Flying from UK to US, gear as hand luggage?

[Please Delete]

Hi,

In August I am travelling from the UK to ATL (US) with delta and would like to take a 15"macbook pro, Prism Orpheus and an RND Portico 5016. I would ideally like to take the items as hand luggage if possible? Can anyone suggest any cases to house the items and confirm if it is ok to take the items as hand luggage?
Thanks in advance for your time!

P.S I am travelling first class if that makes any difference

[Ozpeter]

[Reminds me of when I flew from London to Spain many years back to do some concert recordings and videos there. I took my daughter along so she could put my clothes in her luggage (and because she's great company), her clothes being almost nothing in anticipation of a week on the beach. The security screening person at check-in asked me "do you have any electrical equipment in your luggage?" to which I was able to honestly reply "I have nothing except electrical equipment in my luggage". They made me switch stuff on to prove it wasn't an explosive dummy but otherwise I had no major problem. It went in the hold, except for mics and suchlike in hand luggage.

And now, back to people who can actually answer the actual question.]

[matt thomas]

Carry-on Baggage
All Delta passengers are allowed one carry-on bag and one personal item that meet the criteria below.
Size and Weight Restrictions
If your carry-on bag doesn't meet these size and weight restrictions it must be checked, and all checked baggage rules will apply. Your bag must:
Weigh less than 40 pounds (18 kg).
Not exceed 45 inches (length + width + height), or 115 cm.
Fit easily in our SizeCheck® unit (approximately 22"x14"x9", or 56x36x23 cm).
Fit in an overhead bin or underneath the seat in front of you.
Personal Items
You're allowed one personal item from this sample list:
Purses, briefcases, camera cases, and diaper bags
Laptop computers (can’t be checked and must be carried on)
Items of a similar or smaller size to those above
Other Carry-on Items Allowed
You may also bring these items onboard. They do not count toward your personal item.
Food items for immediate consumption
Assistive devices such as wheelchairs or crutches
One box or bag of duty free merchandise
A coat, jacket, or umbrella
Exceptions
Additional restrictions to carry-on baggage may exist due to available space and limitations on certain flights. If you have additional questions, please see a check-in agent for help or review our Baggage FAQs.

You will have to take out at least the laptop to show security at the airport, and possibly remove the battery from the laptop.

matt

[Please Delete]

Originally Posted by matt thomas

Carry-on Baggage
All Delta passengers are allowed one carry-on bag and one personal item that meet the criteria below.
Size and Weight Restrictions
If your carry-on bag doesn't meet these size and weight restrictions it must be checked, and all checked baggage rules will apply. Your bag must:
Weigh less than 40 pounds (18 kg).
Not exceed 45 inches (length + width + height), or 115 cm.
Fit easily in our SizeCheck® unit (approximately 22"x14"x9", or 56x36x23 cm).
Fit in an overhead bin or underneath the seat in front of you.
Personal Items
You're allowed one personal item from this sample list:
Purses, briefcases, camera cases, and diaper bags
Laptop computers (can’t be checked and must be carried on)
Items of a similar or smaller size to those above
Other Carry-on Items Allowed
You may also bring these items onboard. They do not count toward your personal item.
Food items for immediate consumption
Assistive devices such as wheelchairs or crutches
One box or bag of duty free merchandise
A coat, jacket, or umbrella
Exceptions
Additional restrictions to carry-on baggage may exist due to available space and limitations on certain flights. If you have additional questions, please see a check-in agent for help or review our Baggage FAQs.

It will normally (unless you are lucky) all have to be in one case. You will have to take out at least the laptop to show security at the airport, and possibly remove the battery from the laptop.

matt

Thanks for the info, this is just what I needed! I have now decided to leave the Portico behind and use the pre's in the Orpheus so that takes me down to the laptop and the orpheus (I will remove the rack ears) Just gotta find a case now for hand luggage!

[Please Delete]

Originally Posted by Ozpeter

[Reminds me of when I flew from London to Spain many years back to do some concert recordings and videos there. I took my daughter along so she could put my clothes in her luggage (and because she's great company), her clothes being almost nothing in anticipation of a week on the beach. The security screening person at check-in asked me "do you have any electrical equipment in your luggage?" to which I was able to honestly reply "I have nothing except electrical equipment in my luggage". They made me switch stuff on to prove it wasn't an explosive dummy but otherwise I had no major problem. It went in the hold, except for mics and suchlike in hand luggage.

And now, back to people who can actually answer the actual question.]

Nice to know what I might be faced with!

[Jay-]

I'm not sure how it works in the UK, but if its a US air plane you can use the DHS musical instrument forum that guarantees your RIGHTS to carry one instrument as carry on. What you have is extreamley small, they are not worried about the electronic aspect but do bring a power supply and perhapse a 220v inverter so they can power it up.

