Checking-In Photography Gear on Airliners

[david_a._wong]

Hello all,

 

More and more I have been getting getting work that is farther and

farther away from my home-base. And lately I've been flying to my

jobs, versus driving. Thus far I have carried my cameras (both 6x17

MF and 35mm with lenses for both, etc.)on board as carry-ons. This

is getting to be a real hassle lugging all this gear on board and a

few times I got grief from the airlines about the weight and size.

 

I was considering carefully packing my gear in a Pelican case,

locking it up with a TSA approved lock and checking them on. While

this would make travelling MUCH easier, of course I'm concerned

about security and damage to my gear.

 

Does anyone have any experience with this? How do YOU travel with

lots of photography gear? Is this a feasible solution or another

bad idea? :)

 

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

David.

[nigel d]

I think you will find that most airlines suggest that you transport valuables such as camera equipment as carry-on. If they give you grief at the check in counter, point them back to their own policies.

[david_henderson]

I do exactly what you're thinking of, with a Pelicase, and have done so since 2001. I have had no incidence of damage or loss, and you're right, it makes travelling a whole lot easier. Of course my gear is insured, and I carry a rangefinder system as hand baggage with my film, but the main camera and tripod go in the hold.

 

Incidentally I don't know where the first poster travels but my experience has been that there is pressure placed on you to check large bags and that staff are more conscious of weight and size issues these days. Indeed it was increasing concern about airlines' reaction to weight that persuaded me down the Pelicase track. I have certainly never been advised or pressured to keep my cameras with me.

 

But there's a problem looming in Europe at least. The airlines are more and more seeing excess baggage as a revenue opportunity; are tending to reduce the allowances for checked baggage and are enforcing swingeing charges for excess. On many flights I get on nowadays the baggage allowance is only 20kg or 23kg. For a weeks stay I generally travel at 28-30kg; half of that being the Pelican case and the other half including my tripod. For a two week trip I'm not even close. Twice I've been forced to pay nearly ?50 in excess baggage -that's one way- on Air France and BA.

 

So it looks like the Pelicase (which weighs several kg on its own) is going to get a rest- for all the wrong reasons.

 

Given I spend a bit of time in N America, I'd be interested to hear what the airlines there are doing both long haul and domestically since it could affect my choice of carrier.

[phyrpowr]

I don't have a lot of experience or a big kit, but I do split it up, with tripod, manuals, anything not too fragile or valuable being checked, and bodies and lenses carry on

 

Weight and ease are part of it, but there's also the dreaded "you are here, luggage is there" aspect to consider

[bill_thorlin]

Have been flying since the late 1960s (close to 500k miles)and have never checked in my camera,it is always hand luggage.I have had an actual "dinner in London,breakfast in Nairobi,luggage in Hong Kong" and I and friends have had things go missing totally. If you are going to be lost without your gear even if for only a day then it is hand luggage.

 

There is an increasing issue with the luggage allowance but this is in fact easing with hand luggage as the airlines seek to persuade us to not check-in luggage and thus speed up their turnaround times.

 

I suggest that your expensive and essential kit goes with you in the cabin.If it looks like there is also going to be a problem with hand luggage weight (you can see this happening at check-in if you watch)

off load as much as possible into your pockets and then relocate back to the kit bag before you get to the security check. I always wear a multi-pocketed jacket and/or trousers.

 

There is also the problem of the scanning of your film and as far as I know the check-in scanning is a lot more severe than the hand luggage one.There is some argument over this but all I can say is that I have had a fogged film when I made the mistake of putting some in my suitcase when I rushed things.I would add that there are signs at the airports I have used recently which advise you not to check in film - believe it or not some after you have gone through check-in !!!

 

I know it is a pain but I think it is worth it.

[nigel d]

The airlines appear to recognize that they have an issue with theft. If you check out their baggage policies on the web, you will find that most suggest taking valuables (most specifically mention cameras) as carry on. They also recognize that film in checked baggage is an issue and will recommend that being put in carry on also. At the check in counter, the clerks do not know the airline policies and count on you submitting to their apparent authority to convince you to check bags.

[runkel]

I think it's safe to assume that checked luggage tends to be thrown around a lot behind the scenes. How far would you drop a Pelican case carefully packed with your delicate cameras and lenses? When you get to the job, will you be confident that everything is working properly?

[dr._karl_hoppe]

Don't check any gear through unless you have insurance. It's much too risky. I have travelled my life to just about every continent, bags get lost. I went to Cairo last year and the bags wound up in Ougadoungo, the capital of Burkina Faso (the old Upper Volta). Took weeks to get everything back. Luckily it was only one bag, but it was vandalised and pilfered.<p>

 

On a trip to Hong Kong, two bags were diverted--God only knows how--to the former Portugese colony of Macao. Got them back with no loss a few days later.<p>

 

When I went to Thailand, after a stop in India, one bag was lost and never recovered. If that was my gear, then no pictures for the rest of the trip.<p>

 

If you have insurance and do check your gear through, take a carry-on with a small back-up outfit. Too risky for my tastes.

[jerry s]

Another option - ship your Pelican case via one of the freight carriers (UPS, FedEx, DHL, Airborne). I've used this option a few times -- mostly on longer trips where I am taking approaching the limits in checked baggage weight. Any of the major cargo carriers will allow you to check the status of your package online. Make arrangements with the hotel to receive your case for you, and pick it up when you arrive.

