hoffage123

http://www.usairways.com/en-CH/trave...s/default.html

See the bit about Carry-on baggage. The wording has confused me (but I am a bit tired tonight so maybe I am not reading it properly).

It says •Up to 45in/115 cm (14 x 9 x 22 in or 36 + 23 + 56 cm)

I am assuming the bit in brackets is illustrative?

I have bought some luggage that has 55X40X20 as its dimensions. Will that extra four inches cause problems? It still adds up to 115cm. I am not planning to pack it fully and it is a soft frame so could probably squish it down a bit. It is primarily for a spare change of clothes, identity documents and the visa packet for the other side.

Hoffage

Pulaski

Any x" + y" + z" <= 45" is OK. I have never seen anyone checked for marginal breaches of the limits, and as far as I know, squashable is OK.

tonrob

It's not common, but it does happen and people get caught out. Usually it's a particular airline/airport combination - difficult to generalize. I've seen lots of threads on Flyertalk about this over time. It's worth a quick Google if your bag's a bit of a porker and having your bag gate-checked would present a problem.

hoffage123

Thanks for the help guys

I also messaged US Airways via Facebook and they don't seem to think it would be a problem.

I wouldn't mind it being gate-checked but for the visa packet and id documents but I am also bringing along a satchel as a personal item (which will house my laptop but has several different pockets as well), so worst case scenario I could stuff the paperwork in there loosely if they did get funny about it. We are going to be at the airport really early anyway due to staying in the hotel there the night before, so should be one of the first through to Departures (well first after the businesses and first class bods)

Hoffage

Jerseygirl

At Manchester Airport I have seen the staff check hand luggage several times. If it doesn't fit into the metal frame they won't allow it through security. I have always managed to scurry through while they have been busy with someone else.

As long as it doesn't have a metal frame which exceeds the sizes...it should be able to be squeezed to conform to the measurements.

The above were airport restrictions and not the airline.

hoffage123

Jerseygirl, we are flying from Manchester Airport, so this is really useful to know. I will make sure I don't overpack it.

Hoffage

steveq

Manchester has the snottiest security staff of any airport on Earth, by a long way, be careful.

yellowroom

If you're flying Manchester to Philly, I do that regularly and there is usually loads of space in the overhead lockers. It's an Airbus A330, I've heard the crew say more than once how they like the storage space in that plane.

On us airways it's usually the local connecting flights where it can become an issue, and some of the smaller turboprop planes can't cope with anything bigger than a laptop bag in the overhead, and not much bigger under the seat in front. You'd have to gatecheck your case if you had one of those flights but the satchel would be fine.

On a final note I did a trip last year transcontinental with a case exactly the maximum dimensions given, and the case fitted perfectly into the overhead lockers in the us airways A321.