I'm doing IAD-AMS-BOM later this week and was wondering if they'd let me have my backpack on my along with my carry-on bag. Anyone done this before? For what it's worth IAD-AMS is on KLM and AMS-BOM is NW. My ticket is a NW itinery. Thanks for any responses.

If it fits under the seat in front of you, you might be OK. I think a backpack is pushing it for your "personal item" though. This is supposed to be a briefcase, laptop bag, etc. If you are planning on putting them both in the overhead you might get away with it, but you are taking way more than your allocated space up there.

I've always done this on KLM/NW (NYC-AMS-BOM)
it should be fine as long as the backpack is not huge.
and the carry-on is of a reasonable size.

I usually just have the backpack, but couple of times
last year, I took an extra duffle bag too.

If "backpack" = school-sized backpack, I can't imagine it'd be a problem. I've done that frequently. If "backpack" = hiking-sized backpack, I could easily see it being a problem.

Whenever I'm gone for more then a week or so, I bring a backpack and my carry on. Never had a problem with that. Though my backpack isn't like a hiking backpack, its not very large.

I've taken my hiking backpack as my carryon plenty of times -- all over the world and frequently on NW. It isn't an external frame and I compress it down to a reasonably sized pack with the straps on the top and the sides. Basically, do a reality check once you've packed it at home -- can you fit it in the overhead easily? Is it any mroe ridiculous than what other people usually take on the plane? And be prepared to gate check it just in case, though I've never had to.

peace,
~Ben~

i usually take 2 small backpacks onboard (one for my stuff, one for my computer)...but neither are very large and are like small daypacks, so i've never been hassled by NW or airport people. i think it's pretty clear from the other postings that unless your bags are really large, it shouldn't be an issue.

The OP is wanting to take a backpack in addition to another carry-on however. Presumably the other carry-on is large and needs to go into the overhead as well, so his backpack needs to fit under the seat in front of him.

I agree with what's been said above.

I've done NYC-AMS-TLV more than once with a rollaboard and a daypack (i.e., a school-sized backpack).

You could also bring a small hiking backpack in lieu of the rollaboard.

But taking both a rollaboard and a hiking backpack would definitely be too much. And many hiking backpacks are longer than the maximum allowable carryon size, anyway.

Yes grizzly, it's a Jansport school backpack I was talking abt.

I'm optimistic already by all of your responses. Thanks ya'll ^

I've traveled 500K miles with NWA and most of the time I have my black Eagle hiking backpack with me. The only place I've ever had trouble is with the "kindly" folks here in Tampa at TSA. They challenge me, I demonstrate it fits, and off I go.

Notes:
Make sure you cinch it to its smallest size and make sure it can fit, if challenged, into that metal "box" thingy they use to test the size of carryons.
If you're flying a 747 upstairs it won't fit overhead or in the side bin. Use the overhead bin at the foot of the stairs so you can grab it again on your way out. When I fly upstairs I keep my tolietries in my other backpack (with my laptop and camera equipment) so I don't have to go fishing through for my backpack for toothbrush etc. on long flights.

For you, since you're going through AMS to BOM, you're going to be on a 330, and a backpack fits fine overhead.

The upside to doing this while flying is not having to wait for your luggage before you can go on through customs. Plus, you get all the goodness that comes from having a super expandable back-strappable luggage set.

Ditto.

When I travel for more than a few days, I take my hiking backpack (internal frame) and often times a "school-sized" backpack as my personal item which fits just fine under the seats.

For those who say this is too much and my smaller backpack is more than a "personal item", I see FAR too many "road warriors" carry on "laptop" cases that are many times larger than the laptop itself (and don't fit under the seat)...in addition, of course, to their roll-aboard.

OP, I think you'll be fine.

I think it depends on whether you are in Business or Coach. In Coach they regularly stop people from boarding with roll-ons from AMS-BOM even if they have no other luggage. [Yes, I realize that you are talking about backpack here, but my point is that they are much stricter in Coach.] So, I'd say you are fine in Business but probably not going to get to carry it on in Coach.

I thought elites had more rights here. All I know is that I've flown about 20 times as an elite, internationally, and I carry on a large backpack and a small backpack (that large one just about fits in the overhead on 747-400 and on a330). If I wasn't able to pre-board, this might be a hassle. But I've never been questioned on bringing those 2 items. I believe the large backpack is SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE UPPER limit of what I read a many years ago as the max. allowable size dimensions.

I have an old "computer" backpack that's getting a bit ragged (six years old now), but it's gone around the world with my 20" roller and I never get grief.

Steve