Cabin baggage & food

[daveoakley1]

I don't fly international much, so I have a couple of questions:

1. Cabin baggage. QANTAS say for international flight to US I can have 1x115cm/7kg bag "plus personal item eg handbag, briefcase, backpack etc"
I just want to confirm that I can have a stuffed-full backpack (of no stated weight or size) as well as my largest possible legal-size cabin bag.

2. Food. You can't bring many forms of fresh food into Australia. In fact, you can't take many sorts interstate. But what about outbound flights? Can I take some healthy fresh food with me to eat, instead of the swill normally served up in economy? And what about a thermos flask of decent coffee?

DaveO

 

[shillard]

I don't fly international much, so I have a couple of questions:

1. Cabin baggage. QANTAS say for international flight to US I can have 1x115cm/7kg bag "plus personal item eg handbag, briefcase, backpack etc"
I just want to confirm that I can have a stuffed-full backpack (of no stated weight or size) as well as my largest possible legal-size cabin bag.

2. Food. You can't bring many forms of fresh food into Australia. In fact, you can't take many sorts interstate. But what about outbound flights? Can I take some healthy fresh food with me to eat, instead of the swill normally served up in economy? And what about a thermos flask of decent coffee?

DaveO

I have always gotten away with the following in international economy on QF (est 60+ outbound flights in the past 5 years, including some to the USA):

1. Laptop bag (QF-issue Plat bag), AND a small backpack (by small I mean smaller than a Blackhawk Patrol Pack - think typical targus or similar).

2. No problems on food - I always load up on fruit, kettle chips and some other goodies for a long-haul flight. If there was a KFC at SYD, I'd probably take a 3 piece feed on board as well.....

Just be prepared to ditch all food at your destination. Although I have to confess to having carelessly 'smuggled' fresh fruit and sealed meuseli bars into NZ on more than one occasion....

 

[Bob]

If you plan on taking a thermos flask of coffee, remember that the cabin altitude in a pressurised aircraft is about 7,000 ft. This means water boils at a much lower temperature than 100 C. If your coffee temp is still above the boiling temp, it can boil out furiously, so be careful.

 

[serfty]

Just remember the max weight for these is "7kg (15lbs) per piece". (Of couse, this is onlywhen enforced) 8)

On domestic QF flights you can have two 'pieces'. If you carry that large Tome (as reading matter) in your hands and put that laptop battery in your pocket they both 'cease' to weigh anything.

 

[Alan in CBR]

If you plan on taking a thermos flask of coffee, remember that the cabin altitude in a pressurised aircraft is about 7,000 ft. This means water boils at a much lower temperature than 100 C. If your coffee temp is still above the boiling temp, it can boil out furiously, so be careful.

This cannot be stressed too much. DO NOT take a vacuum flask on board. Not only may the contents be above the 7000' boiling point, but if you seal the container (as one normally does with flasks) its internal pressure will be higher than the cabin. So it will not just boil over, it will project the boiling contents out!

Makes me shudder just to think about it.

(I have one or two friends who have opened Coke cans in unpressurised light aircraft at around 7000'. They spent a fair bit of time after landing cleaning the contents out of the cabin!)

I just want to confirm that I can have a stuffed-full backpack (of no stated weight or size) as well as my largest possible legal-size cabin bag.

As serfty stated, your backpack is still subject to the weight limitation. It is also size limited - as shillard says, it needs to be small.

Carrying extra snacks is a good idea - I always do it. I'm not a big eater, but I find the long-haul rations aren't quite enough.

 

[AussieDisneyFan]

a further question about baggage

How strict are they on the weight of the cabin baggage. Three of us are travelling CBR-KUL with Qantas/Malaysian. According to the Malaysian website the carryon is limited to 5kg. My bag weighs 4kg alone. Certainly cant pack much. Do they give you leeway if there is only 1 carryon for 3 people? Do they even weigh it?

 

[Zanzara]

Yes, MH do weigh cabin bags. My mum recently travelled to LHR on them and she had to repack her bags at the check-in area to reduce the weight of the bag she was taking on board.

If they 'through check' your bags in CBR before hand you should be OK though... depends if MH allow QF to do that though.

MH don't seem to weigh all the carry-on bags though either. Guess it depends on the check-in staff member or if your bag looks big & heavy. MH aren't naz_s - unlike some airlines. If it isn't excessive & your hold luggage isn't over-the-top you should be ok>>??

It sounds a bit dodgey, but provided you are happy with security etc., I guess you could leave a bag with a 'friend' & then turn-up with it later at the aircraft gate. The bag will be x-rayed & security checked as you go into the departure lounge & the security staff there sometimes weigh and check hand lugggage too. If it's too big they'll send you back.

Doubt they would weigh it at the gate though. Especially as there are 3 of you travelling. You could say you went mad in the duty free shop!

Wouldn't worry too much if I was you>>>Good luck. Hope you have a great time!

 

[AussieDisneyFan]

Thanks for the help. Qantas will check our luggage through but we need to checkin in SYD for boarding passes. If we get stuck I can farm out the things between us and wear extra clothes. Some of the weight is toiletry bag and camer and accessories so I can easily sling each of them over the shoulder, it is just so much easier in one bag.

 

[bambbbam2]

Hey.. you could always checkout http://www.airlinemeals.net/

check out the meals (under photos) from air botswana!

It could be worse!