To check bags or not to check bags

Woodson -

It would depend on which airline you're ticketed under. For example, if you're on an American flight number, which happens to be operated by Air Berlin, your AA carry-on/checked requirements should override Air Berlin's, but you never know who going to be having a bad day at the airport gate.

I feel that the thing is about checking anything, especially while going to vacation, is that a good portion of your trip could be disrupted, even from a comfort standpoint by the airlines losing something for even a day.

Anyway that you can get everything into the roller, and get the daypack in there too? Wear heavy jacket on plane and big shoes too? Pickup toiletries there? Wash a couple things in sink when there to reduce the amount of things? I know easier said than done :) Just a couple of thoughts...

I don't think you can count on AA policies overriding those of the European carrier. I'd suggest you call and check.

With Delta and its partners, the rules that apply are those of the airline that's actually flying the plane. My last trip, booked through Delta, was flown exclusively on their European partners (Including the segments leaving and returning to SFO). In each case, the carry-on rules were those of the European partner; there was no segment on which the Delta rules applied.

I don't know whether Air Berlin spells out specific size requirements for a personal item. If not, I'd say you can bring any bag that will go under the seat in front of you. I've carried Rick's Hideaway Tote as my personal item on several flights, and if it was full of heavy stuff, I pretended it was light.

I'd check Air Berlin's rules. Most of the internal European airlines I've flown on have very strict size and weight rules and although we carry-on from here to Europe, we have always been required to check our larger carry-on when we get on a European airline and we've been allowed only one piece of cabin baggage which is also restricted by size and weight.

I'd guess that you will go through passport control at Dusseldorf. That might affect all of this, but AA or Air Berlin or others more savvy about that on this forum are better to speak to that issue.

We flew Air Berlin from Florence to Stuttgart over the Alps in 2011. By then we weren't surprised by the requirement to check our RS convertiblbe backpacks. We were surprised to discover that our plane was a turbo prop! So you might want to find out what kind of plane you will be flying on from Dusseldorf to Salzburg.

The plane we flew on was the Q400 which you can find on this page. There's a good reason why we had to check our backpacks for that flight.

While looking for that, I stumbled on this Air Berlin baggage info. Pay particular attention to the size and weight limitations. Sometimes it's the weight that's the issue.

I know most here don't check bags, but we almost always do.

This was on the Air Berlin baggage web page:
If one of your flights is operated by one of airberlin's airline partners, the hand baggage allowance is subject to the terms and conditions of that particular airline.

Sounds like they should go by AA rules since I booked with them and they are handling the flight from USA to Germany but I should probably call.

"I know most here don't check bags, but we almost always do."

I'm going to bet that many here (secretly) DO check bags.
They may not brag about it here, but they do it.
You're going to Europe for a few weeks, for gosh sakes. If you want to have decent clothes for a restaurant, etc--go ahead, check it (we won't tell anyone).

I'm assuming that your "Alpine tour" is a hiking or climbing hut to hut tour in contrast to "Alpine Touring Skiing" (i.e. Haute Route). You would probably need a 50 litre pack which would likely be on the long side of Air Berlin's 55 cm length limit. http://www.airberlin.com/en/site/flug_gepaeck_luggage.php

Even if you meet AA carry-on size limits, the short hop aircraft have smaller and more limited cabin storage than the transcontinental equipment. You may not be charged as a AA fare based passenger but could get gate checked. Don't give up your boots!

I've traveled with my 50 liter backpack as checked baggage in a large LL Bean Rolling Adventure Duffle Bag. Trekking poles fit the duffle bag as would an ice ax. I carry-on my essential mountain clothing and boots operating on a worst case that I could rent gear if my checked bag is lost or severely delayed.

The operating plan is staying at the same hotel at my gateway city so that I can leave the duffle bag with city clothing etc in the hotel's left luggage room.

woodsonj3,

i havent flown AirBerlin so i can't say, but i have flown some other puddle jumpers and they had some strict luggage requirements and were enforcing them at the gate.

For me, if I'm on my return trip back home, its not a big deal , but if I'm on the way there and starting my trip, i try not to check in my luggage. I know i can buy a lot of my stuff overthere if they loose my check in, but thats not the purpose of my trip.

as mentioned depending on the size/shape of the craft, there may not be enough room for a "normal" carry on - whatever that is.

good luck.

happy trails.

Woodsonj3,

"If one of your flights is operated by one of airberlin's airline partners, the hand baggage allowance is subject to the terms and conditions of that particular airline. "

I interpret this in exactly the opposite way you did. I read it to mean that when on AA (or any of their other partner airlines), you will follow AA's (or those other airlines') rules, but when on Air Berlin, you will follow Air Berlin's rules.

Calling would be a good idea. Surprises upon jet-lagged arrival may not be happy ones.

My understanding is that when you are on an airline's "metal", i.e. a plane owned and operated by that airline, you follow its requirements.

What others have said about the size of the overhead bins is also very important. For example, I frequently fly with Delta tickets from Tucson to Salt Lake City and then from Salt Lake City to Seattle. The flight from Tucson is actually on a Skywest CRJ and almost everyone who hasn't checked their bag, has to gate check their carry-on because the overhead bins are way too small for a regulation 22" carry-on. When I get on the Delta plane, there's plenty of room for my bag in the overhead bins.

Also, 8 kg is only 17.6 pounds and 2 kg for the 2nd carry-on is 4.4 pounds. That's not much for either, even if you are allowed to carry both on as cabin/hand baggage.

I would check both just in case. It'll be nice to not have to lug both bags everywhere anyway. I also have a bag question. I'm going on a trip to Africa over the summer and want a sturdy duffel bag. My question is, what kind should I bring? I've been looking at this guys site http://www.squidoo.com/best-travel-duffel-bag and I'm not sure if any of them fit me or not. Would the PHT Victory duffel bag be a good choice? I need something small enough I could carry it on.