Carryon limits
 

I know this varies from airline to airline, and from flight crew to flight crew, but in general - if I have 1 overhead-size carryon, one backpack, and one purse - will I be allowed to board the plane or will they consider the backpack an additional "carryon" and refuse to let me bring it with me?

The backpack contains my cameras (I'm a professional photographer) and I will NOT check it. I can put it under the seat in front of me, and the carryon fits neatly easily in the overhead (narrow side towards the aisle, long side from aisle to outside of the plane) so I'm not a bin-hog.

I'm looking to volunteer to be bumped, so I don't want checked bags to interfere with my options for bumping or staying overnight. I usually fly UA, sometimes SW, sometimes "whoever has the best fare".

jc

How big is your purse? If possible, you should stick it inside your carryon when going through security.

My purse is fairly big - it also contains my laptop computer (but it's a purse, not a computer bag). I fit both the purse and camera bag under the seat in front of me.

I need to carry all 3 things (camera bag, computer bag/purse, carryon bag) with me. My laptop is just barely too big to fit into the camera bag, and I don't want to use a larger camera bag because this one is big enough already. Anything bigger is too uncomfortable for the primary job (camera bag) when I'm at my destination. I just downsized from a larger camera bag to this one, and it's perfect for my camera gear.

You may or may not be allowed. Rules are rules. Sometimes they're enforced and sometimes they're not. For most US carriers, the carryon limit is one carryon bag and one personal item. A purse, a backpack, or a laptop case each counts as a personal item. So what you're basically asking is if you can break the rules. Depends on who's standing at the gate that day.

Have you tried putting the laptop into your regular carryon with just a padded sleeve? This could eliminate the need for what you're referring to as the purse in the scenario above.

It counts as three bags. Either the TSA or the airline people could stop you. Depends on the airport, the flight, etc. But it is too many, so you are at high risk of getting stopped I would say.

Totally agree. OP has 3 carry-on. Never read any airline allowing 3 carry-on in print.

Have you ever successfully flown with all three as your carry-on before?

Based on the size descriptions of your carry-on, I doubt any airline would miss it and let them slide. Your wish to be "bump-able" is not a concern of any airline. Factor in the reduced flights, heavier loads, and higher fuel price, I really don't think the airline of your choice will "kindly" allow your 3 bags to be all carry-on. With all the gears, if I were you, I wouldn't chance it.

Not sure if your "overhead-size" means rollaboard bag. My rollaboard fit the overhead bin without any problem. However, there are times my rollaboard gets gate-checked due to either 1) the load/weight factor; or 2) the aircraft type (the smaller, regional jet).

I've never fly Southwest, so have no idea about their carry-on restrictions. As for UA, for non-elite flyer, you have to pay for checked bags now. Since all three bags have to come with you, you are going to pay extra fees, assuming you have no status.

Or you can ship some of your stuff (since they are simply too many to be "carry-on" & you don't want to check in any) to your destination/hotels and save the airport drama.

Mostly likely you will be allowed to carry on your "purse/laptop" & backpack (I wouldn't want my backpack to be checked), the "overhead" bag has to be check-in.

Another alternative is to re-strategize how you pack. We have quite a few professional photographers among our fellow FTers and they do have to bring along all the essentials. If you visit our Travel Technology and Travel Products Fora, I recall some discussion threads on getting their best/right backpack and rollaboard to maximize the carry-on capacity. You may want to consider the bags they recommend.

Welcome to FT!

My "overhead size" is a roll-aboard. I rarely fly on the smaller/regional jets so that problem doesn't affect me, and I (personally) have never had them insist on checking my carryon due to how full the plane is. Maybe this is more of a concern on other routes? I primarily fly out of SFO.

There are 2 problems with using a different camera bag. One is that it would be too big and uncomfortable once I get off the plane. The bag I have now is perfect for using my cameras at my destination. The other is that it would probably move it into the realm of a "carryon bag" instead of a "personal item" and then I'm in the same spot as now - I can't carryon both the camera bag and my roll-aboard.

I can't fit my laptop and everything else in my laptop/purse bag in my roll-aboard, and still have enough room for clothes. Also, I wouldn't have a purse at my destination. The last trip I put all my camera gear in my roll-aboard, but it didn't leave much room for clothes, and I didn't have a camera bag at my destination.

Shipping my roll-aboard doesn't help - it would be much easier to check it.

