Any recent experience with Iceland Air’s small carry on size?

This is the bag that I used as the main carryon for the 20 day trip to Scotland/London just this last August-September. It is Travelpro, Maxlite under seat bag in a very pretty blue. They advertise the bag for under seat, but I placed it in the overhead instead. I really think it is too big for under the seat. After all, there isn’t much leg room as it is.

https://travelpro.com/collections/underseat-luggage/products/maxlite®-5-rolling-underseat-carry-on?variant=40011627561058

I also had an Ebags crew cooler type bag that has a sleeve to place over the Travelpro handle. That bag held my medications, COVID tests, 3-1-1 liquids, chargers, IPad, purse and snacks.

The IcelandAir agents were sizing almost every bag but mine. This is a very small bag that was purchased because of their strict rules for dimensions. I did not use the included detachable hanging wet pocket. Love TravelPro products and have used my regular carryon for at least 10 years now for many domestic and two other trips to Europe.

Truthfully, I really wished I had packed one extra dress and another pair of leggings, but there just wasn’t enough room in the Travelpro under seat for anything more. I made it work though for 20 days of travel. I did end up checking this very small TravelPro on my flights back to Seattle because I had all the travel goodies/souvenirs packed in a daypack and didn’t want those items to be smashed or lost.

Following my recent trip to Europe, first time back since Covid, I do think that the airlines may be more strict about carry-on sizes than before. It seems that many more travelers are bringing carry-on, likely due to all of the recent baggage problems that have been in the news. I know I did. On each of my 4 flights the overhead racks filled up and they started gate checking bags. I was on Delta so there was no extra cost. However I saw signs at other airline check in counters about extra fees regarding carry-ons. On budget airlines, I would be very careful to comply with the regs or be prepared for a possible cost addition.

Since Covid, many airlines have reduced the size of their permitted hand luggage and are checking to ensure compliance. The busier the flight, the more likely you are to be measured.

You are proposing to breech their rules, so as long as you are happy with the financial consequences if they measure your bags, then proceed. It’s far more expensive to pay for a checked bag at the airport than in advance. Paying the cost of checking a bag each way at the airport maybe the same as buying a new bag.

EasyJet have also reduced their permitted size. On my flight last week, it appeared that most bags were checked in, with little hand luggage taken onboard. We had two smaller bags already that we used (plus our large checked bag).

It would be so much easier if they all had a standard size.

I feel your pain. Life would be so much simpler ...

Beloved spouse and I traveled this past weekend and I realized that the common advice to "carry-on only" may no longer make sense. The contortions that one must go through in order to carry-on are very onerous. The baggage limits keep getting smaller.
Travelers use every possible technique to skirt the rules. Airlines punish some travelers with non-compliance fees. Some travelers have to check at the gate anyway. Boarding and debarking is agonizingly slow while some people struggle to load or unload a far-too-heavy bag, far-too-high above their heads. You have to schlep the heavy bag. I got smacked more than once when a fellow traveler spun around and nailed me with her enormous backpack.

I have always accepted the carry-on only advice as true. I accepted the incremental inconveniences as just part of the game. My recent experience caused me to reconsider. I realize that baggage handling is an expense that cash-conscious airlines don't want. I understand that there is some risk that your bag may be lost. But, quicker boarding might mean that they one extra flight per day without having to add to the fleet. Maybe the airlines should structure the fees and tailor their services to encourage a different behavior.

Maybe it just makes sense to check the bag and breeze through the airport. Maybe you can stretch out a little bit more if your under-seat is clear.

Just sayin'...

We always do carryon only, except for Iceland due to their bag size. Here in Seattle, they have weighed and measured our bags every single time. We head out to Iceland again in a couple of days and am still packing my normal carryon bag, but know they will check it.

We flew from SEA to Paris on Iceland Air in 2018. Made the mistake of checking too early for the flight, and the senior agent used us as an example for the junior-level trainee he was showing the ropes to, and made us check a typical carry-on that we have ALWAYS carried on every single domestic and international flight with no issues (even the hardcore regional airlines flying between EU countries). Still fuming at the over-officious gate agent as we boarded a couple hours later, we stood behind a young lady carrying carrying on a guitar case AND a large soft-side ruck-sack bag, both of which took up way more cubic inches than my carry-on did.

