xxx

So Joanne, in your first post you said you had experienced lost bags a "couple of times" than in your last post you said it happened once in 1981. So..in 20years of traveling it only happened twice? Damn good odds to me!

Q. P.

I think Janine's advice is really sensible. If the backpack is big or heavy enough that "lugging" it around O'Hare in between flights on the way over seems like a big nuisance, then you're better off checking it--it's probably too big and heavy to fit the guidelines anyway. But for only 3 days in London, you could, as she says, pack very light into a small daypack that wouldn't be a pain to carry and would fit easily into an overhead bin without stuffing. (Say, two lightweight drip-dry shirts, one extra pair of socks, windbreaker, a very few toiletries.) And if you decide to buy a few souvenirs there to bring home, which you surely will, you can always either pack along a light folded-up bag inside the backpack or buy a cheap fabric bag in London, and check that extra piece of luggage on the trip back. <BR> <BR>Q.P.

Joanne

xxx, since you're keeping track, in my earlier post I detailed three luggage disasters -- the one in 1981, the lost business clothes, and hawaii vacation stuff. Considering that in the years since the third event I simply haven't checked anything, no, I don't think that's very good luck!

ja

Okay, so this isn't _strictly_ on-topic, but having just returned from our holiday in Poertugal, I have a pithy observation after participating in the luggage -carousel dance in 3 airports each way: If you want to take it on your trip, DO NOT expect anyone else to lift it on/off up/down for you- especially strangers- if you can't lift and carry it yourself, don't bring it!! I'm sorry, but I saw too many people literally demanding that other passengers "help" them with their very unwieldly, grossly heavy luggage items. Once again, my apologies for straying off-topic.

Jenny

I've been on 4 flights from the UK since 09/11, and on every one, they have taken anything larger than a tote bag from people and made them check it .... so you may not have any choice!

Joanne

Jenny, which airline did you fly? I wonder if the variations we're hearing about are specific to certain countries, airports, or airlines.

Gerry

Joanne: <BR>On my pre-9/11 international flights, Lufthansa had an 18 pound carry on weight limit and Alitalia 12 pounds. They said that this was determined by international treaty and that international flights were much stricter that US domestic travel. It is pretty standard for non-US airlines to have these restrictions. I don't know which, if any, US carriers are now or will be adopting this practice. <BR>Also, they told us that you could not carry on anything that would not fit under your seat and that nothing "heavy" could be put in the overhead bins. They said that this was for safety reasons. On our flights the bins were not even half full and their was no clutter in the cabin.

Shanna

Took four flights coming back from Frankfurt Sunday with some looney connecting times. Checked bagged arrived home with me, and all the bottles of wine packed in it were unbroken. Sure was nice not having to haul that thing around, even with wheels. Send your stuff fedex or UPS. In fact, if anyone here is a fedex or UPS employee, suggest to your employer a luggage service. Surely they can get space cheap at airports these days. And a return packaging/mailing service at the airport so I don't have to worry about wine bottles breaking in my suitcase.

Jenny

I've used Go (British Airways)(Edinburgh - London - Barcelona rtn), British Midland (Birmingham - Edinburgh) and Air 2000 (Glasgow - Palma Majorca rtn). My parents have also used Aer Lingus (Edinburgh - Dublin - Boston rtn) and have had the same thing happen. This hasn't only happened at UK airports, but also at others. I'm not meaning to appear selfish, but, I can't stand it when people bring the absolute most they can as carry-on luggage, as it means there is often hardly any room for anyone else's things (this happened to me before, when *I* had to check my small rucksack, as there was *NO* room left in the overhead lockers, and because I was sat at an emergency exit, I couldn't put it under the seat.) I don't see why I can't take my small bag on, because of other people's selfishness ... (probably get flamed for that!! <BR>Still ... it's worse in Asia, what people try to get on as carry-on!

Joanne

Jenny, no flames for you here! BUT if people are carrying on on so much that there isn't room for everyone's stuff, then at least part of the blame should do to the airline: They should be limiting carryons in such a way that everyone, even the last person onto the plane, can stow their stuff. <BR> <BR>In your example with the rucksack, I think the flight crew would have been justified in simply choosing some large piece of luggage that was already stowed, and sending THAT of the plane to be checked, rather than your single carryon.

elvira

I am a carry-on person, no checked luggage on an outbound flight. With experiences similar to others (like arriving for 5 days in Milan - I had carryon only, but companions had checked full-sized suitcases - to find that their luggage was still in Chicago and didn't arrive until ONE day before we left), I don't want to take the chance. Sure, maybe it only happens 1 out of 10 flights, but that one time is so miserable and can ruin a vacation that it's not worth taking the chance. Secondly, while everyone elbows, pushes, shoves and whacks each other at the baggage carousel, I'm on my way through customs/immigration. I'm also not getting smashed in the Achilles' tendon by some moron who isn't paying attention to his luggage cart while bitching about the loooong lines to get through customs/immigration. With a small carryon, I can take a bus, subway or train which is cheaper by far (for one person) than a shuttle or taxi. <BR> <BR>Buuuut, these new security measures have changed my practice. For one thing, I always pack little scissors, a Swiss Army knife, small corkscrew, etc. - which means if I still want to take them, they have to go into checked luggage, so I have no choice but to stand at the dumb carousel and watch my bag NOT come off the plane. <BR> <BR>Now, I have a beef: why do I have to pay $2 for a luggage cart at the airport?? Why aren't they FREE? Jeez Louise, I cough up $600 for a ticket, spend $9 to get a small coffee and a packaged sandwich, spend $7 for a paperback because the plane's delayed two hours and I've run out of reading material, and they want TWO FREAKIN' DOLLARS to rent a cart for, what, an hour???? Do they think I'm going to take the cart HOME?? "any baggage to check, ma'am?" "yes, two small suitcases and this filthy baggage cart with screwy wheels". <BR> <BR>And I, too, object to the duty free bags that people haul on board; more than once I've seen passengers hit by either things falling out of the bag when the overhead is opened, or by the bag itself when some nimrod yanks it out of the overhead and the 13 bottles of Jack Daniels swing out of control. A twenty pound backpack full of clothes is a no-no, but 50 pounds of bottles is okay???? <BR> <BR>Okay, that's my rant for the day. The nice nurse says it's time for my meds...

xyz

well i'm glad there are others who are pointing out that here in europe airlines are enforcing the light carry one rule. and to the poster who suggested i rarely travel-sorry you are completely wrong-which is why i know about the bag searches. i travel once a month and have had my bag gone through and recently heard about a friend who waited on a one hour security line in the states. <BR>perhaps all the naysayers on this board will start travelling internationally and have their bag allowance enforced.