Carry on restrictions on South African Airways

[Synkka]

My bag was well overweight we were fortunate that joburg airport was in such shambles no one paid much attention to bag weight. My normal tips still apply, a discrete bag and don't look like its heavy and always try to be in a good mood, nothing worse than looking like a grump and upsetting airport staff.

But like eml58 over various trips everything electronic and checked has been stolen from checked luggage including cameras and laptops. Also stolen by various other staff includes cash, wallets and pens.

I love Africa and I miss living there but it's ruined by crime. So good insurance is a must for any travel there.

 

[scottkinfw]

Absolutely get the safari vest as it is not counted as carry on. Get light color with plenty of ventilation built in. You may also need to get a second seat for the weight that will allow you to carry. Anything you check may be missing when you land.

sek

 

[RGF]

SAA's carry on restrictions are 18lbs per bag. I have a LowePro fast pack 350(4lbs) and pelican 1510 (14 lbs)

I plan to bring:
Gripped 6D
Gripped 70D
Gripped 60D
Each right about 2.5 lbs

Canon 100-400 3.0 lbs
Tamron 70-200f2.8 3.2 lbs
Canon 24-70 f4 1.3 lbs
Canon 15-85 1.3 lbs
Rokinon 14mm f2.8 1.2 lbs

430ex .7 lbs
Other various accessories (excluding my tripod and mono pod) but including batteries hard drives, chargers my fiancé's bridge camera totaling about 8 lbs

Laptop ~5 lbs

Anyone have real issues with SAA? I was think of of loading a bit into a third small carryon to reduce individual weights then redistributing once they weigh everything. Worst case I put the laptop, 6d bridge camera, tamron lens, chargers and 24-70 in my lowepro bag and carry that on lock the pelican and check it.

I'd always planned to check my tripod and monopod (tripod and head are worth about $200 monopod about $60) as well as three smaller holster cases to use on the actual trucks during game drives. I'd also get tsa locks for that bag.

Obviously I'd rather carryon my Lowe pro and pelican. Anyone have any advice? Thanks!

Please don't say bring less I've already considered that. I intend on using the 100-400 on the 70d, the 70-200 on the 6d and the 15-85 on the 60d incase we end up with animals extremely close. The 24-70 will be for landscapes on the 6d and the rokinon for astro photography.

I was flying from Cape Town to Johannesburg in Business Class. Both my wife and I are Star Alliance Gold. They weighed by camera bag (which we had no problem flying to South Africa with) and told me it was too heavy. So I took out a few items, it was reweighed and then I put back everything. Go figure.

For the short flight I thought it was worth the few extra $ to fly business class for extra carry on luggage. SAA is the only airline which has hassled me.

 

[dgatwood]

I don't know if it works for airlines in other countries, but in the U.S., if you have to check gear in a bag and want to guarantee that it arrives at your destination, put an unloaded firearm along with it. Declare the firearm when you check it in (or else go directly to jail).

When you do this, you will watch as they inspect the contents, if necessary, and then they will require you to lock it with a non-TSA-approved lock (the kind that can't be opened by their master key) before they load it for transport. After that, it will not be opened until it reaches your final destination, and it will get additional tracking at every step along the way—that is, they make darn sure it does not get lost.

 

[RGF]

I don't know if it works for airlines in other countries, but in the U.S., if you have to check gear in a bag and want to guarantee that it arrives at your destination, put an unloaded firearm along with it. Declare the firearm when you check it in (or else go directly to jail).

When you do this, you will watch as they inspect the contents, if necessary, and then they will require you to lock it with a non-TSA-approved lock (the kind that can't be opened by their master key) before they load it for transport. After that, it will not be opened until it reaches your final destination, and it will get additional tracking at every step along the way—that is, they make darn sure it does not get lost.

Interesting idea. Of course, then I need to travel (in a rental car) with a firearm. Some states are not very friendly towards that idea.

Internationally I know that hunters travel with guns. Never looked into it.

