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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Urgent camera question re: travelling by plane please? (1 Viewer)

Penny Clarke

Penny Clarke

Well-known member
MODERATORS - was not sure where to post this exactly, please move accordingly if you wish.


Had a frantic, stressed text from my little sister this morning, who is flying to Tunisia this morning (from Gatwick). She had her camera in her hand luggage and was shocked and furious to find that on reaching check in, they MADE her remove it and put in her main luggage! Obviously had she known this she would have bubble wrapped etc her camera and my guess is she probably just had to stuff it in the middle of her clothes and hope for best, but extremely annoying to be unprepared for that!

I have not flown for several years now, and wondered is this standard practice now on flights? Just certain countries? OR?

She is VERY upset and said in her text she was going to ring me tonight when she got there, and I would like to reassure her in some way etc etc.

Am going out all day today, but will look at this thread and thank anybody for advice etc this evening. Thank you in advance.

Best Wishes Penny
 
Penny Clarke said:
MODERATORS - was not sure where to post this exactly, please move accordingly if you wish.


Had a frantic, stressed text from my little sister this morning, who is flying to Tunisia this morning (from Gatwick). She had her camera in her hand luggage and was shocked and furious to find that on reaching check in, they MADE her remove it and put in her main luggage! Obviously had she known this she would have bubble wrapped etc her camera and my guess is she probably just had to stuff it in the middle of her clothes and hope for best, but extremely annoying to be unprepared for that!

I have not flown for several years now, and wondered is this standard practice now on flights? Just certain countries? OR?

She is VERY upset and said in her text she was going to ring me tonight when she got there, and I would like to reassure her in some way etc etc.

Am going out all day today, but will look at this thread and thank anybody for advice etc this evening. Thank you in advance.

Best Wishes Penny
Click to expand...

Having had no trouble with camera, long lens or binos in hand luggage to and from Israel a couple of weeks ago, this does seem odd! Could it have been a weight or size issue perhaps?
 
MSA said:
Having had no trouble with camera, long lens or binos in hand luggage to and from Israel a couple of weeks ago, this does seem odd! Could it have been a weight or size issue perhaps?
Click to expand...

Hi Penny - I share your (and your daughter's) concern about this. It is a first I have heard about such a thing and I also wonder if it may relate to a weight issue. I have never had this happen to me and recently flew to Costa Rica and back from Santiago in Chile with a Canon EOS 1d Mark IIN and 500MM F4 in my hand luggage with no problems.

I hope her camera is OK at the other end. It should be provided it was packed in amongst clothes. Presumably, if there is some damage, an insurance claim may be needed.

HTH

Kevin
 
Penny please let us know how your sister got on and the reason why she had to put her camera in her main luggage.Like Kevin i have never had any trouble taking a Lowepro nature trekker as hand luggage and this sometimes weighs almost 10 kgs.I usually travel on Easyjet and they have a size limit but no limit on weight.I think BAA set the size limit iam sure someone will tell us the exact size.Hope all is ok.
 
Ragna said:
Penny please let us know how your sister got on and the reason why she had to put her camera in her main luggage.Like Kevin i have never had any trouble taking a Lowepro nature trekker as hand luggage and this sometimes weighs almost 10 kgs.I usually travel on Easyjet and they have a size limit but no limit on weight.I think BAA set the size limit iam sure someone will tell us the exact size.Hope all is ok.
Click to expand...

Thank you ALL for your posts, I have not managed to speak my sister yet, but she did say her 'camera was fine' by text. When she rings, I will ask her if it was to do with weight. She was very stressed at the time, but I think after arriving at a quote: 'hotel in paradise' she has cheered up a bit!! I know that I would have been livid if that had happened to me!

Best Wishes Penny
 
birder said:
Presumably, if there is some damage, an insurance claim may be needed.
Click to expand...
That's what makes this so worrying. Most insurance policies state that they won't cover expensive stuff that's in your checked baggage.
 
It does seem rather odd, I have traveled with a Small Tamrac backpack with lens cases on the exterior webbing, 2 camera bodies and several lenses and flashgun in all, I have NEVER encountered problems at check in.

