Alaska Airlines - Carry On Luggage Dimensions, How Strict?

[LEMJMcC]

Per their website, Alaska Air allows a carry on bag that's 22" tall, 14" wide, and 9" deep.  My wife's carry on is slightly larger than these dimensions, being 23" tall, 14" wide, and 10" deep.  Will this pass or are they that strict?

 

Thanks much.

[Globaliser]

I have no personal experience of Alaska Airlines, but I did enjoy reading this Cranky Flier article: Why Doesn’t My Carry-On Fit In Alaska’s Bag Sizer?

[SoloAlaska]

I’ve only flown Alaska a few times but never noticed them checking. Now I do have two suggestions. First is don’t try to fill it, if they see the zipper stretched they are more likely to check the size because usually that means it’s over. The other is if you can offer to gate check it. This way you still get free luggage but they won’t check the size if you offer for it to go in the belly at the gate.

[klfrodo]

Having flown 1/2 million miles on Alaska, I'd chance it. If for some reason it doesn't fit, they will gate check it at no charge.

 Almost all the time now, they announce that they are happy to gate check any carryon for free in exchange for early boarding.

Edited February 20 by klfrodo

[6rugrats]

Your bag is too big.  It's not just "sneaking it on."  When it's too big, it won't fit in the overhead bin.  Please don't slow up boarding for everyone.  If you don't want to pay, and it will fit through the TSA scanner, to up to the GA and check it.  Please do not wait to do this until boarding starts.

[SelectSys]

In all my flights on Alaska I have never seen them to be all that strict on bag sizes if they are within reason.  Alaska is  also really good about gate checking bags to expedite the boarding process and as said by @klfrodo encourage passengers in the last couple of boarding groups to do so if the plane is at all full. 

 

One thing I noted on my last Alaska flight was making sure that passengers consolidated their carry on into two bags. The agent at the door stopped the person in front of me from boarding and kept watching the passenger so they wouldn't sneak on the plane.

 

Regardless, Alaska is nothing like some of the ULCC carriers that make passengers put bags into boxes or weigh them with portable scales.

[MacMadame]

I fly AlaskaAir a lot and our carry-on fits. It's 22.5 x 9.5 x 13.5 if you include wheels and handles and anything else that sticks out. There was one time this carry-on didn't fit in an overhead and it was because of the wheels. I don't remember which airline.

 

Something I have come to realize is that many luggage companies advertise a "carry-on" item that, like ours, is slightly too big in one or more directions. Most of us just take their word that the carry-on size is the correct size. I know I did!

[CDNPolar]

Because we travel so much and find ourselves on various airlines, we have two sizes of carry on and two sizes of checked.

 

We have been "caught" before when we have flown an airline countless times and all of a sudden we were singled out, or they were checking everyone.

 

Not only for dimensions, but weight.  

 

We have noted that BA allow the carry on to be up to 23KG but EVA Air only allow a carry on to be 7KG.  There can be vast differences in weight categories too and we have had out carry on weighed at the bag drop.

 

Not that we have not chanced it many times, but my larger carry on is naturally a bit wider but will squeeze into the thingy at the gate if we compress it.  If that bag is packed full, it will not compress and will not fit.  Then we are the one that is struggling to get the bag out of the thing.

 

My best advice is that if you are chancing it, then ensure that you have a shoulder bag or something else to put critical items into in case your are forced to check that bag.  You don't want medications and other critical items checked.