Overweight hand baggage

I'm going to be carrying several k's worth of camera gear on one of my US trips next year. It'll be contained in a cabin sized Lowepro rucksack style camera bag which will also hold my laptop. Now, it's going to be WAY over the 5kg economy limit and I'm really worried about checking it into the hold in case the bag gets run over (like my case did last time). What are my options?

[fozzyo]

I've never had or seen anyone have their cabin bags weighed. How much over the limit do you expect to be?

Someone can checking in can be under the limit but then go and buy several bottles of stuff etc in Duty free that may well push them over the limit.

Is this something you can call Virgin about to ask advice? Or can you just try checking in and hoping for the best, if they say anything make a bit of a fuss about it and what happened previously ... in the politest manner possible of course.

Foz )

[Pete]

quote:Originally posted by fozzyo
if they say anything make a bit of a fuss about it and what happened previously ... in the politest manner possible of course.

Er, please don't That's somewhat akin to the muppets you see on the TV programme 'Airline' trying to bring a Giraffe into the cabin - 'It was fine on Ryan Air last week - what's wrong with you people?'

Seriously though, there is a reason why there is a weight limit - during heavy turbulance or a heavy landing, that bag could fall out of the overhead and do serious damage (and imagine how you'd feel if it was a kid that was sitting under your overweight bag). My advice is to get yourself a flight case for the majority of your equipment and check it in.

Pix

Damn!
I was planning to take my blacksmiths anvil to JFK in the new year and it simply has to travel with me in the cabin...

Dean

In my experience the only time hand baggage gets weighed is when you're over the limit and have something you'd really rather not check in.

I'd agree with pix - check it in packed in something suitably robust.

3 of us checking in at UC but with y tickets last week, asked what we were checking we said nothing, we were asked to weigh our 2 carry-ons both were 10kgs so we had to check them.Both bags are samsonite cabin carry-ons (not massive over sized things) that we have used for the last 15 years.

quote:Seriously though, there is a reason why there is a weight limit - during heavy turbulance or a heavy landing, that bag could fall out of the overhead and do serious damage

These same bags/same weight sit in the overhead in UC without any problems.I did not mind having to check the bags in at all in Y as they were over weight.

[fozzyo]

Ignore me ... go with what the man who knows what he's talking about said and was probably a bit more awake at the time.

Out of interest has anyone had experience of passengers getting carried away at Duty free and tried to board with two cases of wine or something that will obviously take you over the limit. It is always something I have been a bit paranoid about so never like to buy too much to avoid the hassle. And hassles with customs at the other end too.

Foz )

quote:Originally posted by JAT74L
I'm going to be carrying several k's worth of camera gear on one of my US trips next year. It'll be contained in a cabin sized Lowepro rucksack style camera bag which will also hold my laptop. Now, it's going to be WAY over the 5kg economy limit and I'm really worried about checking it into the hold in case the bag gets run over (like my case did last time). What are my options?

The airlines have a dichotomy in that they say '5kg max' but also 'valuable items should be stored in hand baggage'.

FWIW Prior to 9/11 I used to always carry expensive satellite related communications equipment on board with me. The reality is that often my trip is not worth doing unless I have working equipment - and the weight was often in the region of 25kg, although it was small. I normally slip it under the seat in front rather than put it in the overhead lockers for safety.

After 9/11, security scanning has become so retentive and time consuming that I usually (but not always) check the baggage, investing in (a) insurance and (b) one of these http://www.peliproducts.co.uk. In the year after 9/11, out of the first half dozen trips to the US my baggage only arrived at the carousel once. The rest of the times it had been delayed by up to two days as it never made the outgoing flight. But it did always arrive eventually.

On the way back from the US with checked baggage, I now formally request a TSA inspection at which I am present, and that they re-seal the baggage with cable ties that I supply. More often than not it induces a jobs-worth attitude - but would you consider putting many thousands of pounds worth of equipment through, when that you know it will be searched? Then risk discovering it on ebay a few days later?

If you have enough time and know your final destination (eg a hotel), an alternative is to send it as freight, and I have done this on occasion.

Friends of mine who take satellite equipment to launch sites call airports ahead and warn the security folks of their impending arrival - they have cases measured up to speecifically for fitting in overhead bins of certain aircraft. In the past they used to purchase seats to sit the equipment, although this only seems to work for musical instruments these days.

Another snide way to take it on board is to park up in the short stay, leaving the bag locked away safely hidden in the car. Then check in, return to your car and re-park it in the long stay (or return it to the rental car office). Hopefully the gate agent will be too busy to notice your new baggage.

Cheers, Howard

[Pete]

quote:Originally posted by jaguarpig

These same bags/same weight sit in the overhead in UC without any problems.I did not mind having to check the bags in at all in Y as they were over weight.

