Hand Luggage

[Twilight Terror]

Okay, I am a little antzy about it this year. I have the laptop and DSLR camera to take as extra, but that is not the worry. It's the actual size of the baggage allowance - it seems HUGE!!!!

The first time we ever went, we had rucksacks, and they just asked us how many and we were given luggage labels (back in the days when you could take two!) and off we went. The time after that, they just weighed our two bags (they let me and my sister keep our second bag cos it was a Virgin Kidz bag), and again, off we went. Nothing was every really tested for size or anything. I guess our bags looked small enough. I don't know.

But last year, we went just after the security alerts. They had just started letting people take bags on board about a week before we left. Anyway, the hand baggage was severely restricted in size - it had to fit in a sub-box that they put in all the regular bag size check points. The people just before passport control/security were really strict, nothing could overhang the box or anything. If you couldn't stuff it in, you couldn't take it.

So, this year, having to take the laptop and camera, I was thinking of getting the Tinkerbell suitcase from the Disney Store, since it's quite a good shape and size for everything. I have no qualms about being 24 and walking around the airport with a Tinkerbell suitcase!

According to the Disney site, the case is 42cm x 30cm x 15cm, and that fits within the Virgin hand baggage requirements (56cm x 36cm x 23cm). I got a tape measure out and that (the Virgin allowance) seems absolutely enormous for cabin baggage! Despite checking, and double checking, I am just concerned that I am mis-reading something and will get to the airport in August and be told I can't take it. It's getting to the point where I'm actually contemplating going to Gatwick just to make sure it fits!!!!!!!!

I think it's just because everything was so restrictive last year, that it seems huge, when it probably is just the same it's always been, with the exception of last year. So, has anyone travelled with one recently that can reassure me that you can get on board with it, otherwise it's an extra trip to Gatwick!

 

[AliceGardner]

Yes, you are correct and you will be fine.

Virgin's size restrictions are actually more restrictive than the BAA ones (have a look at http://www.gatwickairport.com and click on the box marked "security" - will show you anything else you need to know regarding hand lugggage restrictions too).

Alice

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

I smile at the huge though.
My pilots case, exactly the same as the pilots use to carry their maps, papers, whisky rotfl: ) in is actually 3 cm too long for the boxes and I cannot use it, whilst the two pilots on the same flight can...

 

[Goofyish]

I smile at the huge though.
My pilots case, exactly the same as the pilots use to carry their maps, papers, whisky rotfl: ) in is actually 3 cm too long for the boxes and I cannot use it, whilst the two pilots on the same flight can...

I would assume that the pilots have a dedicated locker or area to store their cases in the cockpit and don't put them in the overhead lockers

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

I would assume that the pilots have a dedicated locker or area to store their cases in the cockpit and don't put them in the overhead lockers

Tim, it fits nicely into overhead lockers, as its only 3cm longer than the official size (Its the map folder on the side which puts it over)
The whole security thing has become ridiculous (especially after watching the insight into Birmingham security last night!!!!!)

 

[Goofey's Girl]

Tim, it fits nicely into overhead lockers, as its only 3cm longer than the official size (Its the map folder on the side which puts it over)
The whole security thing has become ridiculous (especially after watching the insight into Birmingham security last night!!!!!)

Yes what an eye opener that was...hope they all get the sack...how can people be so negligent. I was impressed with how they said the americans had taken security out of the private sector and got workers who were better paid. Maybe we should follow suit.

 

[Racey]

how do they actually measure the cases now.

sorry i havnt never flown with hand luggage bigger than a rucksack before

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

how do they actually measure the cases now.

sorry i havnt never flown with hand luggage bigger than a rucksack before

They have metal containers to check the luggage in

 

[Racey]

do they make you check it in if its too big?

are they that strict that they wouldnt accept it as hand luggage if it was taller than the metal checker?

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

do they make you check it in if its too big?

are they that strict that they wouldnt accept it as hand luggage if it was taller than the metal checker?

I think it depends on the muppet on security.
I can only tell you my experiance which was my case was too big so I had to either change it or put it in the hold

 

[Lisa1976]

We had a nightmare with Virgin and our hand luggage when we fly in February. The woman was very snotty with us as we couldn't get our head around what they were saying, it turns out that our small suitcase (which was within the size guidlines) was almost 5kgs (or something similar) before anything went into it, so once we put stuff in it it was alot heavier than the 7kg that you are allowed.

I think because she saw we had a suitcase rather than a rucsac she wanted to check it because she must come across these all the time. In the end we ended up binning the carry suitcase and buying a new rucsac, we still managed to get everything in it it was just a little heavier to carry on our backs that to pull along. We just put our canon DSLR in the bottom of one.