[haring]

What do you do when your camera bag is too big for the overhead bin in a plane or all of the bins are taken?



I am sure I am not the only one who experienced the problem. Lot of times the crew already announces that all overhead bins are full and that no more larger carry-ons can be brought into the plane. What is your tactic to avoid your camera bag being put in the main luggage area of the plane where it can be smashed or stolen...?



I usually do the following:



1. Try to be in the A or B boarding zone. Board the plane first! The chance that you will find empty bins is higher!

2. Try to stand behind somebody who has a bigger bag and the crew will pull out the person in front of you and will be asked to hand over his/her luggage to be put in the main cargo area of the plane. Usually, they are busy with that person in front of you and you can bring my carry-on camera bag on board.

3. Once on board, I try to take out my laptop and larger lenses to make my bag smaller. Hopefully, it fits!

4. I also try to put under the seat of the person in front of me...



Have you ever experienced this problem? What did you do you could share with us? This always stresses me out when I fly somewhere so photograph a destination wedding.

Thanks!

[wim]

I have a roller which will in principle fit in the overhead bin, but with all the stuff I carry with me it is really way too heavy <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />.



So, I also bring a laptop bag which will fit in the laptop sleeve of the roller with laptop etc., and just pull that out, put some ancillary equipement for the laptop in that bag too, and carry it around my shoulder. I have a coat with me and put a few lenses in the pockets.My camera(s) I pull out and put the heaviest lenses on, and again carry those around my shoulders.



Once in th eplane I put everythign back in, except for the stuff I want to use, and put the roller in the overhead bin.



So far not a problem. However, I try not to fly airlines like, e.g., Ryan Air, I have to admit. Especially on regional flights there is no way my roller would be allowed in as cabin luggage.



HTH, kind regards, Wim

[Klaus]

Checked baggage in extra hardcase (e.g. [url="http://www.peli.com/en"]http://www.peli.com/en[/url]) + Insurance.

[Rainer]

If your bag complies to the maximum measurements that

carry-on luggage may have (and your bag should comply to it),

you can also offer to put it under the seat in front of you.

This will of course cost you some amount of legroom,

but for a flight of just a few hours this might be acceptable.



I often fly with just a small backpack and probably 10kg

weight ... and I always take this as carry-on with me. More

than once this has saved me 30min to 1hrs waiting time at

the destination airport.



Just a thought ... Rainer

[haring]

I don't think checking my bag is a good idea. They may lose it and even if the insurance covers it I can't shoot at my destination. I am a wedding photographer and it would be hard to explain to the bride that I can't shoot her wedding because the airliner lost my luggage or my luggage is delayed.

[soLong]

.....but whatever you do, it's probably not a good idea to put your laptop in its super soft laptop bag into the overhead locker….where someone can squeeze and shove their spiky backpack thru your lcd screen…..

[haring]

WOW! soLong, that's must have been horrible... I sometimes put my notebook along with my cameras and lenses but your story has made me thinking!

[soLong]

[quote name='haring' timestamp='1360803650' post='21928']

WOW! soLong, that's must have been horrible... I sometimes put my notebook along with my cameras and lenses but your story has made me thinking!

[/quote]

... yes indeed, armoured or hard bags are cheap compared to the cost of a lens or mbp repair, a very nice computer though it is, these screens are glued and sealed in and difficult to replace, so for me a low cost external lcd will do until the next version mbp becomes available

[Guest]

Not quite related; but I think one of the reason I went with a smaller camera was to avoid this issue <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> I would never check a camera, tablet or computer. Mind you I think security in Europe is much better (not so much more or less thorough but less invasive) but in the usa really bad things happen (some of the time) when you check luggage. This one is understandable (sort of) but not so negative as some of the others I hear but when my parents received a new mobile as a gift and checked it in their luggage; all the strings were cut when they arrived home <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />