We bought this bag for a European trip which we are currently on. I bought it for the main reason that it could fit under the seat instead of in the overhead bin. I was a little skeptical, but for MOST airline seats, it really does fit. There are a few exceptions, such as seats with electronic boxes under them. Fortunately, because we were traveling as a group, in those instances I switched places with my kids so it could fit under their seat instead. If you were traveling alone, you could always use the overhead bin. I appreciate all of the organizational features this bag has. I'm not so sure about the plastic compartments for longevity, but we'll see how that wears with time. The only other thing I might change is the fact that there is 1 handle to carry it when the retractable is down. There is a concern that if this ever breaks, there is no easy way to carry the bag. Again, time will tell on this. Other than that, it's a great bag that we hope to use a lot.