A useful travel guide needs to explain both the rule and the situation where it applies. Our editorial process starts with the traveler’s decision: what to pack, what to buy or what to check before leaving. It then separates established facts from examples, interpretation and unresolved questions.
This page describes how CarryOnSizes researches, reviews and updates its guides. CarryOnSizes Editorial is our publishing label. It does not represent an airline, airport, government agency or named panel of travel experts.
1. Identify the question and its boundaries
Each guide should answer a clear question. An airline baggage guide needs the operating carrier, fare conditions and applicable travel dates. A security guide needs a jurisdiction, and a product guide needs a defined use case.
We read traveler questions to identify recurring points of confusion. These can reveal useful problems, such as a partly empty oversized bottle or two versions of the same suitcase. Individual reports inform our research questions; they do not establish policy.
We avoid expanding a narrow answer into a universal promise. Permission at US security does not establish permission at a foreign airport. Passing security does not settle airline carriage or customs entry.
2. Use the source responsible for the decision
| Question | Primary source |
|---|---|
| Airline bag dimensions, weight and purchased allowances | The operating airline’s policy and fare conditions |
| US checkpoint screening | TSA’s current item and screening guidance |
| Batteries and other hazardous materials | The relevant regulator and the operating airline |
| Food and other imports | The destination’s customs or biosecurity authority |
| Airport visitor access | The airport and the program’s official instructions |
| Product dimensions, materials and warranty terms | The manufacturer’s exact model and applicable terms |
Official information comes first for rules and specifications. Independent reporting can add context, while owner discussions can reveal practical questions about a product. We do not treat a search result snippet as a complete source read.
Source links should sit near the information they support. We favor a small number of useful links over attaching a citation to every sentence. The reader should be able to inspect the actual policy without searching through an unrelated source list.
3. Resolve dates, units and exceptions
We distinguish an announced change from a rule already in force. Route announcements need a start date; seasonal service needs its operating period. Status qualification rules can differ from the benefits available during the following membership year.
Measurements need context too. A suitcase’s shell size can differ from its external size with wheels and handles. We identify the relevant measurement and avoid silently substituting a similar model.
Conversions and worked examples should be labeled clearly. A battery calculation needs its nominal voltage, not just a capacity in milliamp-hours. A bag’s advertised liters do not prove that it fits a rectangular airline limit.
Where official sources conflict, we examine their dates, scope and level of detail. If the conflict remains unresolved, the guide should say so and explain what the reader needs to confirm. We do not invent certainty to simplify a table.
4. Make the answer usable
A guide should give a direct answer early, then explain the conditions that can change it. Tables help compare allowances or products. Worked examples help readers apply a rule without pretending an example is a real passenger’s experience.
Visuals must earn their space by clarifying a decision, measurement or sequence. Their essential meaning should also be available in nearby text. We keep images responsive and reserve their dimensions to support a stable mobile reading experience.
Links between our guides should help complete the same task. For example, an airline allowance can lead to a packing restriction or an appropriate bag comparison. We avoid adding unrelated links simply to increase their number.
5. Review research and claims before publication
Our workflow uses AI assistance for research, drafting and illustration. A separate editorial review checks the draft against its source material before publication. AI output is not itself evidence for a travel rule.
Review covers the main answer, exceptions, dates, calculations, internal links and the relationship between visible content and metadata. Automated checks help flag formatting and consistency problems. They complement the source review rather than replace it.
We do not invent trips, product tests, credentials, quotations or customer experiences. AI generated featured images carry an illustration label. A scene showing luggage in an airport does not establish that the luggage was tested there.
How we handle luggage recommendations
Our buying guides distinguish desk research from hands-on testing. Unless a guide explicitly describes a documented test, recommendations are based on specifications, relevant policies and available owner feedback. We explain useful tradeoffs and poor fits alongside the reasons to consider a product.
Exact model names and generations matter. A retailer can stock an older version while the manufacturer advertises a redesign. Readers should compare the linked listing’s specifications, variant and warranty before ordering.
Commercial links are disclosed. A commission relationship does not establish a recommendation’s suitability, and we do not invent ratings or test results. Read our affiliate disclosure for the shopping details.
Updates, corrections and checked dates
A checked date records an information review. It does not promise continuous monitoring or guarantee that a policy will remain unchanged. A page’s original publication and later modification dates are kept separate.
We revisit guides when research or a credible correction identifies a material change. Updating a date alone is not a substitute for checking the affected information. Readers should still confirm a time-sensitive allowance or booking condition with the responsible provider.
To report a problem, use our contact page. Send the affected URL, the passage in question and an official source where available. Route, fare and effective date details help us assess whether a reported difference is an exception or a changed rule.
We assess corrections on their evidence. We can correct wording, calculations, links or outdated conditions when the evidence supports a change. Please do not include private booking references, passport numbers or account credentials.
Search visibility and structured data
Our titles, descriptions and structured data should describe the content readers can actually see. Questions in article markup must have matching visible answers. We avoid presenting research-based recommendations as product tests through review or rating markup.
Clear structure can help readers and search systems understand a guide. It cannot guarantee indexing, rankings, rich results or citations by an AI service. The priority remains an accurate answer that helps someone prepare for a journey.