Equipment on Regional Jets

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gillyohan
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p.1 #1 · Equipment on Regional Jets

I have two weddings this summer that will require me to fly on CRJs (Canadair Regional Jet). I hear that I will most likely need to gate check my equipment. The person I spoke to (Northwest customer service) said that the space under the seats will fit 9x11x26, which my bag can fit into, but I honestly doubt the person at the gate will let me carry it on. The CS person also said that gate-checking the bags is totally safe because they put those bags into a shelved can that is separately stowed with having bags thrown around or crushed.

Can anyone give me advice or shared experience on this? Thanks!

(I also posted this in wedding board, but thought I may get good insight here, too.)

May 23, 2008 at 03:02 PM

shatterkiss
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p.1 #2 · Equipment on Regional Jets

Gate-checked stuff still gets tossed around a bit, just not as much. I'd get a bunch of "fragile" tags and stickers for your bags and cases.

I'll often roll cameras and lenses onto a plane in a Pelican 1510, which fits in the overhead fine on a larger plane but won't fit on some regionals. I'll sometimes ask if there's a coat closet towards the cockpit that they can stow it in, especially if the flight is well under capacity, otherwise I have to gate check it. You can watch the baggage handlers load stuff through the windows: the bags still get tossed onto a conveyer belt. I'd just make sure that everything is well-packed in a padded case with no room to move around, or carry essentials in a backpack that can be carried on with the excess in a bag that gets gate-checked.

May 23, 2008 at 03:15 PM

gillyohan
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p.1 #3 · Equipment on Regional Jets

shatterkiss - Thanks for the advice. Would you say that gate-checked gear needs to be in a hard case, or would a well-padded backpack-type bag work okay? I know that your opinion doesn't guarantee safety, but I want to know what you think about it. Thanks!

May 23, 2008 at 03:18 PM

PierreB
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p.1 #4 · Equipment on Regional Jets

I wouldn't risk a backpack type bag - don't check your gear in anything less than a PELI case. Better to be safe than sorry.

May 23, 2008 at 03:30 PM

gillyohan
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p.1 #5 · Equipment on Regional Jets

here's my tentative plan:

1. try to carry it on using typical photographer excuses (expensive gear, need to keep it with me, etc.)

2. if they still insist it is too big, then remove laptop (in booq sleeve) and ICU (internal camera unit), and let them gate check the rest. The ICU is pretty small, so I can't imagine them not letting me take that on.

I hate having to travel on small planes.

May 23, 2008 at 04:16 PM

Hammy
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p.1 #6 · Equipment on Regional Jets

Gilly,

I fly Northwest almost exclusively (~900,000 miles to date), and to get out of Chattanooga, I either get a CRJ-200 or a Sopwith... err... I mean SAAB SF-340.

Rules definately vary at each port you go through. Well, the rules are probably the same, but the person inflicting them may be strict or lenient. Some jets that a 1510 should fit on, the stewardess restricted because it had wheels on it. (carry screwdriver (<7") with you to take them off if you have to

)

Otherwise, I have commonly carried on camera gear - loose body or body+lens with no problems (in addition to my laptop bag). But some TSA agents will be glad to enforce the one bag rule. Option here are to carry a big enough 'personal' bag to fit all your gear and/or print out the TSA rules and go head to head.

For the rest of my gear: 2-3 bodies, 4-6 lenses and all other parts, I put them in a Pelican 1560, which is slightly larger than 'maximum'. (However, a friend/shooter of mine has gotten through security with his 60+ pound 1560 for larger planes) For me, I check it, and put a loose padlock on it so they can inspect it either at the scanner out front, or in back of the smaller airports where they manually scan them. Every time, it ends up at my destination locked and secure. (I used the tiny TSA locks at first - for ONE trip. BOTH of them came back mangled. Now I use beefy Masterlocks that are cheaper and have never had a complaint.)

There are easily a dozen+ flights where I carry gear - the rest of the trips, I fly light and my camera gear is on a truck going from city to city. And for all the flights I've had so far, I haven't had any problems checking my gear. (and I used to carry around the larger 1650 case for it all - no problems with that either)

Hammy.

