The busy travel season is about to commence. And most domestic airlines recently raised the fees they charge to check a bag.

That means there will be more passengers than ever trying to board their flights with just a carry-on bag, more competition for space in the overhead bins and more opportunities for your airline to reject your carry-on bag due to size and weight.

And, as the chart above makes clear, there is no uniform size allowance for carry-on bags across the industry.

So, you may find that a carry-on bag you’ve been successfully using on one or more airlines gets nixed on another. Especially if the flight is fully booked – as most summer flights are likely to be – and if you’re in a late boarding group.

So, before you head to the airport this summer, get out your tape measure, pull up the measurements of the airline you’re flying and make sure you’re in compliance.

If you’re at the gate and discover your bag is a wee bit to large, you may end up being forced to check it.

As the overhead bins fill up, or if the airline is worried about that happening, gate checking bags is usually offered as a free option.

But as fuel prices rise and airlines poke around for more ways to boost income, we wouldn’t be surprised to see that courtesy policy change.

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