Have you thought about snagging some of the amazing deals in your local destination city? You might try "Cash America pawn" and keep your stuff safe at home.

What you have is so small you will be fine! (I just went ATL twice) with keyboards and from the UK with rack gear just fine.

[matt thomas]

Originally Posted by Jay-

I'm not sure how it works in the UK, but if its a US air plane you can use the DHS musical instrument forum that guarantees your RIGHTS to carry one instrument as carry on. .

whats this?

matt

[Ol' Betsey]

Not sure if it's still the same but remember that for a while there you were only allowed ONE carry-on piece and that was including laptops, purses (for the lady-slutz out there), instruments etc so I would suggest getting a standard carry-on sized suitcase and fitting it all (laptop, prism, etc) in there.

I got a laptop, a mini novation keyboard, 5 pedals, 25 CD's and a spare tootbrush in my Samsonite.

They'll probably call you over for a little gander inside but that'll be it.

R.

[Jay-]

I have lost the PDF file but if you check classical guitar news groups you might get the PDF file. Its to protect your rights a a musician to bring sensitive musical gear in carry on even if its BIG like a guitar with case.
So a big guitar can be classified as a second carry on not have to fit on those mini screening check boxes.
(TSA).
TSA: Transporting Musical Instruments


Sorry I looked all over my hard drive for the forum but you might google it on a google groups classical instruments site.

[echoclerk]

if you can squeeze all that in a breifcase shapped bagg of the right size I think youd' be fine.

one thing though is the RND Portico 5016 multi-voltage?

[matt thomas]

Originally Posted by Jay-

I have lost the PDF file but if you check classical guitar news groups you might get the PDF file. Its to protect your rights a a musician to bring sensitive musical gear in carry on even if its BIG like a guitar with case.
So a big guitar can be classified as a second carry on not have to fit on those mini screening check boxes.
(TSA).
TSA: Transporting Musical Instruments


Sorry I looked all over my hard drive for the forum but you might google it on a google groups classical instruments site.

that link says "You may bring musical instruments as checked baggage as long as they fit within the size and weight limitations of the airline you are taking."

I'm googling to find something to the contrary

matt

[MBishopSFX]

Case Logic makes all sizes of soft bags that would likely hold your equipment & computer. I carry gear and mics as carry-on frequently with no problem. It's been ages since anyone asked me to power-up anything at security.

.

[matt thomas]

After googling some more the TSA seem quite clear that instruments are not a mandatory exception to size restrictions on an aircraft. They do guarantee however that you can take it through safety checks, but not necessarily on the plane.


matt

[matt thomas]

found it

http://www.local1000.com/pdf/carryon.pdf

it doesn't say anything about size, so it seems an instrument will still officially have to be within the size restrictions

matt

[hbphotoav]

Originally Posted by The Zengineer

Hi,

In August I am travelling from the UK to ATL (US) with delta and would like to take a 15"macbook pro, Prism Orpheus and an RND Portico 5016. I would ideally like to take the items as hand luggage if possible? Can anyone suggest any cases to house the items and confirm if it is ok to take the items as hand luggage?
Thanks in advance for your time!

P.S I am travelling first class if that makes any difference

I just returned from a month in Rome and Chisinau, Moldova, all on Delta/Northwest and Air Moldova. My personal carryon was a backpack including (but not limited to) a MacBook Pro, iPod, two sets of headphones (UltraSone 650 and Sony 7506), a 2.5" OWC hard drive, FW, USB, and PS cables, 20 reels of miniDV tapestock, four mics (Senn MKH8040 and Gefell M296), a 6-outlet power strip, a Mini3 headphone amp and a Rolls 1x4 headphone splitter, batteries, and a 400g bag of Peanut M&Ms. It weighed in at just under 40 lbs.

I also carried a mid-sized Pelican case (14x12x20" or so) including a Sony Z1U HDV camcorder with a Sennheiser G2 RF mic/xmitter/recvr, a Shure Beta87A with a plug-on xmitter, five 6-hour batteries and charger, the stereo bar for the 8040s and a AKG CK98 shotgun with foamie.

Strapped to my shoulders were a Nikon D90 and another Sony Z1U. (I was 2Kg overweight in Chisinau airport and the woman at the checkin booth made me remove it from the piece of checked luggage it was intended to travel in).

My checked luggage included a golf club case (SKB hard formed plastic) housing a Miller DV10 tripod rig, two Manfrotto tripods and three Manfrotto mic stands (2x3.5m; 1x4.5m). Second checked bag had clothes, shoes, some mic cables, and a 70-200 2.8 Nikkor zoom lens. Both bags were within .5Kg of the 23Kg allowed.

