a small bag to check in items you can't carry onboard?

[maverick]

hi folks,

have you tried checking in a really small bag that held just the items that you cannot carry onboard, and did it arrive at your destination.

i choose to leave items such as a multi-tool, blades for a safety razor, and other such items which can be checked in but not carried onboard behind to avoid having to check bags in.

but these items could easily be placed into accessory bags such as the kit. the question is whether a small bag such as this would make it to your destination.

have you tried checking in a fairly small bag, and has it arrived safely at your destination?

thanks!

[backpack]

The smallest I was able to check was a cheap ballistic nylon backpack the size but twice the width of the Backpack/Packing Cube for the Aeronaute. I lucked out it came out intact. It had some soft things in such as clothes or maybe my cat soft things, I don't remember.

If you want to check the Kit, your best bet is to get a cheap ballistic nylon bag no smaller than a Backpack/Packing cube and buy some novelty tee shirts to fill the space between the Kit.

The Kit by itself would be stolen, lost or dropped on the tarmac if not completely crushed by the other bags. If it even makes it out of the plane belly another hazard is the carousel sharp turning blades and especially the space between them. The zipper could get caught.

I wonder if the new Co-Pilot in Ballistic Nylon would be appropriate for that sort of things?

[maverick]

maybe they can put the item into a bin like they do with car seats? if you taped the bag to the base of the bin with packing tape or gaffing tape?

i'll try this with something i'm not too concerned about losing - maybe with safety blades - just as a test.

[backpack]

maybe they can put the item into a bin like they do with car seats? if you taped the bag to the base of the bin with packing tape or gaffing tape?

i'll try this with something i'm not too concerned about losing - maybe with safety blades - just as a test.

And... don't use a Kit either, but some cheap stuff.

I don't know anything about transporting car seat on planes but if you mean putting the accessories into a plastic box, it might make it, make sure the plastic is sturdy.

Maverick packing tape or gaffing tape? Are you serious?

My thoughts about the cheap tees were that you want to avoid tape at all cost, unless you use it to secure a box.
Tape inside something to secure it, might bring on a red flag.


I am amazed how yourself as a frequent flyer businessman or your family as frequent flyers seem to cruise the air with ease.


I love to fly. but airport security has always been a hassle, as they always seem to need somebody to screen fitting my age and ethnic background .
Before owning Tom Bihn bags, it was really difficult as the bags were not set up for maximum carry on.


I have a solution that you can use in your carry-on, disposable Gillette Mach3 have replacement blade heads encased in a plastic case in the back of the razor plastic holder.
Since the heads cannot be removed without the razor, they are accepted.
One cartridge holds 4 replacement blades.


But... if you really really want to implement your idea, a sturdy box and a old workout tee would most probably work.
I know, I am annoying about using cloth as cushion but my thinking is that it is the surest way for it not to rattle.

[maverick]

hi backpack!

i believe that airlines provides a large bin for things like car seats and other odd/non-standard items that you want to check in. so the crazy idea is to tape a small bag with my stuff (for this test, even a disposable bag like a zip lock freezer bag) and tape that inside the bin so that it doesn't get separated from the bin. and we can see if it makes it across. worst case, i'm out a few razor blades.

over the years, i have shaved with all the gillette razors, from the mach 3 to the fusion to the mr. coffee. after i found the joy of using a safety razor (it's the combination of a particular safety razor and razor blades that works for me - i tried a different safety razor and it was too aggressive for me), i am happy to not shave for a week or 10 days while traveling than to use anything else.

i have had my share of "fun" at airports, but i do enjoy traveling!

the craziest experience was probably my transit through doha, qatar last year.

a few years back, air india stopped operating a flight between amritsar and delhi because it was "fog season" (even though they had sold me a ticket on that route the week prior). that resulted in convincing them over almost a two hour period to put me on a lufthansa flight out of delhi the following morning when they swore up and down to me that they couldn't put me on a flight on another carrier. that was followed by a crazy fast drive from amritsar to delhi over a 6 hour period and 2 hours of driving around delhi to find the airport because the driver didn't know his way around delhi (he was from amritsar). it was pretty comical, actually - we'd ask one person, and they'd say to go one way. that didn't pan out, and we'd ask another person, who'd say to go a different way. somehow, we got there and i made it onto the lufthansa flight.

perhaps the best story was when i was 11 or 12 years old. my dad worked for the world bank, and was on assignment in saudi arabia. my dad, my sister (who was 19 at the time) and i had flown together from washington, dc to paris. my dad flew from there to saudi arabia, and my sister and i waited in the transit lounge for our connecting flight to delhi. we found out that the flight was overbooked, and that we had been bumped. they wanted to put us in a hotel in paris for the night and fly us out the following day. being fairly young, we were a bit freaked out at the idea. we asked what they could do, and there weren't any options until the following day. then i started to cry. a few minutes later, we were sitting there with boarding passes for first class seats. they managed to find some space!

but that tactic probably wouldn't work today. but today, i also wouldn't mind getting bumped and spending the night in paris or most any other european city through which i might transit on my trips to india.

And... don't use a Kit either, but some cheap stuff.

I don't know anything about transporting car seat on planes but if you mean putting the accessories into a plastic box, it might make it, make sure the plastic is sturdy.

