India, Oct. 18 -- I have travelled with enough cabin suitcases to know that bigger is not always better. In fact, when an airline is checking dimensions at the airport, I would much rather have a compact trolley that fits comfortably within the permitted size than a 55 cm suitcase that is technically cabin luggage but feels too wide or deep once you put it into a sizer.

This matters more now because cabin baggage rules are not identical across airlines. IndiGo currently permits one cabin bag up to 7 kg and 55 x 35 x 25 cm, while Air India's Economy and Premium Economy allowance is 7 kg with a 55 x 40 x 20 cm size limit. So that familiar 55 cm label does not tell you the whole story. After testing plenty of luggage myself, I have started ...