay Pacific, publish no exact personal item size and use a “fits under the seat” rule instead, and a few of them, such as Emirates, allow no separate personal item at all.

If you want quick lookups for a specific airline, the Travel Vient carry-on size checker holds the same data with bag-fit checks against any size you enter. The full ranking, organized by tier, follows.

Update (May 2026): Spirit Airlines ceased all operations at 2:30 a.m. ET on May 2, 2026 and converted to a Chapter 7 liquidation, so it no longer sells tickets or flies. Its 18 x 14 x 8 inch personal item spec is kept below as a historical reference only. If you used to fly Spirit personal-item-only to dodge carry-on fees, the same strategy works on Frontier, Allegiant, and Breeze, which still publish generous free personal items.

How we verified this

Same methodology as our carry-on weight limits guide. Quick recap so you do not need to context-switch:

• Primary source only. Personal item dimensions come from each airline’s official baggage policy page. Each airline below links to the corresponding travelvient.com/tools/carry-on-size/ page where the source URL is recorded.
• No estimates. If an airline does not publish exact dimensions, we mark it as “no published dimensions” rather than guessing. Many of the airlines in this category use a softer under-seat rule, which we explain in that section below.
• Both inches and centimeters. Most international airlines publish in cm and US carriers publish in inches. Where airlines publish only one unit, we convert from the airline’s primary value rather than rounding twice. Where airlines publish both, we use both numbers.
• Last-verified date per airline. Every entry has a verification date attached. Personal item allowances changed at four airlines in the last 12 months (Aer Lingus loosened to 40 x 30 x 20 cm, Vueling reorganized fare classes, Hawaiian removed personal item dimensions, JetBlue tightened on Blue Basic), so we re-verify on a 30 to 60 day cycle.
• Volume calculation. When we sort airlines by “size,” we use the cubic-inch volume (length x width x depth) of the personal item, not just the longest dimension. A 17 x 13 x 8 bag (1,768 cubic inches) actually holds more than a 18 x 14 x 6 bag (1,512 cubic inches) even though the longer dimension is the same.

If a number on this page does not match what an airline currently publishes, email us at hello@vient.org and we will re-verify within 48 hours.

Smallest published personal items: under 1,100 cubic inches (12 airlines)

These are the airlines with the strictest published personal item allowances. The absolute smallest is 30 x 20 x 10 cm (11.8 x 7.9 x 3.9 inches), a true handbag-or-laptop-bag spec shared by VietJet and Bamboo Airways. Most of the rest are Asian carriers with slim sizers, from the 40 x 30 x 10 cm budget spec (AirAsia, Scoot) to full-service Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways, but Cebu Pacific, Air Arabia, flydubai, Condor, and Canada’s Air Transat round out the size scale. If you fly any of these, your “personal item” is closer to a laptop bag than a daypack.

Air Arabia

13 x 9.8 x 7.9 inches (33 x 25 x 20 cm). About 1,006 cubic inches. Last verified 2026-04-22.

Air Transat

17 x 12 x 5 inches (43 x 31 x 13 cm). About 1,020 cubic inches. The 13 cm (5-inch) depth is unusually shallow, far thinner than the typical under-seat bag, so a packed daypack that clears most airlines can fail Air Transat’s gate. Verified against airtransat.com 2026-06-20.

AirAsia

15.7 x 11.8 x 3.9 inches (40 x 30 x 10 cm). About 723 cubic inches. The 3.9-inch depth is the catch; even slim daypacks struggle to fit under that limit. Last verified 2026-05-05.

Bamboo Airways

11.8 x 7.9 x 3.9 inches (30 x 20 x 10 cm). About 364 cubic inches. Tied with VietJet for the smallest published personal item in our data set: Bamboo’s official carry-on page sets a handbag or small item at 30 x 20 x 10 cm, with a laptop bag allowed up to 40 x 30 x 10 cm, both inside the 7 kg economy cabin total. Last verified 2026-10-05.

Cebu Pacific

13.8 x 7.9 x 7.9 inches (35 x 20 x 20 cm). About 861 cubic inches. One of the tightest personal item limits anywhere (under 8 inches wide); Cebu’s official baggage rules set the under-seat item at 35 x 20 x 20 cm, sharing a combined 10 kg hand-carry limit with the cabin bag on Cebu Pacific (5J) flights from September 15, 2026 (7 kg on Cebgo). Last verified 2026-09-23.

