Goin Abroad.

jackbauer

jackbauer

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would like to know how u photographers go abroad with all ** expensive gear.

do u RISK putting all your gear in your main suitcase? or do u carry it all as hand luggage? i know that main suitcase limit is about 30-35KG and hand luggage is about 5-7KG. but most peoples gear including a sturdy tripod surely would be above 10kg
 
You carry it on, never put it in the hold because it'll either be stolen or broken.

Tripods go in the hold though.

Speak to the air line and ask as each has different rules and regulations.
 
Get a decent bag for the tripod and check it in. Carry EVERYTHING else in your hand luggage.
 
For me it's either hand luggage or checked through in a Peli or flight case. I used to throw the tripod through checked luggage as it was but it kept breaking the aircraft, so now I bag it. ;)
 
For me it's carry on only for all my expensive stuff... which is pretty much everything ;)! It weights more than is allowed as carry on but I have never been stopped or told I can't carry it on... if they moan I just open the bag and they look at all the glass and go "ohhhh ok"! If your really worried about not being allowed to carry it on the only solution left would be a hardcase.
 
jackbauer said:
i know that main suitcase limit is about 30-35KG and hand luggage is about 5-7KG.
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Beware - I think the limits are usually only 15kg or 20kg! Don't get caught out with extra baggage weight charges. Usually 5kg for hand luggage.
 
some airlines you can take two bags upto 7kgs each for hand luggage. I have found that if you are carrying a small hard case they tend to ask for it to be weighed but for rucksacks they dont bother. My trick is to take gear out of the hardcase whilst they weigh it then transfer the it back once through security:naughty:

As for main bags, i agree you really need to check with the airline. KLM and a few others allow 40KG but for most its 20KG, also depends on if you are going european or long haul

Personally i would never check my stuff in the hold, even though its insured.

One of the pros i know, carries two bodies a 400 and 135 as hand luggage and checks his peli through empty
 
The maximum you can get away with on any UK airline are with BA. Checked in bags, max weight 23kg free, either one or two bags depending on route (economy). Hand baggage - no specified weight limit except being able to lift it unaided in to the overhead storage. I've managed 23kg. Virgin has a 6kg hand baggage limit. Hand baggage weight isn't very often checked.

Should you choose to fly the allegedly cheap way - Ryanair and Easyjet - you will pay the penalty by having stupidly small baggage allowances. By the time you have added up all the extras with these two airlines, they aren't always cheaper than BA.

Never put anything in your checked-in baggage that you cannot afford to be without on your holiday or kiss goodbye to forever. If you are travelling with a wife/girlfriend etc, then put half of your clothes in her case and vice versa. If one case goes missing, you both will still have some clothes to wear.
 
I will be carrying it on, on Sunday when heading to Kenya. My gear will be at least 11kg all in.
Luckily Virgin are changing the way luggage is managed, and there isn't actually a weight limit, it's all done by 'pieces of luggage' and volume they equate to, rather than the actual weight. LUCKILY.

I wouldn't EVER put my camera gear in main luggage/hold though, no way!

EDIT: The Virgin rules will be changing for ALL their flights soon but at the moment that 'by piece' only stands for Transatlantic flights, Flights to Kenya and another African place, and one more destination I've forgotten.

But there's a note at the top of their website stating it's gonna change for all flights soon!
 
I managed to get all my gear into my hand luggage when I went to New York. This included a gripped Canon 350D, kit lens, Sigma 10-20, all batteries and cards, chargers, travel documents, money, ipod, magazines, food and drink, notebook, money, purse, phone and a whole medicine cabinet of drugs, and I was just under the weight limit. I flew with Virgin :)

ETA: Hand baggage is always checked, they have scales that you must put both hold and hand luggage on whilst checking in, so I woudn't try to get away with a bag that's over the limit. Think about what would happen if you got caught- then you'd have to transfer some hand baggage into hold baggage...
 
As long as you're sensible with the weight of your hand baggage, you should be fine. Apparently some airlines will weigh your hand luggage but I've never had mine weighed for aslong as I can remember. Most airlines also allow a laptop bag aswell as your other piece of carry on luggage... probably not if you're travelling air freight with easyjet though
 
Shorty said:
I will be carrying it on, on Sunday when heading to Kenya. My gear will be at least 11kg all in.
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Hand luggage is still 6kg on Virgin and they are the only airline I've had trouble with...