I just hate checking bags and was hoping to avoid it. Usually I'm not traveling for very many days. The more time I spend in the airport (checking bags, waiting for bags) the greater the percentage of my "travel time" is spent in the airport instead of enjoying my destination. I don't mind waiting when there's something in it for me (e.g. compensation for being bumped) but waiting at the baggage carousel is very low on my list of things I want to spend my time doing. Usually there is nowhere to sit, no internet access, everyone is in a hurry, everyone is crabby. I was just hoping to avoid it, if possible.

Thansk everyone for your ideas and suggestions!

jc

I really doubt you'll have a problem.

Just make sure if all else fails you can squish your purse/laptop into your roll-bag.

I have a habit of buying touristy souveniers on stopovers or at the airside and sometimes even before the airside. I end up with an extra bag all the time from it. I also recently had to unload my laptop, wii, jacket, fuzzy neck pillow, shoes, and if i had it my clear baggy. TSA has no bloody clue who all that stuff belongs to.

I sent a paper bag with a birdhouse, as well as my laptop, laptop case, my shoes, my fuzzy neck pillow and jacket, and my giant roll-on through once too.

I've only ever been stopped for leaving my laptop on in standby mode.

Oh - my giant bag - I actually had issues getting it in the bin on Delta. Never had that happen before, but I had expanded it to squish my wii box into it and then closed the expansion (that's the difference between legal and not on that bag) which apparently didn't compress it quite as much..

Anywho, after looking stupid for a min it squished and fit. No one said a word as i sat down with my fuzzy neck pillow, stowed my laptop under the seat, and got all comfy.

The only thing I can think of is to put both your purse & camera bag into a larger camera bag/purse/some other bag, and hopefully that would count as your personal item. But, as you say, maybe it'd be big enough that it'd be counted as a 2nd personal item. But it couldn't hurt to try if the only alternative is rolling the dice and seeing what happens with 3 bags. tls

On a recent AA flight the gate agents were yelling 'one carry one bag and one TINY personal item only'. They said it about 50 times.

They meant it.

It was a full Super 80 not a regional jet.

The folks that had too much stuff were forced to gate check items.

I had one under seat size carry on (RedOxx Gator bag) and a tiny purse and was OK. The purse would have fit into the Gator bag if necessary.

This is our future folks.

Totally agree.

If it were me, I would not chance it with 3 carry-on bags in "good" sizes!

I think you'll be fine. just try to be discreet.

It will be very challenging to be discreet for OP, I think.

The three pieces OP want to carry on are:

1. purse ("My purse is fairly big - it also contains my laptop computer", "My laptop is just barely too big to fit into the camera bag"--see post #3)
2. camera bag-backpack ("The backpack contains my cameras. (I'm a professional photographer) "--post#1)
3. "overhead-size" bag ("My "overhead size" is a roll-aboard"--see post#7)

I don't understand why some folks are trying to calm OP's mind when obviously none of these three items can be downsized or crushed into one another during domestic flights. :confused:

Would I chance it, if I were the professional photographer? NO WAY! I would know I had to check at least one bag.

If anyone had seen any passenger successfully boarded when carrying 3 carry-on of similar sizes as OP's descriptions, please tell. So OP can choose such airliners with loose restrictions. At least AA is out. If SFO is OP's base, I doubt UA would allow these 3 pieces either.

Southwest is the least likely to care. AA as mentioned is the most likely.

Edit to add: I've been on completely full flights on WN and there were still a few empty overhead bins. WN's policy of not charging for the first two checked bags is probably the reason.

The solution is to get a bag that the purse will fit in. Yea, there is a slight chance that they will say it is too big, in which case you separate them and check the rollaboard. But in my experience it is a vastly lower chance that a US carrier will complain about the bag size compared to complaining about 3 bags. Someplace like Australia, forget, check a bag, they are very strict. But US carriers you should be fine.

My wife and I went on a RTW a few years ago, and on some trips since took this approach. We had one rollaboard and each had a fairly hefty Briggs and Riley cabin bag of one style or another. She could put her purse in hers and I could put my camera bag in mine as well as quite a bit of other stuff. We flew (in business) on AA, BA, Cathay, Air Vietnam and a few others with no problem. Also, I went to a workshop with a pro photographer at Adorama last year and he talked about traveling with gear and this is the approach he uses more or less. You might search on the travel gear, travel technology and travel photography forums for suggestions on bags to accomplish this and if you dont find what you are looking for try posting there.

...should stop you...

The rules are two bags. IMO, you should check a bag.

