carrying tripod on Ryanair

DamoKen

was thinking maybe I should put this in the travel forum but odds are if anyone has any experience of tripod baggage policy on Ryanair they'll be in here .

Anyway I'm heading to Sicily next weekend. I'll be carrying my Lowepro camera bag on board, the type that opens at the bottom, few lens plus usual book etc in the top. Just wondering if there's a chance I'll be told I'm over the one item of hand held luggage at departure? Has anyone brought a tripod plus bag on a Ryanair flight? Is it worth the risk? Or should I risk putting it in my checked bag in the hold?

Cheers

latchiko

I recently flew Ryanair from Shannon to London and on to Austria (and back) abd I got on fine but I had my tripod in a sports bag along with my camera and gear in it's own bag (all within the sports bag). If you can fit the whole lot in a single bag I'd recommend it. You'll probably get away with it though especially if you can attach it securely to the bag.

bovril

thanks for clearing that up I was wondering the same thing

DamoKen

hmm, definitely won't fit in the bag, attaching it is a good idea though. I'll have a look around and see if I can find a few of those luggage straps somewhere so it looks like it's designed to be attached

alternatively does anyone know if some type of straps exist specifically designed to attach a tripod to a bag? Could be wishful thinking I know.

DadaKopf

Depends on the airport more than the carrier. I've never had trouble with Ryanair, Aer Lingus etc., or Dublin, Barcelona or Santander airports, but I have had trouble with Heathrow, Gatwick, Stanstead.

The solution is simple: get a bigger bag that doesnt break regulations, put them in it. I've seen people to this - technically, it's still one bag. Yes, stupid, I know.

DamoKen

just a quick update on this as I arrived back yesterday. Decided to buy a specific Manfrotto carrier bag in Gunnes before heading off on the grounds I'll use it a lot anyway when I get back.
Packed it in my main bag on the way out and just had it slung over my shoulder coming back as a load of wine in the main bag.

Ryanair checkin said nothing about it, however some overzealous airport security refused to let me bring it through so had to go back and check it in it's bag.

Arrive in Dublin and surprise surprise no bag or tripod, out of 200 passengers there's one bag missing that contains an expensive used once Manfrotto tripod. What's the odds? :mad:

robinph

To be expected, nothing to do with the airline though as to if they let you take things as carryon though. You need to have a spare bag to use for checking-in in such instances though that does not say "expensive camera gear inside" on it though.

Hearvee

It's a pain when you're not really sure if they'll let you through or not!

I had to transfer through Heathrow on a work trip last year. Was allowed through in Dublin with a camera bag (small backpack size) and a laptop bag (small backpack size).
Got to Heathrow and was told I had to check one in. So I bought a big foldup holdall, put both bags inside, and squeezed it through the x-ray machine (it was way over the carryon size). Past security I seperated the bags and had no more trouble with it for the rest of the trip (until Heathrow on the return leg obviously!).

So it's not generally the airlines that put the limits on, it seems to be the individual airports in most cases.

robinph

I was expecting hassle with all the trips via Heathrow I was doing in the last month and having a backpack and laptop bag and then another small is bag with some bits and pieces in. Just managed to stuff the extra bag inside another big duty free bag though whenever getting to "security" and had no bother. They don't seem to mind the shoulder laptop bags and allow those as an extra one no bother, a backpack style laptop bag is less obvious to them though (which is part of the point of them) so they will tend to question them as being over the one bag limit.

aficionado

I recently brought a tripod along with hand luggage to Berlin with Ryanair, no problem in Dublin but coming back security at the airport said I couldnt, I told them it was fine coming over and they said to check with the Ryaniar staff, The lady at the ticket desk then said I couldnt, After much hassel they let me bring it on,
Deft wont be trying that again not worth the bother

JMcL

DamoKen wrote: »

Arrive in Dublin and surprise surprise no bag or tripod, out of 200 passengers there's one bag missing that contains an expensive used once Manfrotto tripod. What's the odds? :mad:

Oh, that hurts. Do you have insurance or anything (maybe forgot to uncheck Ryanairs insurance gouging)? Air France on their Irish routes used to be particularly bad for this. They use tiny little planes, and don't tell you at checkin that your "carry on" baggage is too big (all standard wheelie hand luggage falls foul), and it get's chucked into the hold at the plane door. In france, it's generally waiting at the bottom of the plane steps, not so in Dublin, plus it's very conveniently flagged as carry on for thieving baggage handlers.

DamoKen

robinph wrote: »

To be expected, nothing to do with the airline though as to if they let you take things as carryon though. You need to have a spare bag to use for checking-in in such instances though that does not say "expensive camera gear inside" on it though.

yeah not blaming Ryanair for not being allowed bring it on as I know they've no say over security. The baggage handling is done by them though so it's their responsibility to ensure my bag isn't nicked.

To be honest it was only when packing I realised I didn't have room for it in my main bag. Due to time constraints (worst day ever thanks to car hire at drop off shutting on Sundays and not being told this when hiring the car) I didn't have time to pick up a cheap holdall to disguise the fact it was camera equipment. Gutted that it was taken. Between a taxi from the only location the car hire company had open (over 100 miles from our airport) and this the holiday budget was blown.

@JMcL no don't have additional insurance. I thought I did, but was mixing it up with the insurance coverage of my previous firm. Only in the new job a few months and just health coverage, just had it in my head my baggage was covered as well like it was previously.

wasper

DamoKen wrote: »

was thinking maybe I should put this in the travel forum but odds are if anyone has any experience of tripod baggage policy on Ryanair they'll be in here .

Anyway I'm heading to Sicily next weekend. I'll be carrying my Lowepro camera bag on board, the type that opens at the bottom, few lens plus usual book etc in the top. Just wondering if there's a chance I'll be told I'm over the one item of hand held luggage at departure? Has anyone brought a tripod plus bag on a Ryanair flight? Is it worth the risk? Or should I risk putting it in my checked bag in the hold?

Cheers

I put my tripod in the main luggage. End of story.

DamoKen

wasper wrote: »

I put my tripod in the main luggage. End of story.

well that's what I did do coming over and would have coming back except I had no room, checking it in seperately was not by choice but due to security not allowing me to bring it on board.