Carry-on Luggage Question

One thing you can do if you're worried about this is make sure you can put your laptop-size daybag inside your roll-aboard. That way you'd just have the one bag, and since "pack light" should be your mantra anyway, you should be able to do that and have it be about 12 kg (especially if, as you say, you're not a shopper).

As for the carry on limit, I know this is true for some in-Europe flights, but I don't know about international. You could always check the relevant airport's website to see if they say anything about limiting your luggage, or double check with your carrier. I personally have never had this problem, but I usually check my luggage on the way back, and the last time I didn't was in 2005 so who knows if regulations have changed.

London's Heathrow used to have a one-carry on rule for the security checkpoint and then I'd slip my shoulder bag out of my roll-on once I'd cleared that hurtle. They and I think every other airport now follows the one carry on one personal item rule. Some airlines (Quantas for example) actually does weigh your two carry on items and makes sure they fit the dimensions. Personally I like the carry on restrictions. Before they went into effect there was a better than 50/50 chance the overhead bins would be full before 2/3 of the passengers were on board. The weight restrictions have really cut down on people wearing a huge backpack and claiming it was their "personal" item. Give me a break.

I just got back from a trip.. I flew Air France over & back from Seattle\San Fransisco to Paris and KLM between Amsterdam & Madrid. I had the 22" roll-aboard and a pretty standard size daypack. I had no issues with the airline or in the airports.

Thanks, Jeff - that's a relief. Was the airport in Paris CDG?

Yes it was CDG

In November I flew home from Germany (not Amsterdam), and I was able to take on a regulation sized (20", not 22" plus wheels and handles) carryon AND a small case (smaller than a purse) with a netbook computer. So if some countries are limiting carryon baggage to one piece it was certainly NOT Germany, and I have heard nothing to indicate it now is a policy of any country (used to be in the UK). I would be more worried about your 22" rollaboard. Most luggage of that type is actually, with wheels and handles, bigger than 22", and with the criteria they have already published, they would have every right to refuse to let you carry it on. Maybe they haven't in the past, but they do state that 55 cm is the limit and they would be perfectly within their rights to disallow it.

Thanks, Lee - my 22" roll-aboard is within regs - it's actually 52 cm including wheels and handles. I just rounded off in inches, since most folks here are in the U.S.

Lily
I agree make sure your 2nd bag can fit inside the other bag. Not sure on KLM, but some of the Euro airlines say one bag.. they mean ONE bag (including the purse, etc.).

Aer Lingus has that rule and they also had the weight rule. However, from San Francisco, it didn't seem they checked... yet others post they did weigh their carry on. Each city is different, even with the same carrier. Go figure.

The only time I've seen that restriction was flying within Europe. Easy Jet is very particular about the size and weight of carry ons.

Hi, Lily. Have you booked your flight yet? That KLM flight is awful, and always 100% full. I spoke to some of the stewardesses, and they said it is pretty much full near 100pct of the time.

I was a Seattlite in a relationship with someone living just outside Amsterdam for work, so I've taken that flight more times than I care to count. Never a good experience.

Anyway - the reason I mention it is, they are always starved for overhead luggage room on that particular flight. Pretty much every time I've flown it, I've watched them have to store some people's bags under the plane after boarding.

I'd either A). Try and get in the line as soon as possible B). Pay for early boarding (if NW or KLM offers it.. dunno) C.) See if you can find another flight, or D). Just be OK with the fact that your bag might wind up getting stuffed under anyway.

Anyoo, that's my 2p. I've just had terrible experiences with that particular flight, personally. Best of luck! Chris

I heard this as well, that flying OUT of Italy they limit you to ONE carry on bag.
I flew into Italy from Toronto (no problems with carry on size) and out of Zurich (again, no problems and my bag was 18kg). Both planes I was on were full and there was ample room for everyone's carryon bags so I wouldn't worry too much about the size if it is a standard carry-on size or the weight...