LouisaH

Does anyone have experience with Virgin Atlantic's weight limit for carry on bags on international flights? From their website, they say it is limited to 13 pounds, plus they allow a purse or similar, personal item. Honestly, I don't know how I can meet that requirement and wonder if anyone has experience specifically with Virgin Atlantic.

Thanks

iris1745

One free checked in bag of 23kg [50 pounds]

Christina

Have only taken them in US, sorry, but I agree, looks like you'll have to check a bag if you were planning on only doing carryon for your entire trip luggage. Of course you can meet that requirement then, I meet it every time I go abroad as I never try to travel only carryon for my major vacations. You just can't meet it if you didn't want to check a bag. I usually fly Air France and their requirement is a bit more liberal (maybe, depends on the weight of your purse), as they allow 12 kg total between the carryon and personal item). But I meet the VA requirement easily.

LouisaH

This is a two-week trip and I will have a checked bag and will, hopefully, meet weight limits or pay more if need be for that. My concern is that I will also have a carry on, plus a LARGE purse. My carry on will have my iPad, camera, Kindle, jewelry, etc. and I am struggling to meet 13 pound weight limit. I just wondered if anyone had international experience and remembers how strict they are with this policy.

Ackislander

You really need to pay attention to what they say and emphasize on their website, then resign yourself to the fact that a heavy carryon and a LARGE purse are exactly what they are trying to prevent. A few small items are not included in the limit, by the way, but they specifically say that your purse can only contain the normal things you would carry in a purse.

Everyone in the world might get away with more, but think of the consequences to YOU if you don't -- your carryon, perhaps with half the stuff in your purse added to it, gets checked.

Air France and Lufthansa give you twice as much weight, though they are both strict about weighing.

janisj

I only travel carry-on and when flying VS (Virgin Atlantic)I have to be really careful. My normal 19 or 21 inch bag weighs approx 20-25 lbs full. Much too heavy for VS limits. But they do not weigh your 'personal item'. So I place some of the heavier bits in my large satchel-type handbag. Pair of shoes, 3-1-1liquids baggie, non-liquid toiletries, etc. I don't normally take a laptop on vacation, but when I do -- in the satchel.

I can get my carry on down to about their 6kg limit, but my handbag weighs nearly as much. Just don't over do it. If it looks like you are struggling w/ your personal item's heft, they may weigh it.

Then after check-in/security, I rearrange stuff so my handbag weighs less and the carry on gets stowed in the overhead as usual.

LouisaH

Janis, that's what I plan to do. I called and was told that theire checked limii is 60 ponds, not 50, which is hard to believe. I don t think I can manage a 60 pound bag anyway so we'll see. Really trying to pack light ( famous last words).

sharona

Maybe this is a time when one of those Scottvest type apparel items is a good idea? I think they have multi-pocket vests, jackets and even trench coats. You can stuff the pockets with your heavier items. The trench coat even has a pocket large enough for an iPad. I don't think they weigh your coat.

http://www.scottvest.com/

Christina

European airlines have weight limits in kg, not pounds, and it is usually 23 kg (about 51 pounds). I would not trust the agent who told you it was 60 pounds as that violates everything on their website, I suspect they made a mistake in converting kg to pounds or something. Unless you have a first class seat or something, and then it is more like 70 lbs.

bettyk

We recently faced this problem using Lufthansa from Frankfurt to Warsaw. Their carryon limit was 8 kilos but DH had camera gear, computer, GPS, medications, etc.

DH had a small roll around case that already weighed 5 pounds empty BUT when we got ready to board our flight, no one checked our bag or weighed anything. He probably was over the limit by a pound or two but no one gave it a second look.

I think if your carryon bag and purse don't LOOK stuffed and/or heavy, they won't check it. There is no way they can check every carryon bag of every passenger and still depart on time.

LouisaH

I can't believe how many typos I had in that last post; the problem wih typing on an iPad. I'm not trusting the agent who told me 60 pounds, and if I have to pay more to put things in checked bag from carry on, that's what I will have to do.

Neither my purse nor my carry on will look stuffed.

Jay_G

As others have said, it's probably wise not to exceed the recommended 6kg (13lb ) limit for carry-on, but in my experience on Virgin Atlantic (three to four times a year for the last three years) I've never once been asked to have my hand luggage weighed.

As I fly into San Francisco from Heathrow for business (mixed with a little pleasure) my hand luggage (which is the exact dimensions of the maximum size stipulated on their website) often contains a 17 inch laptop, camera, pad and work documents, chargers, adaptors, iPod , headphones, clean t-shirt (often a spare pair of shoes too) books, a newspaper and miscellaneous other items.

It weighs a metaphoric ton, but I always carry it in my hand until after I've checked in, then break out the shoulder strap to go through security. Never had a single problem with it (other than the risk of a hernia as I attempt to swing it around nonchalantly as I approach check-in).

Another tip might be to check in online a day in advance (as I always do). No idea if it makes a difference, but as I say, the weight of my hand luggage has never been an issue for anyone other than me.

LouisaH

Perfect, Jay, thank you. I will remember to swing my bag nonchalantly as I approach check-in! Really, it just seems like a low weight limit for carry on, especially since my ultra-light Italian bag weighs 2.5 kg EMPTY! I will have basically what you have but no laptop, since mine weighs a ton.

HappyTrvlr

I exceeded the carry on weight as I didn't realize that there was one. The agent removed my camera and some pottery I had purchsed. Whe. She approved it, I had to sneak it all back into the bag.
I never have any teouvle with US based airlines..like today flying out of Bangkok.

Nutella

I flew from Miami to London on Virgin Atlantic about a year ago and they were very strict with the carry-on weight. I was carrying expensive photography gear and offered to pay extra just so I wouldn't have to check it, but they wouldn't budge. No sympathy or bending of the rules, even after genuine tears

ParisAmsterdam

Check the weight of your carry on bag empty. You might be surprised... some roller bags can weigh 7 pounds or more thus using half your allowance. If this is the case... go shopping for a new bag.

Christina

That may be the issue, my last carryon bag weighed 9 pounds (Air France, last month) and it was pretty full and a decent size. It was not as big as a suitcase, though (eg, mpt as bog as a 19-20 inch roller bag). And it is totally softsided canvas with no hardware at all, other than zippers of course. I'm sure it doesn't weigh more than 1 pound in itself, if that. I do take a camera and books and Bose headphones, etc in there although I do not usually take a pair of shoes nor all kinds of camera gear. It really isn't that difficult a weight limit IMO. A 2.5 kg empty carryon bag is a problem, I'd say, that is really very heavy, that's the weight of a suitcase which I guess is what this really is, not just a small carryon bag.