Anyone fly with carry on recently on Alitalia?

I booked on Alitalia before reading the weight limits (stupid, I know). I haven't gone yet, but I've been working very hard to try to get everything down to a carryon and I think I'll be able to.

My tips:

1) Get the lightest luggage you can. Forget wheels. I bought RS Civita daybag to use as a daybag and Appenzell daybag which is a little larger for my luggage. Alitalia lets you take a personal item and according to other people on this site, aren't too picky. Of course, you never know when it might be your unlucky day...

2) I bought a tiny camera that weighs 0.4oz.

3) Pack the bare minimum of what you think you need, then go back and get rid of anything else you possibly can. Plan on buying toothpaste, shampoo, etc. in Italy. Plan on laundry.

4) Instead of taking books to read on the flight, try loading some audiobooks or language program onto an Ipod. Rip apart or photocopy your guidebook and take only the relevant sections.

Continued...

I'm going for 1 week in December, but my (tenative) packing list so far is:

1 pants, 2 shirts, 1 sweater, coat, gloves, scarf, neck pillow, contact lenses/solution, glasses, sunglasses, 2 pairs of socks, 2 pairs underwear, 1 bra (will only apply to you obviously :-)), long underwear (to double as nightwear), washcloth, deodorant, neck pillow, tiny flashlight, moneybelt, camera, spare battery (instead of charger), travel alarm clock, chapstick, money, and documents.

I have bad feet so I'm debating trying to fit a 2nd pair of shoes in there, but it probably won't happen.

Just keep packing and trimming and weighing.

Good luck!

THANKS for the advice & good luck to you too! I'll try to remember to let you know how it went when I return.
Kelly

and soap Kelly.. dont' forget soap.. hotels provide it..... but it's those teeny tiny little squares of non-sudsing stuff.(I'm sure you can buy it there if you don't want to pack it... and dont' forget sani wipes for your hands.. the powder rooms are NOT what you might expect in NH.. Cioa.. Katie

I travel each year to Italy for business and generally fly with Alitalia within Italy. I think my carry on would be more than 11 lbs as I have a purse, a large purse looking bag for my laptop and then a little wheelie case for other bits and pieces. I have never been stopped or had my luggage weighed. You would be most amused to see what the average Italian business man takes on board. I suppose basically what I am trying to say is don't stress too much. However maybe I have just been lucky. With three of you you should be able to share the load. Men don't seem to need as much. I think there is some lee way as long as you don't have masses of stuff. Good luck - be interested to hear how you go.

Helen, so a purse is considered a "personal item" allowed in addition to a carry-on bag? I saw them list briefcases and laptops as this category on the Alitalia website but thought it funny that they didn't mention purses - a pretty common item!!! I should be perfectly OK with that 11 lb limit as long as I don't have to stuff the purse in that bag too! My carry-on also is really a duffel, and the handles are soft/collapsible. They shouldn't count against the size limit, right?

Also, please be aware that you are NOT required to remove your laptop from your bag, at least in Italy/France, when going through security.

I flew Alitalia last summer and was really stressed about the 11 lb. limit. I had my Mac laptop in a Pacsafe totebag, my Pacsafe purse and another small carry-on bag that I was prepared to check if required. No problem at all going from Toronto to Rome to Venice - they weren't even weighed.

On the way home from Rome to Toronto, I had all of the above plus a large duty-free shopping bag filled with goodies and again nothing was said. There were others getting on the plane with carry-on suitcases and huge shopping bags as well.

Have a great trip!