American Airlines Carry On Size

[TayanaLorna]

How strict is American in measuring carry on size?  Do they make you put suitcase in a measuring box?  Have a carry on that is a tad taller and wider then the posted measurements and wondering if i should chance it.

[Heidi13]

11 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

How strict is American in measuring carry on size?  Do they make you put suitcase in a measuring box?  Have a carry on that is a tad taller and wider then the posted measurements and wondering if i should chance it.

In 40+ years of flying I have only once had our carry-on luggage weighed - never measured. That was on a budget trans-Atlantic flight many, many years ago.

 

Flew DFW to Vancouver on AA, connecting from the Qantas flight and was never questioned. I'm good for size, but my camera backpack is well over weight. Have also experienced many flights where they provide free stowage in the hold, trying to reduce the cabin volume, but still never seen them measure.

 

However, it could still happen anytime, as no doubt others have different experiences.

[broker1217]

I would not risk it. We fly primarily AA and they are enforcing the size limit more frequently. 

 

If you do try taking an over-size bag, please make sure you do not have your valuables, electronics, wallet, meds, etc. in that bag. Take anything you absolutely have to keep with you in your smaller bag that must fit under the seat.

 

Personally, I don't want to be the person at the jetway digging through my undies to get my valuables out because my  bag won't fit in the sizer.

Or worse, holding up the boarding process because I can't jam my over-size bag in the overhead, then fight my way against all the boarding passengers to the front of the aircraft to gate check. 

For me, that is not the most relaxing way to start a trip!

[broker1217]

Okay--to more specifically answer your question.

There are sizers at the gate. If the gate agent feels your bag is oversize---they can ask you to put it in the sizer during the boarding process.

If it doesn't fit you will have to gate check your bag. They may not ask, but they can.

 

They are checking size more frequently now on AA.

The gate agents job is to get the plane loaded quickly and push away from the gate on time.  So they will try to catch oversize bags prior to boarding if possible. 

 

There is no guarantee of overhead space for your carry-on unless you are First/Business or Main Cabin Extra or Premium Economy. All other overhead space is based on availability and is first-come, first-served based on boarding group. So always, always be prepared for the possibility that your over-head carry on could be gate checked. 

 

This is why we take our essentials in a small (under seat) carry-on and check everything else. Not worth the stress and hassle during boarding.

 

 

[TayanaLorna]

Thanks Heidi and Broker.  Our carry on used to be within size until the measurements were reduced.  Now it is 1 inch over on 2 of the measurements.  Wanted a carry on for a couple days of clothing in case our checked bags get delayed, which happened last time.  Flying Premium Economy and Main Cabin Extra so will have space first choice.  Ah decisions and chances to take...

[SM77]

On 12/22/2019 at 7:15 AM, TayanaLorna said:

Thanks Heidi and Broker.  Our carry on used to be within size until the measurements were reduced.  Now it is 1 inch over on 2 of the measurements.  Wanted a carry on for a couple days of clothing in case our checked bags get delayed, which happened last time.  Flying Premium Economy and Main Cabin Extra so will have space first choice.  Ah decisions and chances to take...

If you have a personal item like a purse or briefcase, a carryon bag, and then decide to have some 'gift' bag or some recent purchase in hand, you can be sure they will ask you to check the carryon.  When we flew coach on AA from Dulles to LAX before getting on an AA flight to Auckland business class,  we were worried about our carryon but I had my purse & knapsack and my husband only had the carryon and the attendant didn't stop him at all.  She was stopping individuals with multiple items(more than two).  All the more reason to do your main route first in business before connecting to your final destination.  And we had booked through Viking Air w/ Air Plus.  At least for this last trip, we were booked in domestic first class in addition to business international.  The fine print always says business class is for intercontinental flights, not domestic.  I would risk it given that AA managed to forget to load one of our 'priority' bags on the flight home from Santiago and it took a couple of days to make it home.  Same reason I split our clothes between the two checked bags when headed to a cruise;  just in case a bag is 'delayed'.

