Can You Bring A Picnic Basket On An Airplane?

Take your picnic to new heights, both literally and figuratively, by swapping out your carry-on for a picnic basket the next time to step on an airplane.

Whether you are looking for an exciting challenge or just an exciting charcuterie spread, there is something magical about picnicking in a new destination. Bringing along a carry-on picnic basket has become my favorite travel accessory.

Short answer: Yes, picnic baskets can be brought on board an airplane so long as it fits in the overhead compartment or under the seat in front of you. Since most picnic baskets are rigid structures with very little flexibility, you will need to make sure the dimensions are compliant with your airline.

Fast Facts About My Picnic Basket

Dimensions: 14” W x 8” D x 12.5” H
Material: wicker & cloth
Adjustable leather strap (drop length of 12”-16” inches)

My trips often center around eating & drinking my way through a city, and that means bouncing from location to location. Only having a day or two to explore everything a city has to offer is a daunting task that many weekend warriors & non-rev travelers have come to accept.

I loved the thrill of discovering local establishments & watering holes, but I knew that my time (not to mention my money) was extremely limited during these short trips.

Enter The Picnic Basket

Planning a picnic on your next trip is the best of all worlds. Picnics allow you the freedom to eat what you want, when you want. There are no reservations to be made, no maximum party size, and no outrageous menu prices. You can fill up your basket with food & drink from local markets and build a truly unique spread based on what is available wherever you end up. In short, flying with a picnic basket hark back to a simpler time and puts you in complete control.

However, I didn’t always see it that way.

Origin Story

I originally packed this picnic basket on a roadtrip fully expecting it to be a one-time novelty item. I am not sure if it was the picnic basket’s inherent charm or the fact that a 28oz Blender Bottle is capable of holding a whole bottle of wine, but I made a pact that day to keep it around.

After a second roadtrip picnic, it occurred to me that this picnic basket was small enough to be considered a personal item by most major airlines. By this point, I was fully onboard the Picnic Party train and ready to try my luck traveling on an airplane with it.

The following month, we listed on a non-rev flight to Pensacola (PNS) with nothing but books and a Brazilian canga packed inside our picnic basket. The plan was simple: rent a car, pick up some local goods, and enjoy an afternoon at the beach before flying back that night.

Seeing someone tote around a wicker basket is not an everyday occurrence. That is especially true when traveling via airplane. To say that I got a couple stares would be an understatement; all eyes were glued on the picnic basket as it bounced & bobbed down through the cabin.

To my pleasant surprise, this picnic basket fit like a glove underneath the seat in front of me (on a regional jet, no less). After sliding the wicker basket forward to be perfectly flush underneath the seat, I knew it was meant to be.

Since then, this picnic basket has flown with me all over the world. From the Gulf of Mexico to the Hawaiian islands, this basket has now flown more miles than some of my other travel bags.

Conclusion

Everyone has must-do activities when they build an itinerary. For me, planning a picnic around my destination is one of those activities.

Whether you find a suitable backpack or a carry-on compliant wicker picnic basket, I cannot think of a better idea than packing a picnic on your next airplane adventure.