 

[Chisox2335]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I am to three bags, 2 carry ons plus a laptop case. 18,16, 15 lbs. plus I'll have a safari vest just incase. Still have one extra personal item we can bring if need be. Will probably have my wife carry a large but light basically empty purse.

 

[scottkinfw]

A tip:

Bring yourself to buy that vest- a light colored one with webbing to allow ventilation. You will be so glad that yo did. You will wear it all the time.

sek

I'm flying SA in September and yes, 8Kg is a bit on the light side.

My plan is:
- Use my wife's handbag for some bits and a small lens (women get a handbag as well as hand luggage).
- Use the pockets in my combat trousers for some other bits and a small lens (just zip the legs off and put those through the scanners to save time emptying packets).
- Ship non-essentials in the hold luggage as I get 2x 23Kg and I've got a Peli-like case that's going to have a Parrot drone, batteries, camera batteries, spare phone, filters, trail cam and batteries, etc.

I suppose a camera vest would work well too, but I just can't bring myself to buy one.

Just pack what you NEED to pack in your hand luggage.

I did a trip a few years ago and the all-up weight (hand and hold luggage) was only 15Kg. Now that took some planning to pack and strip stuff down to essentials - battery grips removed, minimal spare batteries, minimal clothes and I "wore" a lot of stuff onto the plane in pockets

Don't forget to enjoy the trip and look atthe wildlife through your eyes

 

[Chisox2335]

A tip:

Bring yourself to buy that vest- a light colored one with webbing to allow ventilation. You will be so glad that yo did. You will wear it all the time.

sek

I'm flying SA in September and yes, 8Kg is a bit on the light side.

My plan is:
- Use my wife's handbag for some bits and a small lens (women get a handbag as well as hand luggage).
- Use the pockets in my combat trousers for some other bits and a small lens (just zip the legs off and put those through the scanners to save time emptying packets).
- Ship non-essentials in the hold luggage as I get 2x 23Kg and I've got a Peli-like case that's going to have a Parrot drone, batteries, camera batteries, spare phone, filters, trail cam and batteries, etc.

I suppose a camera vest would work well too, but I just can't bring myself to buy one.

Just pack what you NEED to pack in your hand luggage.

I did a trip a few years ago and the all-up weight (hand and hold luggage) was only 15Kg. Now that took some planning to pack and strip stuff down to essentials - battery grips removed, minimal spare batteries, minimal clothes and I "wore" a lot of stuff onto the plane in pockets

Don't forget to enjoy the trip and look atthe wildlife through your eyes

Already have one

 

[LDS]

I don't know if it works for airlines in other countries, but in the U.S., if you have to check gear in a bag and want to guarantee that it arrives at your destination, put an unloaded firearm along with it. Declare the firearm when you check it in (or else go directly to jail).

In some countries (i.e. Italy) you need some kind of license to carry around firearms. and be careful with international travels, especially check the destination allows you to enter with a firearm without a good reason (i.e. a sport event, your job, etc.), may depend on the type of firearm. Hunters may have some advantages, but it could be hard to fit a rifle into a camera bag.

But bags manufacturers should start to make bag with an embedded GPS tracker...

 

[eml58]

Although I empathise with "analogphoto" & his position, travelling around Africa on airlines with Camera Bags is a bit Par for the Course, it's not an unusual situation, as pointed out in an earlier post, most "Tourists" go there for the Wildlife & Photography generally goes with that pursuit.

Insurance is a total must, your just risking everything by taking the chance that you will be allowed to comply with the carry on regulations, and that's just simply not the case with SAA, I have been on numerous flights where the Cabin Staff standby at the Door while boarding (or in the waiting room) & simply designate what carry on gear will be tagged & taken to the hold, and call me a cynic if you like (been called much worse), but the Cage full of chickens never gets tagged, the Bag full of Papayas never gets tagged, the Huge Box full of Donuts never gets tagged, it's always the large Camera Bags & the Hard Cases that are likely to have valuable items as carry on, this is what gets tagged and the Cabin Staff generally don't care if your flying Business Class or Economy, wether you are complying and under the regulation weight or not, it's basically a lottery.

