US carry-on vs European airlines: will your bag fit?

The short answer

A standard US carry-on is 22 x 14 x 9 inches, which is 55.9 x 35.6 x 22.9 cm. Many European airlines set the limit at 55 x 40 x 23 cm. Your bag is about 0.9 cm too long by the published numbers, even though it is 4 cm narrower. Of the 30 European airlines with a published size in our data, 5 list a limit your 22 x 14 x 9 bag meets and 25 do not; in 21 of those it is over by 1 cm or less.

The second difference is weight. The big US airlines do not publish a carry-on weight limit on the pages we checked, but 28 of the 30 European airlines here do, usually 7 to 10 kg (the range is 6 to 15 kg).

Does a 22 x 14 x 9 inch carry-on fit European airlines?

The table checks the US standard size (55.9 x 35.6 x 22.9 cm) against each airline's published cabin bag limit. It judges the numbers only; airlines measure bags at the gate and may be stricter or more relaxed than the page. Sizes were checked between 20 September and 27 October 2026.

Why a bag that is allowed in the US can be refused

• Length: 22 inches is 55.9 cm. A 55 cm limit is 0.9 cm shorter.
• Weight: the big US airlines in our data publish no carry-on weight limit, while most European airlines publish one, so your bag can be checked against it.
• Price: on Ryanair, Wizz Air and several other low-cost airlines the free allowance is only the small personal item; the larger cabin bag is a paid add-on (see the table).

Personal item: US size vs Europe

US personal items are often bigger than Europe's. JetBlue lists 17 x 13 x 8 inches (43.2 x 33 x 20.3 cm); many European airlines list 40 x 30 x 15 cm or 40 x 30 x 20 cm, so a US-size personal item can be 3 cm too wide and several cm too deep. From 23 October 2027 an EU rule guarantees a free personal item of 40 x 30 x 15 cm on flights from the EU: what changes. See every airline in the personal item table.

If you fly a US airline to Europe

The airline that operates your flight sets the bag rules. On a ticket sold by one airline and flown by another, check the operating airline: Southwest says partner airlines may have different rules, and American lists British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Qantas and Qatar Airways as partner airlines on its restricted items page. United Basic Economy allows only a personal item, except on flights across the Atlantic, where a carry-on is allowed.

Liquids and security

Security rules follow the airport you leave from. In the US that is the TSA 3.4 ounce rule. Many European airports also use 100 ml and some allow 2 litres: liquids rules by country. TSA allows duty free liquids over 3.4 ounces in a sealed tamper-evident bag when you fly to the US on a connecting flight, with the original receipt from the last 48 hours.

Quick checklist before you fly

• Measure your bag with handles and wheels against the operating airline's page.
• Weigh it. If the limit is 7 or 8 kg, an American-style roller bag can be over before you pack anything.
• Check whether the cabin bag is included in your fare.
• Keep power banks and spare batteries in your carry-on, never in a checked bag.

Sizes from each airline's own website as recorded on this site's airline pages, checked between 20 September and 27 October 2026; United and Southwest notes from their own pages; American partner list from its restricted items page, read 5 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions