Hand luggage is the part of the journey you keep with you, and the part most likely to cause a conversation at the gate. A few things are worth knowing before you pack.

The allowance belongs to the airline

There is no single cabin size that every airline accepts. Each carrier sets its own allowance, and many set different allowances for different fares. On some fares the only thing included is a small bag that fits under the seat in front, and a wheeled cabin case costs extra. Check the allowance on your booking, not only on the airline's general page.

Wheels and handles count

Airlines measure a case as it stands, wheels, handles and all. A case described as 55 cm may measure more once the wheels are included. The Aluminium Cabin measures 55 × 36 × 23 cm with its wheels and handle, so the figure you read is the figure the sizer sees.

Weight matters as well as size

Many airlines set a weight limit for cabin bags as well as a size, and an empty case uses part of it before anything goes in. The Aluminium Cabin weighs 4 kg empty. Weigh the case once it is packed, at home, rather than finding out at the gate.

What should travel with you

Some things belong in the cabin whatever the size of your case: passport and travel documents, medication, keys, valuables, and anything you could not do without if the hold luggage went somewhere else. Spare lithium batteries and power banks must travel in the cabin, not in the hold. Liquids follow the security rules of the airport you leave from, and those rules have changed in recent years, so check them before you pack.

Locks that open for security

Security staff sometimes need to open a case. A lock approved by Travel Sentry can be opened by authorised staff with a master key, rather than being broken. Both locks on the Aluminium Cabin are TSA-approved combination locks.

Packing a cabin case

Heavy things go at the wheel end, so the case stands steadily and rolls straight. Shoes along the bottom, folded clothes on top, and whatever you need on board in the side you open first. The Cabin opens into two compartments, so what you need at security can be packed apart from what you do not.

If the trip runs longer than a long weekend, the Size Guide will tell you which case fits it.