American Airlines vs United Airlines carry-on size
Standard economy fare · checked 28 September 2026
American Airlines and United Airlines trade off size and weight on the standard economy fare: neither is more generous on every point. American Airlines includes a 22×14×9 in cabin bag and a 18×14×8 in personal item, while United Airlines includes a 9×14×22 in cabin bag and a 9×10×17 in personal item. American Airlines and United Airlines were last checked against their official pages on 28 September 2026.
Side by side
| Rule | American Airlines | United Airlines |
|---|---|---|
| Standard fare | All fares | All fares except Basic Economy |
| Cabin bag | Included: 22×14×9 in | Included: 9×14×22 in |
| Personal item | Included: 18×14×8 in | Included: 9×10×17 in |
| Weight limits | Not published | Not published |
| Last checked | 28 September 2026 | 28 September 2026 |
What is different
- American Airlines' personal item limit allows 2.5 cm more on the length than United Airlines': 45.7 cm against 43.2 cm.
- American Airlines' personal item limit allows 10.2 cm more on the width than United Airlines': 35.6 cm against 25.4 cm.
- United Airlines' personal item limit allows 2.5 cm more on the depth than American Airlines': 22.9 cm against 20.3 cm.
- Against the cabin bag limit, a 22 × 14 × 9 in (55.9 × 35.6 × 22.9 cm) bag matches the limit exactly (0 cm margin) at American Airlines, and matches the limit exactly (0 cm margin) at United Airlines.
- Against the cabin bag limit, a 55 × 40 × 20 cm (21.7 × 15.7 × 7.9 in) bag is 4.4 cm (1.7 in) too big on the width at American Airlines, and is 4.4 cm (1.7 in) too big on the width at United Airlines.
- Against the personal item limit, a 40 × 30 × 20 cm (15.7 × 11.8 × 7.9 in) bag fits, but with only 0.3 cm (0.1 in) to spare on the depth at American Airlines, and is 4.6 cm (1.8 in) too big on the width at United Airlines.
- American Airlines and United Airlines both list United States, Mexico, Canada and United Kingdom among their main markets, so on routes to these countries the two sets of rules can be compared directly.
- American Airlines publishes one fare for cabin baggage, with the cabin bag included; United Airlines includes the cabin bag on 1 of its 2 published fares (All fares except Basic Economy).
One bag for both
Cabin bag
- A cabin bag of up to 55.8 × 35.5 × 22.8 cm (22 × 14 × 9 in) is within the size limits of both American Airlines and United Airlines.
Personal item
- A personal item of up to 43.1 × 25.4 × 20.3 cm (17 × 10 × 8 in) is within the size limits of both American Airlines and United Airlines.
Every fare
Both airlines publish other fares with different bags. See every American Airlines fare and every United Airlines fare.
American Airlines vs United Airlines: questions
- Is the American Airlines cabin bag allowance bigger than United Airlines'?
- Not on every point. American Airlines' personal item limit allows 2.5 cm more on the length than United Airlines': 45.7 cm against 43.2 cm. American Airlines' personal item limit allows 10.2 cm more on the width than United Airlines': 35.6 cm against 25.4 cm.
- Which bag fits both American Airlines and United Airlines?
- A cabin bag of up to 55.8 × 35.5 × 22.8 cm (22 × 14 × 9 in) is within the size limits of both American Airlines and United Airlines. Our checker turns your own bag in every direction and tests it on American Airlines and United Airlines at once in trip mode.
Official sources
American Airlines
- https://www.aa.com/web/i18n/travel-info/baggage/carry-on-baggage.html — checked on 28 September 2026
United Airlines
- https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/baggage/carry-on-bags.html — checked on 28 September 2026