Airlines-- carry on changes, again.

JohnTF

JohnTF

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Just saw a notice that Continental reduced carry on by six inches and wants to start measuring, forcing you to check and pay. Right after I bought a roller carry on to stash my cameras, they reduced the allowable size by six inches then, and though my bag fits the short way in the overhead, now they began to check and charge, they seem to be looking for more ways to force you to check another bag.

I have already bought a ticket, at the new higher prices, so I guess the next step is to look for a newer bag, and smaller kit.

I had to check carry on twice in Europe as they were weighing it at check in, and their limits there seemed to be the weight of the carry on empty plus a roll of film. Results were a repair bill for a camera I could not get in to my hands until I bought another bag at duty free. They never mess with duty free, they often make more on that than the flight.

And, I did complain to TSA years ago that someone was opening luggage in Newark, even after it had been checked and sealed by TSA at point of origin, without leaving a notice in the bag, or for that matter latching the bag shut. Airlines also do not cover anything checked against loss except clothes, and the bag. Perhaps I should check ebay?

Any way to get their attention?

I cannot see Fed Ex to international destinations, it was $35 one way to New Jersey for my Leica body.

I understand photographers may be allowed one more carry on bag, but no one at the airport understands that.

Regards, John
 
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A messenger style of bag will be considered as a lady's bag and normally don't count. Never had a single problem by doing that in Europe, they don't even look at it.
 
I just returned from Istanbul via Delta, and had no problems carrying, x-raying, and hand
checking my camera backpack. I always travel fairly light and keep my gear to a minimum.

Leaving Istanbul, everyone had to go through airport security twice.

-Keith
 
I travel frequently and the new rules are indeed a hassle. It's actually one of the reason why I switched over to rangefinders recently as I couldn't get my SLR gear around properly (especially in Europe and US). Now, I squeeze a rangefinder body and one to two lenses in my laptop bag and get by. If you travel with more than one small bag, then be prepared for the hassle. Worst if you have have any Liquid, Aerosol or Gas canisters with you.

As for anything of value to bring back with you from the Americas, it's actually better to ship it back separately than to check it in your luggage.

Cheers,
 
Look for a smaller bag, perhaps, but I'd look for another airline. When BAA shrunk the size of carry-ons allowed through their airports following the liquid explosives scare in 2006, it was pressure from passengers (who went out of their way to avoid transiting Heathrow or Gatwick) that forced them back to the IATA standard size for cabin baggage.
 
My solution - stop traveling. Screw the airlines. There's more than enough to photograph around home. Of course, I do live in the New York area, so YMMV.

/T
 
This has long been the case in most of Europe, and with non-US airlines. I've found that as long as you respect the size limits, weight is almost never a problem.

At the risk of sounding anti-American, when I've stayed inside the European limits (as far as I recall, 7x14x22 inches, but that's purely from memory) and flown to the US, I've often been amazed at the vast portmanteaux that some people seem to regard as suitable for carry-on and that they are allowed to carry on, sometimes with the result that there's no room for other people's reasonable-sized carry-on bags, which have to be checked as a result.

Wear a photographer's vest to off-load stuff into the pockets, if they do query weight. That's always worked for me.

Cheers,

Roger
 
Thanks, I guess I and perhaps a few others, are good for a rant, once in a while. "New" rules in effect Nov. 1.

I also Carry an empty carry on bag inside of my roller, so if something has to be moved, I adjust.

Paris used to have the best, strong, with a good pair of straps all around, $6 water resistant duty free nylon bag. I heard some people actually put duty free in them.

Paris and Prague were the two PITA airports, both Orly and Rossy, but the upshot of it is, you never know until you get on if your bag is going to be measured and weighed. I have never seen anyone have to submit to the carry on sizing frames, it seems to be mainly at the check in, and is highly variable. Prague once charged me more than the price of the ticket for excess baggage as I was staying in Paris more than 24 hours, so the limit was less. There were 7 bags on the plane when I arrived, but in truth, the bag was heavy.

Roger, I think you are correct, the new "enforced" (whatever that will mean) carry on is 41" total dimensions, and I realize some people do really try and go crazy with the carry on "portmanteaus". Rules may be different if you are traveling internationally, but I was charged for the American leg of the flight for an extra 5 lbs. If they start weighing me, lord knows how much the bill. People arrive with boarding passes and last trip I checked in curb side and went to the gate.

Just hate to not know what is really what. All the roller bags basically look the same, and I prefer to have mine look like "non" camera gear and a little beat up. I also wonder if you get your extra baggage charges back if they misplace your luggage?

