The great hand luggage only challenge!!!

[tonybne]

Hi All,

I did a DONE 4 in Nov. last year with only hand luggage. BNE-LAX-ORD-ATL-IAH-MIA-JFK-LAS-LHR-CDG//ORY-CIA//FCO-HKG-CTS-HKG-PER-BNE. Only ORY-CIA was on a non One World airline. Had no problems in D class with 15 Kg's, till Easy Jet ORY-CIA payed the extra 8 Euros at time of booking to check in my over weight roll on. Sure I had to wash twice in the 6 weeks but can be done RTW with hand luggage only. Made it to Plat. at long last.

Cheers,

TonyBne

 

[moa999]

Suits and jackets do make it more difficult.

What are peoples exeriences with lugging a Domestic Rollaboard (Samsonite) and a proper suitbag (Also Samsonite). For a 3-wk DONE.
Main concern is on the AA flights where carry-on is a supposedly limited to the one main bag plus small item.

If I do go shopping in NY the post system will get a workout so won't add to the luggage.

 

[serfty]

...
Main concern is on the AA flights where carry-on is a supposedly limited to the one main bag plus small item.
....

It's actually a US Government regulation. Of course, enforcement varies so much.

American Airlines Carry-on Baggage Allowance Information On AA.com

 

[rhjames]

Suits and jackets do make it more difficult.

What are peoples exeriences with lugging a Domestic Rollaboard (Samsonite) and a proper suitbag (Also Samsonite). For a 3-wk DONE.
Main concern is on the AA flights where carry-on is a supposedly limited to the one main bag plus small item.

If I do go shopping in NY the post system will get a workout so won't add to the luggage.

Why not just shop at home and save all the hassle? I have a general rule - never buy anything away from home unless it's essential at the time. Of course, I detest shopping and shopping centres, so that might influence me. My other rule is never buy presents or items for other people when away (except perhaps some duty free perfume for my wife, and preferably on the plane.)

 

[Maca44]

Main concern is on the AA flights where carry-on is a supposedly limited to the one main bag plus small item.

If I do go shopping in NY the post system will get a workout so won't add to the luggage.

Having travelled AA domestically many times, and again in August and September, I can only assume that the limited carry on is limited to the kitchen sink as I have not been stopped once (not that my carry on would weigh more than 12kg anyway) but it amazes me how much the Americans take on board without their bags etc being gate checked.

I got caught last trip with with cost of posting a few things home for the kids, never again though.

 

[aussiejohn]

Most airlines allow the laptop as an extra, not included in your 7kgs. When I was stopped at the Sg Budget Terminal, they asked me if I had a laptop in the bag which would have made it heavier. But I travel with a netbook and I carry that in a small shoulder bag along with the charger, cords and other bits and bobs like my camera, mp3, noise cancelling headphones etc. Actually, if they had weighed my netbook shoulder bag, it would have come in around 3 or 4 kgs I reckon, I had so much stuffed into it! But it is a small bag so they tend to ignore it.

A key contributor to weight is laptops and electronics in general. Even my netbook weighs in at just over 1kg with the battery; sure 1kg isn't a lot but when your allowance is 7kg that is 14% of your weight allowance!

.

 

[OverrideServlet]

Great thread.

I'm starting to panic about my flight to Tokyo in economy with Qantas this week.

This is my usual setup for domestic but I can only take 1 of these aboard with me internationally! I really don't love the idea of trying to fold my suits into the rollaboard. Has anyone done this? Do they gets as crumpled as I imagine?

 

[rhjames]

Great thread.

I'm starting to panic about my flight to Tokyo in economy with Qantas this week.

This is my usual setup for domestic but I can only take 1 of these aboard with me internationally! I really don't love the idea of trying to fold my suits into the rollaboard. Has anyone done this? Do they gets as crumpled as I imagine?

Do you really need suits? If you need to wear a suit, isn't one enough? I dropped them from business meetings decades ago. Even before then, I only ever owned one.

 

[serfty]

Great thread.

I'm starting to panic about my flight to Tokyo in economy with Qantas this week.

This is my usual setup for domestic but I can only take 1 of these aboard with me internationally! I really don't love the idea of trying to fold my suits into the rollaboard. Has anyone done this? Do they gets as crumpled as I imagine?

If the rollaboard complies with QF sizes, then the other can be considered a "Personal Item".

I have travelled ATW with only a 105cm rollaboard and a laptop bag as carry-on.

I note the terms handbag and personal item have disappeared from the main carry-on baggage pages:

Information on Qantas

Laptop is still mentioned.

In any case, I believe you should be fine with those.

 

[OverrideServlet]

Do you really need suits? If you need to wear a suit, isn't one enough? I dropped them from business meetings decades ago. Even before then, I only ever owned one.

Yep, unfortunately I'll need at least two. The business attire situation works a little different for ladies.

 

[OverrideServlet]

If the rollaboard complies with QF sizes, then the other can be considered a "Personal Item".

I have travelled ATW with only a 105cm rollaboard and a laptop bag as carry-on.

I note the terms handbag and personal item have disappeared from the main carry-on baggage pages:

Information on Qantas

Laptop is still mentioned.

In any case, I believe you should be fine with those.

The qantas info page you linked to says:

• 1 x 115cm (45in) bag or
• 1 x 185cm (73in) non rigid garment bag

I have both.

