airline carryone restrictions (UK specifically)

I wanted some ideas on how to handle airline restrictions on bags. Normally i carry a shoulder bag for my misc. things (ipod, gameboy, magazines and laptop if necc.) and then a separate smaller bag for my camera. This has worked fine, but i'm going to the UK in may and i know on the way back it's only 1 bag period.

I don't want to carry a camera bag big enough for gear + laptop. but then the only alternative seems to be put the camera in my shoulder bag and the empty camera bag in checked luggage but camera bags don't really compress very well so this is not space efficient and i run the possibility of it not all fitting!

any ideas? maybe i'm making this too difficult?

UK airports let you carry on your normal carry-on bag and a plastic bag of whatever you've bought in the airport, my advice then is to buy a newspaper to get a plastic bag, then put your other bag in the plastic bag. Its worked for me

Anke wrote in post #2891428
UK airports let you carry on your normal carry-on bag and a plastic bag of whatever you've bought in the airport, my advice then is to buy a newspaper to get a plastic bag, then put your other bag in the plastic bag. Its worked for me

Anke, while i appreciate your creativity i think the security clerk may not. btw for anyone that's travelled from the UK, if i make it past the first security, is there a second check point to get on the plane where they enforce the single bag rule? i guess i could cram the camera bag into my shoulder bag but then it most likely would be too big...

All I can say is that it worked for me in February this year when I flew to Gambia, and that was after queueing for the best part of an hour because everyone was being searched for liquids and some idiots didn't realise that deep in the bottom of their bag that big bottles of water didn't count!!?!?!
After all my wife was allowed her carry-on rucksack and her handbag

You can only have one bag, I went from gatwick last week.

You also need to make sure you dont go ver on weight, the biggest bag I have got away with is the Lowepro CompuTrekker it's only just within the max size on UK airlines.

I tried to use my Lowepro CompuTrekker AW and was asked to put it in the hold this was last September (but I was ready for this and had soemone drop me at the airport and they had my smaller CompuTrekker so all was well)

But check be fore you fly what is your hand luggage weight. If you think you may go over also see if they allow upgrade to you ticket as you can have more weight in your bag (in most cases)

Like you I would always carry two bags but they will not allow it nowdays.

You may need to think about the all in one solution.

What I also do is have in my suitcase a lowepro MicroTrekker 200 and this is great to use during my trip. Also this works well if I cant get away with the weight of the carry on bag I can drop a couple of lenses into my small lowepro inside my suitcase.

Of course you shouldnt but I sometimes put heavy stuff in my pockets (batterys etc) when checkin in.

The official word on the matter can be found here - http://www.baa.com/. I last flew out of the UK in December and I didn't see anyone trying to take more than one piece of hand luggage through. Even a lady's handbag must be carried inside the "one item of hand luggage".

I haven't noticed anything about limits on what can be carried in pockets (other than banned items) so maybe you could wear a photographer's vest and load the pockets with lenses and flash guns but you'd better check with the BAA first.

tdodd wrote in post #2891671
The official word on the matter can be found here - http://www.baa.com/. I last flew out of the UK in December and I didn't see anyone trying to take more than one piece of hand luggage through. Even a lady's handbag must be carried inside the "one item of hand luggage".

I haven't noticed anything about limits on what can be carried in pockets (other than banned items) so maybe you could wear a photographer's vest and load the pockets with lenses and flash guns but you'd better check with the BAA first.

That could work but I bet you will need to remove it as they xray everything we was asked to remove shows and belts for xrays and they got a body search also. Having a vest full of gear my start alarm bells going with the security people.

well my other concern is if i get denied at security or before boarding, neither of my usual carry-on bags would carriage/check-in very well. they're just shoulder bags so even if i removed all the expensive stuff i'd be worried about getting the bag back because at that point i couldn't stuff it into my checked luggage.

i'm gonna have to play around with the suitcase packing to make this all fit....

Like Raymate and tdodd has mentioned, you can only take ONE bag through the xray check-in. Once in duty free you're allowed to purchase items and either take them in the bag you have or a carrier bag from inside.

Be aware of the size of your bag, as well as weight at the check-in desk. The link to the BAA website is very thorough on this.

They may get a bit annoyed but if it would be pretty obvious it was tog's gear and not a bunch of bombs so as long as they're within the rules for carriage I don't see the harm. Check with the BAA.

But when I have seen the question posed in he past the concensus has been to wrap the stuff in socks and pants and stick it in the hold. Just make sure you have v.good insurance!!!

minhi wrote in post #2891719
well my other concern is if i get denied at security or before boarding, neither of my usual carry-on bags would carriage/check-in very well. they're just shoulder bags so even if i removed all the expensive stuff i'd be worried about getting the bag back because at that point i couldn't stuff it into my checked luggage.

i'm gonna have to play around with the suitcase packing to make this all fit....

As long as you have covered the issue of size of bag, weight of bag, and you don't have any of the banned items in your bag then you have nothing to worry about.

Try flying via Ireland and taking the ferry to the UK.

madferrit wrote in post #2891737
As long as you have covered the issue of size of bag, weight of bag, and you don't have any of the banned items in your bag then you have nothing to worry about.

Madferrit is right on this one, I took a a single carryon Lowepro mini trekker to Iceland last year and they didnt weigh it.

FWIW I flew from Glasgow to Calgary today and took my Lowepro Nova 5 with 1D2n, 17-40, 70-200f4, 300f4IS, 1.4 TC, flashtrax XT plus some uni notes, a book and some other gubbins. It was over the 5KGs I was allowed but no one cared

Neil (jetlagged)

Neil, do you mean that you could take your Nova 5 into the plane as hand luggage? I was wondering if the Nova 5 was within the allowed dimensions because I have got one too.

Mike