Condor

15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 inches (40 x 30 x 15 cm). About 1,093 cubic inches. Condor uses the European 40 x 30 x 15 cm standard, identical to Lufthansa Group, which makes it the most generous personal item in this tier. Verified against condor.com 2026-05-23.

EVA Air

16 x 12 x 4 inches (40 x 30 x 10 cm). About 768 cubic inches. EVA’s personal item is essentially the AirAsia spec measured in inches first. Last verified 2026-04-22.

flydubai

13 x 9.8 x 7.9 inches (33 x 25 x 20 cm). About 1,006 cubic inches. flydubai’s official hand baggage page lists a laptop bag or small handbag up to 33 x 25 x 20 cm that must fit under the seat, carried as part of the 7 kg hand baggage allowance, not as an extra bag. Last verified 2026-10-05.

Scoot

15.7 x 11.8 x 3.9 inches (40 x 30 x 10 cm). About 723 cubic inches. Singapore Airlines’ budget subsidiary uses the AirAsia spec almost identically. Last verified 2026-05-07.

Singapore Airlines

15.7 x 11.8 x 3.9 inches (40 x 30 x 10 cm). About 723 cubic inches. One free additional item (a handbag, camera bag, document bag, or laptop bag) up to 40 x 30 x 10 cm, the same slim spec as its budget subsidiary Scoot; an item over 80 cm in total counts as your cabin bag. Last verified 2026-09-23.

Thai Airways

15 x 10 x 5 inches (37.5 x 25 x 12.5 cm). About 715 cubic inches by its 37.5 x 25 x 12.5 cm sizer. A free handbag, purse, or laptop bag up to those dimensions (or 75 cm in total) and 1.5 kg, in addition to the main cabin bag. Last verified 2026-10-05.

VietJet Air

11.8 x 7.9 x 3.9 inches (30 x 20 x 10 cm). About 364 cubic inches. Tied with Bamboo Airways for the smallest published personal item in our data set, a strict handbag or laptop-bag spec that counts inside VietJet’s 7 kg combined cabin baggage cap, confirmed on VietJet’s official baggage page. Last verified 2026-06-20.

European standard: 40 x 30 x 15 cm (15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 in) (15 airlines)

This is the closest thing to a global personal item standard. Every airline in this tier publishes the exact 40 x 30 x 15 cm spec, mostly European legacy carriers and Star Alliance/SkyTeam members in Europe, plus Korean Air. About 1,093 cubic inches. A typical 13 to 14 inch laptop bag fits this; a small daypack fits this; a 25-liter ultralight backpack with a slim profile fits this.

Air France

16 x 12 x 6 inches (40 x 30 x 15 cm). About 1,093 cubic inches by its 40 x 30 x 15 cm sizer; Air France rounds the inch figures up. Last verified 2026-09-23.

Austrian Airlines

15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 inches (40 x 30 x 15 cm). 1,093 cubic inches. Lufthansa Group sibling. Last verified 2026-05-05.

Discover Airlines

15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 inches (40 x 30 x 15 cm). 1,093 cubic inches. Lufthansa Group’s leisure carrier, on the same 40 x 30 x 15 cm personal item spec as its parent. Last verified 2026-05-07.

Finnair

15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 inches (40 x 30 x 15 cm). 1,093 cubic inches. Last verified 2026-05-04.

Iberia

15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 inches (40 x 30 x 15 cm). 1,093 cubic inches. IAG sibling alongside British Airways and Aer Lingus, but Iberia uses a more generous personal item than either. Last verified 2026-05-04.

ITA Airways

15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 inches (40 x 30 x 15 cm). 1,093 cubic inches. The successor to Alitalia now sits on the same European standard as the Lufthansa Group: a handbag, laptop bag, or small backpack that fits under the seat. Last verified 2026-09-23.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 inches (40 x 30 x 15 cm). 1,093 cubic inches. Same allowance as Air France (joint parent). Last verified 2026-05-04.