The rollaboard is 115cm.

The garment bag is 185cm, but as you can see is a tri-fold.

I guess I will see if they'll let me take it aboard is a personal item, I might just ask at check-in just to be safe. It is interesting that they don't mention "personal item" any more. I do remember seeing it there recently.

I suppose the worst thing that could happen is that they stop me from boarding and tell me my rollaboard needs to be checked?

From what I can tell QF21 will be lightly loaded so maybe they'll be lenient about the size of cabin baggage.​

 

[serfty]

The qantas info page you linked to says:

• 1 x 115cm (45in) bag or
• 1 x 185cm (73in) non rigid garment bag

I have both.

The rollaboard is 115cm.

The garment bag is 185cm, but as you can see is a tri-fold.
...​

I perceived that as a small satchel or laptop bag.

That being the case; expect to check one of the bags. (I'm confident you still be able to take a "personal item" on-board as well.)

 

[OverrideServlet]

I perceived that as a small satchel or laptop bag.

That being the case; expect to check of the bags. (I'm confident you still be able to take a "personal item" on-board as well.)

Thanks serfty.

I actually made a mistake in my last post, the garment bag is bi-fold (not tri-fold). So, it's even less likely to be considered a personal item.

I am just looking at the tumi web site and some of the tri-fold bags look very much to be the size of laptop bags, so we're getting back into the area of "personal item" again.

Does anyone know of any brands (which aren't Tumi) that do rollaboard/garment bag combos like this?

I like the look of the tumi's, but I don't love them.

 

[anat0l]

I suppose the worst thing that could happen is that they stop me from boarding and tell me my rollaboard needs to be checked?

From what I can tell QF21 will be lightly loaded so maybe they'll be lenient about the size of cabin baggage.[/LEFT]

My tips would be:

• Don't bother asking at check-in. Just keep going as if you know what you're doing. At check-in if they ask, "Any bags to check-in?" just answer, "No."
• Make sure your bag is evenly packed, doesn't bulge and looks inconspicuous. I always say, "if the bag doesn't look heavy, it won't be judged as such".
• Board as early as possible to ensure you get bag space. I don't care that your status gives you priority boarding - you have to compete with other elites as well. Get to the gate pronto.
• For the garment bag:
  • Be prepared to fold it. I don't know how ladies suits compares to mens suits, but usually no matter how I fold mine it comes out OK the other end, if perhaps a firm shake is required. I think ladies suits may be thinner and made of some material which creases more easily, however if you can't get your suit in a locker then you won't have much choice.
    If you haven't taken your suit to a dry cleaners yet and it's due, why not try folding it now and see if you're happy when it's unfolded? If you think you can put up with it, then you might be able to pack it into your bag.
  • To get your suit in a locker, you can either try asking a FA (board early!), or hold it neatly in your lap and wait for a FA to prompt you. The latter one may be risky, since the FA may just ask you to put it up in the overhead.
  • If you have to put your suit up in the overhead, you'll have to decide whether you want to:
    • Put the suit up there early, flat. Then all other bags will be stacked on top of it. Risk: crumpled suit, have to wait for everyone to take bags off before retrieving suit.
    • Hold your suit and wait for bags to fill in. Then, put your suit bag on top of the other bags. Risk: if person accesses their bag, suit bag may fall down; some people get snitchy about other's belongings laying on top of theirs (even if benign).
• Finally, get ready to check in the bag. If you had to make a choice between both items, the bag probably would go into the hold, since I doubt a suit bag can be checked in (or rather, I doubt the wisdom of checking in a suit bag, which would probably get just as crumpled on the other side). This means, of course, you should try and carry a flattened spare bag (shopping bag, backpack or sports bag - just something that is small and can be flattened very well) to take out items you can't check in / need for the flight (e.g. laptop).

I tried the whole carrying my suit bag with me before on a domestic leg and a FA did approach me on the ground and let me put it in the locker. However I haven't tried it on an international leg, since by the time I had to go check-in again for my international flight I thought, "Stuff it," and just packed the folded suit into my checked bag. As I said, at the other end it looked good as ever (or at least acceptable), but mens suits and ladies suits vary in design and construction at best subtly.

 

[OverrideServlet]

Thanks for the suggestions anat0l, very helpful!

 

[OverrideServlet]

Google maps seems to indicate there's a Tumi store in Melbourne (or a reseller at least).

I called to price a tri-fold.

The response I got was:

"Oh, I'd have to look that one up, sorry".

And then just silence.

WTF?

This is why I buy all my cough online.

 

[OverrideServlet]

Oh, and that was after I called Sweeney's to ask about tri-fold bags.

He: We only stock Victorinox, Antler, etc.
Me: I'm actually interested in the Victorinox Paratroop Tri-fold.
He: Yeah, we don't stock it, you could try looking on the internet?

Have Australian retailers given up, or what?

 

[Flashback]

I wonder if there's any repairers of Antler luggage in the UK; my hand luggage only bag handle finally gave up the ghost today after 2-3 (maybe more actually!) years good service

 

[notzac]

I wonder if there's any repairers of Antler luggage in the UK

Considering Antler is an English brand, one would think so..!

 

[Flashback]

Considering Antler is an English brand, one would think so..!

Oops, replied in the wrong thread! Looks like 1 repair place in London: Repair agents