Last Updated on January 1, 2024 by Henry @ The Getaway Lounge
This post is reviewed on a regular basis to ensure a high level of accuracy.
Just how strict is Alaska Airlines with carry-on?
It’s a question we hear all the time, and here’s what we found from our research.
Alaska Airlines are fairly strict and limit passengers to one carry on and one personal item. Should your luggage be deemed oversize, you run the risk of having to pay extras at the gate.
We therefore recommend taking precautions and investing in a carry-on which is the perfect fit for Alaska Airlines and many others, and our favourite is this Maximum Allowance Suitcase on Amazon.
Alaska Airlines have a main carry-on allowance as follows:
22 x 14 x 9 inches
(These dimensions include any wheels and or handles.)
In addition to your main carry-on, you can also take a smaller personal item on board free of charge.
The dimensions of which have not been disclosed on their website, however examples such as a purse, briefcase or laptop are mentioned.
In reality however, this could be an opportunity to pack a few more essentials if you were to use a small backpack for example.
Besides, as long as it’s clearly small enough to fit underneath the seat in front of you, we wouldn’t worry too much about this.
If you intend on travelling with liquids or gels in your carry on with Alaska Airlines, they must not exceed 100ml / 100g (3.4oz).
For further detail on liquids please visit the Transport Security Administration website here.
Here are some examples of other items that you can bring on board without them counting towards your carry-on limit:
For more details on exclusions please visit Alaska Airlines website here.
There’s no limit when it comes to the weight of your carry-on or personal item.
With that said, you need to be able to lift your own bag into the overhead bin.
The only time we would say it’s potentially worth risking it is if your bag is soft-sided and only slightly oversized.
After all, as long as you can squeeze it into the caged sizer at the gate you shouldn’t have any problems.
If you’ve got a hard suitcase however, there’s no way you’ll be able to demonstrate that it fits.
This will result in a fee for having to put your luggage in to the hold.
Plus, you’ll lose the ability to escape the airport quickly, and we all like to keep an eye on our luggage if possible!
If your bag is scrutinised at the gate and deemed to be over the limits, you will be forced to check it in the hold and pay a fee.
This will depend on your route and other factors.
For more information regarding please visit this page on their website.
If you’re looking for a great value carry-on that fits perfectly within Alaska Airlines limits, we recommend this Maximum Allowance Suitcase on Amazon.
Features include:
For peace of mind, we recommend that you travel with a compliant bag.
With that said, if you do happen to have a soft-sided bag, like a backpack for instance which is only slightly oversized – you should be able to squeeze this into the sizer if needs be.
If after reading this you think it might be wise to pay for checked bags then please check out this page on Alaska Airlines website.
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