Last Updated on March 22, 2023
Key Takeaways
- Yes, you can bring a cardboard box as luggage on a plane if it is compliant with your airlines size and weight restrictions for checked baggage
- Airlines may require you to sign a damage waiver absolving them from responsibility for damages before accepting baggage in a box
- TSA officers may need to open your box if additional screening is required
- JetBlue appears not to accept boxes as checked luggage for international flights
While suitcases are the most common form of carry-on baggage they are not the only way to transport your belongings when you fly.
There are two authorities that regulate airplane luggage, the Transportation Security Administration, and the airline that you choose to travel with.
Let’s look at the TSA first. Here’s Chelsea asking the TSA if it’s okay to bring a cardboard box to check instead of a suitcase:
You can check in a cardboard box closed with packing tape, however, if our officers must open it for additional screening, they need to open the box. They’ll do their best to tape the box up after the inspection
TSA on Twitter
Since cardboard isn’t viewed as a security risk it’s not an issue for the TSA.
However, the TSA security officers that screen your luggage may need to open your box to check what is inside it if an alarm is triggered when it is x-rayed.
If they do open up your box they’ll do their best to tape the box up after the inspection.
So as far as the TSA is concerned you can bring cardboard boxes or a plastic box on a plane either through the airport security checkpoint on as checked luggage to be collected at baggage claim.
The second authority is much more relevant when deciding whether you can bring a particular box on a plane or use it as hold luggage.
Your airlines rules about the size and weight of your luggage apply to any box or bag that you want to fly with.
Using A Box As Checked Baggage
Firstly, bringing checked baggage often means you’ll pay baggage charges. You might have a free checked baggage allowance for one item if you are taking an international flight. Or a free allowance if you are flying business class.
But bringing a cardboard box to check-in means usually paying a fee when compared to bringing carry-on baggage only.
Most airlines have a maximum weight limit for checked luggage of 50 lbs. Frontier specifies a 40 lb maximum. You can compare airlines here.
This limit is partly to protect baggage handlers who need to lift a lot of suitcases every day.
Size restrictions are usually defined by linear inches, and 62 linear inches is the most common size limit.
To calculate linear inches you need to sum the length + width + height of your box.
So long as the sum of these three measurements is less than 62 inches your box will not be oversized.
So what is the biggest box you can check on a plane?
To calculate the volume of a rectangular box you need to multiply the length x width x height.
It turns out that the maximum capacity 62 linear inch box would be a perfect cube.
The largest luggage size for a check in box is 20.66 x 20.66 x 20.66 inches.
If you do bring a box as checked luggage you might face the scorn of other travelers like Ben who snarkily asked “Who takes a cardboard box as their hold luggage?”.
Smart people do Ben!
Because there’s a good reason to do so.
A box of these dimensions would be exactly 62 linear inches and have a capacity of a whopping 144 liters.
A standard check-in suitcase only holds around 115 liters. So you can get up to an extra 29 liters storage capacity by using a box rather than a suitcase. All while staying under the 62 linear inches maximum size limit.
So it makes sense to use a cardboard box when you want to maximize luggage volume as long as you are still able to stay under the weight limit.
This knowledge would be useful in situations where you want to transport clothes, pillows and other similar items that are lightweight.
And also, a standard checked suitcase probably weights 11 or 12 lbs… when empty! So you’ve used up a lot of your weight allowance before you’ve even packed anything!
There are some pitfalls to be aware of.
Obviously a cardboard box isn’t as sturdy as a suitcase. And the lack of wheels and handles could be a major inconvenience.
One thing you can do is to add an extra layer of cardboard at the bottom of the box to provide extra support.
For fragile, breakable items you can line the box with bubble wrap.
It’s also not a bad idea to plastic wrap the box.
Your cardboard box might just end up sitting outside in the rain like Kristen spotted:
So use whatever packing materials you need to to protect your belongings, just make sure that the checked luggage dimensions and luggage weight rules aren’t broken.
You could use luggage straps to help make it easier to lift your box.
Some airlines might ask you to sign a damage waiver. They don’t want to be responsible for poorly packaged baggage.
Consider shipping your box to your destination as an alternative. It might be cheaper than bringing it with you on your trip.
Can you bring a cardboard box as carry-on luggage?
What about bringing a cardboard box on to the plane using your carry-on luggage allowance?
As mentioned above the TSA doesn’t have a problem with it and a box of any type can be brought through airport security.
It comes down to whether or not the box complies with your airline hand luggage rules.
Many airlines in the United States use 22 x 14 x 9 as their carry-on luggage size limit. You might see a sizing box frame at the check-in counter and your box would need to fit inside the frame.
Some legacy airlines also specify an alternative carry-on baggage size limit of 45 linear inches.
That means you can bring a box that is a length larger than 22 inches as long as the sum of the three dimensions is less than 45 inches.
Carry-on boxes do need to fit in the overhead bins, and air stewards might gate check a box if they are struggling to store it on the plane.
Also, while airlines in the US don’t usually have weight limits for carry-on baggage they do require than you are able to physically lift the box above your head in a safe manner. Don’t assume that the air steward will help you do this since they are not require to assist you.
If you are bringing a small box on the plane then it might qualify as your personal item. This is a second piece of hand luggage that goes under the seat in front of you.
What Do The Airlines Say?
The TSA cares more about what you pack inside your luggage than what the luggage is made from.
And airlines care more about the size and weight of your baggage.
Simply put, there is no requirement for your luggage to have wheels or a handle.
American Airlines
Allison asked AA if she could bring a cardboard box as a checked item:
And the AA social media team told her that it wasn’t a problem.
Delta Air Lines
Eric asked Delta:
Delta replied that the same rules about dimensions and weight apply to boxes as they do to standard luggage.
Frontier
Mary checked with Frontier if a box full of clothes would be allowed to be checked:
JetBlue
JetBlue also allow boxes as checked baggage but mentioned that boxes or plastic bins were not acceptable for international flights unless you are going to Cuba.
Southwest Airlines
Erica was told by Southwest that she could bring a box as one of her checked bags but that it may be accepted with limited liability only depending how sturdy it is:
United Airlines
Drake got the green light from United about using a cardboard box as checked luggage as long as the dimensions and weight are within the regulations:
