Lowepro X200 & Airplane restrictions

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Ghostshooter

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Tino Antoniou
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Getting ready to pull the trigger on this bag, it states that its 3cm (both in hight and width) bigger than Ryan Air's Carry on size limit. (55cm x 40cm x 20cm)

Has anyone got one got of these and travelled Ryan Air or other with the same size limits?

Most bags you can squash into the cage of doom if they are slightly too big.
Can you do this with the X200?

I know you can take the backback out, does this fit in the cage with ease?
 
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Ghostshooter said:
Has anyone got one got of these and travelled Ryan Air or other with the same size limits?
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I'd suggest that you don't really want to know the answer to this question. Just because somebody else was lucky/unlucky one time doesn't mean the same would happen to you.
Ghostshooter said:
Most bags you can squash into the cage of doom if they are slightly too big.
Can you do this with the X200?

I know you can take the backback out, does this fit in the cage with ease?
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That's what you need to know.

Don't forget that airlines vary massively when it comes to what they will let you carry on. There's a useful guide for photographers here:
http://www.dpsoftware.co.uk/airlines/
 
Lovely answer thanks,
nice to be welcomed to the forums.

I really do need an answer to this, basically I want to know if there is some give in the bag. There are no local stockist so I need help.

As for if someone else being lucky, its a metal basket you have to put it in. Either it fits or it doesn't. I have taken slightly larger bags on in the past, but I've always had to squash them in a bit. If the x200 has hard walls, it might not work

I do actually appreciate the airline link, however I have checked my airline info and know exactly how it works, only thing I don't know is how accurate the Lowepro dimensions are. (is the length including wheels etc). Only real world experience from an owner can tell me this
 
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Ghostshooter said:
Lovely answer thanks,
nice to be welcomed to the forums.
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Give me a break, I'm trying to be helpful.
Ghostshooter said:
As for if someone else being lucky, its a metal basket you have to put it in. Either it fits or it doesn't.
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... Or it doesn't fit, but one forum contributor encountered a check-in person who was too busy / lazy / distracted to check it, and let it through - which might not happen to you.

... Or it can be squashed in if it's 95% full, but one forum contributor had it stuffed full and couldn't fit it in the basket and couldn't take it in board - which might not happen to you.

The point I was trying to make was that whether or not it fits in the basket is not quite the same question as whether or not other people have been able to carry it on. If you can find owners of this bag who can share their experiences, then that helps - but whether or not it fits is hard objective data.
Ghostshooter said:
I do actually appreciate the airline link, however I have checked my airline info and know exactly how it works...
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Sure. I was trying to make the point that, even if the bag fits into Ryanair's limits, it might not fit on other airlines. If you don't plan ever to fly with anyone other than Ryanair, then obviously this information is of no use to you. But if you do, then it might be. That's all.
 
Tino, Ryan Air seem to be one of the worst Airlines for trying to get every penny from you - at least from France to the UK and back they are ……. I have the same worry with a LowPro as the size seems to be right on the limit when squashed down a little.
They are also keen on the weight
I nearly had a problem in March when I flew to Africa …. the size and weight was OK for AirFrance, but when I changed to a local internal airline it was over their limit ……. it is a b****r these days trying to get away with Cabin baggage …… some seem to walk on board "loaded up" whilst others seem to get pulled up for having one kilo over

Good luck
 
PS I don't have the Lowepro X200, but I do have a different Lowepro bag, so I looked at the X200 on their website to see whether I could apply any knowledge of the way mine is constructed to your problem.

I think the length ought to be OK: Lowepro say 55.9cm, Ryanair allow 55cm, and I'm fairly confident it will squish down a few mm. But I'd be quite worried about the depth. I doubt you'll be able to lose 3cm.

I would also be worried about the weight. Lowepro say it weighs 5.8kg empty. Ryanair allow 10kg. That's only 4.2kg of gear, which would probably mean the bag is less than half full. The pictures on the Lowepro website of a fully loaded bag have around 10-12kg of gear in them, I would estimate.