I think mine is the older standard, but looks close enough to normally not draw attention, and fits in overheads the correct way. No one has questioned the size.

I mostly travel alone and have some medical needs, Cepap and meds, so it all begins to add up.

I do now travel less and generally for longer times. I pay more for more direct flights, because of the aggro.

This may just be another "new" news story, but it does say it takes effect Nov. 1, so thanks for the one week warning, if you read the news.

I will have to dig out the link to the agreement allowing photographers an extra bag, if it comes to that I'll print it out again.

Individuals at airlines have ranged from quite reasonable to the guy at Rossy who was trying to check my cameras and film, telling me "well, you are obviously professional, you must have insurance," and I kept my mouth shut thinking he has medical insurance but just the same does not want any broken bones. On the tiny planes, flight attendants have usually been nice enough to stow my gear up front rather than gate check it.

Sorry, rant two. I think I am off to buy yet another carry on bag.

Regards, John
 
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It was ridiculous what some people took into the cabin as "carry on luggage". And then there was no space in the overhead bins for half of the stuff, and the attendants pushing bag upon bag to "solve it for you", you could only hope that your things survive in the bag.
Maybe this will help, actually, the new regulation?
 
I had to check carry on twice in Europe as they were weighing it at check in, and their limits there seemed to be the weight of the carry on empty plus a roll of film.
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I went all carry-on flying to Paris. A smallish carry-on bag for clothes etc, and a Dome satchel (803). Coming back, I couldn't take the carry-on bag, but the satchel wasn't a problem (fortunately, they didn't weigh it). I agree with Roger that some people get away with bringing on all kinds of large boxes, but I deliberately travel light, to be mobile, and to avoid loss or theft. I suspect the Continental change brings their size down to non-American airlines. In the past, the size limits on American Airlines, say, were more generous than on Air Canada.
 
Roger Hicks said:
At the risk of sounding anti-American, when I've stayed inside the European limits (as far as I recall, 7x14x22 inches, but that's purely from memory) and flown to the US, I've often been amazed at the vast portmanteaux that some people seem to regard as suitable for carry-on and that they are allowed to carry on, sometimes with the result that there's no room for other people's reasonable-sized carry-on bags, which have to be checked as a result.
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My all-time favorite (on a flight up to Anchorage) was a color television, which the new owner was trying to cram into the overhead bin in the next row. I adopted the crash/brace position and waited for the picture tube to implode.
 
I just finished a trip to the Rocky Mountains and I'm pretty fed up with airports. On my way there, they scanned me, frisked me and wanded me.. and when I asked for my film to be hand inspected (as you are allowed) I had a whole line up of inspectors looking at me weird as if they had never heard of such a thing. Finally I politely asked for the supervisor to settle the matter. After glaring at me she agreed. So I handed over my film, they started swabbing it for explosives, and I proceeded through the magic terrorist detector rectangle. As they where frisking me I saw my film, all 20 rolls now out of the cardboard, out of their film containers.. COMING OUT OF THE XRAY SCANNER!!!.... !@#($*&#@!($ I mean what the HELL is the point of a hand inspection, which I explained was to prevent Xray damage.. if they're just going to put it through the scanner when I'm not looking anyways. I've gotten over the fact that ridiculous rules and regulations are here to stay in the airline industry, but at least FOLLOW the rules you make and know them. I really shouldnt know their own rules better than they do. I also realized that getting angry would be a one way ticket to an angry probing.. so I decided to take the passive aggresive route and take my sweet time packing every roll of film back into its container, then back into it's cardboard box while the line of little bins coming out of the x ray machine ground to a halt and waited for me. So yeah.. that's my story of my 3 hour flight within Canada.. I didnt even cross any borders on this one.
 
Hard to prepare for rules which seem to change at will, and are not understood by the folks working there.

I believe we are allowed one carry on and a "personal" bag, and there are some exceptions which no one at the airport seem to know about.

It is much easier when I travel with a lady friend, they treat me nicer just being with her.

Has anyone used the "photographer" rule which allows another bag?

John
 
I find the less I take with me as carry on, the nicer the TSA people are. When I did a 3 month tour of Vietnam for a photoethnography course, I took an F5XB with one M body and 3 lenses. A cheapo laptop backpack with laptop and film and other small stuff. That's it, I had one checked bag which was just a cordura duffle that was barely filled as I knew I could just buy cheap clothing in Vietnam when I got there.