My wife's luggage included a carryon with a Sony PD150 camcorder, a 16:9 anamorphic converter, power supplies, a Sony short shotgun, and a Sony HVR-M15 HDV deck. Her checked luggage was a bag with clothing, mic cables and accessories, and a second suitcase with my Mackie Onyx 1220 mixer, a 2U rack with my D.A.V. BG8 micamp, and two long stereo mic cables. It weighed exactly 23Kg. She also had a backpack with the backup OWC 2.5" HD (photos and Logic session and .wav files), and the 25 reels of tape we shot at Rome.

Aside from opening the backpack every time I went through security, and opening the Pelican all but one time, there were no problems. This was assisted in that I had an authorized (by US Customs) listing of each piece of gear that bore a serial number, and a letter (never asked for) inviting me to record the International Church Music Festival at Rome. Chisinau customs were the only ones to require the US Customs list, which they copied and attached to a declaration form. Italy and USA were no problems. "What's in the cases?" "Video and sound recording gear." "Why so much?" "I'm volunteer crew for a church music festival." "OK. Have a good day."

I have, in the past, when I carried two full-sized DVCAM recorders (back when the weight limit was 72 lbs/32Kg) acquired a carnet and had it executed at Swiss and UK Customs, on the way into and out of those countries. Never a problem (except, occasionally, finding HM Customs agent at Heathrow at 6 am on a Saturday morning...). This year, as all the video gear was "pro-sumer" in nature, and as Moldova is not a carnet country, I went with the authorized list, mainly to ensure that I could return to USA with my gear and not be dunned for duty on its $25,000 value.

All that to say... check with the US embassy about what US Customs Service may require by way of an authorized list. The airlines/security are very good (so far) about lots of toys and wires and batteries and things... so long as you aren't bothered by 15-minute security checks, and so long as the checked weight is within limits... or provided you have money for the overweight charges. The backpack and the Pelican both fit easily in transatlantic aircraft overhead bins (Boeing 767 this time, I think) and, with a lot of scrap foam protecting the Mackie, everything went and came without a problem. Oh... and we traveled coach...

HTH.

HB

[hbphotoav]

One thing I make a point about, when booking international travel with lots of kit, is to require of my agent that he/she give me as long a window as possible on connections. I generally ask for no less than three hours, with four hours being preferable. The last time I had problems with my checked luggage (containing kit I needed immediately) was about six years ago, when a "helpful" agent scheduled a 90-minute connection through Heathrow to Zürich, and... you guessed it... late out of Newark and the bags were two days late arriving at Bern. That one cost me a new tripod...

The other point... I strive mightily to arrive for check-in at least two hours before departure, with my target 2.5-3. I'd much rather kill an hour and a half at the gate (that's what DVDs and my 6-outlet strip - lots of new friends when I show up with that at the one outlet near the gate - and my MacBook are for) than be sweating and looking nervous at security with 20 minutes to departure...

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by matt thomas

Carry-on Baggage
All Delta passengers are allowed one carry-on bag and one personal item that meet the criteria below.
Size and Weight Restrictions
If your carry-on bag doesn't meet these size and weight restrictions it must be checked, and all checked baggage rules will apply. Your bag must:
Weigh less than 40 pounds (18 kg).
Not exceed 45 inches (length + width + height), or 115 cm.
Fit easily in our SizeCheck® unit (approximately 22"x14"x9", or 56x36x23 cm).
Fit in an overhead bin or underneath the seat in front of you.
Personal Items
You're allowed one personal item from this sample list:
Purses, briefcases, camera cases, and diaper bags
Laptop computers (can’t be checked and must be carried on)
Items of a similar or smaller size to those above
Other Carry-on Items Allowed
You may also bring these items onboard. They do not count toward your personal item.
Food items for immediate consumption
Assistive devices such as wheelchairs or crutches
One box or bag of duty free merchandise
A coat, jacket, or umbrella
Exceptions
Additional restrictions to carry-on baggage may exist due to available space and limitations on certain flights. If you have additional questions, please see a check-in agent for help or review our Baggage FAQs.

It will normally (unless you are lucky) all have to be in one case. You will have to take out at least the laptop to show security at the airport, and possibly remove the battery from the laptop.

matt

Originally Posted by Delta

All Delta passengers are allowed one carry-on bag and one personal item....

Originally Posted by matt thomas

It will normally (unless you are lucky) all have to be in one case.

Surely the Delta information implies *two* cases - a carry-on bag + a briefcase containing the laptop.

[hbphotoav]

Originally Posted by John Willett

Surely the Delta information implies *two* cases - a carry-on bag + a briefcase containing the laptop.

