Carry on restrictions? how do you do it?

Just curious. Virgin Atlantic allows only one carryon. So, it must contain your purse, laptop and other items. AND it must not weight more than 13 lbs. Now, if I start with a carryon that weighs 6 lbs (lightweight) and put in a laptop that only weighs 5 lbs., I can carry 2 lbs for my purse, and nothing else. ?????? WHAT?????

 

Tell me what you do.:confused: :confused: :confused:

Just curious. Virgin Atlantic allows only one carryon. So, it must contain your purse, laptop and other items. AND it must not weight more than 13 lbs. Now, if I start with a carryon that weighs 6 lbs (lightweight) and put in a laptop that only weighs 5 lbs., I can carry 2 lbs for my purse, and nothing else. ?????? WHAT?????

 

Tell me what you do.:confused: :confused: :confused:

 

Put the laptop into checked luggage?

 

Having said that, I've never had handluggage weighed.

 

Matthew

:confused: this is a European Union regulation not an airline regulation...and yes 1 piece of carry on means exactly that...with this in place I have to say going thru security and gettin on and off the plane is a pleasure....I remember people getting on planes that looked like pack mules..remember less is more

Put the laptop into checked luggage?

 

Having said that, I've never had handluggage weighed.

 

Matthew

kruzing, while I agree that I think carryon luggage should be restricted, your answer seemed unresponsive as to my dilemma. I did not intend to be a pack mule, but I do need to carry quite a lot of medications, and I do not wish to put my laptop in my checked luggage. I wanted to utilize a rollon bag as I am not able to carry that much weight, but I guess I will not be able to do that. I just thought that the limit of 13 lbs. was a bit unrealistic. I was looking for suggestions, not a lecture.

 

Kindly Chap, thanks for your answer. So are you saying they don't weigh the carryon?

Have you considered getting a back pack or duffle type rolling bag? You don't need that 6lb bag. If you need a lot of 'heavy' meds pack some in the checked luggage and get a prescription as a backup in case the check stuff get lost or delayed. Most pills don't weigh that much. A small purse will fit nicely in one of the pockets of a backback .

Yes, I think you are right. It's obvious to me that the rollon won't work. So, I will go with a lightweight bag that I will have to carry.

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

:)

Kindly Chap, thanks for your answer. So are you saying they don't weigh the carryon?

 

I have never had hand luggage weighed. That's not quite the same as saying that it isn't weighed!

 

I'm not the most frequent flyer, but I do fly a few times a year. Hate it too, for what it is worth.

 

Matthew

I also have medications to carry. I carry the majority in checked, but keep a week of supplies in one of those pill popper cases. That does in handluggage. It's a system that works well - and gives me a week to find a doctor if need be.

 

None of my prescriptions is rare and interesting save one, which I only take once a week anyhow!

 

Matthew

We do not let our meds out of our sight. Where we go; they go. My husband is a Pharmacist and I am an ER nurse in Las Vegas. Alot of people come in the ER because they lose their medications and are from "out of town". Being from out of the country is more difficult. The drugs have different names in other countries. Some tourists have to wait for hours to see a doctor to get a rewrite. A total waste of time on a vacation. Just keep them with you and ship the laptop with the baggage.

I must higly recommend to stuff both, meds and laptop in your carryon. No insurance will py for your loss if the laptop is checked, at least not in europe.

I´m carrying an DSLR with equipment aboard and a book, meds etc. never had any problems on any european airport.

Anyway it ought to be your decision whether to carry it, or not.

What airline are you flying with? There are some that allow an addiditional laptop-bag aboard...

Don't pack you laptop with your luggage! While we were in Santorini airport recently we watched the handlers unloading our luggage from our Aegean Airlines flight. The suitcases were being thrown down to a handler on the ground. One red suitcase missed the handler, bounced corner down on the tarmac (very heavily) and bounced again under the luggage cart. The next handler picked it up and threw it on top. Any laptop in that bag would have ceased to be!!

 

We take our laptop out of its carry case and put in into our cabin luggage (and yes, we use a roll-on cabin bag). Everything else fits into the roll-on as well. By the way, Heathrow airport is also very strick about only ONE carry-on.

Now, if I start with a carryon that weighs 6 lbs (lightweight) and put in a laptop that only weighs 5 lbs., I can carry 2 lbs for my purse, and nothing else. ?????? WHAT?????

