Carry on Bag

The rules haven't change but the enforce is spotty. It depends on the gate or checkin personal and how full the plane might be. Most if not all 21" rolling bags do not meet the standard for carry on. I have been in more than one checkin line where every rolling bag was rejected because the handle and wheels will not fit inside the sizing box. We have found that European staff are more strict than American staff. You probably were just lucky.

Also, possibly the bins were getting full, and the flight attendants were gate-checking the larger bags...(and the bags that aren't soft-sided). OR, (if I understand correctly that 'your' bag made it on, but your 'husband's' didn't) your husband had more hand luggage than you in total so he got stopped and you didn't. "Full flight", blahblahblah. OR, maybe his outside pockets were poofy-looking, and often that means a no-go in the overhead bins...OR, you were number 23 and he was number 24, and 24 was the 'lucky' number...

I may have the same problem when my husband and I fly back from Venice. We are only taking two roller bags but while our flight to Europe is on Delta the entire way, the flight coming back from Venice is on Air France to Paris and then Delta to the USA. I noticed their carryon measurments were slightly different and if they measure wheels and so on our bags do not fall into the carryon measurements. Are we better off just assuming they won't be allowed and check them at the check in counter or hope for the best and and if they make it until we get to the gate and then they take them, a much less chance of having them arrive with us? At least we will be coming home so that is better then having them lost on the way (been there done that......)

And the international carriers typically have hand baggage allowances that are stricter (dimensions and weight) than those of the U.S. carriers. They may or may not enforce their rules. This is s good reminder to always check this stuff out online before you leave for the airport. But if the bins are full (or for other reasons the attendants may determine), you may be required to check your bag regardless of whether or not it's within the limits. It's just the way it works. If you travel very light with a small backpack or messenger bag that fits under the seat, you'll likely never have to check. Sherri: Who knows, but one could argue that you may have a better chance of your bag making your plane when it's checked right at the gate and the plane is right there versus at ticketing back at the terminal. I wouldn't assume your bag will be allowed if you know ahead of time its dimensions aren't acceptable, but you could take a chance...worst case scenario is that they check it at the gate. And as you've said, you're heading home, so a lost bag isn't as inconvenient. But realistically, you could check it at ticketing or at the gate if you have to...odds are with you that the bag will make it either way.

I go to Europe every summer for the last 10 years and have flown out of Seattle on SAS, NWA/KLM, and Air France. We almost always have to take an additional flight once we get to Europe. We only take our 21" RS roller-cases and have never had a problem boarding with them. If we have just been lucky, so be it. I was stopped for the first time last year when returning to Hawaii and asked to put that bag into the wire rack by an agent of Hawaiian Airline. Turns out I had packed it too "thick" and it would not go all the way down into the rack. They did allow me to take some stuff out and add it to my computer bag so I did not have to check it. I fly on Hawaiian Air between Seattle and Hawaii often and when asking around of other passengers, the consensus was that now that HA has started charging for the first checked bag, they are going to be more strict. Happy travels and good luck in the future.

We flew back from Prague on New Year's eve with Delta via New York. At check in all hand luggage was inspected and an orange band with the words, "Hand Luggage" was attached. Noticed that one family "accidently" left their large duffel bag off to the side and did not get the orange tag. As we board the plane each piece of hand luggage was checked for the orange tag. The family with duffel bag was in front and protested loudly when denied boarding because the duffel bag did not have the orange tag. Claimed it must have fallen off, etc. Last we saw them they were off to the side waiting for a security agent.

I think that the luggage compartment of a 21" rollaboard is 21", but airlines care about the overall length, which is over 22", not the length of the luggage compartment. And European regulation size for the overall length is 21-5/8". Instead of wondering why your husband got caught, wonder about why you didn't.

The 21" bag, with wheels and handle, is actually 22" and can't shrink. It's true of virtually all 21" roll-ons. The limit is (Lee's probably more accurate than I am at 21.625) 21.65 inches. The 21" roll on doesn't quite fit if tested. We flew on SAS to Copenhagen this year. At the gate, the agent went around checking bags. The bags he forced people to check fell into two categories, people with more than one item and people whose bags were obviously completely full. Many of the European carriers have a different definition than US carriers. One item means one item (not one item plus a personal item). How full the bag is can also be a determining factor. If a legal carry-on is filled to the brim, it becomes too big to carry-on. I never saw anyone's bag get weighed at the gate (even though SAS and Lufthansa have a carry-on weight limit). It's possible they weigh carry-ons at check-in, but I always check-in online and go straight to the gate. I bought my wife a Heys USA 20" roll-on. Because it's an inch shorter, it fits when tested. I use a convertible carry on, since it's soft sided and not full, it fits when tested too. On US carriers I have problems with being asked to check bags too. Usually it's because my business travel plans are last-minute and I don't get the best seats or boarding times. I always notice people loaded like pack mules boarding with no issues. By the time they get to the end of the line (me), they are asking everyone to check their bag. Since I very, very rarely check anything, I'll keep it under my feet before I'll check it at the gate.

Thank you all for the informative posts. I'm afraid, though, that the bottom line is don't carry anything onboard! In all our years of travel, we have always checked our bags and .... never had a problem with lost or delayed luggage. After watching Rick's programs for years and visiting his shop last winter I decided that we would do what the rest of the travelers were doing and carry our luggage aboard, especially once the checked baggage fees went into effect. For years we watched passengers carrying on an assortment of large bags and other parcels. I bought Rick's 21 inch carry on for just this purpose of our trip to Europe. The bags were not expanded. We packed light leaving room for a few purchases in Europe. After my husband's bag was taken we watched others board the flight with much larger bags. In addition, the flight was not full. I would say maybe 60% full so there was lots of space in the overhead bins.
Believe me, if I thought we were "breaking the rules" we certainly would have checked our bags. We were not trying to get away with anything. I just don't understand why the system is not consistant.

I almost had lost luggage problems on two of my first three trips to Europe. Once my luggage almost stayed in the US; once it almost stayed on the plane to So. America. So when I read of Rick's pack light and carry on philosophy, I immediately embraced it. It paid off on my second carry-on trip, when I had an hour to make a connection in the east and the flight was an hour late leaving Denver. They didn't expect to make up time, so I mentioned my connection to the F/A, who checked and found there were 13 of us bound for the international flight. When we arrived, they asked everyone to remain seated so we could get off, met us at the gate with a van, a took us around to the international flight. I was really glad to have my luggage sitting on my lap in the van. Brad: you are correct. It's closer to 21.65 than it is to 21.625. It's actually 21.653543 (to the millionth of an inch). I used 5/8 because I think it's easier for most people to visualize fractions than decimals. And, as a fraction, it's actually closer to 21-21/32, but I don't think people visualize that well, either. Of course, it's exactly 55 cm, if you have a metric scale.