BA have 23kg hand luggage limit so have been my long haul airline of choice in recent years. My camera bag is normally about 18kg loaded and the tripod is wrapped in clothes in the hold.
 
grumpybadger said:
My camera bag is normally about 18kg loaded
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I knew the 1D was expensive, but is it made of gold!!!


The company I am flying to the states, is also an unlimited weight, so long as you can lift it to the locker without assistance.
Not liking this woolly phrase, I asked for clarification, and got an email stating that 15Kg for 1 item of luggage is not excessive.
That way, even if they do weigh me at check-in, I have something to put my side across. (some airlines would not accept single items weighing more than 5kg each, but you could have more than one item. This was due to the damage it might do to someone if it fell out of the locker).
 
coldpenguin said:
I knew the 1D was expensive, but is it made of gold!!!
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My camera-bag weighs about the same: 2 bodies, five lenses, 2 flashguns, 8 camera-batteries, 1 battery charger and lead, cleaning-kit, AA batteries, memory cards, USB lead.

...and that's the basic load...

For 'away-jobs', add to that:
Laptop PC and ancillaries, 2x 1Tb Hard Drives, power leads and extensions, power-converters, adaptors.
B-Gan satellite transmission kit and ancillaries.
Overnight kit (clothes and wash-bag).

We still only get issued with two hands, so it's sometimes a bit of a struggle...:shrug:
 
ETA: Hand baggage is always checked, they have scales that you must put both hold and hand luggage on whilst checking in, so I woudn't try to get away with a bag that's over the limit. Think about what would happen if you got caught- then you'd have to transfer some hand baggage into hold baggage...
Click to expand...

Im flying long haul every 6 weeks and have never hand my rucksack weighed. Of course it may just be that i haven't yet flown with an airline that do

Andy
 
coldpenguin said:
I knew the 1D was expensive, but is it made of gold!!!


The company I am flying to the states, is also an unlimited weight, so long as you can lift it to the locker without assistance.
Not liking this woolly phrase, I asked for clarification, and got an email stating that 15Kg for 1 item of luggage is not excessive.
That way, even if they do weigh me at check-in, I have something to put my side across. (some airlines would not accept single items weighing more than 5kg each, but you could have more than one item. This was due to the damage it might do to someone if it fell out of the locker).
Click to expand...

That was 2x 1 series, couple of primes, couple of zooms, spare batteries, binoculars and flash. Not excessive really!
 
Budget airlines are pretty strict as they discourage hold baggage but the cabin baggage still has to be able to squeeze into overhead lockers.
Hence maximum one piece of hand baggage.
Earlier this year Easy Jet had no limit on hand baggage weight as long as it could sensibly be lifted into overhead locker. Hold baggage was limited to 20kg with horrendous financial penalties for going overweight.

My Lowepro Slingshot 300 just fits the cabin baggage measuring cradle - the perfect travelling companion :)
 
Twizzel said:
ETA: Hand baggage is always checked, they have scales that you must put both hold and hand luggage on whilst checking in, so I woudn't try to get away with a bag that's over the limit. Think about what would happen if you got caught- then you'd have to transfer some hand baggage into hold baggage...
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Are you saying that a particular airline always weighs hand luggage, or that every airline weighs hand luggage?
 
I always take my kit as hand luggage. Pretty sure it's always over the allowed weight but only once (in 15 or so trips {so 30 or so flights}) has it been weighed and they didn't seem to care that it was over.
 
grumpybadger said:
Hand luggage is still 6kg on Virgin and they are the only airline I've had trouble with...
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It's not....
http://www.virgin-atlantic.com:80/en/gb/passengerinformation/baggage/baggagebypiece.jsp
[we're flying to Kenya]

Two pieces of luggage per passenger, each weighing up to 23kg
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AND at top of page on right hand side the mention of policay changing 23rd Sept, if you click the link at bottom of message, the table shows that u can have 2 bags each weighing up to 23KG :) handy int it!
 