The point that normally always gets raised about carry on allowances whenever the subject comes up is 'If it's ok for UC passengers to bring in more than one piece, surely the limits are not because of safety?'.

Since there are a lot less passengers per-square-inch in the Upper Class cabin, there are more overhead bins per person, and therefore even with double the allowance, there's less overall carry on baggage. There is still a weight limit per item, though, for the reasons stated above.

As it happens, Richard and I discussed this very issue with Virgin's GM for Airport Services and he recognises it as a general problem within the aviation industry. Most passengers (and especially our American cousins - no offence meant), like to do whatever they can to avoid checking in luggage, especially if it saves a few minutes at the other end collecting it. At some airports the ground staff are more keen than others, and will unburden you of your crate of duty free wine at the aircraft door. However, there are some logistical and safety issues which don't always make this easy. From the aircraft door to the hold typically the route down is by the (rather sheer) steps attached to the air bridge. In the wet it's not particularly easy to start lugging overweight bags down those steps and there's also the potential delays this could cause to the aircraft; so some stations just don't bother.

It's not helped by the whole duty free thing, where at some airports you can even buy a fridge freezer on your way to the plane [:0]

My advice is to be sensible about what you are taking into the cabin, and only take it in if you think you'll actually need it. If you have expensive or fragile equipment, a sturdy purpose built flight case is going to offer better protection in the hold than the overhead bin (especially when your fellow passengers are trying to jam their Giraffe in up against your bags).

Pix

The leave your hand luggage with a mate will work - but you may come a cropper on board if it wont fit under the seat!

Being a wheelchair user I've never had any issues with hand luggage as its hung on the back of the chair so at checkin I do a 180 and show them the luggage - its a fairly small holdall but usually very full! I guess it would weigh more than 5KG!!

quote:Originally posted by fozzyo
Out of interest has anyone had experience of passengers getting carried away at Duty free and tried to board with two cases of wine or something that will obviously take you over the limit.

Avoidance: Pre-ordering from Retail Therapy:
a) has the stuff already on board for you,
b) earns miles, and
c) can be cheaper (particularly for smokes departing from UK)

;)

Cheers

Michael

quote:Originally posted by mcuth

b) earns miles

10 miles per £1 more if you use a millage CC[8D]:D;)[^]

Also you can get free gifts such as Shot Glasses;)

I now have this wonderful picture of EC full of fridge freezers and giraffes.

[mitchja]

quote:Originally posted by HelenF
I now have this wonderful picture of EC full of fridge freezers and giraffes.

I actually broke this trend as I had a rather large Tigger sticking out of my bag on one return flight from MCO a few years ago. I was asked to buy a Tigger and I'm sure he grew, as he didn't look that big on the shelf. Isn't it always the way, you buy these things but dont think about how you are going to get them home [:p] I did get plenty of nice comments from fellow PAX and VS crew though.

There was also the time I bought a digi-cam at LHR on my way to SFO. By the time I got to the hotel after picking up my hire car I was sick of carrying the over-sized box it came in.

Regards

Hi Pixuk

You raise some really intersting points:

> The point that normally always
> gets raised about carry on allowances
> whenever the subject comes up is 'If
> it's ok for UC passengers to bring
> in more than one piece, surely the
> limits are not because of safety?'.

Actually I've heard all manner of excuses from airline agents, usually blaming anyone but themselves, but instead the CAA and anyone else that came to mind. (ie the typical customer fob off). After getting PO'd with the inconsistency of weight limits a few years ago I spent some time investigating the whole carry on thing.

My understanding is that the CAA don't stipulate a precise weight, they just say that overhead (or carry on) should "be safe" - now it's up to the airline on what they consider what "is safe". I'd be intersted to know if my understanding is incorrect, and I apologise right away if it is not.

In the UK I'm guessing that it boils down to one incident with cabin crew a few years ago. I don't know if it was VS, but as I remember, didn't VS uniquely put in susidiary 'cages' in their overhead lockers for a while about 7 or 8 years ago? But they've not been there for the past three or four years at least.

The reality has been for many years that in the US you can take a lot more as carry on their carriers than you can with UK carriers - and I mean a _lot_ more.

5kg is, has been, and always will be a joke. How many pieces of reading material does it take to make 5kg? Not much!!!

> Most passengers (and especially
> our American cousins - no
> offence meant), like to do
> whatever they can to avoid
> checking in luggage, especially
> if it saves a few minutes

A few minutes???? Give me a break! C'mon pixuk! With the uber maximum respect I know this is your forum but it's hardly a few minutes . Plus the fundamentals of reliability and security of baggage delivery are big issues for pax.

