01 / Short answer
A 53 × 36 × 22 cm bag fits every carry-on limit here.
We compared the published limits of 8 Canadian airlines. A carry-on no bigger than 53 × 36 × 22 cm (21 × 14 × 8.5 in) is inside all of them. The tightest sides come from PAL Airlines (length), WestJet (width) and Air North (depth). For a personal item that fits under the seat on all of them, stay within 40 × 31 × 13 cm (16 × 12 × 5 in), set mostly by Air Transat.
The common “airline approved” 55 × 40 × 23 cm carry-on fits Air Canada, Porter, Flair, Air Transat and Pacific Coastal, but it's 4 cm too wide for WestJet's 36 cm limit and a little too long for PAL Airlines and Air North.
02 / Checker
Which airlines will your bag fit?
Measure your bag once and see every airline's verdict for the overhead bin and under the seat. Sides are compared longest to longest, so it doesn't matter which way round you measure.
Enter the bag's three outside measurements in any order, including wheels, handles and pockets. Measure after packing if it expands.
Results show each airline's published limit for a standard carry-on and a personal item. A size label like “22-inch” or “airline approved” isn't enough: measure the bag.
03 / Every airline
Carry-on and personal-item limits, side by side.
Limits are shown the way each airline publishes them, including wheels and handles. Checked against each airline's own website on November 7, 2026.
| Airline | Standard carry-on | Personal item | Is the carry-on included? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air CanadaSource ↗ | 55 × 40 × 23 cm / 21.5 × 15.5 × 9 in | 43 × 33 × 16 cm / 17 × 13 × 6 in | Economy Basic tickets bought on or after Jan. 3, 2025 include only a personal item within Canada, to and from the U.S., and to and from Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Basic fares connecting onward to an international destination include a standard carry-on.Wheels and handles count. No weight limit, but you must lift the bag into the bin yourself. Air Canada's page doesn't say separately whether Rouge and Express follow the same rule. |
| WestJetSource ↗ | 56 × 36 × 23 cm / 22 × 14 × 9 in | 41 × 33 × 15 cm / 16 × 13 × 6 in | UltraBasic includes only a personal item, except on flights to and from Europe and Asia, or when Extended Comfort is bought for every flight in one direction.Wheels count. No weight limit, but you must lift the bag into the bin yourself. One line of WestJet's page gives the personal item as 14 cm deep; its list and its 2026 tariff say 15 cm. On Encore turboprops you may be asked to check a bag that fits the sizer. |
| PorterSource ↗Read from search index* | 55 × 40 × 23 cm / 21.5 × 15.5 × 9 in | 43 × 33 × 16 cm / 17 × 13 × 6 in | Basic fares include only a personal item. Standard, Flexible and Freedom fares include a standard carry-on and a personal item. |
| FlairSource ↗Read from search index* | 55 × 40 × 23 cm / 21.5 × 15.5 × 9 in, 10 kg | 43 × 33 × 15 cm, 7 kg | Every fare includes a personal item. The carry-on is included in the Big and Basic bundles and is a paid add-on on Bare.Flair asks you to use the airport bag sizer, and charges for a personal item that doesn't fit. |
| Air TransatSource ↗Read from search index* | 55 × 40 × 23 cm / 21.5 × 15.5 × 9 in | 43 × 31 × 13 cm / 17 × 12 × 5 in | What's included depends on your fare and route. Air Transat points to its baggage allowance checker for your flight, and Eco Budget fares may not include a carry-on on every route.Air Transat's personal-item box is the smallest of the major airlines here, at 13 cm deep. |
| PAL AirlinesSource ↗ | 21 × 15 × 9 in | 16 × 13 × 6 in | One carry-on is included. Passengers connecting to an Air Borealis flight can't bring a carry-on, because of aircraft limits.PAL publishes its limits in inches only. |
| Air NorthSource ↗ | 54 × 38 × 22 cm | 41 × 33 × 15 cm | Every traveller can bring one carry-on and one personal item.No weight limit, but you must lift the bag into the bin yourself. |
| Pacific CoastalSource ↗ | 55 × 40 × 23 cm / 21.5 × 15.5 × 9 in, 10 kg | 43 × 33 × 16 cm / 17 × 13 × 6 in, 10 kg | One carry-on and one personal item, each up to 10 kg (22 lb), are included on all flights.A purse up to 10 × 8 × 12 in is allowed on top of the allowance. |
* Porter, Flair, Air Transat block automated page reads, so on November 7, 2026 we read these figures from a search index of each airline's own page, not a third-party site. Confirm them on the airline's page before you fly. Not covered yet: Canadian North (we couldn't load its site) and Sunwing, whose aircraft WestJet says are joining the WestJet fleet. Air Canada's page doesn't say separately whether Rouge and Express follow its rule.
04 / Measure correctly
The sizer measures the bag, not the label.
- 01
Stand the bag up and measure from the floor to the highest fixed point, wheels included.
- 02
Retract the handle, but include its housing and any carry handle that doesn't fold flat.
- 03
Measure across the widest outside points: side bumpers, pockets and zipper tracks count.
- 04
Measure the depth after packing. An open expansion zipper can push a bag over the limit.
- 05
Flying more than one airline? Use the checker above, or buy within the “fits every airline” size.
- 06
Your fare and the operating airline decide what's allowed. On partner and connecting flights, check the airline that operates each flight.
05 / Shopping for a bag
Buy by the outside measurements.
Listings often quote the inside of the bag or leave out the wheels. Open each listing and compare all three outside measurements with the size you need.
Overhead carry-on
For every airline in this guide, look for an outside size within 53 × 36 × 22 cm. For Air Canada and Porter alone, 55 × 40 × 23 cm is enough.
Under-seat personal item
On a basic fare this is often your only free bag. A 40 × 31 × 13 cm bag fits every personal-item limit here, including Air Transat's 13 cm depth.
Flying Air Canada only? The Air Canada size checker also shows your bag in 3D and AR against its size box.
06 / Quick answers
Common questions.
What carry-on size fits every Canadian airline?
A bag no bigger than 53 × 36 × 22 cm (21 × 14 × 8.5 in), measured with wheels and handles, is inside the published carry-on limits of all 8 airlines in this guide.
Is a 55 × 40 × 23 cm carry-on allowed on WestJet?
Not by WestJet's published limit. WestJet allows 56 × 36 × 23 cm (22 × 14 × 9 in), so a 40 cm wide bag is 4 cm too wide.
What is WestJet's carry-on size?
56 × 36 × 23 cm (22 × 14 × 9 in), wheels included. UltraBasic fares include only a personal item, except to and from Europe and Asia or with Extended Comfort.
What is Air Canada's carry-on size?
55 × 40 × 23 cm (21.5 × 15.5 × 9 in), including wheels and handles. Its personal-item limit is 43 × 33 × 16 cm (17 × 13 × 6 in).
What personal item size works on every Canadian airline?
Stay within 40 × 31 × 13 cm (16 × 12 × 5 in). Air Transat's personal item limit is the smallest here, at 43 × 31 × 13 cm.
Do basic fares include a carry-on in Canada?
Often not. Air Canada Economy Basic, WestJet UltraBasic and Porter Basic include only a personal item on many routes, and Flair's Bare fare charges for a carry-on. Check your fare's rules before you pack.