I've always had to put hand luggage on the scales when I've checked in, but that's always been with charter flights. I'm going to Kefalonia next week and the weight limit is 20kg for hold luggage and 5kg for hand luggage. Having spoken to the travel agent, it looks like they levy a charge of around £7 a kilo for excess baggage. I did try to phone the airline to confirm this but, after going through various menus, I was told I had been put into a queue and my call would be answered in approximately 30 minutes and it was a premium rate number! :eek:

Twizzel said:
ETA: Hand baggage is always checked, they have scales that you must put both hold and hand luggage on whilst checking in, so I woudn't try to get away with a bag that's over the limit. Think about what would happen if you got caught- then you'd have to transfer some hand baggage into hold baggage...
Click to expand...

They won't make anyone transfer stuff to hold luggage (Not when they can make some extra cash out of it).
 
Shorty said:
It's not....
http://www.virgin-atlantic.com:80/en/gb/passengerinformation/baggage/baggagebypiece.jsp
[we're flying to Kenya]



AND at top of page on right hand side the mention of policay changing 23rd Sept, if you click the link at bottom of message, the table shows that u can have 2 bags each weighing up to 23KG :) handy int it!
Click to expand...

And that page is headed "Cabin Baggage"

If you click on the hand baggage link on the left hand side you get:

Virgin Atlantic said:
HAND BAGGAGE ALLOWANCES
Upper Class

Upper Class passengers may take two pieces of hand baggage onboard. Individual dimensions not to exceed 23 x 36 x 56cm, (approx 9 x 14 x 22 inches) and 16kg (35lbs) in combined weight, with no bag weighing more than 12kg. This can include 1 garment bag, 20cm (8ins) thick when folded, not exceeding 12kg in weight.

Economy and Premium Economy

Economy and Premium Economy passengers may take 1 piece of hand baggage on board. Individual dimensions not to exceed 23 x 36 x 56cm, (approx 9 x 14 x 22 inches) and 13lb/6kg in weight.
Click to expand...

Details here

Not trying to be harsh but better you find out before the airport that you may have a problem!
 
It's not only the airLINE but the airPORT that can cause problems. I've flown out of Edinburgh on Easyjet problem free only to get hassle over size and weight on the return flight with the same kit and on the same airline! Hand luggage not weighed outgoing all carefully weighed incoming! :(
 
grumpybadger said:
And that page is headed "Cabin Baggage"

If you click on the hand baggage link on the left hand side you get:



Details here

Not trying to be harsh but better you find out before the airport that you may have a problem!
Click to expand...


I have emailed Virgin for clarification, but I used to look at that page. And then panic. However, the link I provided shows that for the flights[included where we're going to] this ISN'T the case, and again, the limit is 23kg PER bag and you're only allowed 2 bags, one hand, one main. I'm sure.? Anyway, I've contacted them and hope I'll get a reply soon, so I can start making provisions of who else can take a padded bag to carry the rest of my stuff.

*panics slightly*
 
If your bag is weighed and is found to be over the allowance, put the heaviest lenses in your pockets until you get the bag down to weight.
 
I still don't agree that your page shows that isn't the case as the page allowing two bags is headed "Checked in Baggage" and still has separate links to carry on.

I hope you're right but it's not how I read it...
 
I've e-mailed them for clarification, we've provisions of putting the spare body and lenses in my mum and sister's bag, which is what we planned before we'd read that page anyway. Hopefully, whatever we end up doing it'll be OK.

Thanks for bringing it to my attention
 
take your receipts..!!
 
Shorty said:
I have emailed Virgin for clarification, but I used to look at that page. And then panic. However, the link I provided shows that for the flights[included where we're going to] this ISN'T the case, and again, the limit is 23kg PER bag and you're only allowed 2 bags, one hand, one main. I'm sure.? Anyway, I've contacted them and hope I'll get a reply soon, so I can start making provisions of who else can take a padded bag to carry the rest of my stuff.

*panics slightly*
Click to expand...

This is where you've taken a wrong turning. For Kenya (and the other specifically listed destinations) you are allowed two bags 23kg max each - checked in baggage - PLUS one piece of cabin baggage at 6kg max.
 
MisterE said:
Should you choose to fly the allegedly cheap way - Ryanair and Easyjet - you will pay the penalty by having stupidly small baggage allowances. By the time you have added up all the extras with these two airlines, they aren't always cheaper than BA.
Click to expand...

Easyjet don't have a weight limit on hand baggage- Ryanair have a limit of 10kg on hand baggage. Though I won't argue that the "extra" charges make what may seem a cheap deal, not so cheap :)
 
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