I understand the Lufthansa terminal at Frankfurt has a matrix thingamajiggy that your carry-on has to pass through. Does anyone know firsthand if any leeway is allowed by this thing re: dimensions?

My piece is 22 by 16 by 9 and 1/2 inches. According to their published guide, last dimension should be 8", but their reservationclerk told me by phone that mine woul not be a problem as long as the weight was okay.

BUT then I read on their website that if you have any doubts about your carryon being correct (they mentioned this specifically for Frankfort) that you should go ahead and check it, which I am loathe to do as we'll be on a 747 and I really don't want to wait around IAD for that monster to get unloaded.

Of course that would be preferable to missing a connection in F. because I had to race aroundtrying to check a piece after learning too late it won't fit through the magic form.

For what it's worth, I'll be originating in Rome, with just an hour to make the connection from FRA to IAD. Sorry this post is so long-winded, but didn't know how else to explain the situation.

Thanks for any help yu can offer!

As a dedicated reader of the Condé Nast Traveler's Ombudsman column I would strongly suggest not putting your faith in what a reservation clerk told you by phone. I've seen any number of people having to check what they thought was carry-on luggage of the right size--it's much better not to take a chance, especially when you'll be pushed for time. Quite a few airports in the U.S. now have boxes that your carry-on has to fit through; if it doesn't, it must be checked.

If they won't accept your luggage as carryon, they will check it right there at the airplane checkin. It will be the last thing on the plane, and hopefully, the first thing off of it.

That may allay some of your fears. If you have a "real" ticket, the airline usually lists the dimensions for carryons and/or you could call them and see how your dimensions work.

Good luck.

Sorry, no first-hand experience with the carry-on baggage templates at FRA. But in my few experiences with Lufthansa, I have found their counter agents to be pretty strict about carry-ons. I've carried my 22" rollaboard onto virtually every flight I've taken in the last 8-9 years, but Lufthansa has required me to check it -- without weighing or measuring it. And that includes a flight out of Rome. If you're flying Lufthansa from FCO to FRA, you won't leave the secured area at FRA. If they require you to check it in FRA, I'd think they would take care of it right at the gate rather than sending you outside of security to the front counters, so there shouldn't be much hassle.

For what it's worth, we've made several fairly tight FRA connections on Lufthansa with checked luggage and have never had a problem. But I agree waiting at baggage claim at the end can be a pain...

We flew Lufthansa Boston to Russia and return via Frankfurt last June.

When checking in at Logan, a Lufthansa rep was going down the line and asking to see (and in some cases hold by the handle herself) all carry on bags. If she approved yours, she affixed a bright yellow strip around a handle or strap. She wasn't using a tape measure and was obviously estimating weight. When you got to the counter, your other bags had to be checked.

Coming home, we were connecting in Frankfurt, so already had our boarding passes. I do not recall anyone paying any attention to carry on bags, but we still had our yellow "approved" tag.

The bag we carried on is 9" wide (a rolling tote). Coming home, it was full of souvenir books and quite heavy.

You never know, though. We were prepared to check the bag in either direction.