Flying from Denpasar to UPG to Ambon

I'll be flying from Denpasar to UPG (Can't pronounce it, but it used to be called Makassar) on one airline (Garuda, I believe), then from UPG to Ambon on Merpati (ugh), in May. Looking for input on my proposed scheme to trick the evil-carryon-limits-enforcement-folks into letting me take my full photography kit on the planes.

So those of you who have flown into Ambon:

Are the planes teeny? What should I expect in terms of underseat and overhead space?

Are those airlines aweful about enforcement of carryon size/weight?

My current plan is the following:

1. Small shoulder camera bag style bag (about 12" x 12" x 5" - tall and narrow) crammed with dSLR, P&S, 2 lenses, and two DS-125s. And whatever crucial batteries, filters, etc that I can wedge in there.

2. Computrekker Plus holding only my laptop, ike housing, 1 port, and itty bitty P&S housing. This one's big, so I gotta try and keep it light.

Backup plan, in case I get told I have to check the big bag, is nylon bags to take out the fragile stuff and just carry it by hand. Let them check the empty bag.

I'm flying Singapore airlines over and back, so I'm not tooooo worried about that part of the trip, but I'm a unsure what to expect on the domestic hops. Any advice anyone has specifically related to the Ambon flights would be much appreciated! I *REALLY* do not want to check my housing.

Alternative scheme: Set the whole rig up (camera, housing, strobes), attach a neck strap, and carry it on that way. :-) Hey, it's my camera! All the airlines let you carry a camera! JK.

TIA,

Susan/Taxgeek

i never had problems with weight in indonesia..if you dont carry a ton :-)

but singapore airlines is evil

i never had problems with weight in indonesia..if you dont carry a ton :-)

but singapore airlines is evil

Noooooooo! Say it ain't so - Singapore airlines that is!!!! (sob). I nearly had an ulcer with TACA last april - Singapore can't be as bad as them!

Just did Singapore Air LAX/SIN/Manado (Silk AIR) & Garuda Manado/Makasaar (UPG)/Denpasar in Oct/Dec. No weight problems. My carry-on is a medium size shoulder bag & Tamrac photo/computer backpack (CyberPack 6). The pack is about 25#. The only problem flight was the small plane from Sorong to Manado. Had to surrender the backpack, but fortunately it ended up in an inside storage compartment vs the baggage hold. Housing, ports, strobes, batteries are all checked - too much to try to include in carry-on. Plan on overweight charges on domestic flights except Garuda - they seem to have a scuba allowance. For ref my bags weighed 30kg & 19kg this trip.

Thanks for the info, jcclink. Glad to hear SIA let you through without enforcing the 7kg carryon rule! I'm such a worrywart, I'll give myself an ulcer if I'm worried about getting through to the plane - I think I better find a way to keep it to 7kg.

I'm also flying Sorong/Manado, forgot that, I guess it is a small plane. Rats.

In light of reviewing Singapore Airlines's checked bag allowance (1 "in-cabin bag" of 15lbs or less) + laptop + ladies purse (TG I'm a lady!).

I think I can stay within this using the following:

1. A 15lb "carryon" bag. Lightest, smallest possible bag I can find that will hold my housing/port securely. I was going to use the Lowepro photo backpack, but it weighs 5.6 lbs empty . . . what a waste of weight. I'll instead use a small school bookbag style backpack, or maybe gymbag style duffel. Housing inside a small, light foam casing. And whatever else I can put in there before it gets up to 15lb. Not one hair over 7kg. I'll take the thing to the vet's office, where they have a scale that weighs in millionths of ounces if I have to!!!! They'll have no excuse to question that. A wheelie would be more convenient, but they weigh alot more than does a little fabric backpack.

2. My laptop. Just the laptop, in a Viper shell, with a little nylon sheath with handles. Held by hand. Clearly just a laptop. (Imagine me looking up at the SIA employee in question with big doe eyes saying that. Really sir, it's just a latop! The rules say you can take a laptop. Smile.)

3. My purse. Gonna go to Ross and get an actual purse. A biggish (but not too big) one. Preferably one that really looks like a purse style purse. Preferably pink or with flowers or something. Then I will cram all the heavy stuff into my "purse". There is no stated weight limit for purses.

Maybe I will try dressing nicer than usual too. Does anybody think this helps? I usually just wear sweats or something comfortable on the plane, but if I wore a nice skirt and blouse, or dress or something, or maybe a suit ( ), (ok, more like khakkis and a nice blouse/sweater or something) think I'd get more consideration from the baggage nazis? Or should I just . . . er . . . play up my femininity? Or would I rather attempt to fly under the radar and look like any other gal flying to asia to see her BF or something? (what would that entail for a woman? Jeans, cute sweater? Black balaclava?) This is all such a hassle. I wish I flew international often enough to get a recipe that worked, or not at all!

Then there's the ultra ultra geeky backup plan that is just so geeky I can't even tell y'all. :-)

Then there's the ultra ultra geeky backup plan that is just so geeky I can't even tell y'all. :-)

COME ON! We celebrate geekiness here!

I've done the flight to Makassar before, and it was fine, but I didn't even try to carry my housing or strobes as carry-on. My camera backpack is small but weighs 14kg, and it only has 2 canon 1d bodies (heavy!), lenses, land flash, batteries, and accessories. I also use a laptop bag that is clearly a laptop bag, so I don't have to fight to take it on as a personal item.

