My Brazillion Dollar Home purchase was a flop so now I have to take either my Lowepro Pro Mag AW 2 OR my 7 Million Dollar Home AND my laptop bag. I'm flying American Airlines and although they say you can take a carryon and a personal item. They say a laptop can be considered a personal item but with my luck they'll also consider my camera bag a personal item even though I'm checking my luggage and will only have the camera bag and laptop bag. Anyone think I'll have any issues?
I don't think you'll have any problems. Your laptop bag is like your 'purse.' They can't deny you that. Then you're allowed a carry-on, which would be your camera bag. I've carried on a Think Tank Airport Security roller bag with a backpack and never drawn a second look.
I use the Tamrac 469 - combination laptop and camera bag. It will carry my Dell 15.5 inch laptop, 5D with grip, 24-70, 70-200, 16-35, 1.4X, 50/1.4, flash, and all the laptop and camera accessories.
Dimensions are 18 X 7 X 13 inches, and it expands to 9 inches when the laptop compartment is unzipped.
I like the case since it does fit under the seat in front of you, though at the expense of some legroom. It will also easily fit in the overhead compartment even on the smaller jets. The downside is that the bag is not as heavily constructed as my Tenba bags.
I've also traveled many times with my Lowepro PhotoTrekker AW backpack as my carryon and never had any problem. The Lowepro PhotoTrekker AW is the largest backpack Lowepro makes that is approved to be a carryon piece of luggage. A couple of times they have want to see the AA batteries that were stored in the backpack, but sice they were in the original packages it was no big deal.
If you are traveling with other people, you can have one of them carry your laptop onto the plane as their carryon if it becomes a problem. We do that as a family all of the time. Not everyone in my family uses a carryon, so we just trade the bags around until everyone has at least 1 bag. Works every time.
TSA typically doesn't care - it's up to the airlines. You should be fine. They will allow you two carry-ons and the only reason they'd stop you is if your bag is noticeably oversized.
I've carried a guitar case and a backpack a couple times, and as you know, a guitar case is about as big as all of what you're talking about put together, x2.
Beware if you're taking regional connecting flights... if your bag is too big they may ask you to check it (you give it to them when you get on the plane, get it back when you get off) Do not allow them to check your camera bag for you.
