Airline Baggage

[thailand]

I will be flying with Qatar airlines USA-Doha-BKK. 

A small carry-on suitcase would be enough for my trip, but I am having problems with the 7 kg weight rule because just the suitcase takes up nearly half the weight. I have a laptop bag/backpack that I could use to make sure my carry-on only weighed 7kg, but the laptop bag would be at least 7 kg or over too. I would not be using a checked bag with this method. Would the airline weigh my laptop bag since I intend to use it as a personal item? If you were in my situation would you check a bag and not worry about weights or use the carry-on and backpack method?

This seems like a basic question, but I have never flown before and the last thing I want is problems at the airport. Thanks everyone. 

 

 

 

[Barhop]

19 minutes ago, thailand said:

I will be flying with Qatar airlines USA-Doha-BKK. 

A small carry-on suitcase would be enough for my trip, but I am having problems with the 7 kg weight rule because just the suitcase takes up nearly half the weight. I have a laptop bag/backpack that I could use to make sure my carry-on only weighed 7kg, but the laptop bag would be at least 7 kg or over too. I would not be using a checked bag with this method. Would the airline weigh my laptop bag since I intend to use it as a personal item? If you were in my situation would you check a bag and not worry about weights or use the carry-on and backpack method?

This seems like a basic question, but I have never flown before and the last thing I want is problems at the airport. Thanks everyone. 

 

Suggest: 1. that you forget about the laptop bag.  I have a slot in my carry on backpack where it goes.

2. Your laptop will not be in your carry on when you go through the system.  It is separate in the tray - together with mobile, battery pack and all other stuff you must show them.

3. Without your laptop AND laptop bag in your weight calculation - you may find the 7kg is easy.

Cheers, enjoy...

[biggles]

Some of the LCC airlines, eg Air Asia, include any bags you carry on board, including laptop/tablet but a lot of the more "expensive" airlines dont. Not a lot of consistency tho, Cebu Pacific, a LCC in the Philippines, have never included my laptop bag. I would suggest you check with them directly, perhaps an email, tobe sure

[blake7373]

I would expect a Qatar ticket will allow baggage a no extra cost, why not check a bag in?

To answer your question, they will check your weight when you are over doing it - and will not when you are under 7kgs, it's Murphy's Law. 

Wow first flight! Enjoy.

[thailand]

Thanks for replying everyone. The "laptop bag" is pretty much a backpack with an extra compartment I was wanting to stuff in any of the clothes that was over the weight limit and the carry-on is a small one with wheels. I was reading online that online/mobile check-in can get you out of having your bags weighed, but i'm not sure how successful it would be. 

[thailand]

5 minutes ago, blake7373 said:

I would expect a Qatar ticket will allow baggage a no extra cost, why not check a bag in?

To answer your question, they will check your weight when you are over doing it - and will not when you are under 7kgs, it's Murphy's Law. 

Wow first flight! Enjoy.

I would be able to check two bags for free. I feel like that would would reduce any chance of baggage issues at the airport, but my preference would be to keep them with me. 

[Ron Rat]

Remember that anything dodgy such as pocket knife they will make it check in anyway or you lose it. Stuff like water bottles etc can be an issue. Another way to get weight down is wear your heaviest clothes. Alot of airlines allow laptops seperate anyway. Stuff like phones etc put in your pockets. While waiting to board put it in your carryon. Thinks like a book etc carry it as well. When you get here you won't need that many clothes.

[bbbz]

Call the airline and decide.

[hioctane]

No need to worry. If they ask you if you have anything to check in just say no. Just don't overstuff your carryon (don't open expandable pockets). If they make you weigh and check in, so be it. There is no charge anyway.

[Wolf Cat]

Nothing wrong with checking in baggage, millions of people do it everyday.

[jennings]

On 5/28/2018 at 01:05, thailand said:

I will be flying with Qatar airlines USA-Doha-BKK. 

A small carry-on suitcase would be enough for my trip, but I am having problems with the 7 kg weight rule because just the suitcase takes up nearly half the weight. I have a laptop bag/backpack that I could use to make sure my carry-on only weighed 7kg, but the laptop bag would be at least 7 kg or over too. I would not be using a checked bag with this method. Would the airline weigh my laptop bag since I intend to use it as a personal item? If you were in my situation would you check a bag and not worry about weights or use the carry-on and backpack method?

This seems like a basic question, but I have never flown before and the last thing I want is problems at the airport. Thanks everyone. 

 

 

 

I haven’t flown with Qatar. But flying with EVA air they weigh the carry on bag, but not my backpack.  So If I’m over I put extra in the backpack, then transfer it to the carry on after checking in at the ticket counter. I’ve never had them check the weight of the carry on at the boarding area.

[Luv2Phuket]

Last year, the airline (and it MAY have been Qatar) weighed my carry-on at LAX, and it was way over.  I mentioned that I had my laptop bag inside of it, took it out and I was fine.  IIRC, the desk agent didn't even weigh it again -- she just said "oh...okay, you have a laptop bag inside of it."

One word of caution for your return from Doha to the USA on Qatar - get to the gate early! 

Qatar has an individual check of electronics at the gate for flight to the USA.  They take your laptop/electronics (think smartphones are okay) out and put them in a sealed plastic bag, which you cannot unseal until after you get on the plane.  That REALLY slows things down.  I was flying business class, so I boarded first, and my group was finishing boarding by the time I got through the gate security.  I think it took a good 20-30 minutes.

[hioctane]

Checking the carry on weight is highly dependent on the airline and airport. There is no definitive answer. I was recently flying AirAsia out of DMK and no such check. I was then in KUL and they actually had someone with a scale right before the security entrance. They made me check in! 

[Proffesor]

Before I moved to Pattaya, my vacations were scuba diving holidays, normally on "Live Aboards". I would take an underwater video camera and all of the accessories, including lights. This was before the days of micro cams. I had an aluminum trunk in which all of the larger items traveled, nestled in foam. I had a second bag for clothes and the dive suit. That left the laptop ( for editing ) and a plethora of batteries and their chargers etc.

I bought a fisherman's waistcoat on-line, that had about 14 separate small pockets, all with zip or velcro fasteners. I'd load all of the batteries, chargers, micro video tapes etc etc in the pockets and wear the waistcoat ( which now weighed about 8 Kg ) when I checked in. My wheeled carry-on had an expansion zip. In it's standard state it would weigh 7 Kg and comply with the stated dimensions. With the expansion zip opened, it would be 25 % larger. After check-in I would take the waistcoat off, expand the carry on, put the folded waistcoat inside and tow it to the plane.

[biggles]

The issue of weighing bags has always annoyed me. We usually use LCC around SEA and nominate and pay for checked bags. GF weighs 47 kg, with a paid for 20 kg total is 67kg but if she is a little over she pays a premium rate for the excess, usually for a minimum of 5kg.,

Chubby passenger turns up, weighs 90 kg and has paid for 20kg extra. So he puts 110kg of TOTAL WEIGHT on the plane, GF has only a Total of 67 kg but they want to charge her extra? It is all going into the same plane to be moved around so there needs to be a fairer system.