Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines Personal Item Size (2026)
Alaska Airlines publishes no personal item size, so the bag just has to fit under the seat. It's free on every fare, including Saver, and so is one carry-on.
Quick answer
Alaska Airlines doesn't publish personal item dimensions: your personal item (such as a purse, briefcase or laptop bag) just has to fit under the seat in front of you. It's free on every fare, including Saver, along with one free carry-on up to 22 × 14 × 9 inches (45 linear inches).
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Last checked: September 26, 2026
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What counts as a personal item on Alaska
Alaska gives examples, not measurements: a purse, a briefcase, or a laptop bag or laptop computer. The test is whether it fits under the seat in front of you. Alaska also says at least one of your two cabin items should go under the seat, and you must be able to lift your carry-on into the overhead bin yourself. Soft bags that are stuffed full can stop fitting under the seat, so check the bag packed, not empty. airline bag sizer guide
What doesn't count against your limit
Alaska lists items you can bring on board without using up your carry-on or personal item:
- Coats, hats and compact umbrellas
- A pillow for personal use
- Food for immediate consumption and a reasonable amount of reading material
- FAA-approved child restraint seats and strollers (space available)
- Documented service animals
- Mobility and medical assistive devices, such as wheelchairs, canes, crutches, CPAP machines, approved portable oxygen concentrators and breast pumps
- Prescription medications and the devices needed to administer them (a bag qualifies only if it holds just medication and medical devices)
Larger items that can count as your carry-on
Some items can be your one carry-on even if they are bigger than 22 × 14 × 9 in, as long as they can be stowed safely: art or advertising portfolios, paintings, delicate scientific equipment, fishing poles and small musical instruments.
Saver fares and your personal item
Saver keeps the full cabin allowance: a free personal item and a free carry-on. Saver boards last (Group F), and bins fill first-come, first-served. Keep medication, documents and electronics in the personal item in case the carry-on has to be checked. Booked on Hawaiian Airlines instead? Its Saver fares also include a free personal item and a free carry-on; see the Hawaiian Airlines personal item rules.
Traveling with a lap infant
A lap infant has no carry-on allowance of their own, so the diaper bag counts toward the ticketed adult's limit. Car seats and strollers don't count.
FAQ
What is the Alaska Airlines personal item size?
Alaska Airlines does not publish personal item dimensions. The item, such as a purse, briefcase or laptop bag, must fit under the seat in front of you, and it comes in addition to one free carry-on up to 22 × 14 × 9 inches.
Can I bring a backpack as a personal item on Alaska Airlines?
Alaska doesn't name backpacks or publish a backpack size. Its rule is that the personal item, such as a purse, briefcase or laptop bag, must fit under the seat in front of you. A packed backpack has to meet that rule, or it can go in the overhead bin as your free carry-on if it's within 22 × 14 × 9 inches.
Is a personal item free on Alaska Saver fares?
Yes. Saver has the same carry-on allowance as Main, so one personal item and one carry-on are free. Saver passengers board last in Group F, and overhead bin space is first-come, first-served.
Does a jacket or umbrella count as my personal item on Alaska?
No. Alaska lists coats, hats, compact umbrellas, a pillow for personal use, food for immediate consumption and a reasonable amount of reading material as items you can bring without counting toward the carry-on limit.
Do medical devices count as a personal item on Alaska Airlines?
No. Mobility and medical assistive devices such as wheelchairs, canes, crutches, CPAP machines, approved portable oxygen concentrators and breast pumps, plus prescription medications and the devices needed to administer them, do not count toward the carry-on limit.
What happens if my personal item doesn't fit under the seat on Alaska?
Then it doesn't qualify as your personal item, because Alaska requires the personal item to fit under the seat in front of you. It has to fit your one carry-on allowance (up to 22 × 14 × 9 inches) or be checked. For North America tickets bought on or after April 10, 2026, a first checked bag is $45.
Does a diaper bag count as a personal item on Alaska Airlines?
It counts toward the ticketed adult's standard carry-on limit when you travel with a lap infant, because lap infants don't have their own carry-on allowance.
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Disclaimer
Confirm sizes and fees on alaskaair.com before travel. BagRule is not affiliated with Alaska Airlines.