End of Carry-on luggage as we know it?

[TommyW]

Hi there,

I'm new to this forum - tho not a Tom Bihn Bag user (yet), I stumbled on information about the Aeronaut somewhere and it made me curious.

Being a bag freak, I currently use a range of shoulder bags, flight bags, duffles and wheeled suitcases from Bree (a German manufacturer mainly of ladies' purses but some sturdy bags as well), Eagle Creek, Tumi, Timbuk2 and Rimowa.

However, my current concern is about the future of carry-on luggage after the foiled plots in London a few weeks ago.

Already, with carry-on luggage we do not only encounter different airline policies (which are much more restrictive in Europe than in the US), but, to an increasing degree, security restrictions.

Remember the pics of London passengers boarding with a clear plastic bag only, carrying not much more than their passports and maybe reading glasses? It seems the UK folks are trying to impose their style - well, maybe not the small see-thru plastic bags, but smaller carry-on luggage for sure - on all EU members (which brings to mind the usual US double standards, imposing much more restrictions on passengers going to the US than the other way round).

I do have the impression that talking about bags fitting into the carry-on legal frame won't do us much good in the future - much less will be allowed. Which means there will be much more bags to be checked in - either because they are considered too big or too heavy, or because we don't want to leave our toothpaste behind.

So should we go for the wheeled variety right away? Or still concentrate on traveling light - after all, there's life after arrival?

[timarelay]

I have yet to fly internationally since the recent scare( my father has, on british airways through london, and said that now carry ons have to be quite tiny) but within the US at least, not too much seems to have changed, yet. Getting through security was only vaguely different and looking around, I saw that most people had made little to no effort to carry on less. Still plenty of people with huge backpacks and duffel bags and small wheeled suitcases.

I'm not sure what things are going to settle down to. I can see there being some more seriously enforced restrictions on how much people can bring on board, but I don't think we've seen the end of the carry-on yet. Until the airlines can guarantee that things will arrive where and when they're supposed to and that nothing will be stolen (and until in flight entertainment manages to entertain everyone), people will insist on bringing stuff into the cabin with them.

And I see a bag like the Aeronaut being very useful for car trips, and even more so for train travel. So even if it's no longer allowed on planes, there's still plenty of use for it.

[Zephyrnoid]

I share your concerns - and as a confirmed Tom Bihn carry-on luggage user I'm constantly in touch with TSA on the matter.
My guess is that as the authorities really winnow down what is safe to carry on- we'll be able to carry on spare garments, medications, literature and travel documents. The thorny issue will be how they'll deal with the special needs of certain classes of passengers- infants, the elderly, pregnant and nursing mothers.
Once the fine art of effective profiling combined with human and technological screening has been refined- the carry-ons will resume thier almost normal proportions. Thankfully, the days of people carrying on nearly full size luggage and paper tote bags full of all manner of stuff are over. My guess is the Aeronaut and it's kin will be the largest bag you'll see on board for a while.
The big fights will probably center around laptops and other electronics in addition to beverages- not the luggage part itself.

[maverick]

what to carry on

I also have not flown since the recent events took place in London.

We had a trip planned to Chicago for this past weekend that we canceled because we did not want to deal with potentially long security lines with an 8 month old baby with us.

I am evaluating whether to drive or to fly next month, as the two may take the same amount of time if I need to show up at the airport 2 hours before the flight. It would be just me that time, not the baby. And I would not be flying out of a very busy airport on the return flight.

I've taken a couple of trips now with the Aeronaut as my only bag and loved the experience.

But if I cannot carry liquids onboard (bathroom articles are the items that come to mind), then I have to check in a bag.

I know that you can purchase these articles at your destination. But think about if you travel even a few times a year. This creates a lot of waste if you don't finish what you buy, and also gets expensive (the smaller packaging costs more per quantity provided).

If I'm checking in a bag, I may as well pack everything into it that I do not need on the flight so that I can help the security line move faster. The only things that may go onboard with me are electronics, other valuables, and maybe a book. I would also be like to take only the absolute necessities on my trip.

So, yes, airline travel will change from what it was at the beginning of the summer until a solution is provided for automatically scanning liquids.

And for my trip to India, I still would like to take my Aeronaut, specially since losing your luggage going there can cause far more headaches.

Hopefully this storm will pass quickly.

Maverick

[TommyW]

This storm won't pass quickly...

I'm afraid this storm won't pass quickly.

Found this on the London Times' online edition:

Even families will be unable to travel with a bag larger than the new hand luggage limit of 45cm wide 35cm long and 16cm deep.

Now compare this to the Aeronaut's dimensions:
22" x 14" x 9" / 555 x 355 x 230mm

If the UK has its saying, any piece of luggage with the Aeronaut's dimensions will not be considered legal carry-on size anymore - thruout Europe, that is. Probably this won't concern you guys in the US, but going international will be a problem.

Maybe an Aeronaut International Edition will be necessary?

[timarelay]

I'm afraid this storm won't pass quickly.

Found this on the London Times' online edition:

Even families will be unable to travel with a bag larger than the new hand luggage limit of 45cm wide 35cm long and 16cm deep.