Unless it's different UK-USA, I carried on backpack, plus Pelican, plus Z1U camcorder, plus Nikon D90. No problems.

[jasonraboin]

Are you traveling through / from Heathrow? If so, all the rules change. They have their own set of hand luggage restrictions and are unwavering regardless of any piece of paper or airline guidelines you give them.

[matt thomas]

Originally Posted by John Willett

Surely the Delta information implies *two* cases - a carry-on bag + a briefcase containing the laptop.

yes sorry my mistake, I always thought laptops and briefcases counted as carry on bags and not as personal items. But it does say you are allowed a bag AND a briefcase.

I just looked at some other airlines who have different policies. It appears Delta is extra lenient as well as letting you have 18kg (some only allow 7kg) on board

I amended my post

matt

[hbphotoav]

Originally Posted by jasonraboin

Are you traveling through / from Heathrow? If so, all the rules change. They have their own set of hand luggage restrictions and are unwavering regardless of any piece of paper or airline guidelines you give them.

Care to share...? I'll be flying through there next year. With a lot of kit.

[Please Delete]

Thanks for all your replies! I have now 100% decided to leave the Portico behind and will only be traveling with the Orpheus & Laptop. I am hopefully flying from Manchester and in doing so will avoid the london restrictions.

I am going to call the airline and airports tomorrow and will report my findings!

[Plush]

Please also know that when an officer in immigration in the US asks you if you are here to do any work the answer is always NO---say, "I am here as a tourist on vacation."

[Whitecat]

Originally Posted by Plush

Please also know that when an officer in immigration in the US asks you if you are here to do any work the answer is always NO---say, "I am here as a tourist on vacation."

erm, unless you have a visa that says otherwise.

[mpdonahue]

Originally Posted by Plush

Please also know that when an officer in immigration in the US asks you if you are here to do any work the answer is always NO---say, "I am here as a tourist on vacation."

Don't even get me started on work permits.....
Over the years I've learned to keep my big trap shut when crossing the border and not pulling work permits. The buzzword is you are traveling for business meetings. After you clear Immigration, your gear is "business equipment" like a laptop is to an accountant. If you say you're there for a recording...... can you say cavity search! Remember for customs: Green line - Nothing to declare!

When traveling across the borders by car or truck, I've learned to say I'm a "delivery driver" dropping off equipment. We always travel under an ATA carnet, which is one of the best ways to skirt the work permit desk. You clear immigration sitting in your car at the little booth and hand them the carnet for the gear. Then when you go inside, walk right past the immigration desk and head straight for customs. Get your Carnet back (Normally after explaining to the newbie what a Carnet is) and off you go. Works great in places you don't need a Visa to enter.
If you go to a place where you are traveling under a tourist Visa, well, good luck carrying a bunch of equipment through without throwing up a red flag! Much better off to get a business visa and pay the little extra rather than attempting to enter with a bunch of gear. The original poster doesn't have to worry, it's not enough stuff to throw up a flag. Normally anything you can carry through the check point at the terminal will go through fine. It's the road case with all the cables, stands and accessories that catches the attention.
Finally, if it looks like a roadcase, it will most likely get inspected. If it looks like a big suitcase, it's much less hassle.

All the best,
-mark

[lerone]

Wnet from London to New York with laptop, duet & a couple of mics. Should be no probs. Would'nt trust those bastard in the hold, Christ no. Phone the airline just in case though & check the weight too, the last thing you need is to loose is an orpheus.

[Remoteness]

Have you consider shipping the equipment to your location?

I do this with my gear and even my luggage on long term stays; I hate to have anything travel in the belly of the plane for a variety of reasons.

[jasonraboin]

Originally Posted by hbphotoav

Care to share...? I'll be flying through there next year. With a lot of kit.

For Heathrow, they only allow one piece of hand luggage instead of the usual one piece and one personal item (basically two pieces). I have seen people frantically trying to shove one bag into another. It doesn't matter what class or airline, everyone is the same. I'm not sure if the same rules apply to flights starting at Heathrow, only one's that transfer there.

[Jay-]

Heathrow I checked my 8U rack hard shell flight case into heavy baggage. I thought I would have a fee but I did not. I checked it in to a freight elevator! It was full of stuff but only one rack mounted kit, the rest was clothing and stuff. I believe you should call for the heavy baggage area and see the fee they charge. (I paid nothing)

[Whitecat]

Originally Posted by jasonraboin

For Heathrow, they only allow one piece of hand luggage instead of the usual one piece and one personal item (basically two pieces). I have seen people frantically trying to shove one bag into another. It doesn't matter what class or airline, everyone is the same. I'm not sure if the same rules apply to flights starting at Heathrow, only one's that transfer there.

This restriction was lifted some time ago, actually.