mpkp

I am frustrated here. Trying to purchase new luggage I saw a 22 inch Tumi bag at Costco and purchased it. But when I went on a trip with it it was too deep to fit in the overhead easily -- I had to hold the overhead compartment door up while my husband shoved it in. When I returned home I measured it and it was about 11.5 inches deep. Not wanting to be in that position again, I returned the luggage and started looking for another one. I have learned that the dimensions they state the bag is is always smaller than it really is. Several bags I brought home and compared to the Tumi before I returned it were equally deep. Then I saw Briggs and Riley -- they have a 20 inch widebody that I really liked. Instead of 22x14x9 they go 20x16x9 and I really liked the extra width compared to the height for packing. They do say the bag is 7.5 inches deep but my measurement has it about 9-9.5 inches. Seems that 7.5 inches refers to the main compartment, not the wheels -- which are external giving a flat packing bottom -- or the pockets on the top -- which everyone seems to leave out even though it adds depth to the case.

Basically what they did is take the 2 inches from the length and add it to the width of the suitcase and I find it packs much better than the longer one. And the linear dimensions are about as close to 45 inches as I have been able to get.

Here's the issue. I looked at Delta and AA web sites and their sizer is 22x14x9. Although the bag is 45 inches linear it would not fit into the sizer because it is wider. Although I have never been stopped or asked to put a bag in the sizer, I would hate to purchase this and then not be able to carry it on when I want to.

Occasionally, I have been on a flight where the plane is small and everyone checks the bag at the plane if it was not checked before. These bags are at the gate when you finish the flight -- not checked baggage.

does anyone have any experience with bags of this size? I see that Tumi, Victorinox and Hartman have started making the size and think it is a good alternative -- if only it will be allowed.

lydialikestotravel

Not sure if it will be permitted on but, it flying coach you WILL have difficulty (possibly not able to) rolling it down the aisle.

alanRow

The IATA standard for hand luggage is that it fits into a container 56x45x25cm (22x17.7x10in) - ie including wheels, handles etc.

Airlines however don't have to follow that and can have sizes smaller than that which when combined with most bags being designed for the American "but I want to carry the kitchen sink as hand luggage" market means that companies get away with describing anything that faintly has a chance of meeting requirements as "cabin luggage"

rkkwan

My current rollaboard is 15.5in wide. But because it's only 21" long (including wheels and everything), and 9" thick (when I carry on), I have never had any issue. Never asked to be sized or anything.

gail

Not really sure I understand your complaint. The size of luggage is including wheels - but that would not have been the cause of the "holding door open and shoving it in" issue.

Of course if it has an outside pocket and you stuff it - or in some cases even fill it - it is going to get fatter and you may have difficulty.

There is really no standard enforced or actual size for carryons - it is what you can get away with and, as you found, what will fit in the bin. Try flying coach on British Air sometimes and see how much easier boarding is with passengers allowed only approx 15 pounds of carryon. I know - I hate waiting for luggage too. But boarding was so easy, even on a huge jet.

Gate checking is done on smaller jets and/or when flights are very full and you are among the later to board - and it often does not have to do with size of actual bag but fullness of bins. But just wait - as soon as people realize it is a sneaky way to avoid baggage fees, this may also change.

rkkwan

gail - The OP's question is whether a carryon that's wider than 14" may be stopped at the gate?

My experience with the Delsey that's 15.5" wide I have (since last August) is NO. I haven't had an issue carrying it on to these flights:

DL LAX-SLC r/t
VX LAX-JFK
AA JFK-LAX
AA LAX-DEN r/t
AA LAX-HNL r/t
HI HNL-KOA r/t
DL IAH-DTW-LGA
DL LGA-MEM

Plus getting on to city buses in LA, Honolulu and Hong Kong.

janisj

"<i> . . British Air sometimes and see how much easier boarding is with passengers allowed only approx 15 pounds of carryon.</i>"