Having the Camera style waist coat with a couple large pockets is just good sense in the event you are forced to remove some of the more valuable items for safety, and if your sitting next to "analogphoto" and a long pointy object extending from your clothing pokes him in the ribs (we will assume this is a 70-200f/2.8 :) a nicely worded apology and explanation should suffice, it seems to with most reasonable minded people.

In any case, enjoy your trip & take loads of wonderful Images, but while in Africa try to keep in mind a comment made to me by a South African friend that won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition in 2013, "In Africa, Crime does Pay".

Arranging an extra seat as has been mentioned is a good policy, I always do this for the flights between the airport & the Camps as the smaller Cesna type flights are quite restrictive on Bag weight, generally 18-22Kilos all in, so an extra seat is almost a must in my case, but, the major airlines flying main airport to main airport, generally don't allow you to buy an extra seat in your name, SAA are one of these airlines, you might consider Flying Business Class if it's an option as you get an extra few Kilos of Carry on allowance.

Synopsis
Try to keep within the Regulation carry on requirements for your Class of Seat
Steer clear if possible regards Hard Case Carry Ons (I don't mean "analogphoto")
Get yourself a good large pocket Camera Vest, just in case
Prepare yourself to be calm & smile a lot, may not help but will make you feel better
Absolutely have Full Insurance Cover on your Equipment
Prepare for the worst hope for the best

Always remember, Crime does Pay in Africa, but with suitable precautions it's a remarkably Beautiful place.

 

[Dylan777]

Although I empathise with "analogphoto" & his position, travelling around Africa on airlines with Camera Bags is a bit Par for the Course, it's not an unusual situation, as pointed out in an earlier post, most "Tourists" go there for the Wildlife & Photography generally goes with that pursuit.

Insurance is a total must, your just risking everything by taking the chance that you will be allowed to comply with the carry on regulations, and that's just simply not the case with SAA, I have been on numerous flights where the Cabin Staff standby at the Door while boarding (or in the waiting room) & simply designate what carry on gear will be tagged & taken to the hold, and call me a cynic if you like (been called much worse), but the Cage full of chickens never gets tagged, the Bag full of Papayas never gets tagged, the Huge Box full of Donuts never gets tagged, it's always the large Camera Bags & the Hard Cases that are likely to have valuable items as carry on, this is what gets tagged and the Cabin Staff generally don't care if your flying Business Class or Economy, wether you are complying and under the regulation weight or not, it's basically a lottery.

Having the Camera style waist coat with a couple large pockets is just good sense in the event you are forced to remove some of the more valuable items for safety, and if your sitting next to "analogphoto" and a long pointy object extending from your clothing pokes him in the ribs (we will assume this is a 70-200f/2.8 :) a nicely worded apology and explanation should suffice, it seems to with most reasonable minded people.

In any case, enjoy your trip & take loads of wonderful Images, but while in Africa try to keep in mind a comment made to me by a South African friend that won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition in 2013, "In Africa, Crime does Pay".

Arranging an extra seat as has been mentioned is a good policy, I always do this for the flights between the airport & the Camps as the smaller Cesna type flights are quite restrictive on Bag weight, generally 18-22Kilos all in, so an extra seat is almost a must in my case, but, the major airlines flying main airport to main airport, generally don't allow you to buy an extra seat in your name, SAA are one of these airlines, you might consider Flying Business Class if it's an option as you get an extra few Kilos of Carry on allowance.

Synopsis
Try to keep within the Regulation carry on requirements for your Class of Seat
Steer clear if possible regards Hard Case Carry Ons (I don't mean "analogphoto")
Get yourself a good large pocket Camera Vest, just in case
Prepare yourself to be calm & smile a lot, may not help but will make you feel better
Absolutely have Full Insurance Cover on your Equipment
Prepare for the worst hope for the best

Always remember, Crime does Pay in Africa, but with suitable precautions it's a remarkably Beautiful place.

