Another one who's packing for a trip

[CP140]

I have a small rolling bag about this size and a very small day pack. The rolling bag goes in the overhead and the small day pack goes under the seat. What about moving one of your bodies plus lens to whatever you will have with you in the seat...? You never know what you might see out the window...

(And I'm sure she is laughing with you... not at you...)

[Donald]

Thank you guys for all these helpful suggestions. Why didn't I think of these?

Have you, perhaps, considered leaving the two battery packs for your cameras at home? That would give you some more room in the case, allowing you to put the partitions between the camera bottoms and the lenses. It would also lighten your load a bit...

The problem with that is that I use wrist straps and they can only be fitted when there is a battery pack in place.

What is your limit for carry on luggage? In our case it is 7 kg only, and they do sometimes check.

I was keen to check that one and it seems there is no weight limit, only size. I've searched the American Airlines website for something about weight of carry-on bags and there is nothing I can find. But I will double check that.

I have a small rolling bag about this size and a very small day pack. The rolling bag goes in the overhead and the small day pack goes under the seat. What about moving one of your bodies plus lens to whatever you will have with you in the seat...? You never know what you might see out the window...

Good idea. Because I will have a small day pack. That will have filters, memory cards, etc., in it.

[Hevii Guy]

I was keen to check that one and it seems there is no weight limit, only size. I've searched the American Airlines website for something about weight of carry-on bags and there is nothing I can find. But I will double check that.

Weight IS an issue. Even if the despicable Airline Vultures don't tell you to place your carry-on onto the scale at check-in, you're not safe until you're aboard and your bag is stowed above your seat...

When I flew out of Accra last week I was through security and on my way to the gate when I rounded a corner and saw an airline employee weighing passing passenger's bags with a portable scale. I waiting for the right moment when he was busy with somebody else, pretended that I was engaged with my boarding card and simply walked past him. I was lucky that time. "Lucky" even though I have status and my ticket cost over $2,000. I despise airlines. While I'm on this rant, airport hotels are now also embracing similar abhorent hidden cash grabs. Yesterday, as I was checking out of the Intercity at FRA, I was told that I'd have to pay an additional 7€ if I wanted to get onto the airport shuttle bus. Grrrrr

[Donald]

Weight IS an issue. Even if the despicable Airline Vultures don't tell you to place your carry-on onto the scale at check-in, you're not safe until you're aboard and your bag is stowed above your seat...

Part of my flight (Edinburgh to London) is with AA's codeshare partner, British Airways. BA's hand baggage allowance is 23kg. I need to check if that's what AA allows as well.

[Hevii Guy]

Part of my flight (Edinburgh to London) is with AA's codeshare partner, British Airways. BA's hand baggage allowance is 23kg. I need to check if that's what AA allows as well.

Donald, if BA allows 23kg for carry-on, you are indeed a fortunate traveler. On most other airlines, 23 kg is the limit for checked baggage.

[Mike Buckley]

This is American's policy.

[Donald]

This is American's policy.

Yes, that's the checked-in page you linked to there, Mike. I've read that I have no problems there. It's with carry-on allowance that I need to be clear. If you look at American's 'carry-on policy, there is nothing said about weight, only dimensions.

[John 2]

Mike, interesting that carry on baggage in the US seems to be limited by size alone. For many European airlines, there is a weight limit also. It varies from airline to airline but is usually around 10Kg.

[Hevii Guy]

Mike, interesting that carry on baggage in the US seems to be limited by size alone. For many European airlines, there is a weight limit also. It varies from airline to airline but is usually around 10Kg.

I wouldn't be surprised if soon these Vultures will be implementing fees for carry-on baggage which doesn't meet their colour criteria.

[Hevii Guy]

Solution:
Along with your gear, stuff a large, loose fitting coat with many pockets into your carry-on bag. If those People-Who-Have-No-Clue-About-The-Value-Of-Positive-Customer-Experiences give you grief, don the jacket and proceed to put your heaviest equipment into the various pockets until the bag is below the weight limit. Then, once you're past the last point where these vile opportunists might pounce upon you, return everything into the bag. Been there, done that.

[DanK]

I fly in the US a lot, and in decades of trips, I have never had a carry-on bag weighed or seen anyone's being weighed, although e-mailing them for an answer wouldn't hurt. On rare occasions (too rare, IMHO), they check the size. The main problem I have had is that if you get stuck boarding late, there may not be room, in which case they want to check the bag. Donald, if that happens to you, ask the attendant when you board if they can stow it in the front cabin. They might agree. I've done this twice, but not on American.

Re plug and voltage adapters: Donald is traveling from the UK (240V) to the US (120 V), so he doesn't have to worry about frying anything without a voltage adapter. The only issue is whether the things he will bring are dual-voltage. Even traveling from 120V to 220/240, in my experience voltage adapters aren't needed in most countries anymore. The things I travel with that need to be plugged in (iPhone, camera battery charger, etc.) are all dual voltage, and they work fine in 220/240 volt countries when I travel from the US. I have traveled to 9 countries in recent years that use 240 or 220 V, and I haven't carried a voltage adapter in at least 15 years. YMMV, however.

