If your suit, your laptop and a few days of clothes fit in one bag that never leaves your hands, you have solved the worst day of any trip. Here is what the airlines and TSA say will fit, how to fold a suit, and what the bags cost.
What fits
The standard carry-on is 22 by 14 by 9 inches, including wheels and handles. Read on the airlines' own pages on Nov. 5, 2026:
- Delta: 22 x 14 x 9 inches, and no more than 45 linear inches combined. Delta lists a briefcase or laptop bag as a personal item and gives no personal-item dimensions.
- American: carry-on 22 x 14 x 9. Personal item 18 x 14 x 8. A soft-sided garment bag can total up to 51 inches.
- JetBlue: carry-on 22 x 14 x 9. Personal item 17 x 13 x 8. JetBlue says the limits apply to all fares and sets no weight limit.
- United: I could not load united.com. A luggage maker's page lists the same 22 x 14 x 9 carry-on and a 17 x 10 x 9 personal item, and says Basic Economy flyers on most flights board with a personal item only. [Confirm at united.com.]
- Southwest and Alaska: the airlines' pages did not load. The Points Guy's table, updated June 12, 2026, lists Southwest at 24 x 16 x 10 and Alaska at 22 x 14 x 9. [Confirm both.]
If you are flying Basic Economy on United, plan for one personal item and nothing else.
Security
TSA's liquids rule is unchanged: one quart-size bag, each container 3.4 ounces or smaller, kept apart from the carry-on. Larger containers go in a checked bag. Laptops come out of the bag and go into a separate bin, unless you have PreCheck. With PreCheck you keep your shoes, laptop, liquids, belt and light jacket on. TSA's page says no one is guaranteed expedited screening, and lists enrollment at $78, $85 or $77.95 depending on the vendor.
I could not read TSA's medication page. Read it before you pack anything you take daily.
Folding the suit
Two sources agree on the method. Briggs & Riley's blog and Kelly Baker in The Manual (Oct. 13, 2024) both say:
- Fold the jacket shoulder into shoulder with the seams lined up.
- Put a dry-cleaning bag between the layers. Briggs & Riley says to turn a silky-lined jacket inside out.
- Fold the trousers around the jacket.
- Pack the suit last and unpack it first.
The Manual also recommends a thin garment bag to protect the suit without adding bulk.
What the bags cost
These are list prices from each maker's own page on Nov. 5, 2026. Sale prices change often.
- Travelpro, Maxlite 5 Carry-On Spinner: $160
- Travelpro, Crew Classic Carry-On Spinner: $255
- Travelpro, Platinum Elite Carry-On Rolling Garment Bag: $390
- Away, The Carry-On: $275
- Tumi, Ventra Expandable Carry-On: $595
- Tumi, Alpha Dual Access Expandable Carry-On: $950
- Peak Design, Travel Backpack 20L: $199.95
- Briggs & Riley: its site says its luggage is guaranteed for life with no receipt required, and that it repairs covered functional damage for free. I could not load its warranty page or its prices. Read the exact guarantee before you buy.
- Away: free repairs for five years under its LifetimeCare program, and free returns within 100 days.
- Peak Design: the page calls the 20L a carry-on in one place and a personal item in another, so measure it against your airline.
I make no "best bag" claim. Wirecutter, Condé Nast Traveler and the other major review sites blocked my access, and the search results for "best carry-on" were mostly retailer blogs. If you know a reviewer you trust, check their pick against the sizes above.
One rule of my own
Anything you cannot replace by tomorrow morning stays with you: the laptop, the exhibits, the medications, the suit.
Airline, TSA and maker pages read Nov. 5, 2026. Sizes and prices change. Nothing on this page is sponsored.
Sources
Delta carry-on baggage · American Airlines carry-on baggage · JetBlue carry-on bags · Travelpro, United carry-on rules · The Points Guy, airline carry-on policies, June 12, 2026 · TSA liquids rule · TSA laptops · TSA PreCheck · Briggs & Riley, how to pack a suit in a carry-on · The Manual, Oct. 13, 2024 · Travelpro carry-ons · Tumi carry-ons · Away, The Carry-On · Peak Design Travel Backpack · Briggs & Riley guarantee