Maverick packing tape or gaffing tape? Are you serious?

My thoughts about the cheap tees were that you want to avoid tape at all cost, unless you use it to secure a box.
Tape inside something to secure it, might bring on a red flag.


I am amazed how yourself as a frequent flyer businessman or your family as frequent flyers seem to cruise the air with ease.


I love to fly. but airport security has always been a hassle, as they always seem to need somebody to screen fitting my age and ethnic background .
Before owning Tom Bihn bags, it was really difficult as the bags were not set up for maximum carry on.


I have a solution that you can use in your carry-on, disposable Gillette Mach3 have replacement blade heads encased in a plastic case in the back of the razor plastic holder.
Since the heads cannot be removed without the razor, they are accepted.
One cartridge holds 4 replacement blades.


But... if you really really want to implement your idea, a sturdy box and a old workout tee would most probably work.
I know, I am annoying about using cloth as cushion but my thinking is that it is the surest way for it not to rattle.

[backpack]

hi backpack!

i believe that airlines provides a large bin for things like car seats and other odd/non-standard items that you want to check in. so the crazy idea is to tape a small bag with my stuff (for this test, even a disposable bag like a zip lock freezer bag) and tape that inside the bin so that it doesn't get separated from the bin. and we can see if it makes it across. worst case, i'm out a few razor blades.

over the years, i have shaved with all the gillette razors, from the mach 3 to the fusion to the mr. coffee. after i found the joy of using a safety razor (it's the combination of a particular safety razor and razor blades that works for me - i tried a different safety razor and it was too aggressive for me), i am happy to not shave for a week or 10 days while traveling than to use anything else.

i have had my share of "fun" at airports, but i do enjoy traveling!

the craziest experience was probably my transit through doha, qatar last year.

a few years back, air india stopped operating a flight between amritsar and delhi because it was "fog season" (even though they had sold me a ticket on that route the week prior). that resulted in convincing them over almost a two hour period to put me on a lufthansa flight out of delhi the following morning when they swore up and down to me that they couldn't put me on a flight on another carrier. that was followed by a crazy fast drive from amritsar to delhi over a 6 hour period and 2 hours of driving around delhi to find the airport because the driver didn't know his way around delhi (he was from amritsar). it was pretty comical, actually - we'd ask one person, and they'd say to go one way. that didn't pan out, and we'd ask another person, who'd say to go a different way. somehow, we got there and i made it onto the lufthansa flight.

perhaps the best story was when i was 11 or 12 years old. my dad worked for the world bank, and was on assignment in saudi arabia. my dad, my sister (who was 19 at the time) and i had flown together from washington, dc to paris. my dad flew from there to saudi arabia, and my sister and i waited in the transit lounge for our connecting flight to delhi. we found out that the flight was overbooked, and that we had been bumped. they wanted to put us in a hotel in paris for the night and fly us out the following day. being fairly young, we were a bit freaked out at the idea. we asked what they could do, and there weren't any options until the following day. then i started to cry. a few minutes later, we were sitting there with boarding passes for first class seats. they managed to find some space!

but that tactic probably wouldn't work today. but today, i also wouldn't mind getting bumped and spending the night in paris or most any other european city through which i might transit on my trips to india.

I didn't mean to be insensitive about your choice of razor, sorry about that.
Having sensitive skin is not fun and does require special care.

I am not that familiar with planes, odd objects set ups, and before Southwest and Tom Bihn Bags, I usually checked my husband's oldest things, in case the bag got lost.


I did check 19 or 20 big items when I moved cross-country, on Jet Blue, but I was too exhausted to really pay attention to the set up, besides, our cat was with us and this is all I really cared about. Her and the laptops I was carrying in my Brain Bag.

We booked 3 seats for the 2 of us and the cat. She was under the window seat, my husband was sitting in the middle and I had the aisle seat.

When we arrived, we found out she had torn the window in the front part of the soft carrier, so my husband took her and went to get the car and drove her to the new place and left her with food and water in an empty room that closed securely.

I picked up the 19 or 20 items off the carousel and somebody helped me put them in a big wheeled platform.
Then the luggage person waited outside with me. It was nice of him because it took a while for my husband to find the car, drive to the place and settle the cat.


You have me completely in the bottom rank of flyers. I took my first flight in my 20's.

Oh my goodness, you are a frequent flyer for sure!

I love the way airlines use the weather when it benefits them. Air India "fog" story. Maybe one could say: " the weather is so nice here, I think I postpone my flight and want a free ticket for next week."

Or that they pretend that they absolutely cannot access the database of other airlines until... they cancel their flight and one is bumped into another flight, on another airline, with no explanation.


Scary ride from Amristar to Delhi, colorfully told but scary to make it in the nick of time.
Maverick, I hope you always carry a portable GPS on your trips from now on.


Stranded anywhere at 11 is very scary, good for you for showing your distress and get the first class seats!

Today crying would not work, but looking sad and showing a picture of your beautiful family might work!


Charles de Gaulle is awful to be stranded in. It happened to me once.

It was a long time ago and I am sure that you know about the nice hotels now available.

If you are stranded in Paris, don't forget to check maison du chocolat.


Thank You for sharing your great stories and again sorry for being insensitive about your razor choice.