But here's an idea. If you can't handle one in a shop near you, and you can't get solid reliable information from other owners, then buy one online and be prepared to exercise your right to return it in accordance with the Distance Selling Regulations. It's exactly what the DSRs are for: situations where you can't physically inspect the item before purchase to assess its suitability. So buy one, unwrap and handle it carefully, load it up and measure it, take it to the airport and try it in the Ryanair basket even. (Don't roll the wheels on hard ground though because the DSRs would require you to return it in 100% as-new condition.) Then you'll know for sure whether it's the right bag. With Ryanair charging £50 for oversized carry-on bags, you might feel it's worth it for the piece of mind.

Hope that helps.
 
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As Stewart said - weight is the problem - I have a Lowpro Vertex 300AW and it weighs 3.7 kg empty …………airlines are buggers ……..I'm 82 kgs in weight……. why does a 130 kgs person get the same weight allowance as me …..!@$
 
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StewartR said:
I would also be worried about the weight. Lowepro say it weighs 5.8kg empty. Ryanair allow 10kg. That's only 4.2kg of gear, which would probably mean the bag is less than half full. The pictures on the Lowepro website of a fully loaded bag have around 10-12kg of gear in them, I would estimate.
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At the risk of putting my foot in it..... I've never been asked to prove my carry-on bag fits in the cage; I have a small Samsonite suitcase I use regularly as carry-on (famous last words).

However, RyanAir are the only airline I've ever flown with that weighed my carry-on, and that was on a return flight from Dublin to Bristol a few years ago - it didn't get weighed on the outbound flight.

As Stewart says, nearly 6Kgs for a bag your planning to load with camera gear doesn't give you much to play with.
 
We never fly Ryan Air anymore - luckily we have a choice of Airlines and I would rather be inconvenienced a little than fly RyanAir - just my opinion - it's not inflight it is just that when booking online they add this and that and it's not very clear and also when you get to the Airport you just never know what to expect from the check in staff.
 
Bear in mind that how much you can get away written also depends on the airport staff and how busy the flight is. I've got away with a Compurover before that I knew was over-size because it was a quiet time of year (I had a pre-prepared repack option already tested).

I'm just back from Muenchen, and the Easyjet staff at both ends were much stricter seperating guaranteed cabin size baggage from the "if we let you" size than I'd encountered before. The overheads filled up very quickly. Heavily pressing on the bag to squeeze an extra cm was not being permitted - it either dropped into the crate with a light push or it didn't. Fair enough though, the overheads were completely full.

You cannot rely on anyone else's experiences when it comes to cabin luggage. There's no mum to whinge at because you little brother got away with the same bag last time. You have to be prepared for any marginal bag to be taken and put in the hold.

Your gear, your risk.
 
Maybe the days of "getting away" with it are over? ……. they seem to be getting stricter and stricter with Cabin Bags
 
I just realised that I haven't flown Ryanair in a while, so checking their website I see their terms and conditions have changed and even within the 55x40x20 they don't guarantee that your bag will stay in the cabin - only the first 90 cabin bags of this size, the rest may be put into the hold. The second bag (35x20x20) is the only one Ryanair seem to guarantee that you'll have with you in the cabin.

(those second bag dimensions are just a little tight for a TT Retro 7.)
 
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(I haven't looked, but) Do they allow a "handbag"/laptop bag as well as a carry-on piece of luggage?

When I was flying around Australia last summer ( flew with 4 different budget airlines), they all allowed my "man-bag" as well as my Samsonite weekender suitcase. Once or twice that was rammed ;)
 
BT Bob said:
(I haven't looked, but) Do they allow a "handbag"/laptop bag as well as a carry-on piece of luggage?

When I was flying around Australia last summer ( flew with 4 different budget airlines), they all allowed my "man-bag" as well as my Samsonite weekender suitcase. Once or twice that was rammed ;)
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Ryanair do, Easyjet don't.
 
