Alaska Airlines Baggage Rules
Alaska publishes the standard carry-on box and, for the personal item, no numbers whatsoever. The rule is functional rather than numeric, which is harder to plan around.
We have not tested this gear. Every figure here is compiled from published manufacturer specifications and published airline policies, and the arithmetic is public so you can check it. This page contains affiliate links — see the affiliate disclosure.
Alaska publishes 22 × 14 × 9 in for the carry-on — the US standard — and no personal-item dimensions at all. The published rule is that the item must fit under the seat in front of you. There is no published cabin-bag weight limit.
Figures from Alaska’s own published carry-on luggage page, checked 3 September 2026.
| # | Product | Published box | Fits | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler Duffel 40LA duffel that will actually pass a gate sizer | 22 × 12.5 × 9 in | 11 of 11AA DL UA WN … | 8.9 | Check price on Amazon#ad How we earn |
| 2 | Osprey Farpoint 40 Travel PackOne-bag travel on any carrier that measures | 21.7 × 13.8 × 9.1 in | 4 of 11WN F9 G4 SY | 7.2 | Check price on Amazon#ad How we earn |
| 3 | Osprey Daylite Plus 20L BackpackA personal item that is also the daypack for the whole trip | 19 × 11 × 9.5 in | 0 carriers | 6.8 | Check price on Amazon#ad How we earn |
| 4 | Amazon Basics Hardside Spinner (21 in)One or two trips a year on Southwest, Frontier or Allegiant | 21.6 × 14.9 × 10 in | 4 of 11WN F9 G4 SY | 3.4 | Check price on Amazon#ad How we earn |
| 5 | Rockland Melbourne Hardside Spinner (20 in)Flying carriers that actually measure, and packing light on purpose | 20 × 13 × 10 in | 4 of 11WN F9 G4 SY | 3.1 | Check price on Amazon#ad How we earn |
No live price is currently verified, so every button here reads Check price on Amazon rather than a number we cannot stand behind. See how we handle prices.
The published limits
| Allowance | Alaska's published limit |
|---|---|
| Carry-on | 22 × 14 × 9 in |
| Personal item | No dimensions published — must fit under the seat |
| Carry-on weight | None published |
The carry-on figure is the standard one, shared with American, Delta, United, JetBlue and Hawaiian. Nothing about it is unusual, and a bag sized for it flies broadly. Every carrier compared.
A functional rule instead of a numeric one
Alaska is one of three carriers in our table — with Delta and Hawaiian — that publishes no personal-item box. This is worth reading correctly: it does not mean there is no limit. It means the limit is defined by the aircraft rather than by a number.
“Must fit under the seat in front of you” is a real constraint, and it is a variable one:
- Under-seat space varies by aircraft. The space beneath a seat on a regional jet is not the space beneath one on a widebody.
- It varies by seat. A window seat frequently has a fuselage curve or an entertainment box intruding into the space; a middle seat rarely does.
- A bulkhead row has no seat in front of it, so there is no under-seat space at all — everything goes overhead for takeoff and landing.
- An exit row is frequently the same, for the same reason.
Which means the honest answer for planning is: size against a published number from a carrier that gives you one, and you will be inside whatever Alaska’s seats present.
How to size for a box nobody publishes
Use United’s published 17 × 10 × 9 in as your target. It is the tightest published under-seat figure in the US market, so a bag inside it is inside every other published box — and comfortably inside the physical space under an Alaska seat.
| Sizing target | Published by | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| 17 × 10 × 9 in | United | Safe everywhere, including Alaska |
| 18 × 14 × 8 in | American, Frontier, Allegiant | Usually fine under an Alaska seat; over United's box |
| 18.5 × 13.5 × 8.5 in | Southwest | The largest published box — plan for it to be questioned elsewhere |
A soft, unstructured bag helps here more than anywhere else on this site. Under-seat space is an irregular volume, and a bag that compresses into it fits where a rigid box of the same stated dimensions does not. Bags built for that.
No published weight limit
Alaska publishes no cabin-bag weight cap. Seven of the eleven US carriers we track publish nothing, and the practical ceiling is your own ability to lift the bag overhead unaided.
It is worth building the habit anyway. The moment an itinerary includes a European short-haul leg, a published 10 kg cap appears and a bag that has never been weighed becomes a gate fee. Which carriers publish one.
Bags whose published dimensions fit Alaska Airlines's carry-on box
Bags whose published dimensions fit Alaska's 22 x 14 x 9 in carry-on box on all three sides. Alaska publishes no personal-item box, so only the carry-on can be checked this way.
Osprey Fairview 40 Travel Pack
22 × 14 × 9 in
Shorter torsos, and anyone the Farpoint's shoulder straps do not suit
Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L
22 × 14 × 8 in
Readers who want the tightest published depth in a 40 L bag
Not sold on Amazon#ad How we earnEagle Creek Cargo Hauler Duffel 40L
22 × 12.5 × 9 in
A duffel that will actually pass a gate sizer
Osprey Daylite Duffel 45
21 × 14 × 9 in
Maximum published volume that still clears a 22 × 14 × 9 in sizer
What to buy for Alaska
- Carry-on: the standard box. Nothing unusual is asked of you, and a bag inside 22 × 14 × 9 in travels on five other US carriers unchanged.
