Aer City Pack vs. Thule Aion 40L
Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.
Feature by feature
| Aer City Pack | Feature | Thule Aion 40L |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | ||
| N | Compression | N |
| None | Expanded Capacity | None |
| 1 | Opening | 1 |
| top | Passport | top |
| Y | Passthrough | Y |
| Carry | ||
| Y | Backpack | Y |
| N | Hip Belt | optional |
| removable | Sternum Strap | Y |
| Inside | ||
| 16in | Laptop | 16in |
| 4 | Main Compartments | 4 |
| Y | Organizer | Y |
| Outside | ||
| × | Hard Shell | × |
| N | Rain-fly | N |
| 1, side | Water Bottle Holder | 1, side |
| Y | Water Resistant | Y |
| Material | |
| 1680D Cordura® ballistic nylon exterior | |
Key differences between the Aer City Pack and Thule Aion 40L
- Hip belt: No on the Aer City Pack; Optional on the Thule Aion 40L.
- Sternum strap: Removable on the Aer City Pack; Yes on the Thule Aion 40L.
Both have: passport pocket, luggage passthrough, backpack straps, laptop sleeve, built-in organizer, water bottle pockets, water resistant.
Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on
We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 132 accept both. 46 accept only the Aer City Pack, and 0 accept only the Thule Aion 40L.
Only the Aer City Pack fits
Air Baltic, Air China, Air Malta, Air Niugini, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, American Eagle, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Belavia, Blue Air, Bulgaria Air, China Eastern, easyJet, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, Etihad Airways, flybe, Icelandair, InselAir, Juneyao Airlines, Liat Airlines, Luxair, Meridiana Fly, Nordwind Airlines, Oman Air, Pakistan International, Qatar Airways, Ravn Alaska, Regional Express, Royal Brunei Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Ryanair, S7, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sun Express, TAP Air Portugal, TAROM, Tianjin Airlines (A320 & E190), TUI, Ukraine International, VIM Airlines (Closed), Virgin Australia, Volotea, Xiamen.
Aer City Pack vs. Thule Aion 40L: which should you pack?
The Thule Aion 40L carries 26L more than the Aer City Pack (14L vs. 40L), while the Aer City Pack is the lighter pack at 1.1kg (vs. 1.5kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Aer City Pack fits 94% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Thule Aion 40L; if you want to travel lighter, the Aer City Pack is the better call.