American Airlines Carry On Size: 22 × 14 × 9 in

American Airlines publishes a 22 × 14 × 9 inch maximum for its regular carry-on bag, including wheels and handles. Its separate personal item can be no larger than 18 × 14 × 8 inches and must fit under the seat. Measure the bag you will actually bring, not the suitcase's advertised size.

Two boxes, two storage places

American's current page says a qualifying traveler may bring one of each. That does not mean two overhead suitcases. Some airports and aircraft can impose additional cabin restrictions, and a partner-operated flight should be checked with the partner.

Measure the difficult parts

Stand the suitcase on its wheels and include the handle housing, wheels, pockets and any bulge created by packing. A shell described as “21-inch” may exceed 22 inches once the wheels are counted. Conversely, a product labeled “22-inch carry-on” may use the shell height rather than the full exterior. A flexible bag still needs to fit the sizer when full.

Suppose a suitcase is 21.5 × 13.5 × 8.5 inches before expansion. If a packed front pocket increases the last side to 9.5 inches, the bag exceeds the 9-inch side of the published box despite its other two sides fitting. The carry-on size checker compares all three sides; an airline agent makes the final acceptance decision.

If the bag is gate-checked

Label it and keep your bag claim information. Remove spare lithium batteries and power banks before the bag travels in the hold, as the FAA requires. Keep medicine, documents, keys and valuables with you. An item that was already too large may be handled differently from a fitting bag checked because overhead space is full, so ask what product and fee, if any, applies.

For the smaller underseat item, use the American personal item size guide. For a checked suitcase, use the checked bag size calculator rather than the cabin box.