A hint guys: Dig out (or go out and buy) your old set of ‘wimp wheels’, otherwise known as a foldable luggage carrier. Before roll around suitcases were invented, these were how airline crew kept their knuckles from dragging the ground (insert pun here) as a result of carrying heavy bags everywhere. The roll arounds are great, but the mechanisms inside steal critical volume. Find yourself a non-wheeled carry on case (hard sided best) that meets the strictest standard and then strap it to the wheels to move it. So far I haven’t seen an instance of the unstrapped wheels not getting a pass.

Reason for hard sided: Vast majority of folks overpack and the crammed full case bulges out. At more and more airports I see ‘the frame’. It is a welded tube structure w/ inside dimensions 22” x 14” x 8” (or whatever size your carrier allows) sitting beside the podium or the entry to the jetway. If your carry on fits inside, you’re good to go. No fit, off to the pit- no arguments allowed. Bulging sides WILL make an otherwise legal carry on fail.

All that said, my rolling bag always bulges, but…. No one gets to check it and anyway, the jet can’t leave w/o ME!