Korean Air

15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 inches (40 x 30 x 15 cm). 1,093 cubic inches. A handbag, briefcase, or laptop bag up to 40 x 30 x 15 cm in economy, counted inside Korean Air’s 10 kg combined cabin total. Last verified 2026-10-05.

Lufthansa

15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 inches (40 x 30 x 15 cm). 1,093 cubic inches. The de facto European personal item standard. Last verified 2026-04-22.

Pegasus Airlines

15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 inches (40 x 30 x 15 cm). 1,093 cubic inches. Turkey’s main budget carrier; tighter on the carry-on weight side, standard on personal item. Last verified 2026-04-22.

SAS Scandinavian Airlines

15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 inches (40 x 30 x 15 cm). 1,093 cubic inches. Last verified 2026-05-05.

SWISS International Air Lines

15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 inches (40 x 30 x 15 cm). 1,093 cubic inches. Lufthansa Group sibling. Last verified 2026-05-04.

TAP Air Portugal

16 x 12 x 5 inches (40 x 30 x 15 cm). About 1,093 cubic inches by its 40 x 30 x 15 cm sizer; TAP’s own inch figures round the depth down to 5. Last verified 2026-09-23.

Turkish Airlines

15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 inches (40 x 30 x 15 cm). 1,093 cubic inches. Last verified 2026-05-04.

Virgin Atlantic

15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 inches (40 x 30 x 15 cm). 1,093 cubic inches. Same European standard despite being a UK long-haul carrier. Last verified 2026-05-04.

Mid-tier: 1,100 to 1,700 cubic inches (20 airlines)

This tier covers most of the airlines that fall between the strict European standard and the generous US allowance. A typical 17-inch laptop bag fits this; a 30 to 35-liter travel backpack fits this; a soft-sided “personal item roller” with a low profile fits this. This is the practical sweet spot for personal-item-only travel: enough room for 3 to 4 days of clothes plus a laptop and toiletries.

Aer Lingus

15.5 x 11.5 x 8 inches (40 x 30 x 20 cm). About 1,463 cubic inches by its 40 x 30 x 20 cm sizer. Aer Lingus increased its personal item from the older 33 x 25 x 20 cm spec to 40 x 30 x 20 cm in 2026, moving it from one of the tightest European allowances to a mid-pack size, in line with the free under-seat bags on Wizz Air and Transavia. Last verified 2026-09-23.

ANA All Nippon Airways

15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 inches (40 x 30 x 20 cm). About 1,463 cubic inches. A handbag or shoulder bag up to 40 x 30 x 20 cm stowed under the seat, counted inside ANA’s 10 kg combined cabin total. Last verified 2026-10-05.

Air Canada

17 x 13 x 6 inches (43 x 33 x 16 cm). About 1,326 cubic inches. Last verified 2026-04-22.

Air India

15 x 11 x 7 inches (40 x 30 x 20 cm). About 1,463 cubic inches by its 40 x 30 x 20 cm sizer, with a 3 kg weight cap. Last verified 2026-09-23.

British Airways

16 x 12 x 6 inches (40 x 30 x 15 cm). About 1,152 cubic inches. BA publishes no weight limit for its cabin bags; you just have to be able to lift your bag into the overhead bin yourself. Last verified 2026-09-23.

China Airlines

16 x 12 x 6 inches (40 x 30 x 15 cm). About 1,152 cubic inches. Last verified 2026-05-07.

Copa Airlines

17 x 10 x 9 inches (43 x 25 x 22 cm). About 1,530 cubic inches. Same dimensional spec as United, which is not a coincidence; Copa is a Star Alliance partner. Last verified 2026-05-07.

Flair Airlines

16.9 x 13 x 5.9 inches (43 x 33 x 15 cm). About 1,296 cubic inches, with a 7 kg cap. Canadian low-cost carrier; the personal item is the only free bag, and Flair measures bags at the airport, so anything over the sizer is charged as a carry-on. Last verified 2026-10-06.

Jet2

15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 inches (40 x 30 x 20 cm). About 1,463 cubic inches. UK leisure carrier; the small under-seat bag is free on every booking, alongside the 10 kg cabin bag. Last verified 2026-06-19.