Serves us right for getting there early... ; )

I think it all depends on the airport, the ticket agent, and the gate agent. We flew IcelandAir recently from Denver to Oslo (changing planes in Reykjavik), then returning from Milan to Reykjavik for a couple of days and then back to Denver. At no time did we see anyone checking sizes or weights of carry-on bags, and like the other poster above we saw people carrying on really large bags. I think ours might have been a bit big, and we both had additional carry-on bags (plus my purse).

Agree with the last two posters. We have flown Iceland Air several times. Sometimes our carry on gets through and sometimes it doesn’t. We also had the experience of seeing others with larger bags get through when we didn’t.

I ran into a similar problem the other day. I forgot to double check Lufthansa for a flight in 2 weeks and when I did, surprise their Personal Item size limit is smaller than the others I have been flying.
So, off to Amazon for a $30 personal item the correct size.
Having packed it, I like it so much that I may use it even when larger are acceptable.

As cor Iceland Air's size for the carry-on .... dont you suspect that they are limiting to a smaller size so that they can force check a lot of bags; and if that is the case, then I suspect they will measure a lot of bags.
Do they have a weight limit?

Mister E...I'm in the market for a smaller PI. Which one did you get?

I flew Icelandair last May. I checked by bag and had a small backpack on the plane with me that went under the seat.

I have seen them use the sizer on previous flights, but did not see it on these flights. I think it is really luck of the draw on gate agents.

We flew in and out of Reykjavik last December. I've flown Iceland Air numerous times over the years with the same bag, but this last time, they made me check the bag, without measuring it. Just a hard no from the agent for carrying it on. This was on the return trip leaving Reykjavik. I expect to continue to fly Icelandair, so I purchased a smaller size compliant bag immediately once I got home.

1/ FrankII, sorry, forgot you; but do remember that I am a cheapie when it comes to luggage, but it has all done the job and lasted for decades.
2/ So, I bought this for the Lufthansa flight: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094DL81TV?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details and I guess if there is one thing I dont like is that it only zips down halfway and you load it from the top but the size is is legal for Lufthansa and it is good and square so it takes full advantage of the size limitations.
3/ For Turkish and the other airlines with a larger size permitted I have used this for about 8 years now and love it: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B7DQHYH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
4/ Both have the vertical zipper on the outside for the liquids quart bag and both have a sleeve for my laptop
5/ With either of those and my hard side spinner I can do any length trip in the summer and I get by in the winter because I leave some warm clothes in storage in Europe (or it might be a bit of a squeeze)
6/ This next trip will be my heaviest in 15 years as I am bringing a lot of gifts and cooking stuff (staying in an AirBnb for a month) and for that I have a third bag (hate running so heavy and having to check a bag) from Walmart that will be left behind (donated to charity) shame too because it's kinda nice but no way I am going through the hassle to bring it home empty.

Mister E....I use the same Rangeland bag as you but not in camo.

I like it because it has a trolley strap but I miss not having a water bottle pocket.

I'd like to find a smaller bag but it must have a trolly strap.

Regarding Icelandair, I took four flights this summer on them. The two flights out of KEF had us bussed out to the plane and it didn't seem anyone checked our bags. The other two departures had bag checks.
My bag is thicker than they allow but I was up in Saga and they left me alone.

I flew on Iceland Air out of Seattle in June and my bag (a carry on suitcase) and personal item were both sized and my bag was weighed. Since my bag (Eddie Bauer Expedition rolling duffel) was not full, it fit in the sizer, as it is not hard sided. It was also under the weight requirement much to the surprise of the dubious gate agent. (He seemed to think it would be too heavy, but I had weighed it at home). Since my personal item was a backpack, it fit in the sizer, but just barely. If you have a large backpack, it will not fit the personal item size limit. Good luck! Hope you find a way to fly with the bags you have!

I am sitting in a lounge at SEA now. We are flying Iceland Air today and as usual with them here, they weighed and sized our carryons.