SylviaCaras

I am reading that LHR has instituted a one carry-on only rule and that the rest of Europe will follow soon. And that there's a sizer - the limits seem to be standard 22" and dimensions, not weight.

What I'm thinking would maximize what I could take is with me is to use a soft 22" cabin tote and detachable wheels. Would the wheels count as an "extra" piece when I detached them for the Xray? Yes, they could also be put inside the cabin tote - I would have to allow enough space.

My concern is mostly for long flights, to have enough toys and comforts. I would also be checking a 25/26 bag.

Sylvia

Aviatrix

Most European airlines have a weight limit for carry-ons (the only exception I know of is Easyjet, but there may be others). For most airlines the weight limit is 10 kg or less. And yes, your wheels would probably have to go inside, at least for departures from the UK.

obscure2k

Please continue to follow this thread in the FT European Forum
Thanks..
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

kids can travel

As of November 6, 2006, passengers traveling in the EU and Iceland are in theory limited to 1 carry-on per person, purse included, and required to carry liquids separately in a transparent plastic bag (see the UK Department of Transport). This ruling applies to the airports, i.e. you will not be allowed through security with more than 1 piece of hand luggage, rather than the airlines many of whom impose weight restrictions but don't count the number of carry-ons when you check-in. To make matters more complicated, security differs across the EU. In London, you will be checked several times and, as of early December, the security staff was handing out plastic bags. The situation in Italy is much different. I traveled through 3 Italian airports in December, the security personal didn't count carry-ons nor did ask me or anyone around me if they were carrying liquids. The best advice is to check with your airline and pack with the alleged harmonized rules in mind.

rfrost

The November 6 rules referred to above are not yet mandatory at EU airports, which have until May to enforce them. I believe many non-UK airports are currently allowing more than one carryon; I certainly had no problem at CDG in late November.

Aviatrix

AFAIK the only rule that came in EU-wide on 6 November is the one about liquids. I am not aware of any country other than the UK that has a one-item restriction.

kids can travel

Aviatrix,

You are correct in suggesting that the one-item (56cm x 45cm x 25cm) restriction has not yet been adopted outside of the UK. However many European airports (and all of the Italian airports) have added this restriction to their websites and several were imposing the limit in early November.

The point of my first response was 1. pack for UK and you should be ok no matter where you travel in Europe and 2. it is airport security rather than the airline that is imposing the limits. Thus if your hand luggage exceeds the above mentioned dimensions airport security may require you return to check-in. If you are carrying liquids in excess of the allowed amount you may be required to discard them.

Unfortunately, my experience in Italy over the past 2 months has been bit of mixed bag with regard to the number and content of my hand luggage. On 3 flights from Italian airports in December security appeared to have returned to the pre 6 November levels.

WoodyWindy

Am I correct that no portion of the case may exceed the stated dimensions (e.g. wheels or handle)?

It almost seems like these requirements were done by the luggage industry to guarantee that no existing carry-on could quite match...

Telfes

Yes, every listing of this rule that I've seen has been very specific about the size limits including the handles & wheels.

And yes, it is a total pain for us and probably a boon to the luggage industry. And when adding in the airlines' weight restrictions, IMHO makes it really hard to just do a carry-on for anything more than a day or two.

jwillett13

I fly out of LUX on a regular basis and they are strictly enforcing the size and weight rule. Even going so far as to weigh my carry-on. As a deadheading crewmember from another carrier they would not let me slide on professional courtsey either.

number_6

This is rapidly changing; in the past this was true (and even where limits were announced, they were rarely enforced). Now there is an EU wide initiative (technically a regulation and not a law) requiring all EU funded airports to adopt uniform rules. Basically the currently enforced UK restrictions will be enforced everywhere in the EU. The phase-in period is through 2007. Some airports such as BRU and CDG are already doing substantially the same enforcement of restrictions, while others like FRA are very liberal; this will change within a few months.

The big problem is the discontinuity with US and non-EU carryon limitations, which are for 2 items instead of 1 (making the carryon/laptop bag combination feasible). Makes direct flights US-EU much more attractive than connecting via an EU hub (so this EU policy mostly serves to move hub traffic from Europe to US for business travellers, which in turn means F/J revenue goes from EU airlines to US airlines -- an interesting byproduct and unintended consequence).

dvs7310

I wonder if Switzerland will adopt this nonsense too? Since they are non-EU it would make GVA or ZRH attractive alternatives for return flights to the US for us who carry a rollabord plus a laptop.

GUWonder

The Swiss authorities are part of the European Flying Surrender Monkey Cadre.

http://www.zurich-airport.com/ZRH/?I...estions&a3=499

boa

Several airlines had the one bag rule for all economy passengers even before the airports decided to do this for security reasons. FF status made no difference. For some, F/C class might allow a second small bag (briefcase or purse) or just increase the weight allowance for your one bag. So I would fly LH out of FRA to LHR to connect to UA. FRA would allow 2 pieces through security but LH would only allow me to board with one. At LHR, their security would strictly enforce the one bag rule (e.g. I even had to stick my fanny pack in my case until I got to the airside), even though UA would have allowed me to carry-on two bags. I spent too much time checking and printing baggage rules for each airline and airport I used in Europe at the end of 2006.

Part of me thinks that if several airlines or an airports are going to have an annoying policy, it's one less thing to worry about if it is a consistent annoying policy for all of them.

peachfront

It is quite confusing for this pax. In LIS my laptop bag was checked and tagged to be sure it was within size/weight limits. When I caught my connection in AMS, I saw almost every other pax was allowed two carry-ons -- and both of them were usually bigger than my laptop bag. So I grumbled a bit about the unfairness of it all to my seatmate, who came from somewhere in Denmark and was allowed quite a large bag himself! This was in coach on KLM/NW. I had no checked bag but had worn old clothes to Portugal, most of which I left behind in order to avoid re-packing/discarding at the airport, since I did have warning of what might occur.

Then of course in Detroit, the customs official teased me for traveling without any clothes! He literally said, "Where are your clothes?" All I could do was laugh.