[david_deratzian]

I usually carry the bodies, smaller lenses and accessories, along with my laptop in a Lowepro messenger bag, and the larger lenses and whatever else I can fit in a Kinesis long lense case with accessory bags. Flight crews have usually recognized this for what it is, and both fit in the overhead. I have managed to get my tripod on as well on occasion. Yes, this is a lot of carry-on weight and bulk, but it is better than the alternative. Last week I had my tripod, chargers, etc. in checked bags, and as a result, had none of these for a week while the airline searched for my bags.

[aricmayer]

Thanks in part to the lobbying efforts of the good folks over at the American Society of

Media Photographers, photographers are allowed an extra carry-on item for camera

equipment. You can read the press release at asmp's site,

 

<a href="http://www.asmp.org/tips/tsa.php" >ASMP</a>

 

or check out the <a href="http://www.tsa.gov/public/interapp/editorial/

editorial_1248.xml" >TSA</a> policy here

[aricmayer]

Whoops, I didn't switch to html. Here are those links again.

 

<a href="http://www.asmp.org/tips/tsa.php" >ASMP</a>

 

<a href="http://www.tsa.gov/public/interapp/editorial/

editorial_1248.xml" >TSA</a>

[chris.platten]

I used to somehow cram everything (apart from tripods) into hand luggage, but as the gear grew, I started putting my backup body (empty) and heaviest (80-200F4) lens in checked baggage. I use old FD kit, so the replacement value is not that high. It went OK for a while. On my last trip, had a TSA search where everything was carefully repacked (clothes were folded more neatly than when I put them in) except for the rear cap on the 80-200 had not been replaced after they had looked through it to check it really was a lens. I will go back to the hand luggage option for a while until it all gets too heavy again.

 

A coat with lots of pockets has been suggested earlier and works well. Batteries and are a good option for pockets. Sewing a poachers pocket to accept a long lens is probably a bit extreme, but you should be able to stash 1-2Kg around your person this way

 

Use as small a carry on as possible. It may be heavy, but if it does not LOOK heavy it may not get weighed. If it looks heavy it will be.

 

Most tickets list a 'small' camera as an additional item, so take one out of the gear bag and sling it round your neck. I have had a T-90 allowed through as a 'small' camera. A ladies handbag is often also listed as another acceptable extra. If you can convincingly deploy one then do so....A bumbag/fannypack is a good alternative if a handbag would look out of place!!! Either one will take a 50 1.4 with ease and another 500g out of your carry on bag.

 

If you carry a book to read, have it out of the hand carry and read it in the check in line. When you check in place it on the desk. Even when they weigh your hand luggage they ignore the book

 

Consider replacing coil based transformers with switch mode alternatives.

 

Two last tips. (1) Always keep film in carry on. (2) After you have put all the little items back in after check in and the bag is 'heavy' again, make sure you do not look like you are struggling with the weight as you board the plane or you might get re-weighed. On a similar line always place the bag in the locker yourself. If they lift it in for you, they will realise just how heavy your deceptively small bag really is.

[mark_schafer1]

Never check film, but check Polaroid (or FedEx), carry at least a kit to do the job, check

back up and other stuff. There are some great bags out that carry quite a bit of stuff

Pelican 1510 Rollaboard (great if you need to check last minute on commuter planes),

Backpacks are always very stealthy and easy to carry (Like the Tenba Computer and photo

backpacks).

My kit looks a bit like this, one rolling case with film and tools or 2nd body (Halliburton

Zeroller) on top Tenba camera bag with RZ kit (Body, 2 lenses, 3 backs, Pola back, ball

head, Meters, Filters sometimes Monopod) and some emergency film (3 DP Pola, 20

-30 220 Rolls color neg.) in case I get separated from the film case, that?s my bare

minimum if can rent backup stuff locally.

If I travel with an assistant a second rolling case with backup cameras and a second

different camera kit (shift camera or 645) in another Tenba bag. Then depending on the

job always my light formers, tripod and other tricks and if I can't rent lighting equipment

locally a certain amount of flash equipment and grip. That comes out to a couple of cases

(love the Tenba Air cases) for which I try to keep the weight either under 50 pounds (2

bags free per person) or 70 pounds ($50 per bag) or 100 pounds (I think about $80) witch

is the max. allowed. Overall I like not to check more than 10-12 items (I do like to bring

some kind of folding cart and usually at least one Medium Rolling stand which doesn't get

a case), especially for smaller planes as they can only take so many luggages.

Best MS

[john fleshin]

After a camera went missing from a delayed and broken in to bag, the airlines simply told me that luggage was for clothes, and they cover nothing else.

 

I have heard they sometimes offer special insurance, and those bags receive priority?

 

Do not expect the person controlling the line to know the rules, I will print out the notice above and put it in my carry on. When I told them the airline check in told me a bag was OK, they said they have no authority etc. It is a bit of a crap shoot, try to have as few connections as possible.

 

And perhaps I won the Lotto, they charged me $140 for an extra 20 lbs from Prague to Paris, more than the ticket, and there were seven bags on the plane when I arrived. I should have upgraded to business class, they have a higher bag allowance. I had the lower allowance because I was staying more then 24 hours in Paris before I continued on to the US. Overseas tickets should have higher weight allowances than Inter European flights.