off to india at the end of this month

[maverick]

hi folks,

i'm a bit nervous... i looked at these airline rankings, and found that qatar airways was one of a half dozen airlines to get a 5 star rating.

so i booked a flight on qatar airways to new delhi, india via doha for later this month. qatar airways' timings work out really well for me. british airways via london heathrow was my first choice (similar timings), but their prices are $500 more than qatar's at this point.

then i read some other reviews about qatar airways and doha airport that were less than pleasant.

i'm carrying my aeronaut, along with the side effect or small cafe bag.

my aeronaut will hold a camping chair, some clothes, toiletries (in a 3d clear organizer cube), a journal, a book, and some snacks. my side effect or small cafe bag will hold a camera, passport, tickets, and wallet - nothing that should cause any issues going through security. i'm leaving my macbook behind for this trip.

hopefully, it will all work out!

[maverick]

hi folks,

reading the baggage allowance information for qatar airways, i see they allow "1 piece not exceeding 7 kg (50 x 37 x 25 cm)." the aeronaut is slightly longer at 55.5cm, but i can pack it such that one of the end compartments is empty and it comes in well under their requirement.

i'm more concerned about the 7kg limit because i know i can pack it to weigh more. i read on the flyertalk forum that "check in agent was specifically weighing everones' hand luggage." ugh!

what have i gotten myself into?

[moriond]

Hi maverick,

hi folks,

i'm a bit nervous... i looked at these airline rankings, and found that qatar airways was one of a half dozen airlines to get a 5 star rating.

so i booked a flight on qatar airways to new delhi, india via doha for later this month. qatar airways' timings work out really well for me. british airways via london heathrow was my first choice (similar timings), but their prices are $500 more than qatar's at this point.

then i read some other reviews about qatar airways and doha airport that were less than pleasant.

i'm carrying my aeronaut, along with the side effect or small cafe bag.

my aeronaut will hold a camping chair, some clothes, toiletries (in a 3d clear organizer cube), a journal, a book, and some snacks. my side effect or small cafe bag will hold a camera, passport, tickets, and wallet - nothing that should cause any issues going through security. i'm leaving my macbook behind for this trip.

hopefully, it will all work out!

I don't have any experience with qatar, but I took a quick look in the Flyertalk forums. Here are a few threads:

• First time flying with QR - Questions
• QR Economy Class Experiences
• Force to check in hand luggage

Looks like the transfer at Doha may be a bit chaotic. Maybe someone else who knows can comment. Oops, I see that you went to read these forums, too, before I finished typing my post.

Cheers,

moriond

[maverick]

Hi maverick,


I don't have any experience with qatar, but I took a quick look in the Flyertalk forums. Here are a few threads:

• First time flying with QR - Questions
• QR Economy Class Experiences
• Force to check in hand luggage

Looks like the transfer at Doha may be a bit chaotic. Maybe someone else who knows can comment. Oops, I see that you went to read these forums, too, before I finished typing my post.

Cheers,

moriond

thanks moriond!

i should have checked the flyertalk forums earlier, but i was just reading up on a couple of the topics you mentioned (and responded on the first one, but i guess it's a moderated forum so there is a delay in the post appearing).

so far, the flights look pretty empty. so i'm hoping that translates into better inflight service. i'm a pretty low maintenance passenger. i just don't want them to mess up my vegetarian meal request. actually, i can just eat dinner before i board, and pack a sandwich and a couple of lara bars. let's see how the transit experience is...

[KarlJ]

Aye-yi-yi... I dug up a couple of posts from Flyertalk, too. Not to stir up your un-ease any further, but in the hope that maybe you'll find a heads-up to avoid any problems:

Bad experience with Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways insensitive and horrid CS

Hope some good can come of it all.

[Frank II]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news...but...the 7 kg limit is not just the Aeronaut but the combined weight of the Aeronaut, Cafe Bag and Side Effect.

Get a Scottevest, shove lots of stuff in that since they don't weigh coats, and then redistribute once you get to India. (They have a new packable windbreaker with like 18 pockets (all hidden.)

[maverick]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news...but...the 7 kg limit is not just the Aeronaut but the combined weight of the Aeronaut, Cafe Bag and Side Effect.

Get a Scottevest, shove lots of stuff in that since they don't weigh coats, and then redistribute once you get to India. (They have a new packable windbreaker with like 18 pockets (all hidden.)

if i'm not mistaken, the aeronaut is 2.71 lbs, the small cafe bag is 11.25 oz., and the side effect is 7.5oz. so even if i select the aeronaut and small cafe bag, i'll be at about 3.4lb. that should still leave me 12lb for what i pack inside of those bags.

let me know if i've overlooked something.

thanks!

