Go ahead and fill that roller bag, because you're not going to need a smaller carry-on after all

We hope that you didn't rush out to buy a new carry-on bag, because it seems like the ones we've all been using will still be OK to take on our next flight. On Wednesday, the International Air Transport Association, the trade association that represents 250 airlines worldwide, has backed off its suggestion for a smaller "optimal" size for carry-ons. Just a week ago, IATA proposed shrinking the acceptable size of hand luggage by 21%, a recommendation that was met with suspicion (and probably a fair amount of profanity) from frequent fliers.

Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) praised IATA for changing its collective mind. He said:

After standing up for consumers and saying 'no' to the airline industry, I am pleased that the IATA has done the right thing and parked its proposal in the hangar. Fliers who own previously approved carry-on bags should not have had to cough up another baseless fee to the airline industry.

Menendez hit upon the most widely shared criticism of the smaller bag proposal: that it had less to do with making the most of the space in the overhead bins and was more a ploy to get more passengers to have to check their bags – and pay the associated fees for doing so.

Airlines for America, the organization that advocates on behalf of the major U.S. carriers (including American, Delta, JetBlue Southwest, United and US Airways) released a statement earlier this week, ensuring fliers that no domestic airline was going to support the smaller carry-on bag initiative in the first place.

IATA echoed that sentiment, saying that even if their Cabin OK plan had gone into effect, it would've been a recommendation, not a requirement. But despite the reluctance of U.S. airlines to adopt it, a number of other European and Gulf carriers – including Emirates, Lufthansa and Qatar Airways – had agreed to enforce the policy. IATA officials haven't slammed the metaphorical overhead bin on the policy forever, suggesting that they might alter the measurements or requirements to make it more palatable to travelers.