In Newark I made sure to ask the TSA people to hand check my 60 rolls of 35mm which I told a white lie to and said it was all 1600 and faster. (It was really just 400 except for 4 rolls of neopan 1600:)

I handed them my domke x-ray pouch full of film before stepping through the metal detector and they gladly took it while I waited for everything else to get x-rayed.

There was no issues at all. However, I did discard all the cardboard and plastic canisters before getting to the airport and had all the film in ziploc bags labbled with a sharpie to designate what speed film was in each bag.

It took about 5 mins, all smiles. Then I proceded to that funny restaurant with all the raw meat hanging in a glass freezer room in front of it and had breakfast.
 
Roger Hicks said:
Dear John,

What 'photographer' rule? I'm not familiar with that one. Which airlines apply it?

Thanks,

Roger
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I guess I was right about it not being well known. ;-)

I found a link and printed it out last year, but did not need to use it, I keep some stuff packed in certain bags, and though I did a quick search, I did not find it yet.

Reservations, boarding passes, hotel and travel vouchers, etc. am so glad computers made paper redundant. ;-)

The link basically said that the transportation folks had reached an agreement that allowed photographers an additional carry on. Being a year later, and my mind a year older, I am not sure where I stashed the information. Supposed to be all airlines, though as I recall it was a US agreement.

The Continental thing popped up on my browser the other day, and I have heard nothing since. They very well might overlook my black roller bag, as I am sure it quite looks like the newer models unless you put them next to each other, but it is a bit of a crap shoot, so it is probably another $150 out of pocket.

I will look about again today for both the link and the print out.

Regards, John
 
shimo-kitasnap said:
I find the less I take with me as carry on, the nicer the TSA people are. When I did a 3 month tour of Vietnam for a photoethnography course, I took an F5XB with one M body and 3 lenses. A cheapo laptop backpack with laptop and film and other small stuff. That's it, I had one checked bag which was just a cordura duffle that was barely filled as I knew I could just buy cheap clothing in Vietnam when I got there.
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shimo-kitasnap said:
In Newark I made sure to ask the TSA people to hand check my 60 rolls of 35mm which I told a white lie to and said it was all 1600 and faster. (It was really just 400 except for 4 rolls of neopan 1600:) quote]

Film is almost a novelty for the TSA folks now, I did have a 120 roll that had red paper, and the checker had never seen 120 film, you can guess what they mistook it for.

The US, by policy, or such, is supposed to grant anyone a hand check for film.

They used to just visually inspect it, last trip they wiped every roll, and I do not go crazy about it, as I have heard all the experts go on about the physics of it, but I have had two rolls in the past 20 years in which the processor said it had been damaged by X rays, and I had an odd problem with B&W we never figured out, so if they have to xray, there is nothing I can do.

Still, I ask politely and though years ago I handed them the film in a ziploc, which they promptly put through the X ray in JFK, other than breaking in to my checked bags, I have had little problems in Newark. I find JFK a bit more confusing. I have been through them about 70 times counting both directions.

Your assignment sounds terrific, my well traveled photographer pal and sometimes model is in Cambodia right now, and having some shirts made for me there. She has clothes in probably half a dozen cities now. When I travel, I try to travel light, but when you have extended trips, or if you are serious about photography, you have to have fall backs. I leave my carry on partly packed. If regular clothing sizes fit, and you are coming to the US, you can just about buy clothes here and toss the socks and undies, cheaper than laundry at a hotel.

I took one warm leather jacket to Iceland and a sweater, and you know the zipper had to break on the jacket, so standing outside for an hour waiting for a geyser was numbing. If you take only one pair of pants, someone on the plane will dump their coffee on them before you arrive, and while there is only so much clothes can do for me, I like to have one jacket and perhaps one tie.

I used to carry two full Domke bags +, and one reason for RF's is to go lighter and still get good results. If I think MF, I think Fuji RF's now.


Destinations offer different challenges.

If you are familiar with a place, as I am sure Roger often is, from his various travels, you can make other choices, and am sure he might not lose a hand if he has to reach in to Frances' camera bag, if he is quick.

Regards, John
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Roger Hicks said:
Dear John,

What 'photographer' rule? I'm not familiar with that one. Which airlines apply it?

Thanks,

Roger
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Found the URL, it is from 2003 I think, but I just recently heard about it, have no idea if it is still in effect, I did not realize it was five years old. Copyright on the page is 2008 though.

http://www.asmp.org/tips/tsa.php

John
 
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