Carry-on restrictions with the Aeronaut 30 and 45

[marlinchen]

Hi all,

I'm flying Spirit for an upcoming trip and would like to avoid the checked bag/carry-on fee if possible by taking an A30 or A45 as my "personal item." The problem is, the dimensions for those are very small: 16”x14”x12”, and both the A30 and A45 are obviously much larger than that (the A45 is actually larger than my small rolling suitcase I have.)

My question is, since the Aeronauts are soft bags, would it be possible to fit them into the personal item requirement if I can just squish them to fit in the space? I don't plan to stuff the bag full so there should be some extra room to flatten it a bit. Has anyone done something similar, or should I just pony up the extra cash for a carry-on?

[FrozenJ]

Below is a post of a Western Flyer in the Spirit sizer from the Photos thread. The length is the only dimension where the Aeronaut bags exceed the limits. If you leave the end pockets fairly empty, you can probably fit each bag. Easier with the A30.

I didn't fly with Spirit but got curious when I spotted the sizer.

Western Flyer - full, not stuffed.

Attachment 12500

Attachment 12501

[bchaplin]

There was a discussion about this subject, though I am not sure if the original poster ever reported on what s/he took for the Spirit flight, and how it worked out.

[bermudajes]

I bought the A30 in dyneema in hopes that it would squish down (leaving the end pockets empty) and fit within the limits of Spirit's personal item, but I haven't had a chance to test it out. Now that I've used the bag several times, I'm skeptical that I could shave 4" off to get it comfortably in the sizer... and while I want to believe that I'd easily be able to skate past the gate without being questioned, taking that risk might stress me out too much.

[marlinchen]

Thanks for the input! I'm actually looking at the Brain Bag now since it's got more volume than the A30 and the dimensions are just about what I need (the height is only off 2" and I'm sure I could squish it down at least that much if it's not counting the handle.) I may just end up getting the BB and A40 to test them out and returning whichever one I decide I don't need...