[Frank II]

3.8 oz.....and make sure the side effect and the cafe bag fit inside the Aeronaut. Qatar allows one bag as carry-on.....not one bag and a personal item. You have three items....yes, even though you re wearing the Side Effect, it's still a bag to them.

Many non-U.S. airlines are cutting back on the number of items you're allowed on board. They always allow coats which is why I mentioned the Scottevest,,, British Airways does allow a carry-on and a personal item.

[maverick]

3.8 oz.....and make sure the side effect and the cafe bag fit inside the Aeronaut. Qatar allows one bag as carry-on.....not one bag and a personal item. You have three items....yes, even though you re wearing the Side Effect, it's still a bag to them.

Many non-U.S. airlines are cutting back on the number of items you're allowed on board. They always allow coats which is why I mentioned the Scottevest,,, British Airways does allow a carry-on and a personal item.

oh, sorry - i meant that i would carry the aeronaut with either the side effect or the small cafe bag, not all three.

i can put the side effect more easily into the aeronaut, so i'll travel with that. thanks for the tip!

[Frank II]

What I do, and I use a Tri-Star, is put my "other bag," which is about the size of a medium cafe bag, in the center section of the Tri-Star. In it is everything I need for the flight...and then some as to not waste space. When i get on board, the smaller bag goes under the seat, and the Tri-Star goes into the overhead.

With the continuing changes to rules and regulations, I've learned to have only one bag on "travel days." I do this by constantly seeking smaller and smaller replacements for things I take.

[dsmking]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news...but...the 7 kg limit is not just the Aeronaut but the combined weight of the Aeronaut, Cafe Bag and Side Effect.

Get a Scottevest, shove lots of stuff in that since they don't weigh coats, and then redistribute once you get to India. (They have a new packable windbreaker with like 18 pockets (all hidden.)

I was looking at that windbreaker when we thought we would be on Alitalia with a single 5kg bag limit. I was figuring on storing everything heavy in the windbreaker (electronics, toilet kit, books) during check in. I might even be able to store a flattened large cafe bag in the large back pocket. I actually got my clothes and a spare set of walking shoes in the Aeronaut for around 11lbs.

Thankfully we ended up on Delta/AirFrance with a more normal 12kg limit. I am still looking for a nice looking good quality raincoat but I not certain about the Scottevest windbreaker.

David

[moriond]

Hi maverick,

If you're still traveling in India (despite your many active forum posts), I came across this free Indian train status app for the iPhone/iPod Touch. (I know, totally random and not bag related, but perhaps we'll see more great maverick pics of his Tom Bihn bags from his travels.) Looked interesting, and something that you could use on your iPhone. (Link is to the application's page in the iTunes Store).

moriond

[maverick]

Hi maverick,

If you're still traveling in India (despite your many active forum posts), I came across this free Indian train status app for the iPhone/iPod Touch. (I know, totally random and not bag related, but perhaps we'll see more great maverick pics of his Tom Bihn bags from his travels.) Looked interesting, and something that you could use on your iPhone. (Link is to the application's page in the iTunes Store).

moriond

moriond! how very cool! thank you very much! i've never used the data plan on my iphone while in india, but i'll set it up and see how this works out. it will be very handy to know the status of my train!

[moriond]

moriond! how very cool! thank you very much! i've never used the data plan on my iphone while in india, but i'll set it up and see how this works out. it will be very handy to know the status of my train!

If you have wireless internet access, you don't need to use your phone's data plan -- this app also works on the iPod Touch. Alternatively, if you're traveling with your MacBook and have a wired internet connection for your laptop, you can set up your MacBook as a software base station for your iPhone as described in this TUAW article on how to create a wireless network between Mac and iPhone. Of course, that may not be as convenient as using your iPhone from anywhere via the data plan, but you have alternatives.

Cheers,

moriond

[maverick]

If you have wireless internet access, you don't need to use your phone's data plan -- this app also works on the iPod Touch. Alternatively, if you're traveling with your MacBook and have a wired internet connection for your laptop, you can set up your MacBook as a software base station for your iPhone as described in this TUAW article on how to create a wireless network between Mac and iPhone. Of course, that may not be as convenient as using your iPhone from anywhere via the data plan, but you have alternatives.

Cheers,

moriond

thanks again moriond! it's nice to have these alternatives when the need arises!