- Personal item: size to United’s figure. It is the only way to plan against a rule stated functionally rather than numerically.
- Prefer soft over rigid for the under-seat bag. The space is irregular and compressible bags win.
- Avoid the bulkhead if the under-seat bag matters to you — there is no under-seat space in front of it, and everything goes overhead for takeoff.
Every pick, with the working
Each entry below shows the published inputs, the four axis scores they produce, and what you give up. The order is the computed order, not a commercial one.
1 · A duffel that will actually pass a gate sizer
Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler Duffel 40L
The only 40 L duffel here whose published dimensions fit the standard 22 × 14 × 9 in carry-on box on all three sides.
- Published size
- 22 × 12.5 × 9 in
- Weight
- 1.81 lb
- Capacity
- 40 L
- Weight per liter
- 0.05 lb/L
- Cost per covered year
- $7.45/yr
- Published list price
- $149
Warranty Limited lifetime warranty
Fits 11 of 11 US carriers: AA, DL, UA, WN, AS, B6, F9, G4, HA, MX, SY. See the limits.
What it does well
- 22 × 12.5 × 9 in clears the standard carry-on box on all three dimensions as published
- 1 lb 13 oz for 40 L, and it packs into its own end pocket
- $7.45 per covered year under a limited lifetime warranty
What you give up
- No wheels and no back panel structure — the straps are a shoulder strap, not a harness
- Ballistic panels are on the base only; the body is 600D
- A soft-sided 40 L bag only holds its published shape when it is not overpacked
The arithmetic behind the score
- Value 8.0/10 — $149 ÷ 20 yr = $7.45/yr; $149 ÷ 40 L = $3.73/L
- Airline-fit breadth 10.0/10 — Fits the published carry-on limit at 11 of 11 US carriers: AA, DL, UA, WN, AS, B6, F9, G4, HA, MX, SY
- Carry efficiency 10.0/10 — 1.81 lb ÷ 40 L = 0.045 lb/L
- Warranty & support 8.0/10 — no stated end date (6 of 6); repair published (+2); airline damage not covered (+0)
Weights and breakpoints are published on how we rank. Where an input is not published, that axis is dropped and the remaining weights are re-normalized.
Specs: Eagle Creek published specifications and price, compiled 3 September 2026.
2 · One-bag travel on any carrier that measures
Osprey Farpoint 40 Travel Pack
40 L that fits the standard 22 × 14 × 9 in box on height and depth, weighs 3.27 lb, and carries a warranty with no stated end date. It is the strongest single row in this ledger.
- Published size
- 21.7 × 13.8 × 9.1 in
- Weight
- 3.27 lb
- Capacity
- 40 L
- Weight per liter
- 0.08 lb/L
- Cost per covered year
- $9.25/yr
- Published list price
- $185
Warranty All Mighty Guarantee — any reason, any product, any era
Fits 4 of 11 US carriers: WN, F9, G4, SY. See the limits.
What it does well
- 0.08 lb per liter is the best carry efficiency figure on this site
- The All Mighty Guarantee names no failure cause and no time limit
- 21.7 in height clears the 22 in standard with room to spare
What you give up
- 13.8 in width clears 14 in only when the pack is not overstuffed — soft bags grow
- No wheels, so a long terminal is carried on your back
- $9.25 per covered year is good but not the cheapest here
The arithmetic behind the score
- Value 7.2/10 — $185 ÷ 20 yr = $9.25/yr; $185 ÷ 40 L = $4.63/L
- Airline-fit breadth 3.6/10 — Fits the published carry-on limit at 4 of 11 US carriers: WN, F9, G4, SY
- Carry efficiency 8.7/10 — 3.27 lb ÷ 40 L = 0.082 lb/L
- Warranty & support 10.0/10 — no stated end date (6 of 6); repair published (+2); covers airline damage (+2)
Weights and breakpoints are published on how we rank. Where an input is not published, that axis is dropped and the remaining weights are re-normalized.
Specs: Osprey published specifications and price, compiled 3 September 2026.
3 · A personal item that is also the daypack for the whole trip
Osprey Daylite Plus 20L Backpack
The only personal-item bag here with a published weight, a published price and a warranty that names no end date — $4 per covered year is the cheapest figure on this site.
- Published size
- 19 × 11 × 9.5 in
- Weight
- 1.31 lb
- Capacity
- 20 L
- Weight per liter
- 0.07 lb/L
- Cost per covered year
- $4/yr
- Published list price
- $80
Warranty All Mighty Guarantee — any reason, any product, any era
Fits No US carrier in our table publishes a limit these dimensions satisfy. See the limits.
