2024 EU carry-on luggage size limits

Maybe a better question is how aggressively the European airlines are making passengers check bag size in those little sizer boxes.

I wouldn't call that "slightly" oversized. There's no way its going to fit in a sizer of the dimensions mentioned. Airlines being strict with their baggage requirements is becoming the rule rather than the exception, so I'd recommend finding a new, smaller, bag. When doing so, try to use the metric measurements, since some manufacturers seem to be rather liberal with their conversions. It's not a bad habit to always check baggage requirements of any airline before booking tickets with them.

I am not sure how "mandatory" the new rules are. They were an attempt to bring some commonality to both flag and budget carriers, which had size rules all over the place. For what it is worth, they did not make the "new sizes" any smaller, just adopted what most European flag carriers have used.

My advice is as always, if you are looking at a carrier, know their limits, stay within them. Nearly all are consistent with checking using sizing boxes, and though you do not mention it, weighing your bag. Weight limits can usually be tougher than size.

If you are flying the budget airlines (or any airline) it often makes more sense to just check a bag as opposed to try to carry on under tight limits. Point to point routes present little risk for lost bags.

Incompetent journalists Nick? I found the same announcement over multiple sites from last year, including Condé Nast (which I consider generally reliable for travel info).

Our experience this last October on our Swiss flight between Zurich and Venice was that our Rick Steves Ravenna rolling carryon bags (21 x 14 x 9) had to be gate checked. We’ve never had to gate check those bags on numerous trips over the years. We checked our bags going home but also noticed that Swiss gate agents on our Milan to Zurich connection, as they had in Zurich, were actively going thru the waiting area looking at bags and having people go up to the counter for their bags to be tagged and put aside. As others continue to say, check your specific airline for their size requirements because there is no general rule for all. And do it for both international and domestic flights because as we found out, the requirements may be different. I might also add, do not assume the gate agents might let a “slightly” oversized bag thru.

Margie, thank you for this info. This is exactly what I was wondering about.

You’re welcome.

And just to note, the size of the airplane bins had nothing to do with it as both connections were on older planes with large bins. Not having to wait for people to deal with larger carryons made a huge difference in the time it took to board and deplane and we know the Swiss are all about efficiency or at least that’s what my Swiss MIL always claimed :-)

An organization called IATA tried to get airlines to adopt one uniform size for a carry-on.

IATA is an airline trade organization, has nothing to do with any government and has no power to make any rules.

The media picked up on it.