United carry-on size: will your bag fit?
United allows a carry-on up to 22 × 14 × 9 inches (56 × 35 × 23 cm) and a personal item up to 17 × 10 × 9 inches (43 × 25 × 22 cm), handle and wheels included. In Basic Economy, though, most trips allow only the personal item. Enter your bag to check it.
United carry-on size
Unless you’re flying Basic Economy, you can bring one carry-on bag and one personal item free on most United flights. The carry-on must fit in the overhead bin, so it can measure up to 22 × 14 × 9 inches (56 × 35 × 23 cm), handle and wheels included. If you’re not sure, United has bag sizers at the airport.
Any bag on top of your carry-on and personal item, and any carry-on over the size limit, has to be checked, and you may have to pay a fee for it.
United personal item size
The personal item goes under the seat in front of you, so it can measure up to 17 × 10 × 9 inches (43 × 25 × 22 cm). Purses, backpacks and laptop bags are the usual choices. At 10 inches, it’s narrower than the personal item on American or Frontier (18 × 14 × 8 inches), so a backpack that passes as a personal item there may count as your carry-on on United.
A small purse can’t come on top of your personal item and carry-on, but these can, free:
- A jacket or coat, an umbrella and things to read
- Food and other items bought at the airport
- Mobility devices, including wheelchairs, canes and crutches
- A car seat, child safety harness or stroller
- A diaper bag and breast pump, even if you’re not traveling with your child
- A camera
Basic Economy: a personal item only, on most trips
In Basic Economy, most trips allow one personal item and nothing else in the cabin. A carry-on is allowed only when you fly to South America, across the Atlantic or across the Pacific; every other bag has to be checked. For tickets bought on or after April 3, 2026, United’s bag fees start at $45 if you prepay, $50 at the check-in counter and $75 at the gate. Tickets bought earlier pay $35, $40 and $65.
Some Basic Economy travelers can still bring one free carry-on: MileagePlus Premier members and people traveling with them, primary cardmembers of a qualifying MileagePlus credit card, and Star Alliance Gold members. The United Gateway Card and the United MileagePlus Select Card don’t qualify.
Gate-checked bags and United Express
Your carry-on may be checked at the gate if the plane runs out of overhead space, if it’s over the size limit, or if you’re over your allowance. This happens most on United Express flights, which have less room: on CommutAir, only a personal item is allowed, and the other United Express carriers take carry-ons but have limited space. You’ll see in My Trips on United’s site whether another carrier operates your flight.
On most United flights, you pick up a gate-checked bag at baggage claim at your final destination; on United Express it may come back to you on the jet bridge instead. Keep medication, vapes, e-cigarettes and keys in your personal item in case your carry-on is checked, and take the lithium batteries out of a smart bag before you board.
Liquids and powders
The TSA allows liquids, gels and sprays in containers of up to 3.4 ounces (100 mL), in one quart-size clear, sealable bag. On U.S. domestic flights you can carry up to 12 ounces (350 mL) of powder, United says; the TSA recommends packing powders in checked bags.
Comparing airlines for a trip? The bag fit checker shows your bag against every airline we follow, and My trips keeps your airline and dates.
Questions
What is the carry-on size for United?
22 × 14 × 9 inches (56 × 35 × 23 cm), handle and wheels included, so it fits in the overhead bin. United has bag sizers at the airport if you’re not sure.
What size is a United personal item?
17 × 10 × 9 inches (43 × 25 × 22 cm), so it fits under the seat in front of you. Purses, backpacks and laptop bags are the usual personal items. A small purse can’t come on top of your personal item and carry-on.
Can I bring a carry-on in United Basic Economy?
On most trips, no: Basic Economy allows one personal item. A carry-on is allowed when you fly to South America, across the Atlantic or across the Pacific, and for MileagePlus Premier members, people traveling with them, primary cardmembers of qualifying MileagePlus cards and Star Alliance Gold members. Other bags must be checked, for a fee.
Is a backpack a personal item on United?
Yes, if it fits within 17 × 10 × 9 inches: United names backpacks among common personal items. A bigger backpack counts as your carry-on.
What happens if my carry-on is too big for United?
It has to be checked, and you may have to pay a fee. Gate-checked bags are usually picked up at baggage claim at your final destination; on United Express flights, sometimes on the jet bridge.