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Travelling with camera kit. Advice please…
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Hi Everyone
I suddenly and unexpectedly need a bit of advice.
I?m travelling to the US twice in the next 5 weeks ? once on business and once for a photography event. With the current restrictions on hand luggage I?m having to rethink how I take my camera kit with me. Normally I put all my camera kit, bar my tripod, into a backpack and carry it with me onto the plane. That option is possibly gone for good. (I work in the travel industry and hear insiders speculating that carry-on baggage may well be a thing of the past now.)
So I?m thinking of investing in an aluminium case (and sorting out camera insurance). I never took any interest in aluminium cases in the past, but a quick glance at the WarehouseExpress brochure shows products from Vanguard, Clubman and Peli. I?m thinking of buying a small one for the camera body, 2 lenses and a lightmeter. Has anyone got one of these, used it on flights or got any particular recommendations?
Thanks in advance.
BertieGood questions!
I’m due to travel to the UK next week and then Asia the week after. On both trips I’d like to have my camera with me, but there’s no way in hell I’m checking them through unless I can find an absolutely fail safe way of transporting them in the baggage hold. I fear though I don’t have enough time before then and for now I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the restrictions will be lifted before then. One thing to note, is that it’s not just about having your gear protected from the bangs and knocks, but also from theft. I believe (could be an urban myth) that electronic equipment has a nasty habit of disappearing when it’s checked through airports.
Thats not an urban myth – I used to work for an american multinational company who gave strict instructions to all employees travelling on business that under no circumstances should they check laptops into the hold. They were to be carry on at all times. This policy came about after they noticed how many went missing annually when checked in.
It doesn’t solve your problem Nigel.. but for people travelling to the UK from Dublin
http://www.dublinairport.com/at-airport/latest-news/operations_update.html
There are NO restrictions on hand luggage for passengers travelling from Dublin Airport into the United Kingdom although one piece of hand baggage is advisable. However, where passengers are booked for onward connections e.g. Dublin – London Heathrow and on to the United States, hand baggage restrictions will apply.
I’ve been wondering about this myself. I think the best thing is to contact the airline and ask their advice – after all, there are people travelling with sensitive and expensive electronic equipment everyday because they have to.
I have a large Peli case myself and can highly recommend them – much better than any of those metal or aluminium cases. However, there are some problems associated with a case like that. The first is that it screams “Look at me, I’ve got something expensive inside”. The second is that if you are flying to the US, your luggage must remain accessable to security personnel at all times so if you want to lock it you must use a special TSA approved lock. I used to work for a company that sold these and they’re a great idea. But given the present security situation, all hold luggage leaving the US is subject to hand searches, and it’s up to you whether or not you trust your gear in the hands of security personnel doing the searches. Keep in mind that they do have an important but boring job and may not necessarily being paid top dollar.
I guess the best option is to take no camera at all then buy a disposable on the other side and have the film developed before you fly pack home, placing the prints and negatives in the hold luggage :-)
– Thorsten.
ciaran wrote:
It doesn’t solve your problem Nigel.. but for people travelling to the UK from Dublin
http://www.dublinairport.com/at-airport/latest-news/operations_update.html
There are NO restrictions on hand luggage for passengers travelling from Dublin Airport into the United Kingdom although one piece of hand baggage is advisable. However, where passengers are booked for onward connections e.g. Dublin – London Heathrow and on to the United States, hand baggage restrictions will apply.
Thanks Ciaran
For those who may be in the same situation, here’s an exchange of emails with the travel agent who books all the travel for our company:
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[My Email]
I’m flying on Sunday to Atlanta – as detailed in attached E-Ticket.
I am assuming that the revised security measures in the UK and US will similarly apply to my Dublin-Atlanta flight. Could you clarify a couple of things?
(1) What is allowed onto that flight as hand baggage?
(2) If my hold baggage disappears with my laptop, camera and phone in it, what insurance covers the loss? And what do I need to do to prove that I lost those items?
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[Travel Agent’s Reply]
I called Delta airlines and yes you are allowed hand luggage ex Dublin, but the hand luggage must not contain any liquids, ie bottled water, alcohol, creams , shampoo or hair gel type things.
Delta advised that you can bring you lap top on board but that to allow time to do this at the security will be going through these items thoroughly.
Finally if you have to check in anything like cameras, phones, laptops into the hold the airline does not take responsibility for its saftely.
You would have to contact your own insurance company re cover for lost items or damage.
=========================================Thorsten
Thanks for the Peli Case recommendation. Still, it’s a scary one if the airline takes no responsibility for hold insurance. I had also phoned E&L Camera insurance and they stated that they don’t cover hold baggage – this would need to be covered by the airline. Sounds like if we lose something valuable that was sent as hold/checked-in baggage nobody will cover it.Interesting points about the insurance cover. It is amazing how many people take out “insurance,” and never bother to read the terms of the cover. I may have the advantage of being a lawyer, but there really is no excuse for failing to read the terms or seeking clarification about what is covered and what is not.