In fact a couple of years ago we were flying back from Spain on Sept 11th and security was obviously VERY high, yet I still had no problems with my gear, as it happens the damm flight was delayed by 16hours due to a technical fault on the aircraft so we flew home on the 12th.

Maybe it still pays to check with your airline before the flight.

This may be of help for anyone else wondering what and what not to put into hand luggage;

http://www.dft.gov.uk/transportforyou/airtravel/airportsecurity
 
Can't understand that.
Flew from Gatwick North 3 weeks ago on British Airways to Madrid, the security scans would be the same what ever flight you are on. Our hand luggage was comprised of Scope ED82, head, red spot device, digiscoping adaptor, tripod, 2 cameras, chargers etc. Not a word about it at security going out. And coming back at Madrid security, the scanner operator just pointed at the bag with the scope in, and said "Telescope" to which I said yes, and all was ok.

On British Airways flights there is no limit to the weight of hand luggage, as long as you can lift it into the locker above the seats, there is a size limit, and only one bag allowed per passenger.

Just my experiance

Malc
 
I've flown several times with my 600F4 and camera and bins in my hand luggage and never had a problem.

Sounds like she may have just been unlucky and got someone having a bad day.Was it a big camera?

PS Hello from another Kings Lynn-er
 
Flying Easy jet from Bristol to Faro in Feb I packed as much gear into an old laptop rucksack as it would hold without bursting and got through with no trouble.
I used the laptop bag as I knew it would fit into the hand luggage size check receptacle.
My wife bought a small suitcase in Portugal and used that as hand luggage on the return flight.
The policy seems to be as long as it fits the receptacle it goes.
 
Robert_Scanlon said:
I've flown several times with my 600F4 and camera and bins in my hand luggage and never had a problem.

Sounds like she may have just been unlucky and got someone having a bad day.Was it a big camera?

PS Hello from another Kings Lynn-er
Click to expand...

Hi Robert

No, definately not a big camera just a canon EOS 300, have not spoken to her yet to find out why.

Hello from sunny (sorry foggy!!!) King's Lynn :hi:

Best Wishes Penny :girl:
 
Photo treker rucksac

I am concerned about the bag problem in May i am taking a trip to extremadura in spain i am traveling with EasyJet will i be able to take my photo trekker rucsac on the plane with me as i have a lot of expensive gear in it has anyone tried this before.

Thanks
 
From Easyjet website


Baggage Allowances

Each passenger is usually permitted

one standard piece of hand baggage to maximum dimensions of 55x40x20cm, and
a free allowance of standard checked-in hold baggage to a maximum weight of 20kgs

So no weight restriction on hand baggage.


Further through the text

You must not include in checked baggage fragile or perishable items, money, jewellery, precious metals, silverware, computers, electronic devices, negotiable papers, securities or other valuables, business documents, passports and other identification documents or samples.

So they are saying that you should not put valubles in the hold luggage. You wouldnt want to put valubles in your suitcase anyway.

Malc
 
Last edited:
Nez i have travelled several times with Easyjet to Spain with a Nature trekker and never had any problems,they operate the sizes stated by Malc.Ive now got a Phototrekker and dont see any problems with this.
 
Hi everyone, have now found out what the problem was!!!!!!

Basically she had a handbag AND hand luggage AND main bag (to go in hold). In the past you would be allowed to have a handbag + hand luggage, but not anymore, so she had to put her handbag inside her hand luggage which meant (space wise) she had to take something out and the only thing that could come out apparently was the camera. So it was not to do with weight, too many bags and not enough space!!!

:girl: Best Wishes Penny
 
I have just returned from two weeks in Morocco flying from Heathrow to Casblanca and back. Last September I flew to Tallinn in Estonia. On neither occasion did I have any trouble with my equipment. I carried a Canon 400D, plus three lenses, 10-20mm, 17-85mm and 70-200mm together with 1.4 extender, batteries and flashcards in a Loweprow Tracker II which is within the legal size. The bag was not weighed on any occasion out or return.I cannot understand this.
 
One other thing to remember at the moment is that only one carry on bag is allowed (according to BA) usually have a laptop rucksack and a lowepro trekker but can't take both on board this time so have bought a Nikon 18-200vr (which on isn't inspection seems a terrifically nice travel lens) and will be travelling very light..............
 
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