In a bit of a quandry.... 6kg allowance but gear weighs more

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Off to the States in November & am only allowed 6kg of hand luggage (thanks to Virgin)..

Weighed my gear in the bag and it weighs in at almost :eek: 9kg's... I managed to get it down to literally the bear basics and it still weighs over the 6kg limit at just over 7kg (thats just the D700 & 24-70 & 70-200 vrII) the TC-20EIII & 35mm (both in a cral zeiss case will go in the suitcase with other bits an bobs)....

Now do I trust one lens going into the hold or risk taking it all & hope that they dont ask to weigh it... If they do then just stick one lens in my partners handluggage & then stick it back in the case once on the plane.....:shrug:
 
I'd take it all as hand luggage, if they complain transfer it to another bag
 
I fretted over the same thing going to Australia and spent ages getting it down to the 7kg Qantas limit, even going to the extent of carrying a couple of lenses, my GF1 and an SB900 (on my belt :lol:) on my person.

No-one even looked twice at my bag. On the way back I stuck everything into (books and assorted other cr*p) and it and it probably weighed nearer 20kg and again no-one paid it the slightest bit of attention.

Remember you're also allowed a "personal item" in addition to your baggage allowance and so this can be a laptop bag or a camera/lens......
 
Put the short lens on the camera and wear it around your neck. That's how I got my T90 and a load of other kit through when I flew back from Australia but that was pre-9/11 so rules may have changed on carrying cameras through security now.
 
One lens well packed in the middle of your clothes should be ok, very mean allowance though, must be about the lowest I have ever heard of
 
I took about 10KG of gear as hand luggage.. There are no rules saying you cant carry stuff in pockets, so batteries/cards/cables and a few lenses in a jacket, another lens in a trouser pocket etc.
Saying that, my bag never got weighed once, so didnt have to resort to that, even the bag was quiet obviously more than the allowance. The shape of the bag fit nicely in the size checker thing with a bit of persuasion too.
 
markmullen said:
Wear clothes with big pockets (a photographers vest is ideal) and transfer stuff into your pockets if required.

That said I've never once had my handbaggage weighed, as long as you don't look like you're struggling you'll be fine IMO.
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I'd go with that, I think its highly unlikely you'll have it weighed but if you do just transfer something into your jacket.
 
Cheers all for the replies.... much appreciated.

I'll just make sure that the OH has a bigger handbag - just incase :D
 
I'll fly regularly for work and have never in over 5 years of flying had my hand luggage weighed. Often it's been heavier than my hold luggage so I'd be surprised if you have any problems.
 
yaaan said:
I'll fly regularly for work and have never in over 5 years of flying had my hand luggage weighed. Often it's been heavier than my hold luggage so I'd be surprised if you have any problems.
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Is/was that with Virgin :shrug:

Flown with some other airlines in the past an they didn't weigh my hand luggage but there is always a first for everything - maybe I should stop reading reviews on dibbs etc regarding Virgin :lol:
 
Funnily enough I have just got back from Heathrow having taken my sister who was travelling on Virgin back home to NYC. The guy at the check-in desk next to her was having a shocker as he was over the weight limit for his hold bags and they weighed his hand luggage too, I think to see if he could transfer weight to it.

First time I have ever seen hand luggage getting weighed...just make sure your hold luggage is within the limits and you hand luggage doesn't look too bulky.
 
Last time I flew with Virgin my hand luggage was heavier than my hold luggage and they didn't bat an eyelid.
 
Flown Virgin to USA several times and they've never even looked at our hand luggage.
 
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As its been said dont make the bag look heavy if you use a pull allong carry on sized case its easy to do but I make sure everything fits in the case so there is no need to question it. My carry on often weighs ore than my checked bag.
 
I've flown often with my laptop bag as hand luggage, the bag is huge and with everything in must way close to 12kg and I've never been questioned once about it. My usual limit is 8kg or so. Doubt you will have any problems.
 
Oh, and under no circumstances think about putting a grand's worth of lens in your case :nono:
 
Had my hand luggage weighed on the way to and back from Gibraltar recently when flying with Monarch - some airlines will do it, but most aren't too fussed.
 
