Any airline that allows you to carry on lots of stuff?

[j.o.s.h.1408]

As the title says. What airlines allow you to carry your camera gear along inside the plane?

Most airlines seem to only allow you carry 5-7kg only! That is barely enough for one light lens and a smallish DSLR nevermind bringing a couple other lenses or using semi pro DSLR's.

What are you experiences in this matter?

I am planning to go vietnam next month with literally just a medium sized backpack(the fstop loka) And it will have a 5d3 none gripped, 16-35L f2.8, 24-70 f2.8L and a 70-200 f2.8 L.

It will also contain a few spare clothes, bits and bobs(creames. asthma pump etc), ipad 10inch and my carbon fibre 2x series Gitzo tripod.

I do not want to check this in the baggage at all!

i could transfer some of my clothes to another small bag but the purpose of this whole trip is to just have a backpack and me mobile. i do not wanna lug around extra bags!

Thoughts?

i would liek to fly with these lot http://www.csair.com/en/faq/static/ssxdxlxz.shtml as they seem cheapest for plane tickets

[TheAnimus]

http://www.businessinsider.com/worst...ern-airlines-5

They aren't exactly the best, and you get what you pay for. I think you will find you need a different rucksack for going around with everything, and one for just valuables. Whilst the northern parts are quite chilly (as low as 5°C) the southern parts are still 30°C.

Myself I'd get a good day bag, ensure I can fit all my equipment in it sans tripod. Some security types don't let you have tripod in carryon.

The weight restrictions are seldom checked, so long as your bag is small enough it will be allowed without challenge. However if you are over size and you have cloathing and such in your carryon, they will simply *sigh* and be very unhelpful. If you are oversized and its all cameras / laptops, I've never had an issue that wasn't solved with a little bit of politeness, they don't want to be responsible for that stuff.

[kalniel]

All airlines let you take on hand luggage, so just get a bag that fits the airlines dimensions and put your camera stuff in it. Easy

If you can't fit your camera stuff in with all your other stuff then you need to use a bigger backpack, and just put your backpack in hold. When you're there you can put your hand luggage into the spare space in your backpack.

[j.o.s.h.1408]

cheers thanks. i have used cathay pacific so i may go with them again. Incidentaly they have checked the weight of my carry on hand luggage numerous times though

[TheAnimus]

I'd sooner fly direct, even if it means going to LGW. Vietnam Airlines aren't bad at all for the lower cost end of things. Obviously not as nice as Cathay.

[mmh]

I took a very similar backpack to USA when I went on tour with a band... on the way out (Virgin) they said nothing, and didn't weigh the bag...

On the way back the same airline made me weigh the bag and told me I could not take a bag so heavy as hand luggage (over 25kg - expensive glass is heavy - more so than my checked luggage!)

I argued for about 5 minutes letting them know I wasnt letting the bag out of my sight as there was more than £6k worth of camera equipment in it and some of it wasnt mine...

Finally they conceded and said that if I split some of it out when I get to the departures lounge into a carrier bag, it would be fine, and they said they'd put a note on my boarding so they'd check when I got to the gate...

Needless to say i ignored them completely and nobody said a thing...

Probably depends on the airline though... that's just my experience...

[BobF64]

I took a very similar backpack to USA when I went on tour with a band... on the way out (Virgin) they said nothing, and didn't weigh the bag...

On the way back the same airline made me weigh the bag and told me I could not take a bag so heavy as hand luggage (over 25kg - expensive glass is heavy - more so than my checked luggage!)

Sometimes the policy is a country or airport thing, rather than the airlines, which seems a bit batty when its the same airline.

I argued for about 5 minutes letting them know I wasnt letting the bag out of my sight as there was more than £6k worth of camera equipment in it and some of it wasnt mine...

Finally they conceded and said that if I split some of it out when I get to the departures lounge into a carrier bag, it would be fine, and they said they'd put a note on my boarding so they'd check when I got to the gate...

Needless to say i ignored them completely and nobody said a thing...

Probably depends on the airline though... that's just my experience...

And yet they will accept no responsibility or liability for valuables and expensive things put in checked luggage.

[Guy]

Never had a problem long haul with Virgin Atlantic. My last 2 trips (Tokyo, San Francisco) I've had my checked bag and taken my rucksack as my carry on then separately had my camera bag. All occasions (both ways) never had a problem, nor have they weighed them. Just security tagged them.
Although I'm sure they can pretty quickly spot people trying to take the P! Especially as far as weight goes.

Actually as it happens didn't have an issue either on Virgin America whilst flying internally. Same setup as the above.

It didn't seem an issue at all, as technically you're allowed a carry on item and in the case of the ladies additionally a handbag plus a separate bag of duty free. So worst case I'll just have to protest to my camera bag being my 'hand'bag/purse
Plus mentioning it was camera equipment to them didn't hurt.

[mcmiller]

(Annoyingly) BA seems to be letting people put any size bags into the overhead lockers...

[kalniel]

(Annoyingly) BA seems to be letting people put any size bags into the overhead lockers...

Same with easy jet - to them it's massively advantageous as it saves on hold handling.

[TheAnimus]

Unless they reckon they are being monitored. There are some limitations to overhead bags, depends on the a/c type but they have weight limitations, some as little as 30kg per locker.

I would always say that any grown up airline (ie not WizzAir) would rather have two bags, than one big heavy one.

[j.o.s.h.1408]

I'd sooner fly direct, even if it means going to LGW. Vietnam Airlines aren't bad at all for the lower cost end of things. Obviously not as nice as Cathay.

LGW? you mean gatwick? Dont mind so long as i got their to vietnam!

I dont think there are many direct flights to Hanoi.

[TheAnimus]

Two a week from Vietnam airlines. The quality isn't up there with Cathy, but for £480 return.... Also check out option town, I've used it 6 times now, worked 5 of them. Business class for less than £200 more. Bargain!

They also do two direct to SGN a week too.

[j.o.s.h.1408]

480 return? its 632 when i just did a quick search on the vietnam airlines website

[Gerrard]

The only airline that bothered to weigh my carry-on ruck sack was Emirates; and even though it was 10kg (so over their 7kg allowance), they didn't seem to care. But my checked-in luggage only weighed 18kg out of their 30kg allowance, so they might have taken that into account.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

You could probably get away with taking only two lenses TBH. I would either ditch the 16-35MM or 24-70MM TBH. I would most likely ditch the 24-70MM,as the 70-200MM covers the 70-85MM range anyway for portraits,and the 16-35MM covers all the normal wide-angle ranges you need.

I would also just use two back packs. One larger one to plonk your tripod,clothes and other stuff,which can be in the hold,and that means you can use a smaller one as overhead luggage with just the camera body,two lenses,and your tablet. The smaller one can accompany you when your out and about,while the larger one can stay in your lodging. The problem with one larger bag,is that you will need to carry it around whenever you are out taking pictures,which seems more of a hassle IMHO.