Donald, you may know all this already, but there are only two types of sockets in the US, type A and type B. Type A plugs fit into both Type A and Type B sockets. Almost anyplace you go, you will find Type B, but you will find some type A in older places, which is a problem if you have grounded, three-prong plugs. I haven't been in a hotel that lacked Type B sockets in as long as I can remember.

If you do end up someplace with old sockets, say, someone's old house that hasn't been brought up to code, you may find a shortage of Type B sockets. You may also find that the old Type A are not polarized--both slots are the same size--and won't accept modern Type A plugs, which are polarized and have one flange that is too big for them. However, all of the few Eurpean-to-American plug converters I have seen are unpolarized and will work in the old Type A sockets. Most of the dual-voltage things I have, such as my iPhone and Canon battery chargers, are also unpolarized, which makes sense, since European two-connection sockets aren't polarized either.

[Donald]

Thank you, Dan. All of that is really, really helpful.

[DanK]

Actually, now that I think about it, some hotels also have type A--not in the walls, but on lamps or other devices on the desk or night table, where people typically plug in ungrounded, two-prong devices, like phone chargers.


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[Tronhard]

Donald,

BTW: ... my 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II (if ever there needs to be a nickname for a lens, it is this one) ..

At my place it's known as "the howitzer".

[PhotomanJohn]

In the US we can apply for what's called Global Entry which, after an extensive background check, allows us to go though the pre-checked screening line at the airport without taking shoe, belts, coats off and don't have to take things out of our bags during the screening process. When returning to the US we don't need to fill out the customs paperwork handed out on the plane or go though a customs check. We simply scan our passport and finger prints at a self service machine and walk right through. I am told that a number of countries recognize our Global Entry status and have simplified procedures when we enter their countries as well.

I don't know if something similar to this is available for citizens of other countries but might be something worth looking into. I will see how well it works on a trip to Germany next month.

[Mike Buckley]

To clarify John's post about the U.S. Global Entry program, there is that program and also the Pre-Check program. The Pre-Check program allows for the relatively rapid screening process because anyone in the program has already been pre-checked. The Global Entry program is the one he describes that makes it relatively easy to pass through customs clearance upon returning to the U.S. That's administered by the TSA. When you are admitted into the Global Entry program (administered by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection), you are also automatically granted rights of the Pre-Check program. However, that doesn't work the other way around, as the Pre-Check program is slightly less expensive and involves a slightly less comprehensive process than the Global Entry program.

Americans who decided not to pay the cost of these programs as I did years ago might want to consider evaluating them again. That's because the cost is far less now than it used to be. That explains why my wife and I recently decided to take the time to enroll in them.

As for Dan's mention that carry-on bags are rarely checked for size and that they should be more often, I agree that they should be checked. I've never seen anyone's carry-on bags being checked for size.

[Donald]

To clarify John's post about the U.S. Global Entry program, there is that program and also the Pre-Check program.

I'm not sure if the pre-check programme is the same as the ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FOR TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION (ESTA)

We have to enrol on that with the US Dept for Homeland Security. It costs $14. The ESTA programme is only available to eligible travellers from one of 37 countries that has Visa Waiver arrangements with the US. Without that clearance, admission to the US will be refused. Luckily, ! got cleared.

[Mike Buckley]

I'm not sure if the pre-check programme is the same as the ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FOR TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION (ESTA)

Those programs are not the same. The Pre-Check program is only for Americans. Enrollment in the ESTA program is for about two years. Enrollment in the U.S. Pre-Check program is for about five years if the membership is approved when applying for the Global Entry program. I don't know if membership in the Pre-Check program is shorter if not obtained through the Global Entry program.

[rpcrowe]

"The problem with that is that I use wrist straps and they can only be fitted when there is a battery pack in place."

My wrist strap depends on a RRS L Bracket. My camera without a bracket is most often carried on a neck strap.

I don't usually carry both 70-200mm f/4L is AND 100-400MM F/4.5L IS II lenses on any given jaunt. However, I certainly realize that you might want to make use of either of the lenses, leaving the other in your hotel room...

BTW: If you desire to order anything from eBay USA or a vendor such as B&H in New York City; you could use my address (which I will provide you by message). I could then bring it up to you when we meet around Mono Lake sometime during your trip...

[Ken MT]

For an upcoming overseas trip it looks as though I will have to carry my 100-400mm lens in my coat pocket. Does cause me to lean to one side. I suppose I should carry another lens in the other pocket to balance the load. I will have 2 camera bodies, a 16-35, 24-105, 100mm macro, flash. With the 100-400 lens the all up weight including camera bag would be nearly 8.5 kg. (limit 7.0 kg). All other stuff such as tripod, batteries, cables, filters, etc will go into checked in baggage.
I hope that the good lady has room in her carry on for the big lens.