Just take it all as hand luggage in a reasonably sized bag. I have never had my bag weighed and i fly quite often.
 
I come into contact with the odd airport here and there:lol:

From what I see and have experienced there are no real rules in practice - sometimes they'll make you put your bag in the container to check size, sometimes they'll weigh it and other times they'll either do both or not bother. Spend time worrying about it and leave stuff at home and you end up spotting someone in departure with a bag 3 times the size of the overhead locker and wonder how the f... they got that through. Think you'll be fine and check in will have you putting things in the hold.

Remember all you need to do is get past check in and you can sort out your bag after that. Big jacket and sling a lens case over each shoulder and down each opposite side or if the pockets are big enough use them and just carry your camera in the bag. I'd be putting the extender in another pocket too. Once through you can sort out into your bag.

After being fleeced going to France when I was younger (ticket £100, excess baggage £270) we carried all our gear in a similar fashion- I had 3 pairs of rock shoes attached to one sling, an SLR, lenses, other slings, karabiners and rope slung round my body- all covered by a big down jacket. I was also wearing 2pairs of trousers and shorts. It was also 30 degrees and I was absolutely roasting:lol:. Check-in girl took our passports, looked at us for a second and handed us our tickets. Quick stop to the toilets and all sorted into my rucksack. I'd probably not take it as far as we did but there's a lot you can do:D
 
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Pretty much as above. I've never flown Virgin, but I've had Ryanair, SAA, Emirates and Air Zimbabwe check/weigh my hand luggage, or just ignore it, at various airports. Seems completely arbitrary. Just put a couple of items in your pockets until you're on board if there's a problem.
 
I'd be wary about completely ignoring hand luggage weights/rules. A couple of times now (4, maybe 5) I've had my hand luggage weighed flying out of Birmingham on Emirates. The first two times it was 12+kg and they made me remove items (camera or laptop - tough choice) and pit them in the hold.

I'm now transporting camera gear (14kg) in a Peli on my flight to Dubai tomorrow which can go in the hold.

DB
 
Two weeks ago my friend flew to Spain and got charged £80 for excess baggage weight. She wasn't happy....
 
Trig's said:
Is/was that with Virgin :shrug: ....
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Nope I've not flown with them but most of the other major airlines and never had any problems. I should think only being a kg or two over they're not going to worry too much but as others have said, pop a few items in your pockets instead and spread the load. Always worth wearing a jacket with big pockets!

Incidentally if you ever have to fly to Nigeria I think you can take as much as you like as hand luggage. I've never seen so much stuff carried onboard. They must have been taking two or three bags each back home plus whatever they checked in:)
 
hand luggage weight limit grossly unfair, what if you're really thin? If there is a limit, I just load up my pockets big time, any fuss and I call my 500mm a pendant and point out that I could be an absolute blimpoid and weigh an extra 30k.
 
I went to Philippines with a 400d gripped attached to a 70-200 mk2 and a few lenses and batteries and cables plus my laptop on a lower fastback 350 and it got weighed and said I was allowed that weight. On the 5th attempted I went and saw a different person and they did not weigh it .on the way back to Philippines they weighed it and said it's fine as it has a dslr . This was with Cathay pacific.
 
Flying virgin last year was the only time i've ever had my hand luggage weighed.

I would get a belt case for the camera and a short lens, and anything else you can stick on your belt, and then put it all back in the bag before going through security. Once its weighed at checkin (if they bother) you can put as much other stuff back in it again as you want :lol::lol::lol:
 
Trig's said:
Cheers all for the replies.... much appreciated.

I'll just make sure that the OH has a bigger handbag - just incase :D
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My laptop recently took my hand luggage over my allowance. Didn't expect them to weigh it (been loads of times and they hadn't weighed it) but this one time they did.

She asked if there was anything heavy like a laptop which there was. She said it was fine to carry that on as a separate item. The primary reason for the weight limit is for a single item if it falls out of the locker onto somebody's head.

If they do weigh you, offer to carry your camera over your shoulder and leave the lenses etc.. in the bag. That should be enough to get you through.
 
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