[TayanaLorna]

9 hours ago, SM77 said:

Same reason I split our clothes between the two checked bags when headed to a cruise;  just in case a bag is 'delayed'.

Definitely do that but then both checked bags were delayed on our Midnight Sun cruise arriving an hour before sail away from Bergen.  We usually only bring under the seat bags so we don't have to pull/carry much.  This time i want to bring a roller carry on with 3 days of clothes including stuff for the wide daily temperature range that we are not used to.  

[Homosassa]

Be very, very careful if you are going to Europe and your flights change to British Airways.

 

If you are unfortunate enough that the only BA flight continuing onto your designation is what BA considers "short haul" (even if the flight is 4+ hours long), it will be a single class plane 

 

Watch the movie "Con Air" for a similar depiction of service and quality. BA does skip the manacles. 

 

BA is very strict on carry on luggage size. Anything that approached the allowed dimensions was carefully measured in the sizers. That was both in the cattle car short haul portion and the London - Tampa portion of out flight.

 

We did book Premium Economy and while we had room for our two carry on pieces (much smaller than the allowed dimensions),  a larger piece may have been a problem on the long haul section of our flight.

[Hockeyump]

BA in Europe has what they call Club Europe which is an area at the front of the main cabin.  Still a 3x3 configuration but they don't sell the middle seat.  Sometimes it has a fixed table, sometimes not.  Split from economy with a curtain.  Proper food service and complementary drinks included.  That said we are in the UK and always used to fly BA but no longer, only do so now if no other options.

[fbgd]

15 hours ago, SM77 said:

 All the more reason to do your main route first in business before connecting to your final destination. 

 

Maybe I'm misunderstanding your point but carry-on allowances are based on each individual flight, it's not the same as checked allowance.

 

The GA for your domestic hop in coach isn't going to care that you arrived in international first class...

 

2 hours ago, Homosassa said:

If you are unfortunate enough that the only BA flight continuing onto your designation is what BA considers "short haul" (even if the flight is 4+ hours long), it will be a single class plane 

 

Wrong. BA doesn't have any single class operations anymore. Business Class on European/shorthaul flights is for the majority of flights the same configuration but with the middle seat blocked. Club Europe as it is known includes priority check-in, boarding, lounge access and fast track security. Onboard it's a full bar with meals on all flights. It's not the same as domestic first class I'll grant you but it's usually a small supplement over the cheap seats. This is very typical for shorthaul flights around Europe. None of the major airlines handle it any other way.

 

BA also have a very generous carry-on allowance, IMO. It's much closer to the US airline allowances than other carriers who rigorously weigh bags as well as size them. As a BA Gold cardholder I can only think of one time in the last few hundred flights where I've been asked to put my 20" rollerbag in the sizer.

[SM77]

34 minutes ago, fbgd said:

 

Maybe I'm misunderstanding your point but carry-on allowances are based on each individual flight, it's not the same as checked allowance.

 

The GA for your domestic hop in coach isn't going to care that you arrived in international first class...

 

 

If you are doing your international leg first on AA business, there's plenty of space for your carryon in business; if you are on AA domestic first leg, more likely you might be asked to check that carryon bag and that defeats the point of having a carryon just in case the checked luggage is delayed.  On the 2nd leg where you might be in coach, you may be asked to check that bag at the gate. Since it is your final leg, that bag might be on the flight.   When heading home, we don't care, we check all bags.  

[Homosassa]

34 minutes ago, fbgd said:

 

 

 

 

Wrong. BA doesn't have any single class operations anymore. Business Class on European/shorthaul flights is for the majority of flights the same configuration but with the middle seat blocked. Club Europe as it is known includes priority check-in, boarding, lounge access and fast track security. Onboard it's a full bar with meals on all flights. It's not the same as domestic first class I'll grant you but it's usually a small supplement over the cheap seats. This is very typical for shorthaul flights around Europe. None of the major airlines handle it any other way.

