Traveling on "regional" airplanes

I took my Lowepro Flipside 400AW on a smaller, regional plane when we flew into Kalispell, MT last summer on our visit to Glacier NP. It does fit in the overheard storage, and also will fit underneath the seat.

shutterbug guy wrote in post #16761466
I do the same thing with my ThinkTank Airport International. The gate keepers will see the wheels and hand me a tag for gate checking. I'll stuff the tag in my pocket and stuff the bag in the overhead. I've flown some really small regional CRJ's and have yet to meet an overhead that wouldn't swallow the International, ymmv.

Roger

No weight restrictions?

In the US, it's extremely rare for an airline to weigh your carry-on luggage. Keep in mind though, the best thing to do is always make it look light and never ever grimace or show how heavy it really is!

Bryan

A few times they recognized my Think Tank Airport International as a camera bag and made we weigh it.

Wow, that's shocking. I would never expect that since the Think Tank looks so much like a regular suitcase. By chance, did you have a tripod strapped to the side? (Which would serve as a dead giveaway.)

Bryan

Nothing to do with planes but I was in the British Museum (to photograph one specific thing) the other morning with a museum tripod permit so a tripod and the above wheeled 1510. Museum staff where under instructions to stop me wheeling it "because people trip over them". As a result of carrying it, of course, I inevitably hit people in the crush as I left which wouldn't have happened if I'd been allowed to wheel it.

digital paradise wrote in post #16765529
No weight restrictions?

Like the poster mentioned above, it's rare for an US airline to weigh your carry on.

Flying internationally on charters is a bugger though as I'm routinely weighed on certain flights and limited to 7 kg's or about 15 lbs. However the bigger airlines i/e Emirates, Thai Airways, Air Asia, will rarely weigh your carry on.

Wear a photovest with big deep pockets just in case, it's saved my bacon more than once.

Roger

bps wrote in post #16766565
Wow, that's shocking. I would never expect that since the Think Tank looks so much like a regular suitcase. By chance, did you have a tripod strapped to the side? (Which would serve as a dead giveaway.)

Bryan

I think I did.

C Scott IV wrote in post #16761289
Last year I took a Fastpack 350 on one trip, total of four Regional Jets. Each time the counter attendant checked my ticket at the gate they told me I would have to use valet. Apparently it looks bigger than it actually is. I just said OK and walked down to the plane and boarded. The flight attendant didn't say a word. I stowed it under the seat in front of me. It was a tight fit with a monstrously thick 17 inch Dell Precision laptop so next time the grip and L-bracket will be removed first.

I also have a Fastpack 350, and I fly quite often with it as my carry-on. I've never had an issue since it doesn't have wheels, even though its a fairly large backpack. It's fit in the overhead for all of the CRJ and regional aircraft I've flown on. I've only been requested to gate check it few times, but they usually back off when I tell them it's fragile camera gear and cannot go below (I usually flash my gold frequent flyer card too, which helps...).

A lot of international carriers do try to weigh carry-ons, but I usually just hide the backpack when checking in; somehow they never seem to check the weight of mine. I might have to look into a Pelican 1510 one of these days, as I know I'm going to get forced to check it eventually. For my checked baggage, I have all hardside suitcases; I've put lenses in their case inside my suitcase before without issues. I also bring back wine bottles without issues too from a lot of travels. Pack well and you shouldn't have any issues.

GoHokiesGo wrote in post #16767061
For my checked baggage, I have all hardside suitcases; I've put lenses in their case inside my suitcase before without issues. I also bring back wine bottles without issues too from a lot of travels. Pack well and you shouldn't have any issues.

One issue may be damage but the other is - well there's a reason that Heathrow [London] is known as Thiefrow locally.

One time I was flying a Canadian airline and the person at the check in immediately recognized it and made we weigh it. It was the international. We took lenses out and put them in pockets and plastic bags. Around the corner we put everything back. When I got on the plane guess who was one of the flight attendants? It kinda put me off a bit so now I take two smaller backpacks and use the roller for local gigs. Maybe I will try it again sans the tripod. The tripod could have been over my shoulder. Next time I will pack it. I don't like to but it is just a tripod and I have insurance.

Simon_Gardner wrote in post #16767065
One issue may be damage but the other is - well there's a reason that Heathrow [London] is known as Thiefrow locally.

That's definitely a good point - I keep my main kit in my backpack, and have only stuffed a few older/less valuable lenses actually in the suitcase as back-ups. I haven't had camera gear stolen, but we've definitely had some unintentionally packed jewelry stolen in the past from suitcases. I've been lucky in the past, but good point, I guess I've never left my more valuable gear in the suitcase.

bps wrote in post #16765821
In the US, it's extremely rare for an airline to weigh your carry-on luggage. Keep in mind though, the best thing to do is always make it look light and never ever grimace or show how heavy it really is!

Bryan

For large jets, even abroad where the weight restrictions on carryon's is about 15 pounds or so, if you look around at people standing and waiting to board, their carryons are so large as to never make the limit...and none of the airline people ever check. I've rolled my Pelican weighing 40 lbs on easily. As Bryan mentioned, just don't make it look heavy.

If I'm ever stopped, I plan to say, "I'll let you check my Pelican if you weigh the carryons of all the people behind me and find them under the limit."

For the regionals, they look at size, and I'll let the copilot check it on the tarmac while telling him that there is fragile equipment inside.

digital paradise wrote in post #16767528
One time I was flying a Canadian airline and the person at the check in immediately recognized it and made we weigh it. It was the international. We took lenses out and put them in pockets and plastic bags. Around the corner we put everything back. When I got on the plane guess who was one of the flight attendants? It kinda put me off a bit so now I take two smaller backpacks and use the roller for local gigs. Maybe I will try it again sans the tripod. The tripod could have been over my shoulder. Next time I will pack it. I don't like to but it is just a tripod and I have insurance.

I travel with a standard CF tripod in one bag, and a travel CF tripod in another, both checked bags. The likelihood is that both won't be rifled. Anyway, I'm not sure a baggage handler thief realizes the value of a tripod, or if he does, knows it's not as valuable as a camera and is harder to sneak past his boss at the parking lot.

Simon_Gardner wrote in post #16763210
I agree with Hollis. Their liability is strictly limited. You can sing for it.

I LOVE this case, I've never seen one like it. My only concern is that it's too visible and grabs attention. I don't mean by travelers, but by airline agents who may think twice about weighing it.