For those who fly w/ equipment

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RichF

RichF

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The thread on UA destroys $15K of equipment is getting too long and this is a tangent so I thought I would start a new thread.

For those who fly w/ camera equipment, would you be willing to be extra ($ amount not specified but something "reasonable" say $50-100 for international tix) for guarnateed overhead bin space. Personally I think the airlines should charge more carry-on bags than they do for checked bags. Or at least guarnateed space. After all, how many people really NEED to have their dirty laundry fly with them. Yes it is a convenience but not to wait for luggage when you land, but it essential??? If your time is that valuable then you can pay for the privelege.
 
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I would definitely pay a little extra for the ability to store my carry-on gear so I don't have to check it. I just wouldn't ever check in gear. $50-$100 would be ok by me as it is cheap insurance.
 
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RichF said:
The thread on UA destroys $15K of equipment is getting too long and this is a tangent so I thought I would start a new thread.

For those who fly w/ camera equipment, would you be willing to be extra ($ amount not specified but something "reasonable" say $50-100 for international tix) for guarnateed overhead bin space. Personally I think the airlines should charge more carry-on bags than they do for checked bags. Or at least guarnateed space. After all, how many people really NEED to have their dirty laundry fly with them. Yes it is a convenience but not to wait for luggage when you land, but it essential??? If your time is that valuable then you can pay for the privelege.
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I fly first or business class so you can probably figure out what I think... I don't want to be nickel & dimed, sufficient overhead bin space should be accommodated is part of the ticket, but I'm willing to pay more not be pushed around (virtually every adult in the airport is larger than me) & to have plenty of space for myself & my stuff. I want all of that -- the not being pushed & shoved, the bypassing of lines, boarding early, having space) -- not just some of it.
 
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peachfront said:
I fly first or business class so you can probably figure out what I think... I don't want to be nickel & dimed, sufficient overhead bin space should be accommodated is part of the ticket, but I'm willing to pay more not be pushed around (virtually every adult in the airport is larger than me) & to have plenty of space for myself & my stuff. I want all of that -- the not being pushed & shoved, the bypassing of lines, boarding early, having space) -- not just some of it.
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agree but biz class is not affordable for all
 
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Some low cost airlines actually do charge people more to have a carry-on. Thier cheapest ticket called basic economy (or similar) specifies no carry-on (other than a purse or similar).

Within the USA I fly Southwest, which is the only domestic airline that still offers free checked bags. Yet I am astonished how many people refuse to take advantage of that and still insist on using their roller bag (with clothes and toiletries) as a carry-on.

For international I fly premium economy (a class above regular economy but below business) and never have trouble finding overhead space. Though even on Southwest I never have trouble because I confirm as soon as online check-in opens (24 hours before flight) and get a boarding number that is at least in the middle when there is still overhead space. And yes I always check my roller bag and only carry on my camera backpack.
 
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RichF said:
agree but biz class is not affordable for all
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Understood but I think you can already get what you want in economy cabins by paying for (or carry an airline credit card) that puts you in one of the earlier boarding categories for your cabin while lots of overhead space remains. Whereas asking flight attendants to police who has guaranteed overhead bin space and who doesn't adds another complexity to their job that they could probably do without. I should add that as a general rule, I don't think it's right to charge separately for carry-ons since they by necessity contain items you shouldn't be checking such as optics, batteries, electronics, cash, medications, eyeglasses, etc. but airlines gonna do what they're gonna do.
 
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That is also a valid point on how the flight attendants would have to police it, that would turn into a nightmare most likely and cause a lot of boarding issues. I’ve only ever been on a couple flights but could see how that would cause issues. Need to create a photographers class with a slightly larger carry on dimensions and a slightly more expensive ticket price then say premium economy and they would board at the same time as premium Economy but guarantee that you were able to keep your camera gear with you. One can dream tho as that is very unlikely to happen.
 
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Yes, it's not about Business or First Class. Having travelled Business Class a number of times on longer haul flights, there is basically no issue with the amount of carry-on you can take and thus camera gear is never an issue. It's the short haul flights I refuse to spend 4 times the price for a Business Class seat for an hour or two and this is where you can get into difficulty with carry-on.
 
