United Airlines Personal Item Size: 17 x 10 x 9
United's personal item has to fit under the seat at 17 x 10 x 9 inches (United writes 9 x 10 x 17 in, or 22 x 25 x 43 cm). Most fares also get a 22 x 14 x 9 carry-on in the bin, wheels and handles included. Basic Economy drops that bin bag except on flights to South America, across the Atlantic, or across the Pacific. CommutAir United Express is personal item only on every fare.
We rechecked United's carry-on bags page before this guide went live. American publishes 18 x 14 x 8 for its own personal item. A bag cut to that American box is 1 inch too long and 4 inches too wide for United, before anyone packs it.
If you want a pack after the numbers, start at personal item backpacks and check the listed inches against 17 x 10 x 9. Several of those cards are still cut to 18 x 14 x 8. Cross-airline under-seat rules live on the personal item bag page. The luggage size chart is the full checker.
Buying one? Personal Item Bag Size: Under-Seat Rules by Airline
United personal item size: 17 x 10 x 9
United's carry-on page says personal items "must fit under the seat in front of you, so they must be 9 in x 10 in x 17 in (22 cm x 25 cm x 43 cm)." The examples on that page are purses, backpacks, and laptop bags.
The same page tells you to include the handle and wheels when you measure the carry-on. It doesn't repeat that line for the personal item, so we'd measure the under-seat bag the same way: packed, with straps, feet and the front pocket in the number. Method is on how to measure luggage.
United's carry-on page lists no weight limit for the personal item or the carry-on.
| Bag | United's printed order | Usual order | Centimeters | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal item | 9 x 10 x 17 in | 17 x 10 x 9 in | 22 x 25 x 43 cm | None published |
| Carry-on | 9 x 14 x 22 in | 22 x 14 x 9 in | 23 x 35 x 56 cm | None published |
How airline figures get into our size chart, and how often we reread them, is on how we measure.
United versus American, JetBlue, and Delta
United's published under-seat box is 1,530 cubic inches. American's 18 x 14 x 8 is 2,016.
JetBlue publishes 17 x 13 x 8. Same length as United, 3 inches wider, 1 inch shallower. Delta publishes no personal-item inches. The bag has to fit under the seat.
| Airline | Personal item | Carry-on | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United | 17 x 10 x 9 in (printed 9 x 10 x 17) | 22 x 14 x 9 in | united.com carry-on |
| American | 18 x 14 x 8 in | 22 x 14 x 9 in | aa.com carry-on |
| JetBlue | 17 x 13 x 8 in | 22 x 14 x 9 in | jetblue.com carry-on |
| Delta | Unpublished; must fit under the seat | 22 x 14 x 9 in (45 linear in) | delta.com carry-on |
Basic Economy is personal item only
On most trips, a Basic Economy ticket includes one personal item. You can't bring a carry-on unless the flight is to South America, across the Atlantic, or across the Pacific. United's carry-on page states those three exceptions in those words. Every other bag has to be checked.
United's Basic Economy page still notes a Canada carry-on exception, and it covers only tickets bought before 28 May 2025. That purchase window has closed.
If the personal item doesn't fit under the seat, United's Basic Economy page says you check it at the gate and pay a $75 fee. That page also says you can't gate-check bags for free.
Checked bag fees on tickets bought now start at $45 if you prepay, $50 in the lobby, and $75 at the gate. A carry-on you bring to a Basic Economy flight without paying for it lands in that last bracket.
MileagePlus Premier members can bring one carry-on for free, and so can travelers on the same reservation. Eligible primary cardmembers of qualifying MileagePlus credit cards get one too, and so do up to eight travelers on the same reservation, if the card paid for the flights and the cardmember has Priority Boarding. Star Alliance Gold gets the free carry-on. The United Gateway card and the MileagePlus Select card don't.
CommutAir: personal item only on every fare
United says bags get gate-checked most often on United Express flights, where overhead space is limited. CommutAir is the one United names as personal item only. The carry-on page: "If you're flying CommutAir, you're only allowed one personal item." That sentence isn't a Basic Economy footnote. It applies on every fare.
Other United Express carriers still allow a carry-on, with limited overhead space. Open the trip in United's My Trips. Each segment says if another carrier is operating it.
Keep medication, keys, and a spare battery in the under-seat bag. If the roller gets taken at the door, that personal item is the bag that stays with you.
United carry-on size: 22 x 14 x 9
On fares that include it, the overhead bag is 9 in x 14 in x 22 in (23 cm x 35 cm x 56 cm), handle and wheels included. That's 22 x 14 x 9, the same box American and Delta publish. Run a roller against that box on the luggage size chart.
What fails the 17 x 10 x 9 box
United's 9-inch side is the under-seat height. A 40 L travel pack is built to the overhead bin and fails this box outright; the volume math is on is a 40L backpack a carry-on. A packed 16-inch laptop backpack can be deeper than 9 inches even when the empty listing looks close. Soft bags swell once a laptop, charger, and jacket are in.
Measure height, width, and depth with wheels, handles, and packed bulge included. The tape method is on how to measure luggage.
FAQ
What is United Airlines' personal item size?
17 x 10 x 9 inches under the seat. United prints 9 in x 10 in x 17 in (22 cm x 25 cm x 43 cm) on its carry-on bags page. Measure it packed, with straps and pockets included. United lists no weight limit for that bag.
Can I bring a backpack and a roller on United?
On United Economy and above, yes: the roller is the 22 x 14 x 9 carry-on, and the backpack is the personal item if it fits 17 x 10 x 9 under the seat. Basic Economy on most domestic routes is the backpack only. CommutAir is the backpack only on every fare.
Does United Basic Economy include a carry-on?
No, on most trips. Basic Economy includes one personal item. A carry-on is included on flights to South America, across the Atlantic, or across the Pacific. Premier status, Star Alliance Gold, and some MileagePlus credit cards restore a free carry-on. The Gateway and Select cards don't.
Does United weigh carry-ons?
United's carry-on page lists no weight limit for the carry-on or the personal item. The practical limit is whether you can lift the bag into the bin yourself.
Is United's personal item 18 x 14 x 8?
No. United publishes 17 x 10 x 9. 18 x 14 x 8 is American's personal item. Shopping pages copy that American box onto United, Delta, Southwest, and JetBlue. Delta and Southwest don't publish personal-item inches at all.
Do wheels and handles count on United's personal item?
On the carry-on, yes: United's page says to include the handle and wheels in the 9 x 14 x 22 inch limit. The page doesn't repeat that line for the 9 x 10 x 17 inch personal item, so we'd count them there too and measure the bag as it will ride, packed.
What is the CommutAir bag rule?
One personal item, on every fare, including Economy. United's carry-on page names CommutAir as the United Express carrier that doesn't take a carry-on in the cabin. Other United Express operators still allow a carry-on and then run out of bin space.
What happens if my personal item is too big?
It becomes a carry-on if it still fits 22 x 14 x 9, or a checked bag if it doesn't. On Basic Economy, a bag that won't go under the seat is checked at the gate. United's Basic Economy page lists a $75 gate fee for that and says you can't gate-check for free.
Sources
United carry-on bags and Basic Economy pages, plus the American, Delta, and JetBlue carry-on pages linked in the table above. We rechecked all of them before this guide went live.
Filed in Travel Tips