Delta Air Lines Carry-On Size and Personal Item Size (2026)

Delta Air Lines allows a carry-on of up to 22 x 14 x 9 in (56 x 35 x 23 cm), no more than 45 in (114 cm) in total, including wheels and handles. Delta Air Lines publishes no personal item size: it just has to fit under the seat in front of you. Every Delta fare includes the carry-on.

Airline	Personal item	Carry-on
Delta	Personal item: No size published	Carry-on: Fits
American	Personal item: Fits	Carry-on: Fits
United	Personal item: 1 in over on length (max 17 in); 4 in over on width (max 10 in)	Carry-on: FitsNot in Basic Economy, except to South America and across the Atlantic or Pacific
Alaska	Personal item: No size published	Carry-on: Fits

Delta Air Lines carry-on size

Inches	22 x 14 x 9 in
Centimeters	56 x 35 x 23 cm
Length + width + height	45 in (114 cm)
Weight	No limit published
Included?	All fares

Delta Air Lines personal item size

Delta Air Lines doesn't publish a maximum personal item size. The rule is that it fits under the seat in front of you. If you want a number to shop by, 18 x 14 x 8 inches is the most generous published limit among US airlines, and 17 x 10 x 8 inches fits all of them; under-seat space varies by plane.

Personal item examples from Delta Air Lines: a purse, briefcase, small backpack, belt bag, fanny pack, camera bag, diaper bag or laptop bag, or an item of similar or smaller size.

Does Delta Basic Economy include a carry-on?

Yes.All fares.

Delta says each passenger can bring 1 carry-on bag and 1 personal item free of charge. Its carry-on page makes no exception for the cheapest fares.

More Delta carry-on rules

Each side must be within 22 x 14 x 9 inches and the three sides together within 45 linear inches (114 cm), including handles and wheels.
Delta publishes no maximum size for the personal item: it has to fit under the seat in front of you.
A jacket or umbrella, food or drink bought after security, duty-free shopping, strollers, child safety seats and assistive devices are free to carry on in addition to your bags.
On Delta Connection flights, including planes with 50 seats or fewer, only personal items are allowed on board. Larger bags are gate checked free with a pink Gate Claim/Planeside tag and returned when you get off.

Is a backpack a Delta personal item?

Yes, if it fits: Delta Air Lines lists a small backpack among its personal item examples. With no published size, a slim daypack that slides under the seat is the safe choice. Our travel backpack picks, by their makers' measurements:

Backpack	As personal item	As carry-on
Peak Design Travel Backpack 45Lstandard (35L), 22 x 13 x 9.5 in	No size published	0.5 in over on depth (max 9 in)
Peak Design Travel Backpack 45Lexpanded (45L), 22 x 13 x 11 in	No size published	2 in over on depth (max 9 in); 1 in over the 45 in total
Osprey Farpoint/Fairview Travel Daypackdetachable 15L daypack, 18.1 x 12.2 x 8.3 in	No size published	Fits

Delta vs American vs United vs Alaska carry-on size

Airline	Personal item	Carry-on	Free carry-on?
Delta	Not published	22 x 14 x 9 in(56 x 35 x 23 cm)	All fares
American	18 x 14 x 8 in(45 x 35 x 20 cm)	22 x 14 x 9 in(56 x 36 x 23 cm)	All fares, including Basic Economy
United	9 x 10 x 17 in(22 x 25 x 43 cm)	9 x 14 x 22 in(23 x 35 x 56 cm)	Not in Basic Economy, except to South America and across the Atlantic or Pacific
Alaska	Not published	22 x 14 x 9 in(56 x 36 x 23 cm)	All fares, including Saver

Compare every airline, including international carriers, in the carry-on size checker.

Sources

Limits are from each airline's own pages, checked October 7, 2026. Airlines change bag rules often, so check before you fly. Conversions use 1 inch = 2.54 cm. Backpack sizes are from the manufacturers.

Delta Air Lines Carry-On and Personal Item Size