 

Tell me what you do.:confused: :confused: :confused:

First, a 6 lb bag is not lightweight. My carry-on bag is a JanSport laptop backpack, and it weighs no more than 1 lb, if that.

 

Second, unless you're travelling for business, you probably don't need to carry a laptop with you. You will probably find that you can access your email on the web, which means that you can use Internet cafes. You can do most other Internet stuff from Internet cafes as well. If you need more storage for digital photos and such like, just buy some more cards - they're small and easily portable.

Thanks for everyone's input. First, I wouldn't part with the meds. That goes with me! Just don't need the stress. As for the laptop, I will carry it on, just can't check it. And, I can't do without it. I am hopelessly hooked. So, I will just have a light satchel, and pack it.

 

I guess where I got myself all tangled up was the notion that they weighed the carryon. Got to wondering if all these years my one carryon would have passed the weight test! :confused:

 

Anyway, Virgin says one carryon, not more than 13 lbs. and so it shall be....:)

It may be an EU regulatin, but the only time we were restricted was at Heathrow and it was BA. So maybe if you don't fly thru Heathrow you won't have a problem. Good luck. I also won't be separated from my meds. Too chancy. Pat

I guess where I got myself all tangled up was the notion that they weighed the carryon.

They might well do so. I suspect that it isn't consistent, but I have seen reports of Virgin doing this on some flights. When BA used to have a specific weight limit, some flights also got targeted for weighing. (BA now operates on the basis that you personally must be able to lift the bag into the overhead bin, as the cabin crew will not do it and have been instructed not to do so. Otherwise, there is no weight limit, only the size limit.)

Hi There,

 

Watch this one bag thing, I had a camera in a small bag, a carrier bag with stuff bought in airport and my one bag, I had to stuff everything into the bag to get onto the plane then take it out again when onboard,

 

yours Shogun

Like I said, I have no problem with one bag. Just never had to think about the weight. :) Haven't flown Virgin for several years. So, when I read the web site about the 13 lbs, I was just taken off guard.

 

Flying is certainly interesting these days. :o

I have never had hand luggage weighed. That's not quite the same as saying that it isn't weighed!

 

I'm not the most frequent flyer, but I do fly a few times a year. Hate it too, for what it is worth.

 

Matthew

Virgin DEFINATELY weigh hand baggage now and getting through security with more than one piece of carry on luggage is well nigh impossible. I speak from recent experience. You cannot even carry a camera bag if it is not inside that one bag. Also the laptop must be taken out and put through the scanner on its own, not in the bag. Also remember the plastic zip top bag for liquids, no more than 100ml per item and 10 items per person in the bag. When this was first applied you were provided with plastic bags. This has now stopped and you have to provide your own. You carry your plastic bag and show it to security and then put it back into your carry on after security. However, you can purchase liquids in the departure lounge and take them on the plane. Hope this helps.

Those limits must be just Virgin Atlantic. Here, for example, are Continental's limits:

 

All locations except Delhi and United Kingdom

Carry On: 51 Linear Inches (UK 45 Linear Inches), 40lbs/18kg

 

Personal items

In addition to the one carry-on item, you may bring free-of-charge the below items:

 

one small personal article such as a briefcase, purse, day planner, small laptop computer, camera case, compact disk player or similar sized personal entertainment item

personal aid devices such as wheelchairs, braces, canes, crutches, prosthetic devices and walking sticks, provided passenger is dependent on them

one infant article such as a small collapsible stroller, a diaper bag or a government approved child seat (larger strollers can be checked in the jetway prior to boarding the aircraft)

This is from Virgin's website.

 

HAND BAGGAGE ALLOWANCES DEPARTING FROM THE USA

 

 

Passengers departing from US airports are permitted to carry one item of cabin baggageeach. Cabin baggage must not exceed a maximum length of 56 cm, width of 36 cm and depth of 23 cm including wheels, handles, side pockets etc. Other bags, such as handbags, may be carried within the single item of cabin baggage. All items will be x-ray screened and must not exceed 6 kilos in weight in Economy and Premium Economy, and 8 kilos in Upper Class.

 

Upper Class passengers may also carry one personal item such as a ladies handbag/purse, briefcase or laptop computer.