If I knew my bags were to be delivered within 20 minutes of landing I'd be content. But they're not - consistently! And maybe I do travel exclusively in BC and FC, but no, my bags almost never come off first, and never are they there waiting for me after passport control.

> My advice is to be sensible about
> what you are taking into the cabin,

Agreed!!!

> and only take it in if you think
> you'll actually need it. If you
> have expensive or fragile equipment,
> a sturdy purpose built flight case
> is going to offer better protection
> in the hold than the overhead bin

Sadly I can't agree.

> (especially when your fellow
> passengers are trying to jam
> their Giraffe in up against your bags).

All I can say, some of us don't always fly on vacation

Cheers, and thanks for the great forum!

Howard

[Pete]

quote:Originally posted by Howard Long

A few minutes???? Give me a break! C'mon pixuk! With the uber maximum respect I know this is your forum but it's hardly a few minutes . Plus the fundamentals of reliability and security of baggage delivery are big issues for pax.

If I knew my bags were to be delivered within 20 minutes of landing I'd be content. But they're not - consistently! And maybe I do travel exclusively in BC and FC, but no, my bags almost never come off first, and never are they there waiting for me after passport control.

Ok, an underestimation on my part; and I will put my hand up to occassionally taking more than the strict limit onto the aircraft on those times I've been on a single night trip and don't have enough to justify a suitcase. However, the amount I've ever taken onboard is a fraction I've seen being lugged on on US domestic flights. Some passengers practically drag a Grand Piano on with them.

The bottom line is, if your bag is the one that falls out and causes serious injury to a kid sitting underneath it (and it is clearly overweight), would you be happy with that responsibility to save time at the airport? I couldn't.

I travel on business too, but I don't think that adds any justification for putting someone else in danger.

Pix

quote:Originally posted by pixuk
Ok, an underestimation on my part; and I will put my hand up to occassionally taking more than the strict limit onto the aircraft on those times I've been on a single night trip and don't have enough to justify a suitcase. However, the amount I've ever taken onboard is a fraction I've seen being lugged on on US domestic flights. Some passengers practically drag a Grand Piano on with them.

The bottom line is, if your bag is the one that falls out and causes serious injury to a kid sitting underneath it (and it is clearly overweight), would you be happy with that responsibility to save time at the airport? I couldn't.

I travel on business too, but I don't think that adds any justification for putting someone else in danger.

Pix

Nope - that is why in general I place it underneath the seat in front of me, or in a closet.

OK for grins, I'm going to be frivolous now, so feel free to bite back

Now we've established that airlines can't deliver baggage quickly, and therefore potentially endager kids under overhead bins.

I run my own company and therefore pay for my own and others' travel, so I'll put my money where my mouth is. I don't mind paying a tenner or twenty quid more if my bags really would arrive first like the airline marketing guys said it would.

Do you think that'll make any difference? If not, how much would it take?

Cheers, Howard

[Decker]

Given that the baggage is handled by agents not the airline themselves it is difficult to see any way in which adding money to the ticket price would help. So we'd need a separate transaction directly to the agents. Perhaps an annual fee for a (soon stolen) special luggage tag per bag?

[fozzyo]

I know its nice to get the very first bags off the carousel, but UC generally arrive first, PE and then Econ. After just spending between six and thirteen hours trapped in a steel tube an extra ten minute wait isn't really a problem for me.

And I imagine it would be very difficult to achieve any sort of service level agreement on baggage times - the variables and potential scenarios involved must be huge.

Foz )

ok ok these thoughts are coming to my mind

there is this fridge freezer situated next to this grand piano
suddenly the fridge door opens and out steps a giraffe and starts playing the piano ....

anyway back to reality

i am going LGW-MCO in UC
my daughter and i have to take lots of prescription medication
we have it all in one carry on bag as we just could not manage if it was lost . the total weight of the bag when loaded is 5.5 kg
should i take some out and put in another bag.
we did it this way so that if they ask about any of the tablets we have them all in one bag with the paper work from the doctor.
advise please

steve

[Pete]

The current limit on hand baggage is 6kg, although it's not strictly enforced.

Pix

thats great thanks
i read somewhere on the virgin site yesterday and thought it said 5kg

must have been wrong not surprising at the moment with just 7 days before we leave i have so much going round in my head i cant even write my own name right

steeb

Hi candyman,

As you will be travelling in UC you can have 2 pieces of handluggage not weighing more than 16kg in total (8kg each);

Details here for ( scroll down for UC );

http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/pa ... wances.jsp

Regards

TBS

thanks TBS that must be where i got the 8 kg from

that has really pu another problem out of the way

you are all so helpfull on here

thanks to everyone for making the whole thing go so much more smothly

steve