May 23, 2008 at 05:32 PM

pearlstreet
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p.1 #7 · Equipment on Regional Jets

We fly a 9-seater any time we go off-island. They don't allow anything in the cabin area. Our camera bags go in a compartment in the wing. Never had a problem. You could use a little bubble wrap to add additional protection, but you'll probably have to rewrap after it goes through security. Maybe some of those bubble wrap envelopes would help.

What I hate about the small planes is they always ask you your weight when you check in.

Sharon

Edited on May 23, 2008 at 06:45 PM

May 23, 2008 at 06:43 PM

gillyohan
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p.1 #8 · Equipment on Regional Jets

It's so funny. I never had to worry about flying with my gear before, but I'm just really concerned now. I think it is with regs being more strict about size and weight now.

Shatterkiss - I think the Pelican 1510 sounds like a good idea. I'm gonna have to keep that in mind.

Hammy - Yeah, I'm flying Northwest. I really hope the person is nice. Otherwise, I'm gonna have to take out my laptop and ICU and hope that my backpack survives on it's own.

Sharon - Are you using soft bags for your gear? I think the thought of others handling my gear scares me. bubble wrap...hmmm...

May 23, 2008 at 06:52 PM

shatterkiss
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p.1 #9 · Equipment on Regional Jets

1510 is a great case and will easily go overhead in larger regional flights. I usually also carry a satchel or backpack that has my laptop and miscellany in it, and if the 1510 needs to be gatechecked I'll just pull out one body and lens and toss them in my other bag to be safe. I may pick up a Think Tank Airport Security in the near future and I would also plan on gate-checking that when necessary. My comfort level depends on the size of the plane, frankly: a smaller plane that you board/disembark from the tarmac I'm more comfortable gate-checking on, as the bags spend less time and distance with baggage handlers. One where you leave gate-checks on the jetway or in the terminal I'm less comfortable with, as they've got farther to go getting on and off the plane. I don't worry about that with the 1510, as the thing can get tossed around pretty brutally without any problems.

May 23, 2008 at 10:47 PM

pearlstreet
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p.1 #10 · Equipment on Regional Jets

I use a Lowepro small backpack. It's padded. Fortunately, with the setup here, I hand the bag over at the airplane wing and I'm standing there when they open it after we land so I can ask them to take care. I would be more nervous having to turn it over at the gate.

Sharon

May 23, 2008 at 11:50 PM

jlc61
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p.1 #11 · Equipment on Regional Jets

gillyohan wrote:
I have two weddings this summer that will require me to fly on CRJs (Canadair Regional Jet). I hear that I will most likely need to gate check my equipment. The person I spoke to (Northwest customer service) said that the space under the seats will fit 9x11x26, which my bag can fit into, but I honestly doubt the person at the gate will let me carry it on. The CS person also said that gate-checking the bags is totally safe because they put those bags into a shelved can that is separately stowed with having bags thrown around or crushed.

Can anyone give me advice or shared experience on this? Thanks!

(I also posted this in wedding board, but thought I may get good insight here, too.)

As a regular flyer; it's hit or miss what you can carry on. Avoid gate checking anything you can't live without for a week. First of all, get a small hard case for your must not damage or lose gear (I've had gate checked bags go astray; even on a direct flight; I've also had them announce it is raining too hard and all gate checked bags are going to baggage claim) that will fit under a seat or in an overhead. CRJ's have small overheads but smaller Peli cases should fit.

I'd also get one of those multi pocket gear vests - if you get stopped you can stuff that with your gear as well (I did that with a field jacket on a flight from ANC - SEA - ATL) Checked an empty Peli case.

The 900's have a larger first class overhead; but unless you are up front or have some status most of that space will be gone once boarding starts.

The closet is also hit or miss - even if there is space there are weight limits so the FA may be reluctant to put your case in there.

Finally, if you are doing a lot of flying on the same airline make friends with the gate agents. They have a tough job and a little respect and courtesy goes a long way; especially when you need help later and they remember.

