mia

Website shows that cabin bags are limited to 55x40x20 cm, and 10 kg weight. Our bags are well under the longer dimensions and weight limit (if our scale is accurate), but we do not own any bags that are 20 cm (7.8") on the shortest dimension. It looks as if my bag is about 25 cm, but can be compressed a bit. Ms mia's bag is hard sided.

Do they place the bags in a sizer at LHR? Are their overhead bins really so shallow that bags larger than 20 cm will create a problem?

Peregrine415

Flying out of LHR, you're fine just don't overdo it though.

mmff

Not IME. You should be just fine.

mia

Thank you. They did weigh the bags, but did not ask us to put them in a sizer. Should I expect the same on the return flight from KEF to LHR?

mmff

Yes.

garethlewis

it's rarely enforced from my experience unless someone is taking a liberty

chrisl137

I'm flying Icelandair in about a month on the way to a research trip in Greenland- we'll be flying out via JFK in economy comfort and returning in regular economy. We have a critical piece of equipment that I'd very much prefer not to check because it's critical to the entire trip and if it goes missing we can't work, but it's currently 24" long and the carry on limit is 21.6". It's fairly robust, so it can be carried without a case, and well within the requirements in the other dimensions. The innards are essentially a fancy microscope and a computer, so it's all things that are acceptable in the cabin. Is Icelandair likely to be strict about the size of the instrument, either from JFK or returning through KEF? We can remove electronics to other bags to keep the weight inside the limit. There are 3 of us traveling together, and we could sacrifice some of our allowed carryons if necessary, in order to bring the instrument on board.

I did a little math and it looks like if we tilt it on two axes in a sizer there's probably a corner poking up about 1 cm.

Donna49

I have been flying Icelandair from the US since 1997 on a very regular basis, 4-5 trips/yr. My experience has always been that Icelandair is a very common sense airline. Certain rules can be bent, if the situation warrants.

Your situation certainly sounds like a prime candidate for Icelandic common sense.

I can't tell if you are connecting to FI in JFK, or originating there; but in any event, get to the ticket counter as early as possible, and explain your situation.

You are not really exceeding the limits by much, and it is very important for this device to travel in the cabin.

I really believe you will have no problem.

chrisl137

Thanks! We're flying from LAX and connecting at JFK. We arrive at JFK very early and so can probably get it sorted out at the ticket counter early. The instrument itself is designed to take a beating (we're going to take it out on the ice in Greenland) so I'm not worried about checking from that point of view. We have to check it from Reykjavik to Nuuk (the aircraft are much smaller) and but the risk of it missing the plane there is pretty much zero. On the return trip it will go in a suitcase that will be about half empty on the way out.

chrisl137

Just to follow up: We made it to KEF just fine with the instrument as a carry on. We even stuck it in a gym bag for a little extra protection and to not be carrying a big orange box with switches and lights on the outside. There was no size or weight check (though we were in economy comfort). Our checked bags made it just fine as well- we arrived at JFK with about 5 hours between flights and used the BA lounge. BA paged us and had us run out to do passport check and get our final boarding passes about 1.5 hours before departure and said "we have to do this now or your bags won't load". It will go on to GOH in a checked bag, but that's much lower risk since it's a much smaller airport and we'll probably see it load.