Gail - It must have been a long time since you flew BA. That used to be the rule years ago, but they no longer weigh cabin bags. In fact, from the BA website, under "Weight" --- >>You must be able to lift the bag into the overhead locker unaided<<

gail

3 years ago - too bad they changed it. And I really do understand the carry-on issue. I have a business travelling husband who is of the kitchen sink in carry-on habit (please - no more lectures here on how rude it is - tell him, not me). He regularly carries legally over-sized suitcase on domestic flights - on about 5 different airlines (USAir, Delta, AA, United, Continental, JetBlue so far this year)multiple times each year. It is rarely even gate-checked and never refused. I just measured it - it is also 15.5 inches. And if he were to overstuff the front pocket, it would likely poke thru the roof of the plane.

mpkp

Thank you for your input. It is truly amazing to me that. in all this time, the airlines will not help us out by establishing common standards for carryons that manufacturer's can use. Everyone is different and it is arbitrarily assessed -- which is difficult for us. And, for those of us who have believed in carryon years before there was a fee, it is even more difficult to have people carryon larger suitcases to avoid the fee (although I do understand why they do that) which creates doubt that ours will be allowed as overheads fill up.

In this case, I found the suitcase in a red color and knew it was available in a dark green -- just not in the store I was in. I wanted the dark green and saw it in another store and brought that one home also -- it was tagged 20 inch widebody but yesterday I realized that it is not the widebody but the regular 21 inch by 14 by 9-9.5 inch suitcase!

I am thinking of keeping it anyway -- one thing my husband has pointed out is the narrow aisles on the plane and that I like to roll the bag so the wider will be more difficult for me. Also, I find it packs pretty well because they do not put pockets etc around the sides to interfere with the space. I really do like the flat packing bottom here better than when the wheels intrude into the suitcase for 2+ inches -- somehow by putting the wheels on the outside they use up about 1 inch of depth instead of the 2+ I usually see when it is internal to the suitcase.

I still have time to think about it and play a little more with how they pack but -- I never realized the mess the airlines make of something that could be so simple -- just standardize the sizes across the board and enforce it. If we know the rules, we can deal with it -- it is this arbitrary rule assessment that is so difficult.

LutherDavies

Wow, you seem to be in quite a quandary. As far as I know, you should not have any issues traveling internationally with a 20” wide body carry-on. Besides, I don’t think you’ll be asked to put your bag in the sizer each time you travel. In any case, it’s a good idea to check with your carrier what their carry-on size requirements are.

Someone’s reviewed Briggs & Riley’s Baseline 20” wide body on FlyerTalk. You can read the review on the link below and see if it answers some of your questions.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...ravellers.html

tejana

The Tumi 20" wide body is actually considered their international/european carry-on. I love mine (but the comment about it often being a little too wide to roll down the aisle is dead on). The fact that it is a little shorter makes it much more likely to fit in overhead bins, IMO, and I haven't had a problem fitting it in, as long as it isn't expanded or there isn't a lot of stuff in the outer pockets.

LT

What the airlines need to do is divide bin space according to the number of seats per row. If you are in Y, there are usually 3 seats; thus, there should be 2 dividers in the bin to allow for each passenger to have an equal portion of the bin. Your bin-hogging rollaboard doesn't fit? Tough! Put it under your seat (as all carryons are supposed to be able to be stowed under the seat in front of you) or check it.

rkkwan

LT - typical pitch in economy is 31". That means each person will only have 10" in the overhead bins.

LT

"LT - typical pitch in economy is 31". That means each person will only have 10" in the overhead bins."

So?

rkkwan

So, you can't bring anything wider than 10" on board.

alanRow

<<< So, you can't bring anything wider than 10" on board. >>>

10" = 25cm = standard IATA bag size of 56x45x25cm, so the answer is yes and all those people with their steamer trunks of hand luggage are stealing your space

rkkwan

I give up.

Travelnut

Someone didn't take Geometry in school.

JenniFTF

Frustration! I weigh the pros & cons of Carrying-on vs. Checking luggage here: http://bit.ly/9Jxe6E. Guess we can add this issue to another "con" of checking luggage.

crosscheck

We just agonized about this very issue - Check out my safari trip report on the African board:

http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...-adventure.cfm