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Lance B said:
Yes, it's not about Business or First Class. Having travelled Business Class a number of times on longer haul flights, there is basically no issue with the amount of carry-on you can take and thus camera gear is never an issue. It's the short haul flights I refuse to spend 4 times the price for a Business Class seat for an hour or two and this is where you can get into difficulty with carry-on.
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You can pay extra for priority boarding and get in quick enough to get overhead space on short-haul flights.
However if you're flying into or out of a tiny airport, you could get stuck in a puddle-jumper with very tiny overhead bins.
I had to deal with that flying out of Cody to go to Minneapolis earlier this year. I picked up a small, cheap backpack from Wal-Mart and stuck my 600f4 in it cushioned by some clothes, which I knew would fit in the overhead. Everything else went in my Think Tank Urban Disguise, which nicely held my laptop, two camera bodies, teleconverter and 100-400 lens and fits under the seat.
 
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RikWriter said:
However if you're flying into or out of a tiny airport, you could get stuck in a puddle-jumper with very tiny overhead bins.
I had to deal with that flying out of Cody to go to Minneapolis earlier this year. I picked up a small, cheap backpack from Wal-Mart and stuck my 600f4 in it cushioned by some clothes, which I knew would fit in the overhead. Everything else went in my Think Tank Urban Disguise, which nicely held my laptop, two camera bodies, teleconverter and 100-400 lens and fits under the seat.
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This is my worry. I don't mind paying extra for first/business even if it's just an hour but occasionally you get on tours that have internal flights and the guide/leader/majority has booked you into a puddle jumper & it's potentially a tense situation because-- realistically-- 99+% of people hold Lance B's view that it's silly to pay so much more for a short hop. So the leader will have booked the cheaper possible group ticket...

I've been avoiding tours with internal flights since I started into photography but I can see this isn't a longterm solution. I think I'll go look up that Think Tank bag right now...
 
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Smaller puddle jumpers often do not have the space in the cabin to store gear. Additionally, they fly at lower levels where the turbulence is more severe, so your stuff gets tossed around a little more. I would know, I was a commercial pilot in Kenya and Tanzania.
 
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RichF said:
The thread on UA destroys $15K of equipment is getting too long and this is a tangent so I thought I would start a new thread.

For those who fly w/ camera equipment, would you be willing to be extra ($ amount not specified but something "reasonable" say $50-100 for international tix) for guarnateed overhead bin space. Personally I think the airlines should charge more carry-on bags than they do for checked bags. Or at least guarnateed space. After all, how many people really NEED to have their dirty laundry fly with them. Yes it is a convenience but not to wait for luggage when you land, but it essential??? If your time is that valuable then you can pay for the privelege.
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I always pay for early boarding and the overhead bin. So far I've never had a problem. I've flown to Costa Rica and Africa twice, to Alaska twice, and to the Antarctic on multiple flights and several other flights. I always think there might be a problem but so far, it's been fine.
 
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RichF said:
The thread on UA destroys $15K of equipment is getting too long and this is a tangent so I thought I would start a new thread.

For those who fly w/ camera equipment, would you be willing to be extra ($ amount not specified but something "reasonable" say $50-100 for international tix) for guarnateed overhead bin space. Personally I think the airlines should charge more carry-on bags than they do for checked bags. Or at least guarnateed space. After all, how many people really NEED to have their dirty laundry fly with them. Yes it is a convenience but not to wait for luggage when you land, but it essential??? If your time is that valuable then you can pay for the privelege.
Click to expand...
If I didn't fly with my dirty laundry, then I'd have nothing to wear!
 
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RichF said:
The thread on UA destroys $15K of equipment is getting too long and this is a tangent so I thought I would start a new thread.

For those who fly w/ camera equipment, would you be willing to be extra ($ amount not specified but something "reasonable" say $50-100 for international tix) for guarnateed overhead bin space. Personally I think the airlines should charge more carry-on bags than they do for checked bags. Or at least guarnateed space. After all, how many people really NEED to have their dirty laundry fly with them. Yes it is a convenience but not to wait for luggage when you land, but it essential??? If your time is that valuable then you can pay for the privelege.
Click to expand...
I already do pay more for first access to overhead space by either flying 1st class or the "premium" seating upgrade whenever I fly. I see no reason to do more than that.
 
