Carry-On vs Personal Item: Which Is Better for You?

When it comes to traveling, every inch and every ounce of weight matter a lot. No matter whether you’re traveling domestically or internationally,. Different airlines have different rules and regulations for personal items, carry-on, and checked luggage.

Some types of tickets allow traveling only with personal items, while others allow both personal and carry-on. That’s why people get confused between personal items and carry-on luggage.

The key difference between a carry-on and a personal item lies in its size.

Carry-On: Generally, the maximum size of a carry-on is 22 × 14 × 9 inches, which is around 56 × 36 × 23 cm and it must fit into the overhead compartment.
Personal Item: The maximum allowed size for personal items is generally 18 × 14 × 8 inches, which is 45 × 35 × 29 cm. It should comfortably fit under the seat in front of you.

To know in detail, keep reading this entire guide on carry-on vs personal item, as we’ve covered everything and also linked to official resources.

What is a Carry-On?

A carry-on is simply a bag that can be a backpack, a small duffel bag, a small roller or spinner luggage, or a tote bag. This bag is allowed to be brought into the cabin or aircraft, which means that a carry-on suitcase stays with you all the time during travel.

Talking about size and dimension, different airlines have different rules for carry-on luggage but the most common thing among all the airlines is that a carry-on must easily fit in the overhead compartment of planes.

A carry-on bag can be used if someone prefers to travel without checked luggage. It can be a good alternative to checked luggage. It’s also known as cabin or hand luggage.

What is a Personal item?

A personal bag is also a type of bag that is allowed to be brought with you into the aircraft. This bag is smaller than a carry-on and you can bring it with you in addition to your carry-on luggage (if a carry-on is included in your ticket).

Similar to carry-on, different airlines have different sizes for personal items, but the most common thing that all of them agree on is that a personal item must fit under the seat in front of you.

This bag is aimed at holding items like laptops, cameras, books, snacks, and other essential items you might need during your flight. A laptop bag, briefcase, camera bag, small duffel bag, or backpack are considered personal items.

We’d highly recommend you go through the guidelines of the airlines you want to fly with.

Carry-on vs Personal Item: Key Differences?

Carry-On

According to airlines, the most common guideline for carry-on size is that it must not exceed the size of 22 × 14 × 9 inches or 56 × 36 × 23 cm.
Depending on the airline, the allowed weight of a carry-on falls between 15 and 22 lbs.
It must be easy to fit in the overhead compartment of an aircraft.
A few airlines don’t allow carry-on with their basic economy ticket.
It holds clothing, shoes, and other important items.
It’s used as an alternative to checked luggage.

Personal Item

According to most airlines, the size of personal items must not exceed 18 × 14 × 8 or 45 × 35 × 29 cm.
Generally, there are no weight restrictions for personal items.
It must be easier to fit under the seat in front of you.
It’s always allowed for free, even with the most basic economy ticket.
It holds items that you might need during your flight, like electronics and books.
It’s used in addition to a carry-on.

Check Out the Latest Information: Most Popular Airlines’ Size Guidelines for Carry-on and Personal Items

As we mentioned above, different airlines have different rules for both carry-on and personal items. Here we’ve linked to the source website. We’d recommend you go through the airlines you’re planning to fly with.

Airline	Carry-On Size (In)	Personal Item Size (In)
American Airlines	22 × 14 × 9 in	18 × 14 × 8 in
JetBlue Airlines	22 × 14 × 9 in	17 × 13 × 8 in
Delta Airlines	22 × 14 × 9 in	Not Specified
Alaska Airlines	22 × 14 × 9 in	Not Specified
Southwest Airlines	22 × 14 × 9 in	18.5 × 13.5 × 8.5 in
Allegiant Airlines	22 × 14 × 9 in	16 × 15 × 7 in
Frontier Airlines	22 × 14 × 9 in	18 × 14 × 8 in
Spirit Airlines	22 × 14 × 9 in	18 × 14 × 8 in
United Airlines	22 × 14 × 9 in	17 × 10 × 9 in
Lufthansa Airlines	21 × 15 × 9 in	15 × 11 × 4 in

What Should You Bring with You On Planes: Carry-On, Personal, Or Both?

It mainly depends on your requirements and airline policies. Most airlines allow bringing both personal items and carry-on bags but a few of them allow only personal items with their basic economy ticket. So considering that your ticket includes carry-on and personal items, let’s look at what you should bring with you.

Now the key factor that decides whether you should bring a carry-on or a personal bag is the length of your trip.

Short Tips

For short trips like 1 to 3 days, a personal item might be sufficient for you if you’re a light packer. A small bag, backpack, or duffel bag can hold essential items like a change of clothes, toiletries, and electronics.

But if you don’t want to pack too tight, we’d recommend you go for a carry-on bag, it will make your travel much easier and more convenient. With the help of a carry-on, you can play loose and pack even more items like clothing, shoes, and toiletries, and the personal item can hold the items that you might need during your flight.

Medium and Long Trips

If you’re planning for more than 3 days, you must opt for a carry-on, because you’ll more likely need more clothing and toiletries, so bringing both a carry-on and a personal item is a good idea so that you can accommodate your belongings more easily and conveniently.

You’ll be able to use your carry-on for heavy and bigger items, clothing, shoes, toiletries, and other items that you won’t need during your travel. For those items that you might require during the flight like snacks, laptops, travel documents, medication, electronics, and books, keep them in your personal bag.

Important Articles

Frequently Asked Question

Can I Use a Backpack As a Carry-On?

Yes, a backpack can be used as a carry-on. In fact, it’s a good idea to use a backpack as a carry-on because it keeps your hands free and is more convenient.
To use a backpack as a carry-on, you must keep a few things in mind:
1. Your backpack must meet the size and weight restrictions of the airline you want to fly with.
2. You should avoid overpacking your backpack. Overpacked backpacks are difficult to fit in the overhead compartments of planes.

Can I Use a Duffel Bag as a Carry-On?

Yes, similar to a backpack, you can use a duffel bag as a carry-on. For a duffel bag to be used as a carry-on, you must ensure that it meets the airlines’ size and weight restrictions.
If it complies with the regulations of the airlines you’re planning to fly with, you’re good to go. Also, make sure that you don’t overpack your duffel bag so that it can easily fit in the overhead compartment of your plane.

Can I Bring 2 Personal Items Instead of 1 Carry-on Luggage?

Yes, and sometimes no. It totally depends on the type of ticket. If your ticket includes only one personal item, you should never bring another one.
But if your ticket includes a personal item and a carry-on, you can surely bring two personal items instead of one carry-on bag, but make sure that your personal item meets the size and weight restrictions of a carry-on bag.

Can I Bring a Backpack As My Personal Item?

Yes, you can bring a backpack as your personal item as long as it meets the airlines’ guidelines for a personal item. Generally, the dimension allowed for a personal item are 18 × 14 × 8 Inches.
So your backpack must be within these dimensions in order to qualify as a personal item, as it fits under the seat in front of you.

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Carry-on vs Personal Item | Key Differences: What Should You Choose?

Table of Contents

What is a Carry-On?

What is a Personal item?