21 "- 22" Carry On - Or forced to check?

[Golden1]

I am flying to PR for a cruise. I am concerned because I wanted to use my 21" suitcase as a carry-on. However, while flying to Hungary, I used a 21" which expanded and they made me check it. I guess it became too wide once it was expanded. Has anyone experienced being asked to check a 21" or 22" piece of luggage on an airline?

[Trip]

Use the carryon tester at the aiport, if it's too wide, at this point,maybe you can adjust the contents to have it fit..those outside pockets can be killer

[Marc]

22" x 14" x 9" are the allowed dimensions. If you expand it, or even overstuff, you will not meet the 9" depth allowed. Some international airports (especially in Asia) have even a smaller size limit.

[fun2cruiz]

I would also check with your specific airlines baggage policies...... but even then, some agents at the gate are strict to following the requirements and some just turn their head !

[Kamloops Cruiser]

On our flights from FLL to Sea there where people with carryons that where to big. Most where checked free to the final airport . That depended on how full the aircraft was and type of overhead bin.

[61maris61]

As the previous poster mentioned, it often depends on the flight and the airline. I had a 22" that I fit into their tester and it just fit, then I saw a young girl with a bag that had to be several inches too large. I asked her how she could use it as a carry-on and not get questioned; she said she never had a problem.

Of course, I'm a 58 yr old beer-bellied guy; she was an attractive young woman. I suppose that might have something to do with it!

[belgique]

I bought a Samantha Brown "carry-on" from QVC. I measured it and it seemed to fit the dimension test. Boarding a Delta flight last month, it simply did not fit into the overhead bin.

I don't think the pockets or expander zippers were used. With the help of a young man, I finally stuffed it into the bin, but checked it through on the return trip.

It was not a small aircraft so I don't know what was wrong. I've had much better luck with "smashable" fabric duffels (like the ones you can buy on cruise ships) - they are more pliable.

Hope this helps.

[Kamloops Cruiser]

Some aircraft are now using smaller bins. Some of the regional or commuter aircraft have smaller bins. So it depends very much on the type of plane.

[Future Cruiser]

Golden, the maximum size for a carryon bag is 22 L x 14 W x 9 D. Carryon bags come shallow enough, so when they are expanded, they must be checked. The length of that bag is irrelevant because you said it is only 21 inches long.

I don't care how small a bag is; I am going to check it every time. Years ago I flagged a TSA agent by not putting my suitcase on the x-ray belt. Ever since, my family has only carried on luggage that way when we flew to Gainesville's regional airport, which has no Southwest gates, and back home from there.