Funniest for me - I went ATL - HOU, gate checked bag wound up in TPA. Leaving HOU the next day; my bag came on in the plane I was on; despite the agent's assurances it would go back with me on the same plane it arrived on it was taken off and missed the flight. Finally showed up at my house 2 days later.

Edited by jlc61 on May 24, 2008 at 12:38 AM GMT

Edited on May 24, 2008 at 12:38 AM

May 24, 2008 at 12:33 AM

jlc61
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p.1 #12 · Equipment on Regional Jets

Hammy wrote:
But some TSA agents will be glad to enforce the one bag rule. Option here are to carry a big enough 'personal' bag to fit all your gear and/or print out the TSA rules and go head to head.

AIR, the rule is 1 carry on and one personal item - purse or briefcase. I've never had TSA stop me, even when I had a huge suiter that clearly was oversize (I wanted to gate check it to avoid waiting at baggage claim).

TSA is usually more worried about all the electronics I carry - DVD reader for my laptop, various cords and power supplies, etc. in my roll aboard.

May 24, 2008 at 12:37 AM

Hammy
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p.1 #13 · Equipment on Regional Jets

jlc61 - again, it does depend on the agent. I know the rules too, but apparently interpretation of them is independent and maybe dependant on mood.

One TSA lady, would NOT let me have a laptop bag AND my camera body. I HAD to consolodate them into ONE bag. I let her know the rules, but she assured me that her rules were in play. If I wasn't 2 minutes from boarding (while still going through security like I usually am) I would have been very happy to get her super and have them review the public rules they have on their website - but I didn't get the chance.

Another time, I had a very OC gate agent that was only allowing ONE item to be in the cabin per passenger. Everything else got a green ticket.

Both of these incidents were in the past 6-8 months where I fly almost every weekend for 5-6 months straight.

I do agree that larger electronics: camera, external HDD, laptop, etc.. should be pulled for separate run in the X-ray machine. Otherwise, you'll be pulled aside for 'special attention'

May 24, 2008 at 03:36 AM

gillyohan
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p.1 #14 · Equipment on Regional Jets

I was almost set on getting a Pelican 1510 so I wouldn't be worried if I got gate-checked, but jlc61's got me worried. I don't know what I would do if they loaded my case onto the wrong plane...I mean, does that really happen to gate-checked items?

Shatterkiss - I am almost decided on getting a Pelican 1510. Which padding do you prefer, dividers or foam? I would be using it for all my bodies, lenses, flashes, batteries, and belt system (if there is room for it). Also, in the overhead compartment, can you slide it in bottom (wheel side) first or do you have to put it in sideways and take up most of the bin?

May 24, 2008 at 04:09 AM

shatterkiss
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p.1 #15 · Equipment on Regional Jets

If there's one thing I've learned about air travel it's that ANYTHING can happen. On two consecutive flights on different airlines in the same week a few weeks ago I had the flight attendants request that no one open or consume any food on the plane that contained nuts due to passengers with extreme allergies. Twice I've had flights land in airports other than where we were supposed to due to fuel shortages. I've stopped having rigid expectations when flying, and I fly nearly every week.

I prefer padded dividers except in cases that are only holding a single, large object. Pelican's foam isn't great quality - over time it will shed a fine dust all over your gear and will start to fall apart. You can minimize this by giving it a good coating with spray adhesive to firm it up, then dusting it with baby powder, letting it dry and wiping it back off a day or so later. But it still doesn't age well. The dividers are great for cases holding lots of separate items, which a 1510 is a great candidate for.

Orientation on a plane will depend on the plane. Last week I had flights from NYC to Calgary, Calgary to Houston and Houston to NYC. The case went overhead the wide way on two of the flights and the long way on one. A month ago I had several flights back and forth between NYC and Cleveland and the case got gate-checked each time. I usually assign myself seats towards the back of the plane so that I board first and don't have to fight for overhead space. I'm also ALWAYS early to the airport and to the gate.

May 24, 2008 at 04:27 AM

Craig Gillette
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p.1 #16 · Equipment on Regional Jets

I had the fun of watching a string quartet try to get accomodated on a small comuter plane one time. Bass viols/fiddles don't fit well and they are plenty fragile, even in their cases. Glad it wasn't my flight. Kept the rest of us at the windows though.

