AirFrance carry on limits & Rick Steve's backpack

Don't worry about it. It's a backpack. If they try to force you to fit it in the carry-on luggage size checker thing, you can stuff it in there because it's soft. Particularly if you don't pack it to the seam stretching explosion zone. The flight attendants and gate crews know that a backpack is going to fit much more easily than a suitcase.

Well, I obsessed endlessly over this issue last Fall. I was using the old RS rollaboard which was 6# but the right dimensions. After weeks of research I went with a lighter bag that still met the AF dimensions as there were posts from other forum members saying they had their bags measured/weighed in Paris on a connecting flight on Air France. I think you are right to give this some thought.

In the end, I met the AF weight and size limits but when boarding the AF flight to MIlan the gate agents did not even seem to be looking at sizes or weights. They may have just scanned everyone in the waiting area as we lined up to board and were content to allow everyone on with luggage. I will say I have never seen overhead bins so stuffed. My suitcase fit just fine but I tried to board early.

I would go ahead and do a trial pack and see what the width comes out after you've loaded your back pack. If it's close I might have a luggage strap with me to cinch it down to the 13 inch limit...although I'd take a look at the guidelines which are in metric instead of inches. 55x35x25 are the dimensions with a 12k weight limit for the carryon + personal item. Things get a little skewed sometimes when rounding for inch measurements so on AF that 35cm dimension shows as 13.8 inches.

https://wwws.airfrance.us/information/bagages/bagage-cabine-soute#dimensions

Bottom line - it depends. :) Pam is right in that it's certainly something you should think about, and I like her ideas of a trial pack and carrying something to cinch it with if necessary.

When I was there last year in May, no one was looking at my carry on - it was chaotic and with the hoards of people there, I would be surprised if they had the time to enforce it.

But as the saying goes, "you pays your money and you takes your choice."

Pam - Thanks for the clarification on dimensions. Whichever A/F page I looked at previously apparently rounded down to full inch dimensions.
When I use a metric converter, 25 cm = 13.8" (not their 13.7"), so the luggage strap route might be the solution just in case.

From various posts on TripAdvisor about A/F, it appears they have one of the smaller dimension

Tom, I'm not a math person and was so corn-fused (way worse than just plain confused, lol!) last summer with this very issue. I finally realized that I just had to think in metric for this which is a stretch for me. I'd also done the metric conversions and came up with 13.7795 (insert eye-roll here) and just thought I'll round down to be safe.

Air France uses the same type of size checking cages as most airlines? Like this? I don't think I've seen tape measures in recent memory.

If so just squish your backpack in and go about your merry way ...

Hank - Just what I was hoping for. I've ordered a couple of luggage straps from Amazon just in case I really need to squeeze.

Pam - I'm frequently even more than corn-fused. One of my self-identifications is as the "complexificationizer," a title I wear proudly.

"One of my self-identifications is as the "complexificationizer," a title I wear proudly."

Oh gosh...I literally laughed out loud. So funny.

funny! Have a great trip

Glad to provide some humor.

The link Hank provided for AF sizer was labeled by someone who is metric -lbs conversion challenged. The sign show '12kg" and below it states '20 lbs' ( the actual conversion is 26+ lbs) It did get the conversion correct for the 18kg in upper travel class seats at 39lbs. Leaves one to wonder how well they did on the building the sizer to the correct dimensions.