Travelling by air

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percyp

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I'm off to S. Korea next week and will be taking my camera with me. Anyone have any advice? I'm hoping to get my LowePro 350 on as hand luggage, although it will be very close to the maximum baggage size - has anyone had their camera bag refused? Also - will lenses be OK in the main baggage hold in my suitcase, or are they affected by temp/pressure?
Cheers
 
I went to Canada for 3 weeks in September, total of 5 flights. Didn't trust the baggage handlers with my lenses in my main bag, so took on a Jessops hard case.Was slightly out of the 'allowed' carry on sizes but no one took any notice. Never even got stopped at security despite the big metal box I was carrying!

There are a few airlines saying that you are allowed 1 piece of carry on plus another (they give examples of a laptop case, handbag and camera bag) but they never seem to specify how big the camera bag can be.....

It's safer for your equipment to go as carry on, unless you have a peli case. Just don't look like you're struggling with the weight and you're golden! If you do purchase a hard case to carry on, get one with wheels, it starts to weigh a lot after carrying it for a few hours!
 
My kit always travels as hand baggage (LowePro Mini Trekker), although I have been known to put the 50mm in my hold baggage (it was cheap and it should be cheap and easy to replace should **** happen!) along with a tripod (chargers etc also go in the hold).

Never had the bag refused (or even been asked to put it in the measuring cage) but have had it weighed (and had to put a couple of lenses in pockets for a few minutes until out of sight of the weigh/check in desk).
 
Never, ever check the size of your hand luggage in the cage at the airport.

Act confident and march right-up to check-in knowing it's the right size (or close enough noone will notice from a distance). It's very unlikely you'll be challenged.

If you fiddle about with the cage testing it three different ways to find the way it fits.. then you'll stand out as someone who knows his bag is the wrong size and if anyone gets their bag checked/weighed/searched then it will be you.

If the lenses won't go in ther carry-on, leave them at home. Not worth the risk of handing them to the chuckers.
 
Be careful on the size. Generally in Britain and rest of Europe, nobody checks, but I've had problems in Australia on several occasions and recently in the first class check in at Los Angeles airport where an over officious attendant almost started a riot. When I got though to the first class loungs, I had a word with the staff and they confirmed that this particular individual was a right royal pain in the a*** and that they had had lots of complaints that day.

So, should be alright on size but don't push your luck, particularly in Australia.
 
We recently travelled to South Africa and I was really concerned that they may weigh and measure my camera bag. I even went to the bother of going to the SAA desk at Heathrow a few days before (we live 6 miles away) and had them weigh the bag.
I also made sure it fitted in the measuring thingy.

What happened......absolutely nothing, nobody batted an eyelid about what I was carrying on my back.
And that, I think, was the reason...it was on my back. The person behind us at Heathrow and several people at J'burg all had their hand luggage weighed and all had been hand carrying their bags.

My bag, a Lowepro slingshot AW300, was crammed with 2 bodies and 3 lenses plus numerous other bits.What I did have was a Domke photographers vest and I had all the spare batteries in that. Failing that you could be prepared to stuff bits in your coat pockets.

Above all, do anything to avoid packing any of your precious gear in your hold luggage. You should be fine with your 350 bag.
 
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