May 25, 2008 at 11:33 PM

Peter Figen
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p.1 #17 · Equipment on Regional Jets

I take a Lowe-Pro Super Trekker AWII on CRJ200's to Bozeman all the time. I actually flew that from LA to SLC also the week before last. The people at the gate (Delta in this case) wanted to gate check, but I just smile and tell them that I've fit it under the seat before, and they let me one with it. It fits about 3/4 of the way under the seat and it always seems to fly (pun intended). Sometimes I take the large size CompuTrekker which fits even better. I've also had the Delta people in Salt Lake tell me to insist that I take the bag on board as even gate checked camera equipment has been subject to sticky fingers.

May 29, 2008 at 05:48 AM

nathanlake
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p.1 #18 · Equipment on Regional Jets

shatterkiss wrote:
Gate-checked stuff still gets tossed around a bit, just not as much. I'd get a bunch of "fragile" tags and stickers for your bags and cases.

I'll often roll cameras and lenses onto a plane in a Pelican 1510, which fits in the overhead fine on a larger plane but won't fit on some regionals. I'll sometimes ask if there's a coat closet towards the cockpit that they can stow it in, especially if the flight is well under capacity, otherwise I have to gate check it. You can watch the baggage handlers load stuff through the windows: the bags still get tossed onto a conveyer belt. I'd just make sure that everything is well-packed in a padded case with no room to move around, or carry essentials in a backpack that can be carried on with the excess in a bag that gets gate-checked.

Agreed...I too use a Pelican 1510 and it will NOT fit in the cabin of the CRJ. Gate check it and believe in the Pelican.

May 29, 2008 at 07:38 PM

gillyohan
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p.1 #19 · Equipment on Regional Jets

Peter Figen wrote:
I take a Lowe-Pro Super Trekker AWII on CRJ200's to Bozeman all the time. I actually flew that from LA to SLC also the week before last. The people at the gate (Delta in this case) wanted to gate check, but I just smile and tell them that I've fit it under the seat before, and they let me one with it. It fits about 3/4 of the way under the seat and it always seems to fly (pun intended). Sometimes I take the large size CompuTrekker which fits even better. I've also had the Delta people in Salt Lake tell me to insist that I take the bag on board as even gate checked camera equipment has been subject to sticky fingers.

That's what I have done in the past. I think I'll just take my bag on the plane. I does fit under the seat, so it shouldn't be a problem. The Pelican 1510 looks very attractive though.

May 29, 2008 at 09:53 PM

plnelson
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p.1 #20 · Equipment on Regional Jets

I would never gate check anything valuable (e.g., photo gear) unless I could PERSONALLY place it in the plane's cargo hold and PERSONALLY remove it (which you can do in the 9-seaters). If any baggage handler is going to touch it I would refuse to gate check it.

If you think I'm being paranoid just Google "baggage handling" and "theft" and look at the news items. The baggage handling operations at most airlines is nothing but a den of thieves. Anyone who has checked photo gear and recovered it after their flight got lucky, that's all.

Peter Figen wrote:
I take a Lowe-Pro Super Trekker AWII on CRJ200's to Bozeman all the time.
That's nice for you. But the Lowe-Pro Super Trekker AWII is 23.5" x 15" x 27.5", which WAY exceeds most airlines' 45 "linear inch" (H+W+D) upper limit, so it's people like you that overcrowd the overheads for the rest of us.

Anyone who carries on stuff that's bigger than the official limit is not only hogging space away from everyone else, but he's giving the airline an EXCUSE to be told to gate-check it.

Edited on May 30, 2008 at 09:03 PM

May 30, 2008 at 09:01 PM

Peter Figen
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p.1 #21 · Equipment on Regional Jets

plnelson, you're not being realistic. The reality is that we have to carry our stuff on board. The Lowe-Pros are advertised as being airline compliant, even the next size up. If it fits under the seat, how the hell does it affect you? I've flown all over the country many times and have never crowded anyone out of overhead baggage space, but plenty of times I've tucked that under the seat in front and had to wedge my size 12's in there somewhere. You're also not being realistic about the airlines letting you put the gate checked bags in the hold yourself. That ain't ever going to happen. Hell, it's likely not even legal for you to be in the vicinity - safety and insurance regs I'm sure.