Remember that if you are flying out of Heathrow, the carryon bag must fit in the bag sizer at security. If your bag doesn't fit, you have to check it. The sizer is 22" x 17.7" x 10" and all the handles and wheels have to fit in! Very few rollaboards will make the cutoff, even if they are sold as 21 or 22" models. My rolling duffel has a base that's just over 10", but I may chance it and hope I can angle the bag slightly.

 

Julia

Those limits must be just Virgin Atlantic. Here, for example, are Continental's limits:

 

All locations except Delhi and United Kingdom

Carry On: 51 Linear Inches (UK 45 Linear Inches), 40lbs/18kg

 

Personal items

In addition to the one carry-on item, you may bring free-of-charge the below items:

 

one small personal article such as a briefcase, purse, day planner, small laptop computer, camera case, compact disk player or similar sized personal entertainment item

personal aid devices such as wheelchairs, braces, canes, crutches, prosthetic devices and walking sticks, provided passenger is dependent on them

one infant article such as a small collapsible stroller, a diaper bag or a government approved child seat (larger strollers can be checked in the jetway prior to boarding the aircraft)

 

The BA site used to say something similar.

Believe me, it will make no difference who your carrier is. After you check in you will join the queue to go through security checks and like any other airport, they will not ask which carrier you are with.

The security people will be calling out pointing out that one bag means just that, not a handbag (purse) or a camera bag plus your official cabin baggage bag but ONE BAG. You can of course place bags within bags and the trick is to plan your cabin baggage as a party. A laptop case can take quite a few other things and all the associated bits like chargers can go in check in baggage. A backpack will take lots of other items. You can also purchase other items as soon as you are airside.

The object of the exercise is clear, to reduce the amount of items requiring the much closer scrutiny that is required now. Only by compliance with this will the queues be kept to an acceptable level. Like others, I actually welcome the restrictions as people including myself have boarded the aircraft totally overloaded and contributed to filling up all the locker space. Most of this stuff was not really required inflight. Restricting inflight carry on has made people be a lot more thoughtful of their inflight requirements.

 

BTW this is not just Heathrow, it is just the same at all UK airports

We too are frequent travellers and find the carry on restrictions most difficult. Not so much the "one piece" policy, more the weight restriction of it.

 

Passengers are always advised to carry all valuables, meds etc in their carry on bag. And we each carry our respective cameras, film, chargers etc too. And all paperwork for the trip. And our books, spectacles and because their isnt room for a purse/handbag too, sundries such as hairbrush, cosmetics, tissues etc. Consequently our bags are pretty full. We are always in dread of a "weigh-in" at check in, but so far our bags have not been weighed. Any obviously oversized ones might well be. Ours are of a size which appears to fit the size guidelines and would most likely fit the frame to be found at most check in desks. All money and credit cards we carry in neck pouches.

 

Use your jacket pockets!

 

Nobody weighs passengers...as yet!:) If your bag is pretty full, pack meds or jewellery or camera accessories etc in zippered pockets. After security you can replace them in your bag.

 

And as sais before, the lap top will have to undergo a special search at security. It will be opened. Definitely dont put it in your case. If detected your luggage will most likely be opened in whatever way security can open it and the laptop taken out for a special check. Very risky.

Believe me, it will make no difference who your carrier is. After you check in you will join the queue to go through security checks and like any other airport, they will not ask which carrier you are with.

This is absolutely right, but the airlines that enforce weight restrictions on cabin baggage often do so at the gate. So even if you get your heavy bag through security, the airline may still require you to gate-check it if it exceeds the airline's own restriction.

Earlier this summer I bought a Samsonite backpack - similar to the Oppidan Backpack 40 - and used it to carry stuff onto the planes for our Galaxy cruise out of Civitavecchia. The pack itself is a shade over 1 kg, and into that I was able to get my laptop (MacBook), my DSLR and a couple of lenses, a couple of books for the flights, a pair of not-very-large binoculars, my iPod, and various other small items that I thought I might want on the flight.

 

The total weight was still slightly under 6kgs, and the size was within the limits with a bit of re-arranging - the contents had a tendency to slump down & forward thus making the fore & aft dimension over the limit, but there was plenty of room at the top. By encouraging everything in it back towards the top, it fitted into the gauges easily. I had no problems with it. The only hassle was the having to get the laptop out for individual inspection when going through airport security.