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I either fly on American Airlines where we have Platinum status or pay extra for a special coach seat that provides us with advance boarding privileges. The added cost is about $150 per person for this. With earlier boarding we have the overhead bins empty when we get to our seats.

We also make use of the airlines allowing a "personal item" of a certain maximum size that can fit under the seat in front of you as well as a laptop case. This reduces the weight of the backpack that is going to be put in the overhead bin.

We also take tripods that collapse to less than 22 inches in length so they fit crossways inside the overhead bin and take up 4 linear inches in the compartment and put our jackets on top of the tripods in this space.

I use a Gura Gear Bataflae 32L backpack where the shoulder straps can be tucked away and there are handles at the top and on one side so it is easy to carry it inside the plane like a normal piece of luggage. I avoid putting anything in the outer pockets as this makes the bag thicker than 7 inches which the maximum that will fit in some bins, like those on the Bombardier Q400 and similar aircraft.

Lastly I will mention that my Z kit fits inside a 32L backpack but my wife's equivalent Olympus MFT kit fits inside an 18L backpack. Going full frame means twice the weight and twice the bulk and double the cost. My hands are too large to comfortably work with the MFT cameras but otherwise it would be the smart way to go.
 
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Calson said:
I either fly on American Airlines where we have Platinum status or pay extra for a special coach seat that provides us with advance boarding privileges. The added cost is about $150 per person for this. With earlier boarding we have the overhead bins empty when we get to our seats.

We also make use of the airlines allowing a "personal item" of a certain maximum size that can fit under the seat in front of you as well as a laptop case. This reduces the weight of the backpack that is going to be put in the overhead bin.

We also take tripods that collapse to less than 22 inches in length so they fit crossways inside the overhead bin and take up 4 linear inches in the compartment and put our jackets on top of the tripods in this space.

I use a Gura Gear Bataflae 32L backpack where the shoulder straps can be tucked away and there are handles at the top and on one side so it is easy to carry it inside the plane like a normal piece of luggage. I avoid putting anything in the outer pockets as this makes the bag thicker than 7 inches which the maximum that will fit in some bins, like those on the Bombardier Q400 and similar aircraft.

Lastly I will mention that my Z kit fits inside a 32L backpack but my wife's equivalent Olympus MFT kit fits inside an 18L backpack. Going full frame means twice the weight and twice the bulk and double the cost. My hands are too large to comfortably work with the MFT cameras but otherwise it would be the smart way to go.
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I've always just put the tripod and head in checked luggage in a hard-shell suitcase that can take abuse.
 
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Overhead? Never ever put my gear in the overhead bin, my bag, with basically everything in it minus a tripod, fits neatly under the front set. Added benefit, one can take pictures during take off, landing and when flying over, say, the alps.
 
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Does a 600mm Z count? Because that would fit easily without a body (all the other stuff wpuod go at different places in bag so). A 200-400 Af-S would be a problem length wise, but could fit just barely.
 
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I usually pay for extra leg space when I fly, especially if the planes are new like the Boening 737. I would pay extra for photo equipment space in the cabin too.

I usually accomplish this by being in a early boarding class if I buy my ticket with an airline sponsored credit card. I do realize that this works oly on some flights.
 
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RichF said:
The thread on UA destroys $15K of equipment is getting too long and this is a tangent so I thought I would start a new thread.

For those who fly w/ camera equipment, would you be willing to be extra ($ amount not specified but something "reasonable" say $50-100 for international tix) for guarnateed overhead bin space. Personally I think the airlines should charge more carry-on bags than they do for checked bags. Or at least guarnateed space. After all, how many people really NEED to have their dirty laundry fly with them. Yes it is a convenience but not to wait for luggage when you land, but it essential??? If your time is that valuable then you can pay for the privelege.
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I fly a lot for work and photography in the USA. If I was flying without status to board earlier I’d pay for it. I also look at the plane I’m buying a ticket for to understand what size of head bin I have.

I avoid regional jets because no camera bag with a large lens is going to fit. I’d rather fly a large plane and drive than be on a regional jet with camera gear.

For those who fly southwest they offer an a-list upgrade and that will ensure you get an overhead space. I mostly fly American and they will have higher priced fairs that will offer group 4 or higher boarding and that should also cover you. I suspect most airlines do, they love to get extra money!
 
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