Travel Products - Rolling Briefcase plus 22 inch Rollaboard

Traveled yesterday and the TSA would not allow me through the security line without checking one of the two above. Apparently they will only allow one rolling bag, even tho the briefcase fits under the seat.

Tomorrow I will try collapsing the handle of the rolling briefcase and carrying it along with my rollaboard to see if that works.

I bought the rolling briefcase for my new 15 inch laptop and planned to be able to carry on both the briefcase plus the 22 inch rollaboard. Yesterday was a big surprise.

Does anyone know what the regulations actually are?

Thanks,

Bruce

Traveled yesterday and the TSA would not allow me through the security line without checking one of the two above. Apparently they will only allow one rolling bag, even tho the briefcase fits under the seat.

Tomorrow I will try collapsing the handle of the rolling briefcase and carrying it along with my rollaboard to see if that works.

I bought the rolling briefcase for my new 15 inch laptop and planned to be able to carry on both the briefcase plus the 22 inch rollaboard. Yesterday was a big surprise.

Does anyone know what the regulations actually are?

Thanks,

Bruce

Bruce, welcome to Flyertalk. What airport did this happen at? I have a wheeled laptop case and a 22 inch rollaboard. I fly several times a month to/from various places. I have never had an issue with getting through security or on the plane with both. I do always have my laptop case perched on top of my rollaboard when I approach security and don't wheel them separately.

As for what the regs are, I can't speak on that subject.

The TSA policies are very irregular at best. Often at DFW the sorters will only let you through with one rolling bag, likewise MIA.

I gave up wheels for carry ons for that reason.

Stuff I really don't want to check.

No one can make you any promises about what is OK with the TSA or not.

Wait. I don't get it. What does the TSA have to do with luggage size? I thought their concern was Safety and Security, as indicated by their name. :confused:

I would have probably tried to raise at least a bit of a stink there. Looking at the TSA website I could not find anything that would forbid two rollers. Even looking at luggage regulations from most airlines I have flown, I didn't see anything saying it was not OK to bring two rollers.

I think you have been a victim of classic mission creep. :mad:

Now, that set aside. I don't think it is actually the best idea to travel with two rolling bags. It will bear you down with unnecessary weight and will waste volume. If you role two bags at once, I tried, you have both hands occupied and you take up a larger footprint. Not good for being fast and safe in navigating an airport and not nice for the fellow travelers who must trapse around you.

If you do have a heavy briefcase because of heavy equipment or files, it makes sense having a wheeled briefcase. But in that case, consider to actually use a non-wheeled piece of luggage for your clothing and let that ride on your rolling briefcase. :)

This is a much smarter solution because you will not have the trouble outlined above. Instead you gain more room for packing clothing while losing weight (of the bag). This means you will be able to stow the big bag in the overhead much easier in terms of its weight and its size. Good for you, good for the other pax. It may even mean that you can size down on the luggage a little because since you can do without wheels there is more room in the bag and you can probably pack the same amount of things in a 20" soft bag as in a 22" roller. This means further weight and volume savings.

Since you only need the luggage at the hotel and you don't need to wheel it around a lot, this solution is preferable if you have a big and heavy briefcase. You gain mobility on the briefcase and you don't lose any on the luggage.

There is actually a thread on this topic in the sticky.

BTW, welcome to FT! :)

Till

All-

This happened in Boston Logan airport. I'll be traveling out of OHare tomorrow and I'll see what happens then.

I also am very interested in the idea of a big heavy rolling breifcase and a smaller non-rolling clothes bag. I'll have to consider that - never thought about it before. I'll look for that sticky, and if I have questions I'll post them there.

Thanks,

Bruce

If you're like all the other "travelers" with giant rolling laptop bags, then your 22" bag is probably closer to 24" and your giant rolling laptop bag is as big as an 18" rollaboard. It doesn't surprise me that you were stopped, and quite frankly I wish this were enforced everywhere.

/not bitter

even tho the briefcase fits under the seat.


If you're like all the other "travelers" with giant rolling laptop bags, then ... your giant rolling laptop bag is as big as an 18" rollaboard.

If the rolling briefcase fits under the seat - and you intend to actually store it there - I don't understand the TSA response (or bitterness from other posters)

Personally, I have noticed if I carry something large-ish/borderline instead of rolling it, I usually don't get a 2nd glance from TSA or GAs. But now my biggest rolling carry-on is 19" so it's not a current concern....