Travelling with your camera gear.

[Owen H]

The reason for the weight limit for your carry on is the weight limit for the overhead lockers, and for your safety if you hit turbulence and they go flying around the cabin.

I'd rather not be decapitated because someone loaded a significantly overweight bag into the cabin. It isn't a "because we want to be a pain" rule, its a safety rule.

Maybe carry the bare essentials in your backpack, and thoroughly wrap and protect the heavy lenses for the suitcase? If the suitcase is full, it is unlikely to move even with the roughest bag treatment.

Do you have a travelling companion you can load a lens or two off to?

And Geoff - the rule for "as many as you want" is a dangerous goods one - I'm sure a carrybag full of batteries might have some people raising eyebrows as to why . They aren't prohibited, but you might be asked why. 4 packets for your camera would be a reasonable one I'd have thought. 40 packets and you might need to produce a suitcase full of, erm... battery driven... um... toothbrushes

[D Chan]

as mentioned before by Owen, spare lithium-ion batteries are not permitted in checked baggages. For all the spotters out there it is worthwhile to remember this and observe the rules (note: this is not just a Qantas requirement it's set down by IATA).

http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airl...thiumbatteries

The reason is that there had been incidents overseas of lithium batteries catching on fire after being short-circuited which then overheated. This also explains the need to insulate.

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/1219/srg_d...s_20100216.pdf

in terms of lithium battery powered devices e.g. cordless drills the device switches could be accidentally triggered if the item is jolted which may cause the item to overheat.

[Gareth Forwood]

I travelled with my Canon backpack on 2 international flights and several domestic flights within the US. All the airlines I flew with actually allow for one carry on bag plus one personal item - and a camera case is listed under personal items. Now I know it would originally have been referring to a small case for an individual camera, but they do not further define their meaning. As such I contacted several airlines that I was travelling with and they confirmed that, as long as the bag can fit under the seat in front of you (which is a surprisingly large space), it will be allowed as a personal item. I asked them to email this information to me (which they surprisingly did) so that I had written advice in the event that I was challenged. Even with another full size cabin bag, and on small aircraft (CRJs etc), I was only asked about it once, and when I explained it was expensive camera equipment I was allowed on with both bags. Each of the bags was less than the 7kg limit (I think my camera gear is 6kg all up).

So my advice would be to contact Jetstar to find out what their policy is regarding personal items and fragile camera equipment before you go. As Geoff said, you can never have too much information in this area.

In terms of insurance, for the type of gear we're talking about, travel insurance will not cover the full cost unless you take out extra cover for specific equipment (even then there are often limits for the value of each item and/or the total value). I have all my equipment permanently insured with AAMI, as an extension to our Home and Contents insurance. I think it's about $200 a year for $6000 of equipment, and covers theft, loss, accidental damage anywhere in Australia with a $100 excess - in my opinion it's good value for peace of mind. The policy also covers the equipment for the first 30 days of any overseas trip.

[Tony G]

No email service. I will call jet star later today to see what I can do. The instructions are quite clear below, however my camera gear plus little on board extras will exceed 10kgs, most likely only by 1-2 kgs. My main issue is to have the two bags, my camera bag and a shoulder bag. I will let you know how I go.

This is some of the info I found on their website.

Cabin baggagePassengers travelling on Jetstar Group Services:
Cabin Baggage limits are strictly applied. Each Passenger (except infants not occupying an aircraft seat) is permitted 1 main item of Cabin Baggage and 1 other small item, with a total combined weight of up to 10kg for Jetstar (JQ) and Jetstar Asia (3K/VF) or 7kg Jetstar Pacific (BL). If you are travelling with an infant, you may also carry on infant food for consumption inflight. If a seat has been booked for an infant, an approved infant car seat is permitted.

Each Passenger travelling on a StarClass fare is permitted 1 additional main item of Cabin Baggage provided that only one item may be a suit pack or garment bag, provided that each main item does not exceed 10kg, with a total combined Cabin Baggage weight of up to 20kg.


Small item may be a small handbag, pocket book or purse, coat, umbrella, or for international flights, duty free goods (where permitted)
Each piece must be able to fit under the seat in front of you or fit in an enclosed storage compartment in the cabin of the aircraft
If any piece of Baggage does not comply with any of these conditions, it must be checked in to the aircraft hold or may not be carried on your flight
Some items can not be accepted as part of your hand luggage. Click here for more information.


Restrictions on checked baggageYou must not include in your Checked Baggage:

fragile, delicate or perishable items
computers
items with a special value, such as money, jewellery, precious metals, silverware
negotiable papers, share certificates, securities or other valuable documents
cameras
electronic equipment
commercial goods or business documents
passports and other travel documents
The airline will not be liable for any inconvenience or Damage you suffer if you have ignored our requirements and included these item/s as Checked Baggage.

[Tony G]

It does specify not to pack cameras into your checked luggage, it also only allows for one main item and a small item such as a small hand bag, well I might be okay then

[Adam.S]

Having read through the relevant webpages provided by the airlines regarding Dangerous Goods and baggage; I'm still confused as to what the exact rules are.

When it comes to traveling with spare batteries - Standard alkaline or NIMH size AA or AAA etc; are these allowed in checked baggage or only carry-on?

I believe spare/loose Lithium batteries require covering on the battery terminal and cannot be packed in checked luggage.

Do all spare batteries require covering on the battery terminal?
In the past I have travelled with my spare AA batteries 'cased' within a battery charger in my checked luggage. Was this a mistake on my part?

[Paul S.]

Any spare batteries must be in carry on luggage.

[Adam.S]

^
Thanks for that Paul.

Cheers

[Tim B]

My first international return flight was from the UK back to Sydney. I was petrified about the 20kg max for my checked on luggage, so my backpack ended up around the 12.5kg mark. My backpack was never weighed, just scanned at customs xray, and waived through, and all was good.
Having said that, on a domestic Jetstar flight from Melbourne (Avalon) to Sydney, my backpack was both measured and weighed, and if oversized or over weight, was to become checked luggage. I have absolutely no problem with this, as the (over)size of some peoples carry on luggage is crazy.
This was something I had come to expect on US domestic flights, as they often say if your carry-on is oversize they will check it on for you and it will be available for you when you walk off the plane. Probably the best compromise, as it is getting a bit out of hand.