Copied all your notes eml58. Don't know exactly when yet....I want to be next 2-3yrs window.

Good gear will not do any goods, when there is no interesting subject(s) to photograph. I enjoy your safari photos VERY MUCH. I would love to add few lion & tiger photos to my collection myself.

 

[dbm]

didn't read there whole thread so apologize if i am repeating--
some observations based on experience-- if you are taking travel insurance it might cover some of the equipment if taken from you when checked-- i had a bag stolen and between travel insurance and homeowners insurance it was all covered (the good part)
BUT, and this might seem obvious but i didn't think of it at the time with the chaos of the airport and my kids screaming, etc-- remember not to leave and memory cards in the checked bags if there are any photos on them!!

i was in south africa a few years ago and loved it-- travel safe and enjoy

 

[TexPhoto]

I wear a coat, and pull heavy things from the bag into pockets for the weight in. Back to the bag after. And of course a big smile and pleasant attitude go a long way toward not being hassled.

 

[Tugela]

Having your bags taken and put into checked luggage happens everywhere, if the plane is full and you are one of the last to get on. If you want to avoid it, make sure you get a seat at the back of the plane and as far as possible, try to get on the plane first.

The problem is that many people take too much stuff with them as carry on luggage, the plane fills up and there is no where for the late people to fit what they have. This is especially true in Africa. Also, SAA tends not to board by rows, it is just a case of everyone get on. So don't show up at the last moment.

As a rule of thumb, take one bag, preferably a small backpack. You probably wont have any issues then since (if there is any argument) you can fit it under the seat.

Otherwise, if you don't want to do that and still bring a small arsenal of equipment with you, fly a different carrier. SAA is not the only airline to fly to South Africa.

You might want to do that anyway even if baggage is not a problem, since SAA cabin crew have got to be among the worst out there. They are among the most unfriendly, sour and unhelpful flight attendants I have ever encountered. They all seem to hate their jobs, or more precisely, they like having the job and the travel it brings, but hate the actual doing it part. It could be that most of them are black, whereas most travelers on SAA flights are white, and there is some carry over resentment from the apartheid era where they see catering to the needs of a bunch of white folk as demeaning. In any event the general attitude of their flight attendants is very sullen.

 

[wickidwombat]

I fully realize the problems with valuable equipment, as I travel a lot. Perhaps 100 days per year, give or take a few.

As a fellow passenger I'm rather p-off by the luggage haulers that try to stuff all of their carryons in the over head compartments. By all means carry as much as you like, but stow all but one under the seat in front of you. This as a courtesy to your fellow passengers!

Kind of interesting to see that most commentators tried to find ways to cheat on the allowed carryon regs. Is that the way you all act in your daily business? Just asking...

i agree 1000%. personally I think bags with wheels should be banned from carry on it would stop some of the ridiculously large bags people haul around. china is particularly bad for people having way over what is although saying that my gura gear 22L is well over weight but doesnt take up a ton of room or kneecap everyone going down the isle like the giant rollers do

 

[eml58]

You might want to do that anyway even if baggage is not a problem, since SAA cabin crew have got to be among the worst out there. They are among the most unfriendly, sour and unhelpful flight attendants I have ever encountered. They all seem to hate their jobs, or more precisely, they like having the job and the travel it brings, but hate the actual doing it part. It could be that most of them are black, whereas most travelers on SAA flights are white, and there is some carry over resentment from the apartheid era where they see catering to the needs of a bunch of white folk as demeaning. In any event the general attitude of their flight attendants is very sullen.

Pretty well my own experience, it's sad, but I agree 100% with both the comment & sentiments expressed.

