Carrying extra

Any chance Bob of having your forward travelling friend take a little extra luggage? I have only flown (thrice/vica versa) between Roma and Palermo with AirOne and they have become VERY antsy with weight limits. I presume you will fly to Catania? I'd be ringing airlines to get the best deal. Best wishes for a successful venture.

Is the field school sponsored by a major university or professional organization? IF so, they may work with travel professionals who can help you.

Your best bet is to work with the airline you're flying with. It may go as extra luggage or as freight. It can get special handling if you alert the airline ahead of time.

And definitely make sure you have the proper documentation from the Italian government to do the dig and take part in it. Especially in today's world, if you come into a country with that much electronic equipment, they're going to ask questions.

We've got all of the permits and everything together- except for a few details like this.

Once I know a bit more, I'll try talking to the airlines about it. I'm hoping that we can check them as additional items.

Thanks for the replies.

Tom- too much stuff for a pack (two cameras, two GPS units (one large), and other somewhat esoteric equipment along with laptop and all cables), but it does all easily fit in the Avanti (along with the other things going on the plane). I wouldn't want to carry that stuff anyway (I have to use a roll around because of a cane).

Frank- the battery is a small sealed lead-acid type (such as found in the old VHS camcorders). If it's kept in the (rather bulky) GPS carrying pouch, it is protected against accidental shorting.

The travel arrangments are being made for me, because I'll be TAing (assisting to teach and teaching). Normally the tickets would have been purchased some time back, but the situation prevented that.

As far as carrying equipment- it's the norm but I don't know how other schools arrange it. I suspect it's checked as extra luggage. I thought I'd ask about it here.

Is there a reason that your flight needs to go through England? Will you be in transit or is England a destination--maybe for a meeting? I have always avoided going through LHR in transit and this year that's a really good idea! In January when I was making the flight arrangements for my husband's folk dance trip to Bulgaria, I could have saved some money by having him go through London but decided it was more important that he have good connections. (He'll take only carry-on but on the return flight he quite possibly will have a cargo bag.)
I realize that you might not be making the actual flight arrangements but maybe you could at least suggest not going through LHR?

If you can put the electronics in a say pack (GPS, Cam, Laptop) then you can have that as a personal item (if its not to big) and carry on the other items in your RS-Bag as your regular carry on. They dont or shouldnt weigh your "personal item" bag if it looks small.

I and a couple of others have said to avoid Heathrow (I've been hearing about all of the problems)- but best price may be the overriding factor. The schools are being forced to cut a huge amount from the budget (they're trying to make us grad students- who are the lowest paid- bear the cost of the reductions while the administration is fighting any cuts to their bloated budget) and so price has become the overriding factor.

However, the argument that a different airport/flight combination would allow me to have extra checked items might make a difference.

All of the electronic stuff we're taking is too bulky for something hand-carried (it does fit in the Avanti.) As it is, I'm going to have to take a lot of the stuff out of their carrying cases so as to save room- and wrapping each item in something like bubble wrap.

Even the battery and carrying pouch for my mapping GPS will be packed in my checked bag.

Bob...are they lithium batteries? If so, you better check the TSA rules regarding them in checked baggage.

If you are leaving in about a month, and haven't made air reservations yet, ugh, what are you waiting for?

One thing..if you can stick with one airline, you'll have a better chance of not losing any checked luggage than interlining. Find out which airlines fly to the Sicilian airport you want to use. And then work backwards.

And you might want to actually talk to the airline before purchasing tickets. Get their suggestions on how to carry everything.

And once again, check with the university's travel department to see if they can be of help. If not, check with any professional organizations regarding archeology and find out how other groups going to digs traveled with their equipment.

I also thought I'd add-

I'll be staying and working out of one town in Sicily for 5 weeks, and the requirements are very different than taking a tour. I'm more concerned about getting everything needed within the limits set by the airlines and airports, not about portability. For instance, I'll be carrying work clothes and heavy work boots for the field, as well as personal tools and so on (all checked- I don't think they'd like my sharpened trowel, rock hammer, or multitool in carry-on). The longest I'd have to drag stuff around is between transportation and the airport- and maybe between flights.

My professor is bringing the more exotic stuff.

I've never traveled out of the US before, and although I'll be taking a bit more than is standard equipment for the field, at the same time I will be doing more non-standard (and specialized/technical) archaeology than the usual.

Bob, your lithium batteries will certainly not be a problem. Only problem that I can see is that you are on this wonderful venture in my favourite place, and not me!!!

Pat, the rules in Australia are different than the U.S.....loose lithium batteries are not allowed in checked luggage.

From the TSA website:

Effective January 1, 2008, the Department of Transportation (DOT) through the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) will no longer allow loose lithium batteries in checked baggage.

Bob...you said it. YOu're not taking a tour. Most people here can help you with tours and individual travel. What you need is specialized info and can easily be gotten by asking the professor or others who have had to transport equipment.

True, Frank. However, while my own professor(s) are well traveled, I thought I'd also get suggestions from other travelers.

This time of year, we're all very busy (especially the professors!)

So I'm trying to ask some of my questions without bothering them.

At one point, disposable razors were not allowed past TSA security. (They are now.)

Back when they weren't, a well known news anchor told the story how at the TSA security checkpoint, they took away his disposable razors and then let him pass. He went to one of the shops (in the secure zone) to get zomething to read and saw disposable razors for sale. He bought a package and took them with him on board.

At some airports, you can wait until your checked baggage is screened before going to the gate. I always say I'd like to stay here in case you have any questions. They never do and my bag is sent into baggage routing.

Thanks Frank. I take the batteries, you can take knitting needles on board - I can't. lol really, the world has gone mad and is becoming madder by the day.

A bit off topic- but my brother had one of those little army surplus can openers confiscated by TSA. (The little tiny one that folds up). He'd had the thing for years- and wasn't happy with them at all.

I've found what I thought was the best deal, but it's being questioned/doubted. About $1400 for round trip to Sicily, scheduled to leave and arrive at the proper days- arriving there on a Thursday and leaving on a Saturday (and avoiding Heathrow, as I've heard a lot of horror stories about the place). It's through British Airways. I used Expedia to search.

Is Heathrow still a source of headache- especially as I'd have to travel between there and Gatwick to catch the connecting flight? Since I use a cane to walk, would there be extra problems? It seems my professor thinks that Heathrow (with the commute to Gatwick) is a good place to go through- although most of the flights I've looked at were a bit more expensive than going straight through Gatwick.

heathrow is still having difficulties with luggage. check with your travel organiser, or read the british news on www.bbc.co.uk