Any possible way to carry 15kg on board? QANTAS

[Rizzamabob]

I'm in a bit of a crap situation, flying over to Brazil and going offshore. Due to the helicopter restrictions I can only take 15kg luggage in a soft bag. I read the Qantas site and they say 7kg is the limit for international for carry on (in economy). Is there a way I can carry 15kg (or even 14kg) on board? I won't have any checked luggage if I can. It would just save a lot of hassle with luggage transfers (going through quite a few airports) and how I pack.

Thanks

[simongr]

You can try. What class of travel will you be in? My rollaboard is 20in and regularly has 12+KG in it.

My advice would be to pack a light bag that can be rolled up inside your regular bag and if you get pinged for excessive weight, you can chuck essentials in the light bag for onboard and check the rest of the gear.

[albatross710]

From my experience I haven't been challenged on the weight of my bags. I have sen people challenged on the size where the bag is excessive.

You can carry one a "laptop" bag a separate item which might help you spread the weight if concerned.

[NM]

Wear a jacket with lots of big pockets. Then if they complain about the weight of the carry-on bag, take out some heavier items and place them in your pockets as that does not count.

But do keep in mind the reasons for carry-on limits. The size limits are to ensure everyone has access to their share of overhead locker space. So you bag should be within in the size limits that all economy passengers has to comply with.

The weight limit for carry-on is for safety reasons. A heavy bag can cause serious injury if it falls out off the locker when someone opens it. It can also overload the weight limit of the locker itself that could cause excessive stress during severe turbulence or an accident, causing the locker to fail and injure passengers below.

So its going to be best to split into 2 x 7kg bags with the ability to stuff one bag and its contents into you pockets if needing to comply with a single carry-on bag limitation at any point in the journey.

[Evan]

If your taking a laptop and you split into 2 bags you should be fine generally, try to keep the bags small and the weight wont be noticed.
I have taken both my laptop backpack and a small bag on-board many many times and never had a question but both are small and are much better than the huge rollaboards some try to bring on.
E

[Moody]

I always just have carry-on, but I also have 2 laptop bags. One is the Dell version that the laptop came with and is good for the laptop, my itinerary, and a bunch of business cards. The other is one of the cabin bags they sell in the Qantas shop. It can take the laptop+accessories, my toiletries bag, a change of clothes (heavy jeans, long-sleeved shirt, t-shirt, underwear & socks) plus a few other heavy items.

So when I have trips away for more than a week the "big" laptop bag comes out. I have had them weighed but never queried, so I think you will be OK. You also won't risk your carry-on being off-loaded at the door.

[Rizzamabob]

Thanks for the tips, my bag isn't big - it's basically a small backpack. I'll try and wear all the heavy stuff and carry my laptop on board. Thanks again.

[JohnK]

I have been able to take 10+ kgs on board many times but luckily my carry-on bag has never been weighed. I am willing to take the risk and if my carry-on bag ever gets weighed and cannot be taken on board into the cabin then they can stow it in the hold as checked luggage.

[diesmile]

last time when i went with my gf on international qantas trip, they have to weight out carry on bags ton ensure they are less than 7kg.

so i guess it really depends who you get to see.

[asiaflyer]

I think the advice to have a spare bag is sound for the worst case.

I have often gone heavily loaded with carry on, and found the trick is to make the baggage appear easy to manage and hence reasonable in weight. For me this is generally a sturdy appropriately sized wheely and a laptop bag which I balance on top, so that all can be wheeled with one hand. If you have a backpack and a wheely and some shopping etc you are asking for trouble.

I haven't been wieghed at checkin for sometime now, but when worried I normally have someone else mind the (or some off the) carry on to the side whilst I check in.