With a couple exceptions. I got this because I've been ending up on short notice flights and I don't like checking my bags, but I didn't have a suitable bag to bring with me as a carry on. I've noticed in the last few years more and more airlines gate checking rolling bags, so while I like not having to actually carry a bag around, I'm not gate checking, that defeats the purpose of a carry on. I ordered this after carefully checking the dimensions of carry ons with the airline I fly. I was worried it would not fit in an overhead, or it would not fit what I needed. While I love the bag and will continue to use it, there are a few things to keep in mind if you're going to use it as a carry on. First, it won't fit in all overheads. I live near a small regional airport, they fly planes that only seat about 30 people, and the overheads sometimes feel like more of a decoration. Because of this, traditionally, everything but your personal item would be gate checked. Due to covid, I got lucky and my planes flew maybe ten of us each time, so I had the floor rack to myself. I did test it in the overhead, not going to happen. I had to place the bag lengthwise in front of me, and slide my backpack in at an angle next to it. If you don't have an empty seat next to you, and you're on a smaller craft, you'll be gate checking this. I figured I could possibly put it under the seat and stick my backpack in the overhead, but that would have been a squish if I had to share the floor space. That said, all "normal" sized planes I ended up on it fit perfectly in the overhead, I didn't have to squish it down or stuff anything, and I was within the max bag size by a couple inches all around. Space wise, the bag packs a ton. I rolled my clothes before packing, and I got about two weeks worth of clothing, a pair of shoes, a pair of sandals, and a small bathroom bag that holds my non-liquid stuff (combs, hair ties, brushes, etc). I kept my liquids in my backpack, but I probably could have fit them in there, I just didn't want to open it. It lies perfectly flat when open, there is one side that has a mesh zipped cover, the other has a solid cover, with a mesh zip compartment. It would be possible to overpack this, and end up with something too fat in the middle to fit in an overhead. I was pretty careful about this, plus the more I put in there, the more it weighs, and I have to sling that thing across massive airports, so no thanks on unnecessary weight. There are two side handles, and a long strap, the long strap has a very nice, very comfortable pad, and you could also fit the side straps on a shoulder if needed comfortably. I did notice some of the reviews on this saying it isn't a real Vera Bradley bag, I made sure Amazon was the seller, and my bag is authentic. I would be sure to read seller reviews before purchasing from a third party though. It is a nice solid bag, I don't find anything about it flimsy, secure stitching for all the handles, zippers and seams. This is probably too big for me for anything less than a week, so I won't be using it for that, and if the trip is really long, or winter clothing is involved, I'll still need to check a bag instead.
