What's your new luggage strategy?

jkaterenchuk

Hi Andy

As another diver that does alot of Asia travel it always great to see your reply.

The airline was China Air/Air China which I believe was a code share for Continental or United out of JFK.

All your suggestion I have also used before with different levels of success.

I would also mention that they work better when departing from USA as opposed to Asia as I find most of the check in people in Asia either have limited english understanding and/or work for a different airline than the one you are flying. For instance when I checked in for my return in Bangkok the agents were from Thai Airways and the was not a rep from China Air/Continental or United anywhere to be found. In the smaller airports or less travelled countries the agents speak even less english however I find the practise of weighing luggage is more like a tax collection in which they weigh everything and you pay the fee and they do not care if its carryon or checked.

John

Twain

I haven't tried this yet, but I may:

http://www.rebreatherworld.com/rebre...or-travel.html

I don't think it solves the carryon issue, but it may help with packing heavier checked baggage.

I've had success (so far!) with pulling a smaller-than-maximum roller carryon...that I fill to about 70 lbs. Yes I'm likely to get caught someday. Meanwhile I think it's less likely to get selected for weighing because it's not as big as what most business travellers are trying to sneak on. It looks like 10 lbs but feels like a piano. Kudos to Mel C. for the idea.

silent running

Ah yes, China Air. I had forgot, you told me about them before. I'm sure interAsia travel is more difficult to negotiate for the reasons you mention. But as long as they only collect the "tax" and still let you on with the bag, I wouldn't mind too much. I guess the safest thing to do in a place with all the worst conditions, would be to go with option #2 of carrying only the electronics, head and loop in a small, rigid carry-on.

I would also add that packing O2 sensors, both spares and those in the head, in a checked bag, is asking for trouble. Galvanic sensors are fragile and can be killed by shock and high temps, like those encountered on a sunny tarmac, checked through to your destination, waiting hours for a connecting flight. -Andy

KevDD

About 18months ago i was travelling to Egypt with 2 friends. We had a connecting flight and ont he first flight we got bent over for extra costs for the weight of the rebreathers.

Next flight we found a quiet corner and stripped as much of the rebreather out into our carry on's as possible (1st stages/dil bar etc).

in order to avoid being asked about hand luggage we split the group and someone stayed back with the other person carry on while they checked in. This allowed us to dodge the weight check as our carry on's were about 15kgs each.

It was a real smoke and mirrors act.

jkaterenchuk

I just received a article taken from a large New York newspaper and the subject was specifically about screening of airline carry on bags. The writter had spoken with 3 of the major US airlines whom all confessed to knowing that the policy change to charge for checked bags would result in an increase in over weight and over size carry on bags. They further indicated that they have plans underway already to agressively catch these carry on bags early in the check in process so that it does not become an issue for the crew of the aircraft and delay departures.

John

Underwaterbear

I reckon we should lobby for a new way of dealing with the whole issue. Weigh the passenger and their luggage...all together. It's hardly fair that some 280 lb lard-ass has no problem while the 180 lb guy with a rebreather in his carry on gets shafted.

jkaterenchuk

Maybe we should take a pole on rebreather diver weight. There may be alot of 280 lb lard -ass CCR divers (your words not mine).

John

mattmexico

yo all

I guess I have to re-think my strategy. So far I traveled with about 85-90 kilo of gear. Some 46 kilo go into check in (with twice 50 lbs), the rest into carry on with a easy look on my face when checking in but the weight of carry on is quite heavy with one pice of 16 kilo with all cameras, lenses, laptop,extra batteries, housing and chargers ... and the other 24 kilo with complete Megalodon, regulators, loop with BOV, lungs, canister, spare parts, primary light and backup lights ... carry on ....

It all worked well so far but when coming back last weekend from Asia and Europe all went well and smooth besides my chronic stress about traveling the way I am and every time I check in it stresses me out ... 10 flights and ten time check in on this trip alone ...

But when on my very last leg, Amsterdam to Cancun with Martin Air (KLM charter) the security people told me I can not take the ccr on board. It happend right at the gate before boarding they x-ray it. I came from Hannover - Germany the same morning and all went well after the obvious curious look and swap for explosives. I had a long discussion with supervisors of security as they looked at the strange thing but it was not the weight of it, just the looks ... and then airline personel and it comes down what the airline personel is saying ... but in the end they took it from me and it went down into the hold ... at least without paying the extra piece charge.

I let it go as I was ready to go home and it was only one leg without any changing planes.

On that same trip I had a similar issue in Manila when flying to Singapore with Cebu Paciffic as the security people told me that I can not take it onto the plane. Again I had a long discussion with supervisors of security and then airline personel again but they accepted after some discussion ...

Both times it was the security people looking at the strange thing, not even the weight of it, telling me I can not take it. Both times the airline people decided.

I am glad I am home finally and all of it made it and all of it is in one pice. I guess it will be a little while for me before flying with all of it again.

greetings
Matt

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aainslie

One thing that really helps is loyalty to a single airline.

I fly Delta whenever possible. The payoff? I get to check 3 bags, 70 lbs each. That's 210 lbs, or about 95 kgs. And when I've needed to, I carry on another 60 lbs or so in 2 smaller bags for a grand total of 270 lbs.

My girlfriend is a geologist. We went to Equador recently and returned with 4 bags filled with ROCK samples. And I thought dive equipment was heavy... her tools include an assortment of weird hammers. Delta didn't bat an eyelid... although the hammers raised some concern from security...

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Andrew Ainslie

nigelh

I'm going to Scapa Flow in a couple of weeks.
I'm flying and the kit is going by road on the shipper we use as a business.

This is just from one end of the UK to another but the international rates aren't bad compared to excess baggage. Plus I can get proper 'what I say its worth' insurance. I'm beginning to wonder if that isn't the way to go.

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nigelh