Norse Atlantic Airways

15.5 x 11.5 x 5.5 inches (40 x 30 x 15 cm). About 1,093 cubic inches by its 40 x 30 x 15 cm sizer. Long-haul leisure carrier with a tighter personal item profile than its generous 22 x 18 x 10 inch carry-on would suggest. Last verified 2026-05-07.

Norwegian Air Shuttle

15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 inches (40 x 30 x 20 cm). About 1,463 cubic inches. Slightly more depth than the European standard. Last verified 2026-05-26.

Porter Airlines

17 x 13 x 6 inches (43 x 33 x 16 cm). About 1,326 cubic inches. Canada’s regional premium carrier. Last verified 2026-05-05.

Ryanair

15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 inches (40 x 30 x 20 cm). About 1,465 cubic inches. This is Ryanair’s free under-seat allowance, confirmed at 40 x 30 x 20 cm on the official Ryanair Help Centre bag policy. To bring a larger bag, you must pay for “Priority & 2 Cabin Bags.” Last verified 2026-06-20.

SunExpress

15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 inches (40 x 30 x 20 cm). About 1,465 cubic inches, with a 4 kg cap. This is the underseat bag SunExpress includes with its SunLight fare. Last verified 2026-10-25.

Transavia

15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 inches (40 x 30 x 20 cm). About 1,463 cubic inches. Last verified 2026-10-25.

TUI Airways

15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 inches (40 x 30 x 20 cm). About 1,463 cubic inches. UK leisure and package carrier; the under-seat bag is free for every passenger aged 2 and over. Last verified 2026-06-10.

United Airlines

17 x 10 x 9 inches (43 x 25 x 22 cm). About 1,530 cubic inches. The narrowest US legacy personal item; American and JetBlue both publish wider allowances. Last verified 2026-05-04.

Vueling

15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 inches (40 x 30 x 20 cm). About 1,464 cubic inches. Vueling’s under-seat bag matches the Ryanair and Wizz Air free allowance at 40 x 30 x 20 cm, a step deeper than the 40 x 30 x 15 cm European legacy standard. Last verified 2026-05-07.

WestJet

16 x 13 x 6 inches (41 x 33 x 15 cm). About 1,248 cubic inches. Last verified 2026-04-22.

Wizz Air

15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 inches (40 x 30 x 20 cm). About 1,463 cubic inches. The free under-seat allowance; the larger Wizz Priority bag is a paid upgrade. Last verified 2026-06-20.

Generous: 1,700 to 2,000 cubic inches (11 airlines)

These airlines publish noticeably larger personal item allowances than the European standard. A 40-liter travel backpack fits this; a true small roller suitcase fits this; the kind of bag that on a Lufthansa flight would be your carry-on becomes your personal item here. The US ULCC tier (Frontier and the now-defunct Spirit) sits one level higher; this tier is mostly mid-tier US legacy and Latin American carriers plus a few European budget exceptions.

Avianca

18 x 14 x 8 inches (45 x 35 x 20 cm). About 1,922 cubic inches by its 45 x 35 x 20 cm sizer. The most generous Latin American legacy personal item, alongside LATAM. Last verified 2026-09-23.

Azul Linhas Aereas

17.7 x 13.8 x 7.9 inches (45 x 35 x 20 cm). About 1,930 cubic inches. Azul’s official carry-on and personal luggage page sets the under-seat item at 45 x 35 x 20 cm, in line with the larger Latin American carriers. Last verified 2026-05-07.

Breeze Airways

17 x 13 x 8 inches (43.2 x 33 x 20.3 cm). About 1,768 cubic inches. Same allowance as JetBlue (founded by the same person). Last verified 2026-04-22.

easyJet

17.7 x 14.2 x 7.9 inches (45 x 36 x 20 cm). About 1,986 cubic inches. The most generous personal item among European budget carriers, by a wide margin. easyJet positions this as the free underseat allowance, which is unusually generous compared to Ryanair or Wizz Air. Last verified 2026-05-05.

Eurowings

15.7 x 11.8 x 9.8 inches (40 x 30 x 25 cm). About 1,815 cubic inches. Same length and width as the European standard but much deeper (25 cm vs 15 cm). Last verified 2026-05-07.

