Big shock when asked to weigh cabin luggage

At Johannesburg International I was asked to put my Lowepro Photo Trekker AW II on the scale at check-in. It weighed just over 12kg (this was with my camera already around my neck )which was double that allowed. I started emptying lenses into my pockets in a panicky disposition and weighed it again ... 9kg. I emptied it of everything except two flashes (580ex and MR14), four empty lens bags and two camera handbooks.
THE EMPTY BAG NOW WEIGHED 7.2KG. MY QUESTION NOW TO LOWEPRO IS WHAT USE IS AN ESSENTIALLY EMPTY CAMERA BAG ON A PHOTOGRAPHIC HOLIDAY?

The lady at check-in eventually put a sticker on the handle allowing this overweight but "empty" bag through. With your shoes going in one direction, your pants falling down your wallet, phone and keys going elsewhere, body searches and your wife being interrogated for carrying more make-up than I had camera gear, the last thing I needed was a camera bag that could be used only if it was empty.

You need to learn how to sweet talk.

All those lense are going on the plane anyway. Either in your bag or beside them on the same cabin cuddy in another bag. Load limit is BS. It's just a cash grab.

I know your concern, I'm taking a XTi/400D + grip, 12-24 and 28-75 plus a 15" notebook as cabin luggage.
Hope they let me on tomorrow!

cosworth wrote in post #3143591
You need to learn how to sweet talk.

All those lense are going on the plane anyway. Either in your bag or beside them on the same cabin cuddy in another bag. Load limit is BS. It's just a cash grab.

yes indeedy. I was carrying a 30kg lowepro backpack on a flight from india to nepal a couple of weeks ago that supposedly only allows 7kg, but it was no problem....just a nice smile (which isn't so nice) and some other chit chat and you're through.

If you really want, you can also search the policies of most major airlines and there should be something about being able to carry extra weight if it's cameras or other breakable job-related stuff. bring that with you and toss it at the security guy and walk on through...

Cathpah wrote in post #3144057
yes indeedy. I was carrying a 30kg lowepro backpack on a flight from india to nepal a couple of weeks ago that supposedly only allows 7kg, but it was no problem....just a nice smile (which isn't so nice) and some other chit chat and you're through.

If you really want, you can also search the policies of most major airlines and there should be something about being able to carry extra weight if it's cameras or other breakable job-related stuff. bring that with you and toss it at the security guy and walk on through...

30kg?!?!?!?! Wowsers, you need to teach us how to sweet talk

Yea i have weighed my bag in advance in weighs in at 5.4KG which is in the limit for travel

(Tamrac Adventure 9)

The empty bag weight is published at 4.7 Kg. Remember - all LowePro says is that the bag meets common airline size restrictions. Weight restrictions are varied, random, and (at least in the US) unusual for scheduled domestic flights on major carriers. If you think weight's going to be an issue for your carry-on plans, get a light shoulder bag that'll hold your gear and pack it with survivable stuff, clothes, and the like. For instance, (broken record time . . . ) a Domke F-1X has about the same capacity and is about 1/3 the empty weight.

I wouldn't bother carrying camera manuals, spare batteries beyond the minimum, or chargers as cabin baggage. I reserve that for stuff that's fragile or that's going to amuse me during the flight.

My bag ready for travel weighs 33 pounds (15 kilos). I'll be flying across the pond this June, and it is all going with me. Nature Trekker AW II, BTW

Tapeman wrote in post #3146366
My bag ready for travel weighs 33 pounds (15 kilos). I'll be flying across the pond this June, and it is all going with me. Nature Trekker AW II, BTW

Fly a US airlines. Don't fly domestically within the country you will be visiting, if you want to take that bag as carryon. Good luck if you will be flying a non-US carrier between countries, other than on the way back home!

US travellers are very used to staff who are quite lax on enforcing any policies about carryon. International carriers are NOT so lax.

Well I'm at the airport now waiting for my boarding call.
The attendant didn't even so much as look at my CompuRover which was a relief as I'm sure it's over the 7kg restriction.

As mentioned previously some airlines DO have an extra provision for camera gear and the lowepro bags conform with 'size' restrictions.

Wilt, is that a koala in your avatar?

ed. wrote in post #3146810
Well I'm at the airport now waiting for my boarding call.
The attendant didn't even so much as look at my CompuRover which was a relief as I'm sure it's over the 7kg restriction.

As mentioned previously some airlines DO have an extra provision for camera gear and the lowepro bags conform with 'size' restrictions.

Wilt, is that a koala in your avatar?

Yup, a koaler!

My luggage weight and size restriction experiences are by courtesy of Air New Zealand and Qantas Airlines. ANZ didn't like the weight, and insisted I repack about 2Kg (heavens, the weight would collapse the luggage bins!) into my checked luggage. Fortunately none of that had to be any photographic items that could break or be stolen.

Qantas did not like the size of my carryon...it was a conventional carryon (photo bag nested inside) but the plastic feet prevented the bag from being dropped straight into the metal size checker...by tipping the bag a little as you lowered it, it could fit into the size checker, but the gate agent said the tilt was a 'have to check it!'.

I had a fully packed Brian's hot tub including my laptop weighs just under 15kg when I flew to Amsterdam, sweet talked my way through the check in counter and blagged the lady to let me check in my tripod and a heavy 3 way head!!!

No way on earth I would leave my kit behind, but I'd go with sweet way first, if that doesn't work, I'll bring out my darkside

Those who think they can sweet talk their overweight bag onto every airplane are doomed to a big disappointment some day if they fly very much. More airports are starting to weigh bags all the time and many do not give any leeway for bags that are very much over the limit.

I have a Lowepro Photo Trekker AW and eliminated it as a possible travel bag some time ago. It might be possible if you could remove the hip and shoulder harness to put in your checked bags and just carry the bag, but you can't.

I ended up using a lighter bag that is less usefull, but can just barely contain a camera and the lenses I need, but stays under the airline limit. It is almost impossible if you need a long telephoto lens.

Scott

One piece of advice that I've used is to wear a camera vest when I travel. If I get hassled over the weight, I just begin to put lenses into my pockets. So far so good. Before you travel though make sure you eliminate anything from your pack that doesn't need to be there. Some airline charges for overweight bags are getting to the point where it is almost cheaper to buy your bag its own seat. Rising fuel costs will just keep the level of enforcement on the upswing.

Never leave home without weighing your bag first. Play with the weight before you have to do it in front of angry passengers. It's not the airport staffers fault that you're over packed (please don't yell at me, I'm usually overpacked to, but I have a strategy for what to most quickly remove from my pack). My goal is to know exactly what I need to quickly pull out to get under legal weight and that way I can fix things quickly.

Finally, since most airlines allow a computer bag in addition to your carry-on, I carry a computer bag that can expand to accept a bit of additional gear. This won't work on airlines that don't allow the two carry-on system.

ScottE wrote in post #3148392
Those who think they can sweet talk their overweight bag onto every airplane are doomed to a big disappointment some day if they fly very much. More airports are starting to weigh bags all the time and many do not give any leeway for bags that are very much over the limit.

I have a Lowepro Photo Trekker AW and eliminated it as a possible travel bag some time ago. It might be possible if you could remove the hip and shoulder harness to put in your checked bags and just carry the bag, but you can't.

I ended up using a lighter bag that is less usefull, but can just barely contain a camera and the lenses I need, but stays under the airline limit. It is almost impossible if you need a long telephoto lens.

Scott

Well I fly a lot. When I fly my gear goes in a pelican case. You spend all that money on gear you really should protect it on a trip.