Carryon Question--

[toledo13]

We're ONLY bringing carryon suitcases for our next trip. Here are my questions:

1-You have to take off your shoes when you go through security so they can be scanned. We're going to have shoes in our carryon bags as well- do we need to take them out of our carryon bag and put them on the conveyer belt like the we doe with the shoes we're wearing??

2-We're bringing those small rolling suitcases to put in the over head bins. I know that we have to take out the liquids in the zip top bag and put them on the conveyer belt--- do we need to open the suitcase or remove anything else to declare it? I'm not bringing anything outside of the normal stuff people travel with.

THANKS! I've never not checked a bag before!!

 

[Kae]

Well I know one time when we checked lugagge & got a quick search, the guy told me to always put your shoes on top that way if they have to check them they don't have to dig for them. so I would pack them on top just in case.

Kae

 

[toledo13]

Ok great. I'm just worried about not taking out what needs to be taken out...

I know about all of the liquid restrictions, carryon size restrictions and things like that... I just wasn't sure what to do with the packed shoes since you have to have the ones you're wearing scanned. I didn't think that it would be any different? I think I'm just worrying too much...

 

[momfor2kids]

Toledo13 - I just talked to my husband who travels a lot for business and always does just carryon with shoes in his bag (wingtips to go with his suit). He said he has NEVER been asked to remove them from the bag before. They only want you to take off the shoes you are wearing so they can send them through the scanner. The shoes in your bag will go through the scanner in the bag. So I would leave them packed until you are told otherwise.

We leave for Disney in August and are doing the same thing - each person is doing a carryon and no checked bags. It will be a pain with all the restrictions of liquids but I think it is better than checking bags. The one thing that will be annoying is buying trial sizes of sunscreen - I think I will need to buy A LOT of 3 oz. size bottles to get us through a week in Florida!

Have a great trip.

 

[Tara]

Toledo13 - I just talked to my husband who travels a lot for business and always does just carryon with shoes in his bag (wingtips to go with his suit). He said he has NEVER been asked to remove them from the bag before. They only want you to take off the shoes you are wearing so they can send them through the scanner. The shoes in your bag will go through the scanner in the bag. So I would leave them packed until you are told otherwise.

We leave for Disney in August and are doing the same thing - each person is doing a carryon and no checked bags. It will be a pain with all the restrictions of liquids but I think it is better than checking bags. The one thing that will be annoying is buying trial sizes of sunscreen - I think I will need to buy A LOT of 3 oz. size bottles to get us through a week in Florida!

Have a great trip.

I agree - I travel a lot and have never had to remove shoes from my suitcase.

 

[kaytieeldr]

As you are waiting in line to go through the scanner, listen to the instructions and be prepared. If they are announcing 'all laptops must be out, open, and on', then all passengers with laptop computers are expected to have to have them out, open, and on before placing items on the belt.

As indicated above, shoes on your feet must be removed and placed on the belt so they can be scanned. Shoes in your carry-on luggage is being scanned in the luggage, so do not need to be removed.

The one thing that will be annoying is buying trial sizes of sunscreen - I think I will need to buy A LOT of 3 oz. size bottles to get us through a week in Florida!

Wouldn't it make more sense to just buy sunscreen when you get to your hotel?

 

[CPT Tripss]

As you are waiting in line to go through the scanner, listen to the instructions and be prepared. If they are announcing 'all laptops must be out, open, and on', then all passengers with laptop computers are expected to have to have them out, open, and on before placing items on the belt.
As indicated above, shoes on your feet must be removed and placed on the belt so they can be scanned. Shoes in your carry-on luggage is being scanned in the luggage, so do not need to be removed.

Wouldn't it make more sense to just buy sunscreen when you get to your hotel?

Wouldn't it be very unusual (if not against SOP) for a laptop to have to be on and open? Particularly now that it can stay "bagged" with certain types of bags.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I bet a lot of passengers don't have the right type of bag yet but really, my point was more "listen to the instructions [being announced/provided] while waiting in line, and be prepared".

 

[rflorek]

Wouldn't it be very unusual (if not against SOP) for a laptop to have to be on and open? Particularly now that it can stay "bagged" with certain types of bags.

When I flew out of both JFK & Boston Logan last month, they made the announcement at both airports that all laptops had to be out of their bags, open & turned on for inspection. I don't carry one, so it didn't imapct me.

 

[rflorek]

Wouldn't it be very unusual (if not against SOP) for a laptop to have to be on and open? Particularly now that it can stay "bagged" with certain types of bags.

I just double-checked the TSA site. This is what they said procedure is:

"Do not pack oversized electronics (laptops, full-size video game consoles, DVD players and video cameras that use cassettes) in your checked baggage when possible. However, please be advised that you will be required to remove these items from your carry-on bag and submit them separately for x-ray screening. Click here for "checkpoint friendly" laptop bag procedures. Small electronics, such as iPods, can remain in your carry-on.

For a bag to be considered checkpoint friendly it should meet the following standards:

-A designated laptop-only section
-The laptop-only section completely unfolds to lie flat on the X-ray belt
-No metal snaps, zippers or buckles inside, underneath or on top of the laptop-only section
-No pockets on the inside or outside of the laptop-only section
-Nothing packed in the laptop-only section other than the computer itself. "

 

[toledo13]

Thanks for all of the advice!!!

Any further advice for those of us that are just going 'carryon only' for our next trips?? I'VE NEVER NOT CHECKED A BAG BEFORE!!!

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Thanks for all of the advice!!!

Any further advice for those of us that are just going 'carryon only' for our next trips?? I'VE NEVER NOT CHECKED A BAG BEFORE!!!

Make sure that at least one member of your party can lift each bag over their head when fully packed. Otherwise, it is too heavy and you need to rethink your strategy.

Double check the measurements of your bag based on actual measurements including anything that protrudes such as wheels and retracted handles. Most measurements given by bag manufacturers understate the actual size of the bag as it will be measured by the airline.

If you airline uses sizers, makes sure that it fits those dimensions. The bag my DH and I prefer to carry as our only carry luggage is well beloew the total measurements allowed by our airline but the wheels make it 10.5" wide, which means it is too big for the sizer which only goes to 10".

Best of luck -- Suzanne

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

I have never had to have my laptop out, open and on when departing BOS or JFK, despite the overhead announcements. I typically take my laptop out and place it in a bin with my shoes, and the other bin holds my carry-on and 3-1-1 bag. If TSA personnel happens to be manning the X-ray machine intake they will often take my shoes out of the bin and place them directly on the conveyor belt, but they have never touched my laptop.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Well, but isn't that because they're afraid of you?