Gol Linhas Aereas

16.9 x 12.6 x 8.7 inches (43 x 32 x 22 cm). About 1,853 cubic inches. Gol publishes a small under-seat item of 43 x 32 x 22 cm up to 10 kg, a generous spec for a Latin American domestic carrier. Last verified 2026-05-07.

JetBlue

17 x 13 x 8 inches (43.2 x 33 x 20.3 cm). About 1,768 cubic inches. Free on Blue and above; Blue Basic restricts you to this personal item only. Last verified 2026-05-05.

LATAM Airlines

17.8 x 13.8 x 7.9 inches (45 x 35 x 20 cm). About 1,939 cubic inches. South America’s largest carrier; nearly identical to Avianca’s spec. Last verified 2026-05-04.

Sun Country Airlines

17 x 13 x 9 inches (43.2 x 33 x 22.9 cm). About 1,989 cubic inches. Just under the 2,000 cubic inch threshold. Last verified 2026-04-22.

Virgin Australia

17.7 x 13 x 7.9 inches (45 x 33 x 20 cm). About 1,816 cubic inches. Notably more generous than Qantas, which does not publish personal item dimensions at all. Last verified 2026-04-22.

Volaris

17.7 x 13.8 x 7.9 inches (45 x 35 x 20 cm). About 1,930 cubic inches. The personal item counts toward Volaris’s combined 20 kg (44 lb) cabin weight limit shared with the carry-on. Last verified 2026-09-23.

Most generous: over 2,000 cubic inches (5 airlines)

Five airlines publish personal item allowances that are essentially full-size carry-ons by European standards. This tier is dominated by US ULCCs that charge for overhead bin access, paired with a generous “free” personal item to make the fare look attractive. American Airlines is the legacy outlier in this group.

Allegiant Air

18 x 14 x 8 inches (45 x 35 x 20 cm). About 2,016 cubic inches. Free on all Allegiant fares; the overhead carry-on is extra, from $10 to $75 per segment depending on route and when you add it. Last verified 2026-09-23.

American Airlines

18 x 14 x 8 inches (45 x 35 x 20 cm). About 2,016 cubic inches. The most generous US legacy personal item, paired with a 22 x 14 x 9 carry-on, gives you essentially two full-size bags free of charge. Last verified 2026-05-04.

Frontier Airlines

18 x 14 x 8 inches (45.7 x 35.6 x 20.3 cm). About 2,016 cubic inches. Same 18 x 14 x 8 inch box as American Airlines. Free on all fares; Frontier prices the carry-on dynamically by route and date. Last verified 2026-09-23.

Spirit Airlines (ceased ops May 2026)

18 x 14 x 8 inches (46 x 35 x 20 cm). About 2,016 cubic inches. Spirit ceased all operations on May 2, 2026 (Chapter 7) and is no longer bookable, so this is a historical record. While it operated, the personal item was free on all fares and the carry-on cost $65 to $99; Spirit’s strategy was to publish a large personal item so the no-carry-on base fare still felt usable. Last verified 2026-04-22.

Viva Aerobus

18 x 14 x 8 inches (45 x 35 x 20 cm). About 2,016 cubic inches. Mexico’s other major budget carrier; same dimensional volume as Spirit and Frontier. Last verified 2026-05-07.

No published dimensions: under-seat rule

These 17 airlines publish no exact personal item dimensions. Most use a “must fit completely under the seat in front of you” rule, and the few marked below allow no separate personal item at all. In practice, the under-seat space on most modern aircraft fits a bag roughly 17 x 14 x 9 inches (43 x 36 x 23 cm), but the exact space varies by aircraft model and seat row (exit row, bulkhead, and window seats often have different under-seat configurations).

This group is mostly Asian, Middle Eastern, and Pacific carriers, where the typical economy fare allows one carry-on plus one personal item but combines both into a single total weight allowance, usually 7 kg. The airline polices weight rather than personal item dimensions.