Alastair said:
I just realised that I haven't flown Ryanair in a while, so checking their website I see their terms and conditions have changed and even within the 55x40x20 they don't guarantee that your bag will stay in the cabin - only the first 90 cabin bags of this size, the rest may be put into the hold. The second bag (35x20x20) is the only one Ryanair seem to guarantee that you'll have with you in the cabin.

(those second bag dimensions are just a little tight for a TT Retro 7.)
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Spot on.

If it's a full flight they use a smaller cage to make people put their hand luggage into the hold.

You can try and protest this by stating that your hand luggage (legitimately) contains (camera) batteries, and therefore is unsuitable for the hold... but the first rule of air travel (these days) is don't argue to hard with the staff or you're unlikely to be on the flight
 
looks like the normal cabin bag will be down to an Air sick bag and a newspaper in the not too near future …….. UNLESS of course you want to pay extra for a PRIORITY cabin bag
 
BillN_33 said:
looks like the normal cabin bag will be down to an Air sick bag and a newspaper in the not too near future …….. UNLESS of course you want to pay extra for a PRIORITY cabin bag
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Not really.. the budget airlines decided they'd try and discourage a large proportion of hold baggage to improve turnaround times, they managed it a bit too well but would still rather avoid the costs of having people all go back to checking in lots of luggage again so they do a last minute assessment at the gate and pass down to the chuckers only the bags they need to in order to get everyone on-board safely with luggage secure.

What they have done is remove the need to race for a seat and instead introduced a race to get on first so your cabin bag has a space on the flight.
 
If you can, go to the airport with the bag full before the trip, see if it fits. Also ask whether you can stash under the seat.

My lowpro aw400 just fits (just, full loaded) but wouldnt in the over heads, does under the seat.

KLM on the last flight I took moaned about carrying two lots of bags, but I was do a longer trip and managed to stash one under the seat and one in the over head.

If they are going to put into the storage, id get them to sign something saying that any problems afterwards they'd pay for full repair, then quote the cost of your stuff... but best to check this way in advance. Just incase they refuse entry.

Good luck..!
 
ecniv said:
If they are going to put into the storage, id get them to sign something saying that any problems afterwards they'd pay for full repair, then quote the cost of your stuff...
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I don't think you would. You might try it, but no way would you succeed.

Ryanair's terms and conditions (clauses 14.4.2, 14.4.7) specifically exclude any liability for damage unless it can be shown that they were negligent. But they also exclude damage to fragile articles, and they exclude damage where the quality of the baggage is unsuitable. In other words, if your luggage is damaged then it's your fault because you have used unsuitable baggage and/or not packed it properly and/or packed fragile articles. You can't win.

On the other hand, clauses 8.3.1.3 and 8.3.2 say that you must not pack any fragile items, and it specifically mentions cameras, in your hold baggage.

So they say your bag is too big to carry on, and they tell you it will have to go in the hold. You say it's not allowed in the hold because it's fragile, and.... And I think you end up not flying.

Bottom line: Just make sure the bag is 100% compliant, or be prepared to take the risk.
 
or better yet - don't fly with a really really crap carrier - Easyjet or Ryanair.
Pay the extra & just fly with crap ones - everyone else.
 
Diving Pete said:
or better yet - don't fly with a really really crap carrier - Easyjet or Ryanair.
Pay the extra & just fly with crap ones - everyone else.
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There are some routes where that isn't an option..
 
ecniv said:
If they are going to put into the storage, id get them to sign something saying that any problems afterwards they'd pay for full repair, then quote the cost of your stuff... but best to check this way in advance. Just incase they refuse entry.
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1) get it written, on letterheaded paper, that they have removed your equipment from safe storage. List it with approximate costs and get it signed.

2) remember if you're carrying equipment that has external Li-ion batteries, they can't go in the hold.

it's amazing how fast they backtrack when they see the price.
 
There must be 1000s of batteries shipped by air freight, they can't all arrive by container ships in the UK ?
 
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