Carry on luggage for Aegean and Olympic Air. Need response ASAP!!!!

Sometimes they check, sometimes they don't. If you're overweight and they check all they'll do is charge you extra. It used to be 1 euro per kilo, not sure what it is now.

Lee, thank you. Always a big help! I guess we will have to find a sneaky way for them not to check the weight of our carry on. I'm thinking of having my friends watch my bag for me while I check in so that the ticket agent won't see that I have a carry on. Do you think that will work?

That is unlikely to work. You have to declare any luggage you are bringing. Some discount airlines are extremely strick about their luggage allowances and make sizable fees on overweight luggage. I don't know about Aegean/Olympic, but if they charge than you pay the fee or check the bag. If the fee is high, why wouldn't you just check the bag as the weight allowance for checked bags will be higher.

You think they haven't seen that before? What will you do when they check at the gate? If they think you are playing games with them they can quite easily deny you passage.

At our last checkin with Aegean they put a colored tag on the carryon bag after checking it for weight and size. Noticed a couple who tried what you are suggesting with a duffel bag that was obviously too big and probably over weight. As we board I could see the gate people quietly looking at the each bag for the tag as people were walking by. At the gate the couple were stopped and they tried to argue that the tag had fallen off. As we walked by the couple was stating loudly that they had carried the bag on before, no problem, etc. You can guess who won that argument. We never saw the couple board BUT we were towards the back of the plane and they could have sat up front.

Why don't you just check the bags? We've never had any trouble with bags being lost on those little hops and it just takes a few minutes to get them from baggage claim.

Thanks for all your help. It's really not an issue of checking my bags in. The problem is that I somehow always have overweight luggage and it costs too much to pay that extra baggage fee. My one large luggage is literally half empty and it weighs about 20 kilos.

Gabriel, As you've discovered, the European Airlines often have much more restrictive luggage limits and they usually enforce them, although as Lee said, sometimes they check and sometimes they don't. I can't comment on Olympic, but I used Aegean last year on a flight from Santorini to Athens and Milan. As I recall, I had to weigh my large Backpack prior to checking it. I don't recall any issues with my carry-on, although it's possible they didn't check as the Bag appeared to be within limits. If it's possible to move any of the items from your carry-on into your checked luggage, it will reduce both size and weight of the carry-on, so that might help. Good luck!

There is something really wrong when a half empty suitcase weights 45 pounds. Maybe this will provide some incentive to pack a little lighter. While it is easy for everyone say you should pack lighter, I believe it is learned behavior and you need to be motivated. Some people just refuse to accept the idea that you can adequate pack within a 20 lb limit and have lots of excuses for why they cannot do it. It is unfortunate that you have been caught off guard but no airline or anyone else has an obligation to tell you what their limits are other than to provide general information. It is your obligation to know that information.

Frank, I think your tone is rather unnecessary. I am fully aware of packing light for a trip. I've had these issues before. Is it my fault that in the USA very large luggage pieces are made and sold to us? I am on a lengthy trip and needed the large luggage piece to fit all of the souvenirs I purchased. How else am I supposed to take them back home? I never asked for a lecture, just a solution. Anyway, thanks to all of the rest of you for your help.

OK, so I still don't get it. If your suitcase, Queen Mary size as you say it is, has only become half full why don't you just put your excess carryon into the checked 90 pound (when full) suitcase? You wanted a solution? Solution provided.

Today I flew on Aegean from Santorinii to Athens on a saver fare, the cheapest most no-frills ticket you can get. No one even asked me about my carryon bag, no one weighed my checked bag, no one said anything about my tote, which was bulging with my netbook, camera, nook book and various other items. It wasn't early so sleepiness wasn't the excuse, she wasn't busy so confusion wasn't an issue. She was quite pleasant, smiled and wished me a pleasant day. It really does matter who's doing what and when, and I find that a greeting and a friendly smile go a long way. Even the security check-in was casual in spite of the fact that a full charter flight to Munich was being processed at the same time.

PACK LIGHT This is NOT a lecture - just sage, experienced advice so please take it as such. I have traveled to Europe a number of times for 6 to 7 weeks using one piece of luggage which weighed approx 25 lbs including the weight of the bag - one of Rick's great bags. One does have to be creative but I managed to be appropriately dressed for many different settings - very casual to semi-formal to business.
As for souvenirs for your friends - ask yourself a simple question - will the intended recipient really want a souvenirs from your vacation????? Again, this is advice and not a criticism. But I seen many "thoughtful" souvenirs (none bought by me) in garage sales, 2nd hand stores, etc. Happy travels and hopefully your worries and loads will be less as a result of all the great advice you have received.

I love the rationalizations of people who pack heavy and complain about it. ----- Is it my fault that in the USA very large luggage pieces are made and sold to us?----- And who's decision was it to buy the very large luggage piece? No free will? The clerk must have held a gun to your head.

Lee, you are right. I flew with Aegean from Istanbul to Mykonos and flew Olympic from Santorini to Athens. No issue whatsoever. I moved things around in my bags just in case there would be an issue.

I also flew in May from Athens to Santorini on Aegean with no problems with my back pack carry on. There were other folks with guitar cases, some with more than one carry on, one guy with what looked to be a rifle carrier that just walked onto the plane with no issues.