• Aegean Airlines: No published personal item dimensions; under-seat rule applies. Last verified 2026-06-10.
• Aeromexico: No published personal item dimensions; it must fit under the seat, inside the 10 to 15 kg combined cabin limit. Last verified 2026-10-25.
• Alaska Airlines: No published personal item dimensions. Last verified 2026-05-05.
• Cathay Pacific: No published dimensions; combined into 7 kg cabin baggage total. Last verified 2026-05-07.
• Delta Air Lines: No published personal item dimensions; under-seat rule applies. Last verified 2026-05-04.
• Emirates: No separate personal item in economy; a handbag or laptop bag counts inside the single 7 kg cabin bag allowance. Last verified 2026-10-01.
• Etihad Airways: No separate personal item in economy; one 7 kg cabin bag. Last verified 2026-10-03.
• Hawaiian Airlines: No published personal item dimensions; under-seat rule applies. Last verified 2026-05-05.
• IndiGo: No published dimensions; a purse or small laptop bag up to 3 kg on top of the 7 kg cabin bag. Last verified 2026-09-23.
• Japan Airlines: No published dimensions; combined into 10 kg total. Last verified 2026-05-05.
• Jetstar Airways: No published dimensions; combined into 7 kg total. Last verified 2026-05-07.
• Air New Zealand: No published dimensions; combined into 7 kg total. Last verified 2026-04-22.
• Qantas: No published dimensions for the personal item (a small handbag or a laptop in a slim bag). Domestic and premium international cabins also allow an underseat bag up to 48 x 34 x 23 cm. Last verified 2026-09-23.
• Qatar Airways: No published dimensions; combined into 7 kg total in economy. Last verified 2026-05-05.
• Saudia: No published personal item dimensions or separate weight, on top of the 7 kg economy cabin bag. Last verified 2026-09-23.
• Southwest Airlines: No published personal item dimensions; it must fit under the seat in front of you. Last verified 2026-10-01.
• Spring Airlines: No separate personal item; one free cabin piece up to 7 kg and 40x30x20 cm on standard fares; SpringPlus gets 55x40x20 cm at 10 kg. Last verified 2026-10-03.

Full alphabetical comparison table

The same data, sorted A to Z. Use this for quick lookups.

How to choose a personal item bag that works on every airline you fly

If you fly only US legacy and ULCC carriers, almost any 18 x 14 x 8 bag will work. If you mix in any European legacy carrier (Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, etc.), you need a bag that fits 40 x 30 x 15 cm. If you fly Asian budget carriers (AirAsia, Scoot), you need a bag that fits 40 x 30 x 10 cm, which is a 4-inch-deep slim profile bag.

The honest answer: there is no single bag that fits every airline on this list. The narrowest depth (3.9 inches on AirAsia, Scoot, and Singapore Airlines, and on the tiny VietJet and Bamboo Airways spec) is genuinely tight. Most travelers solve this by either:

1. Pick the strictest airline you typically fly and buy to that spec. A 40 x 30 x 15 cm bag (European standard) is the sweet spot for most international travelers. It will not fit the slimmest Asian limits (AirAsia, Scoot, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, VietJet, Bamboo Airways), but it works for most other carriers.
2. Pack the bag soft so it compresses. Soft daypacks and packable totes work better than rigid laptop bags because gate agents will let a slightly oversized soft bag pass if it visually fits the underseat space.
3. Use a smaller bag than you think you need. A 20 to 25-liter bag at 40 x 30 x 15 cm holds more than you think and avoids the “this is suspiciously oversized” problem.

For specific bag recommendations across ULCC strict-compliance and European legacy use cases, see our best personal item bags for budget airlines guide.

The bottom line

Personal item allowances span more than a 5x range in 2026, from 364 cubic inches on VietJet and Bamboo Airways to about 2,016 cubic inches on American, Allegiant, Frontier, and Viva Aerobus. The single biggest mistake travelers make is assuming “personal item” means the same thing on every airline. It does not.

If you fly mostly within the US, you have so much room that personal item dimensions barely matter. If you fly to Europe, optimize for 40 x 30 x 15 cm. If you fly anywhere in Asia or the Middle East, optimize for the under-seat rule and prioritize bag weight (most of those carriers cap combined cabin baggage at 7 kg total). And if you fly the strictest budget carriers (AirAsia, Scoot), optimize for the narrow 3.9-inch depth, which is a real constraint not all bags meet.

For everything else, the Travel Vient carry-on size checker does the lookup for you across every airline in this guide. If you want the data on your own travel blog or site, you can embed the carry-on size widget for free.