jchock1

2 of us are flying BKK-FRA this week in C, and will be attempting to carry on several paintings we purchased. The paintings on canvas have been rolled into 2 separate paper (not cardboard) tubes, about 5' 4" tall. Since they are just canvas, they are light, and since they are in paper tubes, somewhat flexible.

We had no problem last year carrying on 4' tall rolled paintings, but the extra length has me somewhat concerned.

I've reviewed this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jc7lgVZYJ0A&hd=1 of the 380, and it looks like they would not fit into any of the overhead bins due to the design of the bins.

I have a few questions:

1) Any idea of the chance of them allowing us to carry these on based on similar experiences?

2) If there is an objection to us carrying them on due to no place to put them, it would be great if someone knew of a storage area/closet on the plane that would fit them, and a photo of this area would be even better. There appears to be a closet in the lounge area of first class cabin that might accommodate the paintings.

3) If the TG check-in agent in BKK allows us to carry them on, and gives us cabin baggage tags, do we have to worry about anyone else down the line stopping us (security, gate agent, etc)

4) If they don't allow us to carry them on, and make us check them, is anyone aware of a place at BKK where there would be better packaging available?

Thanks for any help!

hgp

1. I think the size will make carry-on problematic, even for TG which is more lenient than most airlines. Your best bet will be to explain they are fragile and will not survive transportation as checked luggage.
2. There will almost certainly be somewhere in the cabin big enough to hold the tubes, I would have thought some of the closets are the front/rear of the premium cabins would be big enough. Sorry, no pics.
3. I think if you've got cabin baggage tags then you'll be OK. Checking at BKK you'll clear security right near the check-in desks so I wouldn't worry too much.
4. I guess what you would need are some sturdy cardboard tubes. Doubt you'll find somewhere selling these at BKK.

If it was me, I would buy a suitable tube downtown (strong, well sealed etc) and lodge the tube as checked luggage.

Happy travels.

jiejie

Can't speak for the 380's storage, but it may well be that TG won't let you carry them on anyway. A few years ago I had a similar problem flying from BKK-PEK in J with similarly long, thin things. In my case, carved wood tapestry holders, almost exactly the same length as yours , maybe a 12" wide, and lightweight. Easy to snap if mishandled but I had no choice but to check them.

I went to an office supply store and bought a couple of flatted heavy cardboard boxes, boxcutters, bubble wrap, and packaging tape, went back to hotel room and mummied up the tapestry holders then "carved" and spliced my own long tube box to put them in. They made it just fine, except for having to be picked up at a special "oversize" baggage claim desk. You might consider doing the same so you have outer box packaging containing the tubes which have then been bubble wrapped. In your case, I'd first get these paintings inside cardboard mailing tubes--you'll need to do some sawing and splicing of two tubes for this length. Then wrap the tubes in plastic (like a garbage bag) taped tight, then bubble wrap the tubes, then outer box packaging, also a splice job. Just in case luggage gets loaded/unloaded in rain.

I usually use an office supply store on Sukhumvit near Phrom Phong station around Soi 41. But there are other places and you can certainly find mailing/transport/drawing tubes around, but one tube is just not long enough for your current purchases.

Flyingbiker

We have carried artwork several times and an old trick shown to us by an Indian artist was to go to a plumbing, yes a plumbing supply shop and purchase a suitable length of 3, 4 or 6 inch diameter heavy duty UPVC drain pipe. Roll the artwork up. push inside and tape up the ends and check them in. Best to have an inch or so extra at each end. Even LHR baggage handlers can't break this!!

jchock1

Thanks for the tips! We don't have any other bags to check, so we're really hoping to get them onboard. It's nothing overly expensive, but nice original artwork we bought at Chatachuk. There's a post office at the airport, and they may have some packing supplies to cobble something together if we can't get them on board.

Or maybe try to get a couple of extra cabin bag tags somehow to sneak them through?

We connect in Frankfurt to ORD on UA, then to CLT, so we'd have to talk our way into getting them on those planes, too. May head to homepro to get some PVC pipe and be done with it.

Thanks again.

Jim

seanthepilot

9 out or 10 you are ok to carry on. Maybe behind a row of seats before a bulkhead. The thing that helps you is that you're in Biz.

Let us know how it works out, na!

jchock1

Thanks for all the tips! We chickened out and packed the paintings to check rather than carry on. When we got to the airport, it seemed pretty apparent they would in all likelihood not have thought twice about letting us on with them, but it was nice not having to worry. We had to lug the pvc pipe/tube over to oversize baggage drop off to check it. Also, it was last off the plane when we landed in ORD from FRA, as it was over/odd sized, and there's a different carousel for that.

Had we carried on, there was a very large closet behind business class that would easily have accommodated them on the plane.

Figuring out where to buy PVC pipe in Bangkok wasn't too hard. We checked at HomePro, they didn't have anything large enough. The guy there told us where to go, and it was a tiny shop across Thanon Petchaburi from Pratunam Market/Mall. Ended up needing 6" pvc pipe to hold all of them, and they cut it to size. Worked like a charm, indestructible and about $17 plus some packing tape. It was raining and snowing in Frankfurt, so was glad it was packed in pvc pipe.

The customs guy in Chicago wanted us to open it when we rechecked our bags there onward to CLT, but agreed to take it upstairs to run it through an xray machine to avoid opening it.