Yeah, I'm trying to learn to think like an airline luggage nazi. Looks like a purse, is a purse,no need to weigh. Looks like a ginormous cabin baggage, must be heavy, definitely need to weigh it. :-)

COME ON! We celebrate geekiness here!

 

Nooooo, waaaay to geeky even for you! (Not that I've ever met you and would know, but hey, yknow.) I said it once before (either here or on another forum) and got laughed off the planet! :-)

Hey,

I have a back up geeky plan that I haven't had to use as yet but will be fully prepared to on my trip to the Solomons. (Probably within OZ, where I've experienced the baggage weight Naziism before). Ugly photo vest that is too big for me, but it's a small. Masses of pockets. If you can't carry, wear it.

Problem is, it does have a terrorist cache to it. Don't check your bags too early for your flight in Indonesia, as your bags will go to the bottom of the trolley, and if the hold fills up, your bags may not make it on thew smaller flights. Get the excess baggage stuff sorted out and paid for, then check them with the masses.

Cheers,

Marli

Hey, you stole my geeky backup plan! :-) (I had to use it with TACA).

Good advice about not checking the bags in too early. I'll remember that.

Thanks!

Hey,

I have a back up geeky plan that I haven't had to use as yet but will be fully prepared to on my trip to the Solomons. (Probably within OZ, where I've experienced the baggage weight Naziism before). Ugly photo vest that is too big for me, but it's a small. Masses of pockets. If you can't carry, wear it.

Problem is, it does have a terrorist cache to it. Don't check your bags too early for your flight in Indonesia, as your bags will go to the bottom of the trolley, and if the hold fills up, your bags may not make it on thew smaller flights. Get the excess baggage stuff sorted out and paid for, then check them with the masses.

Cheers,

Marli

Don't forget to discreetly keep carry-ons away from the view of check-in people. It may no help, but it doesn't hurt.

Another good tip. Important to have ground support personnel (i.e., whoever is seeing you off at the airport!) come inside to the main check-in area with you.

Don't forget to discreetly keep carry-ons away from the view of check-in people. It may no help, but it doesn't hurt.

Noooooooo! Say it ain't so - Singapore airlines that is!!!! (sob). I nearly had an ulcer with TACA last april - Singapore can't be as bad as them!

I think you will be pleased with SQ, it's like flying BA to Europe. I have found that for those flights from/to the US both carriers are as good as it gets

Thanks David, that's reassuring to hear! Let me know if you encounter any problems on this trip - but I hope you don't! And have a great trip.

Whoa!!!

Don't compare Singapore Airlines (and their flight attendants - nothing like eye candy at 35k feet).

BA is horrendous - have you looked at the miles you receive for flying them? In coach you don't even get 100% of the miles you actually fly, it's a percentage.

Singapore Airlines is one of the top 2-3 airlines in the world (this is coming from someone who flies 250k-300k miles a year for work, mostly in coach). BA is (at best) middle of the road...

Try Cathay Pacific, Thai Airways, Jet Airways, Icelandic Air, or Air New Zealand.

Whoa!!!

 

Don't compare Singapore Airlines (and their flight attendants - nothing like eye candy at 35k feet).

 

BA is horrendous - have you looked at the miles you receive for flying them? In coach you don't even get 100% of the miles you actually fly, it's a percentage.

all i can say is i payed twice on 2 flights with them.

one was from zürich to bali on a half empty plane,5kgs to much per person costs me 1000 swiss.

the other one was check in in sing. to manado....cant remember the amount.

for complete check ins in indonesian airports to final destenation i never had any problems.

wow, N@utilus - 1000 swf? That's like $800 US. Was that excess checked baggage or cabin baggage? I heard stories from some europeans recently about flying to South Africa or South America from Europe about airlines making they buy complete extra tickets for checked bag weight overage, but this sounds pretty bad.

all i can say is i payed twice on 2 flights with them.

one was from zürich to bali on a half empty plane,5kgs to much per person costs me 1000 swiss.

the other one was check in in sing. to manado....cant remember the amount.

 

for complete check ins in indonesian airports to final destenation i never had any problems.

For what's it worth, knowing that airline companies will always have the final word...

I found this on Singapore Airline's website:

Articles allowed on-board

All airline members of the International Air transport Association (IATA) have agreed to observe the following baggage regulations. You may carry on board the articles listed below free of charge over and above your free baggage allowance (7kg for Singapore Airlines and SilkAir):

I've printed this page and will take it with me, just in case...

And as some members of this forum are so keen on tipping, this might be a solution to get your stuff onboard

For what's it worth, knowing that airline companies will always have the final word...

...snip...

not only airlines but also destinations. for example today in the uk you can only leave the coutry with one (computer included) carry on. ladies can still have their handbags though (i think) and this even though BA will allow you 2 carry ons when you enter the country...

/paul

And as some members of this forum are so keen on tipping, this might be a solution to get your stuff onboard

Little by little they are closing the doors on our well considered means and methods to reduce our exposure to baggage charges. One day there will be no option except to pay.

But as I said, I'm a bit too tall to sit in the back so I cannot say how SA deals with overweight issue in coach class. If you sit up front, 1st or Biz (Raffles), you can practically carry whatever you want ****on flights departing and arriving USA***. I don't quite understand why US flights allow greater baggage weights. Considering our well known girth you'd think that was a double whammy weight issue for the airline