One of the major ‘exclusions’ in terms of valuable items such as camera and computer equipment, is that it is not covered if left in an unattended vehicle or suchlike, but it varies from policy to policy and from one company to another.
If camera equipment is now going to have to go in the hold when travelling by airline, then you should ensure that any insurance policy provides cover for it. This is not something I have ever had to check, as I have never done it before……but now it looks like it will be routine unfortunately.One thing I would add about insurance, is that invariably the best cover you will get is under the terms of your house insurance poilcy. You need to specify the precise items you are insuring and they will be covered whilst outside the home (including on holiday, in most cases).
Bertie referred to E&L – I think they are the company that put a flyer inside a lot of camera magazines? A lot of these companies include (sometimes unbelievable!) exclusions on what is covered etc. Again the advice has to be to read the terms of the policy before you take the cover out, or to seek written clarification on certain matters if necessary.In golf magazines, insurance companies put flyers in to offer golfers personal liability cover whilst playing golf – to protect against causing injury or damage when playing. In fact most people are already covered for such a claim under the standard PL cover in house insurance policies. I contacted my house insurers and specifically asked them about this, and they confirmed in writing that I would be covered, and there was no need for me to have alternative “golf insurance.” And the way I play golf, I have that letter in the safe! :lol:
brandyman wrote:
One thing I would add about insurance, is that invariably the best cover you will get is under the terms of your house insurance poilcy. You need to specify the precise items you are insuring and they will be covered whilst outside the home (including on holiday, in most cases).
I think this is covered quite thoroughly in another thread on insurance already discussed. You only need to specify precise items if they are above the maximum single item limit for your policy. Brandymans advice is bang on the money, people should know what their policy covers and more importantly what it doesnt. You should also be very aware of what your max single item limit is. When I dropped my old D70 the house insurance paid up in full as the camera came in below this limit, but for my new one I had to add it specifically to the policy.
Nigel,
if its any help I have a large Peli case among other cases and you can borrow it for travelling if you need it. You can put 2 padlocks on it also….its waterproof and all that. If you are thinking of looking at buying cases I have just got a CD Brochure from Stormcase. Have a look at; http://www.allmono.comSorry….a bit of mis-info above…….the link should be http://www.storm.allmono.com
GCP wrote:
Nigel,
if its any help I have a large Peli case among other cases and you can borrow it for travelling if you need it. You can put 2 padlocks on it also….its waterproof and all that. If you are thinking of looking at buying cases I have just got a CD Brochure from Stormcase. Have a look at; http://www.allmono.comThanks indeed for that very kind offer, Gerry. I may be ok for the first trip as ex-Dublin flights are still permitting hand luggage. But the end of September trip, which is the more important one anyway, may be a different story. All the recommendations seem to be for Peli, so I might buy one of those and be done with it. They don’t half seem sturdy – some of their ads show a truck driving over one of their cases!!!
I don’t know why I didn’t think of this earlier as it’s an obvious solution to the problem of carrying camera kit in hand luggage, which may not be permitted – you could just ship it ahead of you using UPS or other carrier. It’s insured and someone has to sign for it at the other end. It’s not without it’s problems but may be a viable solution if you absolutely must have your camera and lenses when you travel but find you cannot take them on board and don’t want to risk leaving them to the baggage handling system and storage in the hold. Aside from avoiding airports with excess security restrictions this seems the only other way other than travelling by sea.
I have compared both in my hand and Stormcases are far far superior, way better all round.
To draw a similarity: Pelican = Anorak Stormcase = Bulletproof Vest!I would not let my gear travel without using my own stormcase.
Email your address to Andre and he will post you a Promotional DVD Video and a brochure, view range or buy online at:
http://storm.allmono.comWe had this experience since the new restrictions came in 10 days ago and out of Dublin the hand luggage was fine – it fitted in the ‘measuring box’. However the Gatwick (and UK generally) security have a tiny little box for measuring hand luggage and Barry’s small backpack wouldn’t fit. He was told to check it. :shock: This was never going to happen. Even with a great case the chances are the bag would go missing. And our insurance covers all kit for all risks on all journeys but that wasn’t the point – we needed the cameras.
Instead he took both bodies, lenses and hoods and assembled them. ( Gear is kept to a minimum on location for us.) We each carried one on our necks and with the bag now almost empty it fitted in the box thingy, and we were let through. A camera on your neck isn’t really considered to be hand luggage. I also had a macbook which was just x-rayed but I’d say do make sure to have enough power to boot if ness.
We weren’t going stateside but it was longhaul. All liquids, creams, gels (even lip balm, baby’s milk, toothpaste, water) were all being taken from or sent back and that seems to be the main problem now.
If you are going ex Dublin I’d say you’ll face fewer problems.
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