 

[wickidwombat]

You might want to do that anyway even if baggage is not a problem, since SAA cabin crew have got to be among the worst out there. They are among the most unfriendly, sour and unhelpful flight attendants I have ever encountered. They all seem to hate their jobs, or more precisely, they like having the job and the travel it brings, but hate the actual doing it part. It could be that most of them are black, whereas most travelers on SAA flights are white, and there is some carry over resentment from the apartheid era where they see catering to the needs of a bunch of white folk as demeaning. In any event the general attitude of their flight attendants is very sullen.

Pretty well my own experience, it's sad, but I agree 100% with both the comment & sentiments expressed.

its a tough call which is worse SAA or British Airways both airlines i would quite happily never ever have to fly with again
unfortunately going to africa you have limited options
consider singapore air as a better option they are an awesome airline i'd give them the #1 slot any day and I fly ALOT

 

[Chisox2335]

You might want to do that anyway even if baggage is not a problem, since SAA cabin crew have got to be among the worst out there. They are among the most unfriendly, sour and unhelpful flight attendants I have ever encountered. They all seem to hate their jobs, or more precisely, they like having the job and the travel it brings, but hate the actual doing it part. It could be that most of them are black, whereas most travelers on SAA flights are white, and there is some carry over resentment from the apartheid era where they see catering to the needs of a bunch of white folk as demeaning. In any event the general attitude of their flight attendants is very sullen.

Pretty well my own experience, it's sad, but I agree 100% with both the comment & sentiments expressed.

its a tough call which is worse SAA or British Airways both airlines i would quite happily never ever have to fly with again
unfortunately going to africa you have limited options
consider singapore air as a better option they are an awesome airline i'd give them the #1 slot any day and I fly ALOT

I technically booked through united but they code share with South African. I should make the argument I bought a united ticket so I want their policies but I'm sure I'd lose.

 

[Vivid Color]

You might want to do that anyway even if baggage is not a problem, since SAA cabin crew have got to be among the worst out there. They are among the most unfriendly, sour and unhelpful flight attendants I have ever encountered. They all seem to hate their jobs, or more precisely, they like having the job and the travel it brings, but hate the actual doing it part. It could be that most of them are black, whereas most travelers on SAA flights are white, and there is some carry over resentment from the apartheid era where they see catering to the needs of a bunch of white folk as demeaning. In any event the general attitude of their flight attendants is very sullen.

Pretty well my own experience, it's sad, but I agree 100% with both the comment & sentiments expressed.

its a tough call which is worse SAA or British Airways both airlines i would quite happily never ever have to fly with again
unfortunately going to africa you have limited options
consider singapore air as a better option they are an awesome airline i'd give them the #1 slot any day and I fly ALOT

I technically booked through united but they code share with South African. I should make the argument I bought a united ticket so I want their policies but I'm sure I'd lose.

Yes, you will most likely lose if you try that argument. I've found that it doesn't matter who you book with, it's who controls the check-in/boarding that matters. Last year I flew with KLM to Tanzania and followed their guidelines to the letter. However, Air France, KLM's partner, was doing the check-in and I was told my carry-on luggage was over weight and I had to check my rolling carry-on bag (fortunately for free) and put the valuables in it in a cloth tote that I fortunately had with me.

That would be my one piece of advice is to always include a sizable but compact cloth tote in one of your carry-on bags. I've found that if the gate agent insists you check one of your carry-on bags, they will often let you take our your valuables (whether it's medication or electronics) and put them in a cloth tote, which you can take on board. Never mind if the bulk of the stuff in your carry-on goes into the tote. In situations in which the agents are not enforcing written regulations but acting arbitrarily and captiously, putting stuff in a tote allows them to save face by still having you check the bag, but allows you to keep your most valuable stuff with you. I won't guarantee this will always work, but it has for me so far.