Now compare this to the Aeronaut's dimensions:
22" x 14" x 9" / 555 x 355 x 230mm

If the UK has its saying, any piece of luggage with the Aeronaut's dimensions will not be considered legal carry-on size anymore - thruout Europe, that is. Probably this won't concern you guys in the US, but going international will be a problem.

Maybe an Aeronaut International Edition will be necessary?

I'm surprised, but in the sense that I thought the restriction would be much more harsh. 45cm x 35cm x 16cm is not that tiny. I've been travelling internationally with a bag smaller than that for a years now(you just have to be comfortable checking most of your stuff). Many existing bags fit those restrictions, including many tom bihn bags.

The differences directly, in the same units: 55.5cm x 35.5cm x 23cm vs 45cm x 35cm x 16cm. What would you propose the "Aeronaut International Edition" be like? It'd be hard to come up with a duffel type bag out of those dimensions, and if it's no longer a duffel bag then what is it and why don't any of the current bags work?

Is it specified exactly how you're allowed to vary the measurements? Is it total dimensions that matters or is this the largest physical shape allowed?

[TommyW]

Is it specified exactly how you're allowed to vary the measurements? Is it total dimensions that matters or is this the largest physical shape allowed?

Not sure, as this seems to be an UK restriction so far, not an agreed EU rule yet. But understand this as no wider than 45 cm, not deeper than 16 cm etc.

Sure there are many bags that fit these restrictions. However, I did understand that the specific thing about the Aeronaut is not the size only, but the layout with compartments, the different carrying possibilities etc.

[dsg29]

I've already traveled a bunch of times domestically in the US on business since the scare in London, and other than not being allowed to have any liquids or gels carried onboard, the main difference I've seen is an ironic one. For those of us who DO have carry-ons, there's lots more overhead room available! I still brought my SmartAlec (containing a laptop) and Aeronaut as carry-on (medical device I need with me that cannot be checked), but had to add a wheeled, checked bag for clothes and toiletries. It worked out just fine. I really don't know how I'd handle everything with an overseas trip right now, truth be told.

[Darcy]

We are keeping a close eye on all of this and will keep you updated on new bags designed to work with changing carry-on restrictions. Posting your travel experiences here is a great help to us.

An interesting article that explains the El Al security methods: Israeli-style air security may head west

[Zephyrnoid]

Allow me to point out that there has been NO discussion about banning or otherwise restricting heavily comparmentalized apparel.
Some time ago I posted a wish for a Tom Bihn caliber Tactical Travel Vest. It maybe better to take the Scott e-Vest approach- concealing the compartments internally. A line of Tom Bihn covert outerwear may allow for offloading of what we would normally lug in carry-on - onto our outerwear instead! I've yet to see the Scott e-Vest outerwear products but they seem to fit the bill. As it is, my Barbour Beaufort already carries 1/2 my carry-on - keeps me dry too All I need to carry onboard:
- iPod
- Literature
- Notepad & pen
- Travel Docs
- CellPhone
- Breath Mints
- Meds
- Disposable toothbrush (Pre-loaded)

[Cobos]

After flying back from the states about 6 days after the UK scare I had a checked suitcase and the Aeronaut and Id as hand-luggage. That worked like a charm, with no changes from my flight into the US before the London incident. I of course checked all my liquids and that was it.
I've later flown within Norway and there are no changes to carry-on luggage rules or practises. So in my experience it seems the Aeronaut is still an excellent piece of luggage (I'll see if I can write up a full review later). From Norway it seems as long as you stay out of the UK-US connection you're pretty much dealing with the old rules, at least for now.

Cobos

[eristick]

Limited liquids allowed again! Hurray!

Also, to minimize liquids, check out this list of powdered travel items compiled through Wists

[Cobos]

It seems the EU/EC has agree on new stricter permanent hand-luggage rules. These include severe limitations on what liquids you are allowed to bring onboard and stricter size limitations on the luggage pieces you can bring. Though the baggage rules will not apply until sometime in 2007. BUT, they give maximum dimensions of: 56 x 45 x 25 cm which means the Aeronaut is still the perfect size ! All hail the supreme Aeronaut... :-)

Cobos

[moriond]

I've flown internationally with the Aeronaut both before and immediately after the Heathrow incident. And I've done this both using the Aeronaut as carry-on and checked. (The combination of the ban on liquids and gels in toiletry items, and wanting to facilitate fast inspection on the boarding lines were the factors in deciding to check the Aeronaut. Apart from my laptop bag I don't need to carry another bag with the Aeronaut, so unlike Cobos, I didn't have another suitcase to put liquids and gels into to check.)

Just a couple of comments: apart from being useful in and of themselves, the packing cubes really make inspection of baggage go faster, because the contents are visible through the mesh in the large and small cubes, and if inspectors do need to unzip and examine the items in the cubes, everything stays organized and can be quickly zipped up again and closed. And the packing cubes are sized exactly for the Aeronaut. (I'm speaking about the random checks that sometimes occur regardless of what you're carrying -- not when you have problematic contents that show up in the X-ray scans). Secondly, the Aeronaut is really distinctive and easy to spot on the luggage conveyor belt. And although it always seems to be dwarfed by neighboring luggage, it holds a surprising amount of stuff.