wheeled carry-on

Our experience is that gate checked luggage goes to baggage claim. The exception being some same commuter planes in the US.

We flew a USAir flight from Oakland to Phoenix recently, and they used a small commuter aircraft, 2 by 2 across seating and very small overhead compartments. They gate-check all wheeled luggage but returned it at the gate. However, it had to be handed up to the gate piece by piece, which took considerable extra time. We probably waited at the gate 15 minutes for my girlfriend's luggage. On another flight, they were only gate checking oversized luggage and told people to get it at baggage claim. In the last 13 years in Europe, the only flights I've had were getting to my flight home, on a single ticket, and the luggage was checked through to the US. If your flights are on a single ticket, your luggage should be check all the way through to your final destination (unless the connection is in the US on the way back. There you would have to collect it before going through customs at your first US stop).

Sadly Delta will let you carry on a steamer trunk if the bins are not full. They never seem to check. So you should be OK to Europe AirFrance and KLM are strict however. And in this case gate checked means it goes to baggage claim at the final destination on your ticket. Gate check with return to gate is only on commuter planes or for strollers and wheelchairs

Go buy a different bag that fits the guidelines. You can find cheapies at Target or Walmart that will still last for years. That's better than missing your connection and the subsequent marital blame game.

I have a wheeled 22" carryon whose wheels exceed the height limit, but I've never had to check it on Delta, KLM, or Air France. I did have to gate-check it on a short domestic flight within Italy, but I got it back at the jetway when the plane landed, not at baggage.

My 22" wheeled bag goes carry-on just fine on United flights to Europe. When trying to fit it into the sizing box at easyjet terminals, it is at least 1" over-size. A 20" or shorter bag would probably fit. I had no problem taking that 22" bag carry-on on Iberia this spring.

My wife uses a roll-on. I bought her a 20", just to be sure it would always be allowed.