So here I am, sitting in Heathrow Terminal 3, sweating about the fact that the bulk of the gear I'm flying with is currently making its way to the hold of the plane.
I took my Dakine Sequence, packed carefully with all the heavy and fragile bits of kit I'd rather carry with me. Er, that'd be most of it, then. Now, to be fair, it probably weighed close to 15kg. But I'm an old hand at making a heavy bag look lighter than it is, so I stood in front of the check-in desk with my bag nonchalently draped across one shoulder, ignoring the growing twinge in my lower back and trying hard to be patient with the sloooooooow people ahead of me (just how long does it take to check in two passengers and their single bag each, anyway?).
it was all going swimmingly until the guy checking me in (his name tag said Angel - fantastic name) asked me about my carry-on. I indicated the bag on my shoulder in as off-hand a way as I could muster. 'I need to weigh it', he replied, and with those five simple words I knew the game was up.
To be fair to Angel he let me take the laptop out to re-weigh the bag - something that Virgin's carry-on rules don't really allow. But I knew that wasn't going to solve the problem.
i explained that I was a photographer and that I was carrying my gear in my carry-on because it's fragile. No dice.
I pointed out that the bag would comfortably fit in the overhead locker. But that wouldn't do either.
At this point every photographer is supposed to whip out the apocryphal multi-pocketed vest, stuff all their gear into it and re-present their carry-on triumphantly for weighing. But I don't have a vest and, frankly, I'm not convinced that that approach would wash (and which vest has a pocket big enough for a 200mm f/2, anyway?).
Luckily I'd packed with a last resort scenario in mind. I conceded defeat and distributed most of my gear between my two checked bags (which, luckily, hadn't disappeared down the conveyor yet). I'd brought the 200 f/2's dedicated case, and packed my (empty) Peli case in an anonymous-looking holdall. I held back the D3 body and 14-24mm, though - call me paranoid, but if all else fails I'd like to turn up at my destination with at least one functioning body and lens. My newly lightened carry-on was still a bit over the weight limit, but I smoothed it over by coming clean and suggesting it was the best I could do. Good enough for Angel, who had the good grace to apologise for the hassle.
And now, of course, having bought a couple of litres of water for the flight, my carry-on is waaaay over the weight limit again. Irony not pictured.
Can't wait to see what happens on the return journey. I'll keep you posted...
Maybe you should moan on the dedicated fatties on a plane thread on STW ;)
I am sure plenty will agree with you ;)
Hope the lense made it in one piece
Posted by: juan | April 20, 2009 at 07:43 AM
Oh, don't get me started on the overweight passenger thing ;-)
Lens seems fine, so far...
Posted by: Seb Rogers | April 20, 2009 at 03:05 PM
Last time I flew I had to transfer a flash and a lens into another bag to get the carry-on to an "acceptable" weight. And yes, ten minutes later I'd added 24 AA batteries, three thick books and a kilo of water to it ;-)
I went on a helicopter flight a couple of years ago, and they actually weighed the passengers. Worked well for me - portly Austrian tourists in the back directly under the rotor, skinny bloke up front next to the pilot with a far better view...
Posted by: MikeD | April 20, 2009 at 03:13 PM
As it happens Canon makes a vest that could hold a 400 2.8 but why would we sully ourselves?
Posted by: Warhead | April 20, 2009 at 09:52 PM
I've flown with BA in the past specificaly as the weight limit is whatever you can manage to hoik into overhead rack on your own. I'm off to States in a few weeks and had to use BA as my camera bag weighs 18kg on a good day. Delta and Continental have a 15kg limit IIRC.
In fact I've found them cheaper to use than 'budget' airlines due to their more generous weight alowances and no added costs of your basics. Though having to go via thiefrow is of concern.
Though I did have to argue with jobsworthys at security as my bag was fractionally too big to fit in the size check, due to the handles. Being patient and pleasant made sure I got everything on board, as checking bag was not an option at that point.
Posted by: imajes | April 22, 2009 at 05:31 AM
I've been singularly unimpressed with BA on previous occasions - enough for me to put them on my 'carrier of last resort' list (dumping my bike bag on the tarmac hundreds of yards from the terminal building and expecting me to carry it myself was just one of the highlights).
But I may have to reconsider in light of carry-on weight restrictions.
In every other respect of their service Virgin still gets my vote...
Posted by: Seb Rogers | April 22, 2009 at 05:40 AM