What are American Airlines’ personal item restrictions?

What are American Airlines personal item policies? We have got you covered

Anyone who regularly travels has probably spent time flying with American Airlines before. Ranked as the world's largest airline based on multiple metrics, American Airlines regularly transports the most passengers of any airline year after year.

With that in mind, frequent flyers know all about the amenities that American offers that many other airlines do not, such as free carry-on bags and in-flight WiFi. With everything you’ll get as an American Airlines passenger, you still have to keep some things in mind, however, such as the size of your personal item.

As one of the biggest airlines in the country, you probably won't be surprised to hear that American Airlines does not charge extra for personal items. Just like the company's carry-on policy, all passengers are entitled to one free personal item, even Basic Economy flyers.

The biggest stipulation with American's policy is that the bag must fit underneath the seat directly in front of you to count as a personal item. Unlike some other airlines, American doesn't count anything that you bring onboard as your personal item, so you’re granted some leeway with the following items that do not count:

So in addition to your personal item and carry-on bag, you can also bring these items with you on your next American Airlines flight.

Sure, we mentioned that American Airlines follows the industry classic of saying that your personal item must fit underneath the seat in front of you. But it's also one of the airlines that actually specifies how big your personal item can be. According to the company's baggage policy, personal items are limited to 18" x 14" x 8" (45cm x 35cm x 20cm).

Thankfully, these dimensions are right up there with the most generous in the industry, so you won't have any problems bringing your regular personal item onboard.

The Away Everywhere Bag

Vera Bradley Weekender Bag

Travel Laptop Backpack

Jansport Backpacks

Protege 16" Arendale Underseater

Similar to just about every other major airline in the country, American does not put a weight limit on your personal item. As long as you’re able to carry it yourself and safely stow it under the seat in front of you, you’ll be fine with however heavy your personal item is.

In addition to a personal item, American Airlines also grants all passengers a free carry-on bag. To make it easier for passengers to bring their carry-on along, the airline follows the industry standard size limits of 22" x 14" x 9" (56cm x 36cm x 23cm), including the wheels and handles. You can also bring a garment bag with dimensions adding to 51" or less (i.e. 25" x 20" x 6") as your carry-on.

Since the company follows standard size restrictions, shopping for a carry-on bag is easy.

July Carry-On

The Away Standard Carry-On

Travelers Club Chicago Hardside Carry-On

American Tourister Phenom Softside Carry-On

iFLY Hardside Carry-On Luggage

American Airlines follows guidance from the TSA when it comes to traveling with liquids. Once you get through security, you can buy liquids at the airport and take them onboard, but in order to get through security, you must follow the 3-1-1 rule:

If you don't want to buy any sort of special bag to carry your liquids, a quart-sized Ziploc bag gets the job done. But if you want to get something a little bit nicer that was actually designed for this purpose, here are a few good options:

3-1-1 Travel Bags on Amazon

Container Store 1-Quart Resealable Clear Bags with Zippers

L.L.Bean Sea to Summit Travelling Light Clear Zip-Top Pouch