 

BA also have a very generous carry-on allowance, IMO. It's much closer to the US airline allowances than other carriers who rigorously weigh bags as well as size them. As a BA Gold cardholder I can only think of one time in the last few hundred flights where I've been asked to put my 20" rollerbag in the sizer.

 

I am basing my statement on my experience with BA last August.

 

My "Con Air" level flight from Athens to London was a single class. There was no section with a middle seat taken out. And yes, we boarded up by the cockpit and walked the length of the plane to our seats. Absolutely no food was served on board except cardboard sandwiches and munchie snacks (i.e.; pretzels, nuts, crisps) . There was a charge for all the so called food and beverages (including water).

 

There was a careful sizing on all carryons, both in Athens and London. While we were put on the "Con Air" flight from Athens, that is not the class of service we paid for.  However, we were told that was the only service available from Athens.

 

I have to admit this was my first experience with BA. It will probably be my last if I can avoid it in the future.

 

In case, my "Con Air" reference as hyperbole is not familiar, here is the trailer for the film:  

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T0m9nvGws0

 

 

[FlyerTalker]

1 hour ago, Homosassa said:

My "Con Air" level flight from Athens to London was a single class. There was no section with a middle seat taken out.

 

They don't physically take out the middle seat -- they just don't seat a passenger there.  So you would not have noticed any visual difference.

 

1 hour ago, Homosassa said:

There was a careful sizing on all carryons, both in Athens and London. While we were put on the "Con Air" flight from Athens, that is not the class of service we paid for.

 

And just what was the class of service that you "paid for"?? 

Edited January 5, 2020 by FlyerTalker

[fbgd]

3 hours ago, Homosassa said:

 

I am basing my statement on my experience with BA last August.

 

Well, as someone who has flown BA in business class from Athens to London I can confirm you were incorrect. BA does offer Club Europe on every flight to/from Athens. 

 

On some of their A321 aircraft that periodically fly to/from ATH there are lie flat seats in a 1-2 configuration, but otherwise it's a 2-2 configuration on the Airbus narrowbody aircraft in Club Europe. It's a 3-3 configured aircraft with the middle seat blocked off.

 

If you were booked in premium economy/World Traveller Plus on longhaul then that books into Euro Traveller/economy on the shorthaul legs.

[sumiandkage]

Bags draw more scrutiny from a GA if:

 

1) They are wheeled rather than duffles or back packs

 

2) you're trying to get on a regional jet (the bin space on the one seat side of an Embraer 135/145 holds roughly two magazines)

 

3) it's a 100% checked-in full flight

 

The last time I was asked to put a bag in the sizer was a few years ago when I was flying back from Boston on the getaway day after the Marathon and the whole airport was thoroughly swamped with post-race zombies shambling around.

[critterchick]

On 1/5/2020 at 10:06 AM, fbgd said:

BA also have a very generous carry-on allowance, IMO. It's much closer to the US airline allowances than other carriers who rigorously weigh bags as well as size them. As a BA Gold cardholder I can only think of one time in the last few hundred flights where I've been asked to put my 20" rollerbag in the sizer.

My challenge with BA is the size of the personal item - no wider than 6". I have several bags that are about 7" wide, so technically over the limit, and they likely would not fit in the sizer. So I pack a bag of essentials in my carryon. If my personal item were to fail the test, I would pull out the bag in a bag and hope to see my carryon at my destination.

On 1/5/2020 at 10:54 AM, SM77 said:

If you are doing your international leg first on AA business, there's plenty of space for your carryon in business; if you are on AA domestic first leg, more likely you might be asked to check that carryon bag and that defeats the point of having a carryon just in case the checked luggage is delayed.  On the 2nd leg where you might be in coach, you may be asked to check that bag at the gate. Since it is your final leg, that bag might be on the flight.   When heading home, we don't care, we check all bags.  

 

There may be plenty of room in the aircraft, but if the GA is in the mood to check, a bag that doesn't fit in the sizer isn't going on the plane, whether you're in FC or just in front of the aft lavatory. I actually drove up to LAX with a new bag just to make sure it would fit in the sizer before I decided whether to keep it (it did).