[LargeFormat] Hand Luggage UK Airports - Suggestions?

[Michael Briggs]

On 04-Jan-2004 mark blackman wrote:

> 3. If you have to make an insurance claim for damaged equipment, you'll 
> have less hassle if the stuff was handled by the airline or its baggage 
> operator than if you were personally responsible for its care. (I used 
> to work for Lloyds's of London; believe me, insurance companies love to 
> blame the claimant for their own misfortune)

If you are personally responsible for your equipment, loss or damage will be
less likely.

Before shipping your camera equipment in checked baggage, be sure to carefully
check the insurance coverage.  Even easier than blaming the claimant is
pointing out that the policy doesn't cover the loss.   The default coverage
from the airlines typically excludes photo equipment.   Many homeowners policies
cover theft but not lost items.  If your checked bag doesn't make it to the
destination, the insurance company can classify it as lost rather than stolen. 
You might want to purchase additional insurance.

At least in the US and with US airlines in Europe, I can easily carry my LF
kit, excepting tripod and screwdrivers, on board.  With the small commuter
planes, the LF bag gets checked planside.   

This hasn't been difficult for me.  As strange as it may seem, since 9/11 the
probability that they inspectors will open my LF bag has gone down.

For the original question of UK airports, for traveling to the US, I would
expect a US airline to follow the US rules of 22 X 14 X 9 inches and 40 pounds
(as US rules, non-metric!).  I don't have recent experience with travel to/from
the UK, but this has been my experience at other European airports.

--Michael