Finally, I know you said not to say bring less, so I won't say that but I would encourage you to consider once again whether you really need gripped bodies (extra batteries yes, but grips add extra bulk and weight), the 430ex speedlite (I took the 270ex and never used it and you have built-in flashes on 2 bodies), and a laptop, which you say weighs 5 pounds. I just took all the cards I figured I would need stored in two Think Tank card wallets that held 10 CF or SD cards each. And, I am so glad I did this. By the end of a long day of game drives and the group dinner, I barely had time each night to get the batteries set up for recharging, my SD cards swapped and bags configured for the next day, and to clean anything that needed cleaning before collapsing in bed. And I was traveling by myself. You are going with your fiancé. If you have any extra time in the evening, do you want to share it with your fiancé or with a computer screen? Yes, memory cards can fail, but get good ones and you reduce that likelihood to almost zero. The biggest threat I believe is losing the cards and that's where the wallets with their handy clip-on straps come in.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=847371&gclid=CPifxe6orMACFSsV7AodyWcAiQ&Q=&is=REG&A=details

Respectfully,

Vivid

 

[Chisox2335]

You might want to do that anyway even if baggage is not a problem, since SAA cabin crew have got to be among the worst out there. They are among the most unfriendly, sour and unhelpful flight attendants I have ever encountered. They all seem to hate their jobs, or more precisely, they like having the job and the travel it brings, but hate the actual doing it part. It could be that most of them are black, whereas most travelers on SAA flights are white, and there is some carry over resentment from the apartheid era where they see catering to the needs of a bunch of white folk as demeaning. In any event the general attitude of their flight attendants is very sullen.

Pretty well my own experience, it's sad, but I agree 100% with both the comment & sentiments expressed.

its a tough call which is worse SAA or British Airways both airlines i would quite happily never ever have to fly with again
unfortunately going to africa you have limited options
consider singapore air as a better option they are an awesome airline i'd give them the #1 slot any day and I fly ALOT

I technically booked through united but they code share with South African. I should make the argument I bought a united ticket so I want their policies but I'm sure I'd lose.

Yes, you will most likely lose if you try that argument. I've found that it doesn't matter who you book with, it's who controls the check-in/boarding that matters. Last year I flew with KLM to Tanzania and followed their guidelines to the letter. However, Air France, KLM's partner, was doing the check-in and I was told my carry-on luggage was over weight and I had to check my rolling carry-on bag (fortunately for free) and put the valuables in it in a cloth tote that I fortunately had with me.

That would be my one piece of advice is to always include a sizable but compact cloth tote in one of your carry-on bags. I've found that if the gate agent insists you check one of your carry-on bags, they will often let you take our your valuables (whether it's medication or electronics) and put them in a cloth tote, which you can take on board. Never mind if the bulk of the stuff in your carry-on goes into the tote. In situations in which the agents are not enforcing written regulations but acting arbitrarily and captiously, putting stuff in a tote allows them to save face by still having you check the bag, but allows you to keep your most valuable stuff with you. I won't guarantee this will always work, but it has for me so far.

Finally, I know you said not to say bring less, so I won't say that but I would encourage you to consider once again whether you really need gripped bodies (extra batteries yes, but grips add extra bulk and weight), the 430ex speedlite (I took the 270ex and never used it and you have built-in flashes on 2 bodies), and a laptop, which you say weighs 5 pounds. I just took all the cards I figured I would need stored in two Think Tank card wallets that held 10 CF or SD cards each. And, I am so glad I did this. By the end of a long day of game drives and the group dinner, I barely had time each night to get the batteries set up for recharging, my SD cards swapped and bags configured for the next day, and to clean anything that needed cleaning before collapsing in bed. And I was traveling by myself. You are going with your fiancé. If you have any extra time in the evening, do you want to share it with your fiancé or with a computer screen? Yes, memory cards can fail, but get good ones and you reduce that likelihood to almost zero. The biggest threat I believe is losing the cards and that's where the wallets with their handy clip-on straps come in.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=847371&gclid=CPifxe6orMACFSsV7AodyWcAiQ&Q=&is=REG&A=details

Respectfully,

Vivid

Removing the grips is a consideration. If I have all the batteries anyways to your point don't necessarily need the grips. With regards to the computer, I typically sleep ~6 hours a night. She sleeps ~10. She will be napping frequently after the morning game drive which will give me a chance to review and file manage.