American Airlines is quietly removing baggage sizers from gates, a change that has left me scratching my head and raised reasonable fear that carry-on size enforcement is about to become much more arbitrary.
American Airlines Removes Baggage Sizers At Gates: What It Means For Carry-Ons
According to a memo obtained by View From The Wing, starting Monday American will no longer require gate agents to physically test carry-on bags against sizing frames. What had been a visual and mechanical check to determine if a bag was too large will instead become more subjective, relying on agent judgement alone. The official AA policy still holds the carry-on limit at 22 × 14 × 9 inches, including handles and wheels, but without a sizer, the ability for passengers to dispute “too big” calls is diminished. Here’s the pertinent language:
As we continue to build on the success of our revamped boarding process to improve the experience for our customers, bag sizers for carry-on bags will be removed from all gates systemwide beginning Monday, Oct. 6.
How to support this change:
- In the lobby: One of the most effective ways to reduce gate-checks is by identifying oversized bags early — ideally in the lobby, before customers reach the gate. That’s why lobby bag sizers will remain in place, and we’re encouraging agents to proactively scan the area, identify oversized bags, guide customers to use the sizer and check bags when necessary.
- At the gate: Rather than relying on the bag sizer, gate agents may use their judgment to determine whether a bag is clearly oversized and needs to be checked; if the bag appears slightly oversized, or if you’re not sure, err on the side of the customer.
What isn’t changing:
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Carry-on bags should not exceed 45 linear inches.
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Our carry-on bag policy (one carry-on bag, one personal item) remains the same. Any additional items (such as crossbody bags or purses) need to be consolidated to fit within the person’s carry-on or personal item.
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Whether in the lobby or at the gate, use your judgment to identify clearly oversized bags while making allowances for minor overages, like small front pockets or wheels. Third items such as crossbody bags/purses must be consolidated before boarding.
In many cases, the sizer acted as an objective standard. If your bag fit, you were fine. With the sizer gone, gate agents can claim “your bag exceeds policy” without being challenged. That shift opens a power imbalance, especially when travelers believe their baggage is within the limits. AA suggest that the change is meant to streamline boarding and reduce bottlenecks, but skeptics understandably see motive in opacity.
The Premium Push Versus Soft Removal
This move comes at a time when American is marketing itself as more premium: better service, nicer lounges, higher standards. Removing sizers could go either way. Negatively, it undercuts that narrative, because it introduces ambiguity into what should be a transparent policy. If you promote consistency and fairness, you don’t quietly take away the measuring stick that helps enforce it.
But positively, from AA’s perspective, sizers potentially slow down boarding, cause friction, and can create embarrassing gate-check moments. By shifting to agent judgment, AA may be signalling that it simply isn’t going to bother enforcing what it generally has not enforced anyway. That may reduce delays and staffing friction.
But the risk is clear: the subjective calls may lead to very heated exchanges and arguments that could be avoided if the sizers remained.
I just don’t see why American (and United Airlines, which also removed sizers) feels the need to remove them and put more discretion in the hands of the gate agent…think how poorly that has worked for wardrobe issues. Having sizers does not mean they have to be used. But not having sizers makes carry-on enforcement size much more difficult.
CONCLUSION
American Airlines’ removal of gate sizers strikes me as an enigmatic change. While it may reduce friction and speed up some boardings, it also gives gate agents more unchecked authority to force carry-on bags to be checked. That shift doesn’t align well with a “premium service” positioning. The real test will be whether complaints rise, whether agents get stricter, and whether American eventually reverses course to restore some objectivity at the gate. I guess we’ll soon find out…
None of it matters when you have gate agents declaring that all bins are full so not more carry-on’s, despite the bins inside the aircraft being half empty.
Why are they removing it? Well, maybe because they were never used in the first place. I personally have flown over 4MM in the last 25 years and have never seen anyone using those baggage sizers in the US. Now, I 100% agree with you that this will be another motive for gate agents to enable their power mode and make arbitrary decisions and your life miserable. I had a few interactions with gate agents in the past where they walked around the boarding area picking passengers to gat check their bags. I had been flying with the same carry on for years and knew exactly how mine would fit in that specifically airplane (on that route it was always the same plane) but sure enough several times I was chosen to gate check my bag because according to the gate agent my bag would not fit int the overhead bin. I told them it would fit, they argued back it wouldn’t and at the end I took the risk. Every single time the bag fitted perfectly. Thus, I now expect them to decide if the bag is too big depending on their mood. If they want to make your life miserable, they have another weapon on their hands.
Remove the carry-on bins , and return to the old Constellation days .
I say this all the time, gate agents are some of the rudest, most aggressive people I interact with on a regular basis. In MIA this means if the GA doesn’t like you, your bag is too big. I think this is only going to be a negative change because if a GA didn’t care, they wouldn’t make you use the sizer anyway.
Thoufh this really only punishes people who don’t have hard sided bags.
I disagree with your sentiments, and think most gate agents are fine people, doing their best, never paid enough for dealing with people like you. Have you tried treating them the way you wish to be treated? Because, I’ve flown through MIA countless times, and as long as you listen to instructions, like, consolidate to a personal item and a carry-on, only, and board during your designated zone, rarely, if ever, do gate agents or any airline employees treat passengers poorly. Be better, man.
Also, what a ‘Jerry’ thing for you to say… sheesh.
I didn’t know I had a known personality, but I suppose I do… I’m flattered!
And to your point above, I assure you I’m always polite, always have my bags consolidated, and board with the right group – I’m group 1 after all. I haven’t been asked to check a bag in a very long time. Though I do feel that AA GAs, especially in MIA, but also in CLT and DFW, can be unnecessarily aggressive. I don’t doubt they work hard, but I am not the one causing them stress.
Then you seem alright to me!
Entitled pax insist on bringing over-size suitcases and packages , and demand assistance in lifting by FAs .
Basta ! Charge $50. for ONE carry-on , up-front , at time of ticketing , for only ONE small bag ( eg. purse, briefcase) . Anything extra will be gate-checked . Problem solved .
Safe aircraft evacuation requires stringent ban on any large carry-on bag .
Why are we pretending? Nothing gets enforced on narrow-bodies or RJs. Nothing. It’s always a case of “I do what I want to do” no matter the guidance from GAs. It always gets sorted out when stragglers board and FAs always have to communicate the solution.
I ran once, *ran*, at IAH to meet my connecting flight to LGA in F and I tried to put my roll-aboard into the narrow open space in the F bin.
FA: “Nope, not gonna happen.”
Me: “I don’t know what you want me to do here.”
FA: *Shrug*
We ended up finding some space in the Y bins.
Old Texan Lady Next To Me In F: “Give it up, honey, can’t put socks on a rooster.”
BS. When a gate agent wants the bording process to be completed for an ontime departure they lie to you and force check your bag. Then when you board the cabin bins are empty. American is garbage. I wouldn’t fly with them even if someone paid me $1,000 cash at the gate. The airlines fate was sealed when Doug Parker left. What an embarrassment to the US.
I’m not sure that this will really make much difference. I find it maddening that gate agents consistently permit people with clearly oversized bags on the plane, often with multiple ones, even in first class but they do. That leaves little room for everyone else because the entitled people grab so much for themselves, then congratulate themselves on not checking bags. Travel bloggers chortle about doing it too, using silly tropes like “carryon or lost” bags.
Oh please, as if there is any enforcement as it were.