When I have the luxury or being parked in one spot, easy transport, etc, I tend to bring a bit more for vacation. Otherwise I live in my Tom Bihn Aeronaut 30.
If I’m needing to be super mobile (or need a super cheap fare) I tend toward some of my smaller gear. I can still pack pretty easily for trips in a small bag.
Here’s a breakdown of my bags and what airline they qualify as personal items for the bare fares and lowest cost travel:
| Bag | Bag Size |
Frontier
|
EasyJet
|
RyanAir
|
Spirit
|
Best Match |
| Tom Bihn Night Flight Travel Duffle | See it in action! | 17” x 10″ x 9″
43.2 x 25.5 x 22.8 cm |
X
|
YES
|
X
|
X
|
United Personal Item for Bare Fare (as of Oct 2019) |
| Boarding Blue Free Personal Item | See it in action! | 17 x 13 x 8 inches / 43.2cm x 33.02 x 20.32 |
YES
|
YES
|
X
|
YES
|
Frontier, EasyJet, JetBlue*, Spirit Air |
| Members Essential | See it in action! | 13.78in x 7.87in x7.87in / 35cm x 20cm x 20cm |
YES
|
YES
|
YES
|
YES
|
RyanAir |
| 14″ Small Duffle Bag Two Toned Gym Travel Bag | 14in x 8.5in x 8.5in |
ALMOST*
|
YES
|
ALMOST*
|
YES
|
RyanAir |
| PacSafe Backpack CitySafe 350 | 15 H x 10.2 W x 6.3 D |
YES
|
YES
|
YES
|
YES
|
All! (Yay!) |
| Tom Bihn Aeronaut 30 | 19.7″ (w) x 12.6″ (h) x 7.9″ (d) 50 (w) x 32 (h) x 20 (d) cm |
X
|
YES
|
X
|
X
|
EasyJet (dont overload it!) |
*its really a tiny difference, but if you under pack you might get away with it. If you have access to cheap shipping in the UK, the definitely order the Ryan Air specific bag. The question you have to ask yourself is “Do I feel lucky?” Don’t squawk at me if they charge you for a carry on! 😉
Personal Item Sizes
- RyanAir: All passengers are entitled to bring 1 small personal bag on board which must fit under the seat in front of you (40cm x 20cm x 25cm / 15.75in x 9.84in x 7.87in). Examples include, handbag, laptop bag and small backpack.
- Frontier: 8” Depth 18” Width 14” Height
1 Personal Item Included - EasyJet: 1 Bag ONLY 56cm x 45cm x 25cm (including handles and wheels) with a 22 pound (10kg) weight limit
22.05in x 17.7in x 9.84in / 56cm x 45cm x 25cm - United Bare Fare: 9 inches x 10 inches x 17 inches (22 cm x 25 cm x 43 cm)
- Spirit Airlines: “For Travel April 4, 2017 & Beyond: Personal item (e.g., purse, small backpack, etc.): Dimensions must not exceed 18 x 14 x 8 inches (45 x 35 x 20 cm) including handles and wheels. Carry-on bag: Maximum of 22 x 18 x10 inches (56 x 46 x 25 cm) including handles and wheels.“
*JetBlue: this isn’t in the chart, but is easy to meet with the Boarding Blue Free Personal Item In order to fit under the seat, all personal items must not exceed 17in L (43.2 centimeters) x 13in W (33 centimeters) x 8in H (20.32 centimeters) on all their aircraft types.