What it does well
- $4.00 per covered year is the lowest cost-per-year figure in this ledger
- 1.31 lb for 20 L, and it is the bag you then use every day at the destination
- 19 × 11 × 9.5 in fits the published personal-item box at American, Southwest, Frontier and Allegiant
What you give up
- Over United's published 17 × 10 × 9 in limit on all three dimensions
- 20 L is genuinely small — this is a day bag, not a week's clothes
- No lockable zippers
The arithmetic behind the score
- Value 8.3/10 — $80 ÷ 20 yr = $4/yr; $80 ÷ 20 L = $4/L
- Airline-fit breadth 0.0/10 — Fits the published personal-item limit at 0 of 8 US carriers
- Carry efficiency 9.4/10 — 1.31 lb ÷ 20 L = 0.066 lb/L
- Warranty & support 10.0/10 — no stated end date (6 of 6); repair published (+2); covers airline damage (+2)
Weights and breakpoints are published on how we rank. Where an input is not published, that axis is dropped and the remaining weights are re-normalized.
Specs: Osprey published specifications and price, compiled 3 September 2026.
4 · One or two trips a year on Southwest, Frontier or Allegiant
Amazon Basics Hardside Spinner (21 in)
Skip this one. Skip it on the dimension that decides Alaska. Its published 10 in depth is an inch over the 9 in standard, and depth is the side a sizer catches first. The three-year warranty is a separate reason to look elsewhere if you keep bags.
A three-year warranty against a decade elsewhere is the whole story: this is the bag you buy when the trip is next week and the budget is fixed.
- Published size
- 21.6 × 14.9 × 10 in
- Weight
- 6.9 lb
- Capacity
- 39 L
- Weight per liter
- 0.18 lb/L
- Cost per covered year
- Not published
- Published list price
- Not published
Warranty Amazon Basics three-year limited warranty for luggage
Fits 4 of 11 US carriers: WN, F9, G4, SY. See the limits.
What it does well
- 21.6 in published height is under the 22 in standard
- 39 L published capacity at 6.9 lb, which is 0.18 lb per liter
- Built-in TSA lock on a bag at this tier
What you give up
- Three-year warranty is the shortest in this ledger by seven years
- 14.9 in width and 10 in depth both fail the standard box
- No repair route published — the remedy is replacement inside three years, then nothing
The arithmetic behind the score
- Value not scored — No manufacturer-published price, so this axis is not scored.
- Airline-fit breadth 3.6/10 — Fits the published carry-on limit at 4 of 11 US carriers: WN, F9, G4, SY
- Carry efficiency 4.9/10 — 6.9 lb ÷ 39 L = 0.177 lb/L
- Warranty & support 1.5/10 — 3 yr (1.5 of 6); no published repair route (+0); airline damage not covered (+0)
Weights and breakpoints are published on how we rank. Where an input is not published, that axis is dropped and the remaining weights are re-normalized.
Specs: Amazon Basics published product specifications, compiled 3 September 2026. Sold only through Amazon, so its price is a live retail price rather than a manufacturer list price. We do not carry a number we have not verified live — check it on the day.
5 · Flying carriers that actually measure, and packing light on purpose
Rockland Melbourne Hardside Spinner (20 in)
The only bag in this ledger whose published dimensions clear every single US carrier's carry-on limit — because it is genuinely small.
- Published size
- 20 × 13 × 10 in
- Weight
- 7.5 lb
- Capacity
- Not published
- Weight per liter
- Not published
- Cost per covered year
- Not published
- Published list price
- Not published
Warranty 5 year limited warranty (published terms vary by retailer)
Fits 4 of 11 US carriers: WN, F9, G4, SY. See the limits.
What it does well
- 20 × 13 × 10 in clears the published carry-on limit at all eleven US carriers here
- 43 linear inches, comfortably inside Delta's 45 linear inch cap
- Expandable, so the small footprint is a floor rather than a ceiling
What you give up
- Published warranty term differs between sources, which is its own warning
- 7.5 lb for a case this small is a poor weight-per-volume trade
- ABS shell at the cheapest end of the material ladder
The arithmetic behind the score
- Value not scored — No manufacturer-published price, so this axis is not scored.
- Airline-fit breadth 3.6/10 — Fits the published carry-on limit at 4 of 11 US carriers: WN, F9, G4, SY
- Carry efficiency not scored — No published capacity, so weight per liter cannot be computed.
- Warranty & support 2.5/10 — 5 yr (2.5 of 6); no published repair route (+0); airline damage not covered (+0)
Weights and breakpoints are published on how we rank. Where an input is not published, that axis is dropped and the remaining weights are re-normalized.
Specs: Rockland published product specifications, compiled 3 September 2026. No manufacturer-published price was readable on 3 September 2026. The Value axis is not scored for this bag.
No live price is currently verified, so every button here reads Check price on Amazon rather than a number we cannot stand behind. See how we handle prices.