I really, really don't want to check my luggage, I have an hour connection at AMS (with KLM), and I just know there's no way my bag will make it on the plane on time.

If I carry on a rolling carry-on and a large totebag--with the totebag acting as my purse (will stick my purse in the bag) and distribute the weight so that the roller is less than 22 pounds--that will work, right?? And then coming home I can just pack it up with all my purchases and check it then..

makes sense, right?

Sounds workable to me - I am planning to do the same when we fly to Milan thru Zurich in September. My husband has had luggage lost or delayed thru Zurich every time, so we don't want to take a chance. Let me know how this works for you - when do you fly?

I have been trying to get an answer to the same question for an AF flight from JFK to Athens thru CDG. According to their website it should be ok but I have heard stories to the contrary. I'm not sure if my large tote will be allowed since the fabric looks more like luggage even tho I have seen women with larger purses. I'm hoping they see it as a computer case even tho there will not be a laptop inside.

I think you should be ok with the scenario that you mentioned. I agree that your bags likely wouldn't make it to your connecting flight, so carry on is the way to go.

We just flew on KLM to Italy this June with a connection through AMS. We did the same thing, we each carried on a 21" rollaboard and a tote bag. No problem, However, at the gate for the flight from AMS to Milan, they wouldn't let anyone carryon their rollaboards as the flight was full, so we had to gate check them.

Well, MissZiegfeld, I suppose this is all a moot point, now.

yes, you're right, although according to KLM the only restriction they have right now is on liquids/gels, and you can still carry-on whatever else you want from what it seems..(I won't be hitting the UK on this trip) If anything changes I will ship my bag.

I've done this a number of times in the past--it was the two-bag allowance that was important, so as you suggest I slipped my small purse into the tote.

Once I was traveling through CDG with an incredibly short connection time--just knew my luggage wuld go missing if I checked it. The ticket agent in NY saw my two bags, almost made me check, but was sympathetic to my connection problem. He suggested that to get by the other gates I carry the bags separately from one another--not to stack the tote on the roll-aboard or it would look like I was bringing on too big a bag.