Didn't some airlines allow 2 carryons and a personal items for First in the past?

"I need to carry all 3 things (camera bag, computer bag/purse, carryon bag) with me."

Replace need with want. You can easily check your clothing bag. Then you can use your camera bag as your carryon and your other item as your personal item.

Perhaps you didn't read my post carefully. This is not as "easy" as you claim. It interferes with "I'm looking to volunteer to be bumped, so I don't want checked bags to interfere with my options for bumping or staying overnight."

I'm sure it's easy for you, if you aren't hoping to get bumped, or don't mind staying overnight without your checked bag which has gone on without you.

For what it is worth, many airlines based in Asia allow only one carryon for economy class passengers, with a weight limit of 7kg (although not always strictly enforced).

Stuffing a carryon size bag with clothing (not even including books, laptop computers, or other heavy objects) will likely exceed such a weight limit.

Actually, there may be an exception (depending on the airline), since OP is carrying photo equipment.

This is from the TSA website:

"You may carry one (1) bag of photographic equipment in addition to one (1) carry-on and one (1) personal item through the screening checkpoint. The additional bag must conform to your air carrier's carry-on restrictions for size and weight. Please confirm your air carrier's restrictions prior to arriving at the airport."

"Air carriers may or may not allow the additional carry-on item on their aircraft. Please check with your air carrier prior to arriving at the airport."

I raised this issue with AA (just through their e-mail comments, not going any higher) and they seemed oblivious to the third-bag exception and quoted me the standard two carry-on info. I'd be curious if anyone has any success in doing this with any carrier.

I usually carry photo equipment, as well, and even though it's well-insured, it's not something you want to check.

Unfortunately for OP, the rules you quoted are TSA rules, not airline rules. I tried to explain the rules to a group I recently traveled with on AA. One of the guys is the type who always feels that he should be the exception to the rules. Guess what? He WASN'T and was forced to gate check his extra bag.

Since that's from TSA, I say that exception is for thru security, not for boarding.

Please also duly noted:
(Emphasis mine)

There are some parallel discussion with this thread over Travel Photography: Camera Bag as Third Carryon?

From her/his personal "research", sefrischling concludes none allows 3rd bag from the 14 airlines in US that s/he spoke to.

Allow me to repeat myself. TSA doesn't operate airlines. Carryon policy goes by each air carrier. I haven't seen any airline stating 3 carryons, photographic equipment or not, are allowed to board in print.

I believe I pointed that out in my post, no?

You should be able to get through the checkpoint with a third bag, if the TSA folks know and follow their own rules. Then it's up to the airline, and I'd be interested in knowing whether anyone has found an airline that will allow this exception for photo equipment.

Hadn't seen that thread, thanks.

Thanks videomaker, for your post. This was very interesting. I wonder if I could "gate check" my clothing bag if I am unsuccessful at VBD. This would be a fairly good "work-around" for my predicament - I'd still have to wait for my bag at the other end (one reason I don't like to check bags) but would have more flexibility for VDB options.

That would seem reasonable, though I can't say exactly what the airline would do.

You mentioned you usually fly UA or WN--Southwest seems media friendly, but apparently hasn't heard of the third-item TSA rule, since the Southwest website says: "Per TSA regulations, carryon items are limited to one bag plus one smaller, personal-type item." Not exactly correct.

But, according to the TSA's own rules, you should be able to get the third bag through screening. If you try it, you might want to carry a print-out of the web page--there have been cases where they don't know their own rules.

Let us know how it comes out, I'm curious, as well.

There's always someone like that, isn't there?

I just pack my purse in my rollaboard, redistribute the contents into my carryon, then reassemble when I get to the gate. Problem solved.

I think you should at least have a contingency plan should you require to check something. A fellow traveller had the approach that they could not be made to check their luggage. In the end, they were - but in the heat of the moment accidentally put a wallet containing their cash and credit cards into a flimsy bag which they then checked. All turned up safe & sound - but they didn't 'alf worry about it on the flight.

The reality is, many people have stuff they feel they cannot check. Valuable equipment, musical instruments, precious college notes, sentimental stuff etc. The only solution I know to get around the limit is to book an extra seat - which some airlines will let you do so you can carry stuff of particular value. Expensive - but there you go.

If you fly in economy, and don't accumulate "status" (ie gold cards etc) because you hop between airlines for the cheapest fare, then airlines may feel less likely to exercise their discretion in your favour.