Frequently asked questions

On most major US airlines, 22 x 14 x 9 inches (about 56 x 36 x 23 cm) including wheels and handles. Southwest and Frontier allow 24 x 16 x 10 inches; Spirit allows 22 x 18 x 10 inches. Full table with every figure linked to the carrier's own page: carry-on size by airline.

Yes, on every carrier we checked. Airlines measure the bag at its widest points, which includes wheels, the telescoping handle housing and external pockets. Alaska explicitly counts expandable pockets too, so measure with the expansion zip closed. This is why a bag marketed as a 21-inch carry-on can measure over 22 inches in a sizer.

It varies, and three major carriers publish no figure at all. American, Frontier and Spirit publish 18 x 14 x 8 inches; JetBlue publishes 17 x 13 x 8; United publishes a much tighter 17 x 10 x 9. Delta, Southwest and Alaska require only that the bag fits under the seat. See personal item size by airline.

Hardside for checked bags and fragile contents - a rigid shell resists impact and water. Softside for carry-on-only travel, where it compresses at a gate sizer and gives you external pockets. Neither is more durable in general, because both fail at the wheels and handle rather than the body. Full comparison: hardside vs softside luggage.

50 lb (23 kg) on most US carriers and internationally in economy, with a separate size limit of 62 linear inches - length plus width plus height added together. Overweight and oversize fees are charged separately and per leg, so a large heavy bag on a connecting itinerary can attract both, more than once.

Major US carriers generally publish none for domestic flights, though Frontier caps both the carry-on and the personal item at 35 lb. Most international carriers do enforce one, commonly 7 to 10 kg - which makes the empty weight of your suitcase the most important number on its spec sheet. See best luggage for international travel.

Containers of 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less, all fitting in one quart-sized resealable bag, one bag per passenger. It applies to liquids, gels, aerosols, creams and pastes in carry-on baggage. Full detail including the exemptions: TSA liquid rules.

No - it applies to the size printed on the container. A half-empty 6 oz bottle is still a 6 oz container and will be pulled. Decanting into 3.4 oz bottles at home is the fix; squeezing the big bottle flat is not.

Solid stick deodorant does not, and can be packed loose at any size. Gel, roll-on, spray and aerosol deodorants do count and must be 3.4 oz or less inside the quart bag. Switching to a solid stick for travel frees up quart-bag space for nothing.

Yes. Solid shampoo, conditioner and soap bars are not liquids, so they are not subject to the 3-1-1 limit and do not go in the quart bag. Because shampoo is usually the largest item in a kit, this is the single most effective way to free up space. See solid toiletries for travel.

Yes - the 3-1-1 rule applies to carry-on baggage only. Separate restrictions cover aerosols, flammable liquids and high-proof alcohol. The practical risk in a checked bag is leaking, so tape the caps and bag the bottles.

Standard cubes do not compress clothes, so they create very little space on their own - what they do is make the bag pack squarer, recovering the gaps around a loose heap. Compression cubes do save space, but mainly on bulky lofty items like fleeces and puffers. Honest version: best packing cubes.

Comfortably a week in a 40-liter carry-on, and up to two weeks with one laundry stop. What breaks the plan is almost never clothing volume - it is shoes and liquids. See how to pack a carry-on.

Roll soft knits and t-shirts, fold structured items like button-downs and trousers. Rolling avoids hard crease lines and fills odd gaps; folding keeps tailored clothes looking better. Most people should do both in the same bag, matched to the garment.

Two for most trips, including the pair you wear on the plane - and wear the heavier pair, since footwear on your feet is not counted as baggage by any airline. Three pairs for a short trip is the most common packing error there is.

Yes, in carry-on baggage only - spare lithium batteries and power banks are prohibited in checked bags. Up to 100 watt-hours needs no approval, 100-160 Wh requires airline approval, and over 160 Wh is prohibited. Convert with Wh = (mAh / 1000) x 3.7. See best power banks for travel.

Almost certainly not. Phones, laptops, cameras and virtually every modern charger are dual voltage and need only a plug adapter - check the small print reads 100-240V. A converter is only for single-voltage appliances with heating elements, mostly older hair tools. See best travel adapters.

Many people find their legs swell less and feel more comfortable in them on flights over about four hours, which is why they are commonly recommended. Fit is what makes them work, and calf width is the measurement people skip. If you have a circulatory condition, are pregnant, or have a history of clots, ask your doctor about the right level rather than picking one off a chart.

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Not in a lab, and we do not claim to. We are not a testing lab, we do not receive free samples, and our picks come from the specs that decide a purchase, from published hands-on testing by named reviewers, and from our own travel where it genuinely applies - and we say which is which. Our methodology sets out exactly where the line is.

Prices and stock change constantly and we have no live price feed for this site. A number that is wrong next week looks authoritative while misleading you, which is worse than no number - so every buy link reads "Check price on Amazon" and sends you to the live page. If that changes, prices will appear with a visible date stamp.

Email contact@packandpassport.com or use the contact page. Corrections to the airline rules pages get looked at first, because being wrong there costs somebody money at a gate. Every guide carries a visible last-updated date and links the carrier's own page so you can check our figures yourself.