According to British Airways' published measurements for a personal item, the Ravenna day bag exceeds the allowance by 1".... Ravenna: 15" x 11-1/2" x 7" versus BA 16" x 12" x 6".
Has anyone who has flown BA with Ravenna as their personal bag run into any problems because of that inch?
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it is too big on 2 dimensions, you might get away with it,but do you feel lucky.................well do you?
I took it on five BA flights last year with no problem. I took the RS Euro Flight Bag on four BA flights last year as well. No problem. They didn't seem too concerned with the personal items but glanced at my main carry on a few times.
Remember, the Ravenna is not a hard sided bag. If not filled completely, it will make the grade.
Frank is right, just don't stuff it completely.
I have never had a personal item sized or seen it happen on BA or other regular airline. The budget airlines may. Do they even have sizers, like they do for your bag that goes overhead?
I think the rule seems to be if it fits under the seat it's ok. I don't have this bag, but it looks soft. Therefore you could easily squish it to meet the requirements and squish it under the seat. Don't pack it full, especially of things that won't squish like books or computers.
This is a new standard for BA. I don't think it existed in 2015 or at least they hadn't gotten to enforce it yet. I think if your bag is soft and not stuffed, they might not tag you. However, in the past they never paid attention to personal items and this year they are. If they are close to being too large, they put a yellow tag on it so you can get it through the gate. The standards for surveying this were more strict in different airports. Their purpose is to make sure you keep your personal item under the seat. They don't want any in the overhead bins, so think of your size and your leg room, too, when choosing your bag. Mine was 2" smaller, if I recall correctly, and I found it to be perfect, especially for aisle seats that often have an entertainment box.
PS: This observation was from my trip to Greece, which ended two weeks ago. Obviously, they don't tag your bag if you check your suitcase. I did carryon, on the way, which I loathe to do, but I had a sleep over between flights so thought this was best, so I needed my personal items perused, and I received a yellow tag. On the way home, I was still watching the airline and their yellow tags. Even though the flight was not full, they were still yellow tagging the personal items, for those who had a carryon as well.
Yes, about a year ago British Airline tagged our personal items in the way from Barcelona. They weren't measured - the tag was to gaurantee that the bag was able to fly with us (not be subject to gate check) and also noted that it had to go under the seat. I think this is to stop people from using bin space for underseat bags.
Thank you all for your replies!
@unclegus: I saw what you did there. LOL! Great reference to Dirty Harry. :-D Oh! And it's actually just the one dimension (width) where the measures differ....7" vs 6".
@Frank II: I was hoping that was the case. I'm a #TeamCarryOn gal and will be traveling with my 18" roller + the Ravenna on my upcoming RS Germany, Austria, Switzerland tour. (in 2 more weeks! YAY!) On the outside chance that I couldn't carry the Ravenna, I did a test-pack with my Travelon sling bag. It's much smaller but I made it work. Still, I prefer to take the Ravenna, thus my decision to pose the question here. Thx much for sharing your personal experience. :-)
@Mira: Ryanair has/had a sizer for both carryon AND personal bag. (see pic in link) I had visions of the Ravenna having to go into a gadget like this and not fit well. I considered the Civita bag (passes BA's requirements, but it's not waterproof....there is a good chance that it will rain at some point of the tour.
http://n7.alamy.com/zooms/3231c70e1aa042579f9b9c0c4f1da3d4/ryanair-budget-airline-e1xj6p.jpg
So....note to self....do not stuff Ravenna. :-D
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The front compartment is gusseted, so if it doesn't pooch out too much you might not hit the 7". Mine has a lot of stuff in the main compartment and two front compartments, and some grocery bags stuffed in the mesh pockets and it is at 15 x 11.5 x 6.
In case you are interested, on my current trip, I'm using an Eagle Creek Gear Tote--Small.
I saw it a couple of week before my trip and bought it. It is great. Lightweight, pass thru to fit over the handles of my wheeled bag, and very sturdy.
I made one modification. There are two small handles on either side of the zipper. I attached a cable key ring to either side that allowed me to attach a shoulder strap. That turned the bag into a shoulder/messenger bag as well as a tote bag.
Great hack, Frank II. And I notice the bag has a red o-ring. :-)
I've repacked from the sling bag into the Ravenna, and there is no pooching out. This bag will definitely fit beneath the seat in front of me.
And, a vote from me too on the nice hack, Frank II.
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No red o-ring but there is a snap hook on a lead. What I did was take another Cable Key ring and connect it to the snap hook. Et voila.....an "o" ring.
The new baggage rules took effect August, 2015. Underseat (personal) bag 16×12×6. Carry-on luggage are now 22×18x10. Hope that helps. Happy and safe travels, everyone!
