Checked bags got more expensive in 2026, and the overhead bins have been filling up faster ever since. Going carry-on only for a week sounds like a sacrifice until you work out what it saves. Here is what the numbers look like, what sizes you are actually working with, and how to fit five days of clothes into a bag that clears the sizer.
What Checking a Bag Costs Now
In April 2026, Southwest, Delta and United all raised the first checked bag to at least $45 each way on most domestic routes, with the second at $55. Delta and United now charge $200 for a third bag. Two people flying round trip with one bag each pay $180 before they have left the airport.
The other number is mishandling. US airlines mishandled 1,052,493 bags between January and June of 2026, a rate of 0.49 per 100 bags enplaned. On a single nonstop, the odds are in your favor. Over a year of travel with connections, less so.
If a bag does go missing, compensation is capped. The US limit on domestic flights is $4,700 per passenger. International itineraries fall under the Montreal Convention, which caps liability at 1,519 Special Drawing Rights, currently around $2,175. Airlines can pay more and are not required to.
The Dimensions That Actually Matter
Most US carriers use 22 x 14 x 9 inches for carry-on bags. Delta, United, American, Alaska and JetBlue all sit at that size or within an inch of it. Those measurements include wheels and handles, which is where people get caught out, because a bag advertised as 22 inches tall often measures 23 with the wheels.
The budget carriers are more generous on dimensions, not less:
- Southwest: 24 x 16 x 10
- Frontier: 24 x 16 x 10
- Spirit: 22 x 18 x 10
The catch with Spirit and Frontier is pricing rather than size. On base fares, only the personal item is included and the carry-on costs extra. Personal item limits are tighter and vary more: United allows 17 x 10 x 9, American 18 x 14 x 8, JetBlue 17 x 13 x 8, Southwest 16.25 x 13.5 x 8.
Buy for the 22 x 14 x 9 standard and you can fly anyone. Buy to Southwest’s limit and you have a bag that gets gate-checked on five other airlines.
Start With the Bag, Not the Clothes
The bag sets the limit, so pick it first. What matters in a cabin-sized case:
- Measured dimensions including wheels, not the marketing number
- Wheels you can steer one-handed while holding a phone and a boarding pass
- A shell that survives being wedged sideways into a full bin
- An interior that compresses
Two cases with identical outside dimensions can hold different amounts depending on how the inside is built. A fixed divider wastes the space it occupies. If you are shopping, look for carry-on luggage with a compressible main compartment.
Avoid expanding the case on the outbound leg. An expanded bag usually breaks the depth limit even when height and width are fine, and depth is what the sizer catches.
The Five-Day Wardrobe
Pack a wardrobe, not a sequence of outfits. Pick one color family. Three bottoms, five tops, one layer, one pair of shoes beyond what you are wearing, everything working with everything else. Five days of coordinated clothing takes less room than three days of unrelated pieces.
The common error is packing for the version of the trip that does not happen: the dinner nobody books, the hike everyone skips. Pack for the itinerary you have, and leave a gap for whatever you buy there.
Compression Is the Whole Trick
Folding gets you a tidy bag. Compression gets you a smaller one. Packing cubes squeeze soft items down and keep things findable, so you are not emptying the case onto a hotel bed to locate socks on day three. Vacuum bags save more bulk but need a way to reseal, which makes them better suited to the return leg.
Four rules that hold up:
- Roll knits, fold anything with structure
- Shoes against the wheels, soles facing outward
- Fill the shoes with socks, cables, anything small
- Day-one outfit on top
What Cannot Go in a Checked Bag
Spare lithium batteries and power banks are carry-on only under FAA rules. They are not permitted in checked luggage at all, including in a bag you hand over at the gate. The limit is 100 watt-hours per battery. Between 101 and 160 watt-hours you need airline approval, and most carriers cap you at two. Above 160 watt-hours is prohibited outright.
A few carriers go further. Southwest requires a power bank to stay visible while it is in use rather than sitting inside a bag, and prohibits recharging it from in-seat power. Alaska, American, Frontier and United all require smart luggage batteries to be removable and carried in the cabin.
Beyond batteries, keep medication, documents, keys, chargers and anything whose value approaches the liability cap. A laptop and a camera together can exceed $4,700. Pack a change of clothes in the cabin bag as well, which makes the first day of a delayed bag considerably easier.
Making One Bag Work for Longer Trips
Past about five days, one bag becomes a laundry question rather than a packing one. A sink wash with an overnight dry covers most of it, and quick-dry fabrics shorten the wait.
For trips beyond two weeks, plan one reset rather than packing for the whole stretch. A hotel laundry service, a laundromat near where you are staying, or an afternoon already set aside for something indoors. One wash halfway through does more for your packing list than another four pounds of clothes.
