MIAMI -- In anticipation of heavy holiday travel, two airlines are placing limits on checked bags and boxes.

American Airlines and American Eagle said Tuesday that they are limiting the size and number of checked bags and prohibiting checked boxes for flights to and from several cities in Latin America, Mexico and the Caribbean.

From Dec. 10 through Jan. 9, 2004, American and American Eagle will not accept boxes, and the airlines will limit baggage to two checked items and one carry-on for the effected flights.

The limits apply to flights to and from:

• Cali, Colombia
• Caracas, Venezuela
• Guatemala City, Guatemala
• Kingston, Jamaica
• La Paz, Bolivia
• Lima, Peru
• Managua, Nicaragua
• Maracaibo, Venezuela
• Panama City, Panama
• Port-au-Prince, Haiti
• Port of Spain, Trinidad
• Puerto Rico
• Quito, Ecuador
• San Pedro Sula, Honduras
• San Salvador
• Santa Cruz, Bolivia
• Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Boxes will also not be accepted for flights to and from Mexico City.

On the regulated flights, excess, oversize and overweight baggage will not be accepted.

Passengers are limited to two checked bags, each not exceeding 62 linear inches and 70 pounds.

One carry-on bag will be allowed with a maximum size of 45 linear inches and a maximum weight of 40 pounds.