The best solution when you can do it, of course, is to Fedex Ground ship you gear ahead, which is cheaper than the new baggage charges too. Fifty lb. strobe cases came back from Bozeman in three days for $22 per, and nothing is ever tampered with.

May 31, 2008 at 02:05 AM

shatterkiss
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p.1 #22 · Equipment on Regional Jets

Peter Figen wrote:
You're also not being realistic about the airlines letting you put the gate checked bags in the hold yourself. That ain't ever going to happen. Hell, it's likely not even legal for you to be in the vicinity - safety and insurance regs I'm sure.

Seriously! That may fly (no pun intended) at a municipal airport with 9-passenger planes, but I'm flying in and out of major international airports on major airlines that might be code-sharing with regional carriers. If an airline employee says something won't fit in the overhead and insists I gate-check it, I only have two options: comply or don't board the plane. Given that I don't generally have the option of not arriving at the job I'm being paid to do, let alone arriving late, I don't see what choices I have beyond preparing my gear to be gate-checked with the least impact to me possible.

Also, it's great to suggest that things CAN be stolen through the baggage handling process, but have you ever had anything stolen from you? This is an area where second-hand anecdotes don't carry a ton of weight for me. I'm going on my 7th straight year of flying an average 80+ segments/year and I've never had a single thing stolen from my baggage or a single piece of baggage go missing for more than 24 hours. This as someone who regularly checks $5,000+ of lighting equipment when flying and has checked high-risk items like laptop computers without incident.

May 31, 2008 at 03:33 AM

plnelson
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p.1 #23 · Equipment on Regional Jets

Peter Figen wrote:The Lowe-Pros are advertised as being airline compliant,

Where do they advertise that?

The 45 linear inch rule is pretty standard across the entire industry. A few airlines, e.g., Alaska, allow slightly bigger carry-ons (I think they allow 51") . So I don't see any possible way they can advertise a bag with those dimensions being airline carry-on compliant.

May 31, 2008 at 09:10 PM

plnelson
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p.1 #24 · Equipment on Regional Jets

Craig Gillette wrote:
I had the fun of watching a string quartet try to get accomodated on a small comuter plane one time. Bass viols/fiddles don't fit well and they are plenty fragile, even in their cases. Glad it wasn't my flight. Kept the rest of us at the windows though.

Lots of my friends are musicans and they have the same problems we have - fragile, expensive (much more expensive than photo...) gear and capricious rule enforcement. In general, clarinet, violin and viola cases can be carried on board, and some airlines let cello players buy a ticket for their instrument and bring it onboard.

But musicians have one thing we haven't got - a UNION! Recently one of the musician's unions organized a boycott of Delta and they actually managed to extract concessions from them!

May 31, 2008 at 09:22 PM

plnelson
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p.1 #25 · Equipment on Regional Jets

shatterkiss wrote:
Also, it's great to suggest that things CAN be stolen through the baggage handling process, but have you ever had anything stolen from you?

I never give them the opportunity.

Look, baggage theft is widely reported; it's a story that's been heavily covered, we've had plenty of links to such stories here on FM, and the thefts have not only involved baggage handlers but also TSA employees. If you haven't been a victim you're lucky but why tempt fate?

I've never been robbed at gunpoint or knifepoint in the city, either, but I also stay out of certain parts of town to reduce the risk.

The bottom line is that the airlines have clear rules about what's allowed to be carried-on and it IS possible to carry-on most gear and still stay within their limits if it's carefully packed. So why advocate that people bring packs like the big Lowe Pro mentioned above which just gives them an excuse to gate-check it?

It's hypocritical of people here to complain when they see other passengers stretching the rules if they do so, themselves.

Edited on May 31, 2008 at 09:33 PM

May 31, 2008 at 09:33 PM


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