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The “joys” of business travel?
I’m in the process of planning a shoot which will require multiple flights and I’m wondering just how much of a nightmare it’s going to be. One of the very few times I shipped a camera it arrived so badly dropped that the deck mechanism was destroyed, so I always take the camera as one of my two carry-ons.
The question is: is that even do-able in the current climate? It’s a full size rig that, while technically might fit the carry-on size requirement as the camera by itself, certainly doesn’t when it’s in its Portabrace case. In the past airlines have been very accommodating when they’re told it’s a TV camera. But has this changed after restrictions imposed in the wake of the “underwear bomber?” (Or, as the New York Post referred to the incident “Great Balls of Fire.”)
If they’re no serious about a single carry-on does this mean I have to either leave the laptop home or risk having it stolen from checked baggage?
Anybody flown with a camera since 12/25? Any experiences / advice to share?
(I’m cross-posting this on the Cinematography site just to get additional input.)
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17 Replies
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All I know is that I bought my brother an electric toothbrush for X-mas, and he only had carry on luggage. They stopped him and gave him hell because they saw a “device”. It was just a stinking electric toothbrush and since he just got it it wasn’t charged. What sucked was that they insist he turn it on to prove that it was a toothbrush. When they found that it didn’t work, they detained him until he could charge it and prove that it worked.
I couldn’t understand why, but then I heard about the underwear bomber and it made perfect sense. TSA has been freaking out lately with a lot of stuff so I wouldn’t be surprised if they at least make you turn on your equipment to prove it’s really a camera.
Jeff Bonano
http://www.bonanoproductions.com“I want to have a cool quote at the bottom of my signature, just like everyone else on the cow forum!” -Jeff Bonano
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Time to start changing your mind about what “carry on” means.
I’ve been traveling like crazy on family business in the past few months – going back well before Hot Pants – and on more than two-thirds of our recent flights, we wound up carrying NOTHING on. Not our choice. There’s now somebody standing at the end of the jetway, right before you get on the plane, tagging your bag and taking it straight to the cargo hold.
My previously fine rollaboard has been tagged and grabbed nearly every time. My wife’s much smaller bag has been getting hit more and more – and seriously, more than two-thirds of the time.
The good news is that this is a fantastic way to work around checked luggage. You roll your heavy-ass, almost compliant bag down the ramp. Instead of wrestling it into ever-smaller overhead bins, you hand it to a kind professional who walks it down the stairs, and places it in the hold themselves.
No kidding. People are a lot more careful with your bag when you look them in the eye, say their name, and thank them. “Rebecca or Raoul or Rahim or Roger, thanks for taking this. I really appreciate it.” They beam. “Take care! Have a great trip!” Dude, it’s awesome. Milk of human kindness. You can watch your luggage carried down the stairs like there was an actual baby tucked in it.
Then on the other end, your bag is hand-carried back to the jetway! It never gets flung around to ride on a ramp. It basically gets put right in your hand. This is awesome.
Variations: in one airport, they actually put the cart RIGHT THERE, sheltered so that the opening is just inside the gate. YOU are the one who places your bag lovingly on the cart. In another airport just yesterday, they hand carried our luggage all the way into the terminal, and carefully placed it in a row, leaning against the seats just inside the door. They even extended the handles!!! By the time I walked off the plane, it was literally ready to roll – I didn’t even break step. (Honest, I did it just to see if I actually COULD do it without breaking step.)
I never intended to find out that our laptops travel just fine in these circumstances. But they do. Perfectly. I now LOOK for the chance to hand off my bag, rather than carry it myself…
…but I keep control of it. **I** am the one who makes sure that my bag makes every connection, because I still roll it everywhere myself. I just never lift it, and never let it out of my sight until it goes into the cargo hold by hand, not by conveyor belt.
I freaking HATE flying. No fear, just loathing. But this is rapidly becoming my favorite part.
PS. Your mileage will absolutely vary, and goodness knows that I’ve gotten pulled aside for one thing or another many, many times….but I’ve never been pulled aside for anything electronic, and only asked to turn on a laptop once. (Although I still have my computer asleep, not turned all the way off – when I go through security – never hurts.)
Even the 7 trips I’ve made in recent weeks (don’t ask), it has been more or less business as usual — and that includes a flight this week through National, right in the heart of Washington DC. There’s plenty of stuff to hate about air travel, but this is the least of the things that will annoy you.
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I carry mine on 100 percent of the time. Period.
I learned the hard way not to bring my anvil case as it won’t fit ont he puddle jumpers and checking it att he gate is worse. I watched em overhand it into the hull.
Now, I just carry it in a carry on duffle bag. I bring no lights and don’t even bring my sticks. If I can’t fit it in my pockets, I don’t need it. I have dimmable LEDs, wireless lavs, extra tape and plenty of betteries. Less is more when travelling. I check nothing.
not even a change of clothes… I mean, the camera in the duffle bag needs padding, anyway 😉
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After trying it a few ways, we almost always do it this way…
I carry on my small case full of prime lenses. They stay with me at all times, as they are my babies (and because they are worth more than all other gear combined)… they never leave my sight.
EVERYthing else is shipped… usually via FedEx. A little pricey, yes… but sooo worth it in terms of hassle-freeness and confidence in arrival. We have several large pelican cases dedicated to all the gear, usually five to seven cases depending on what all we are taking, shoot format, etc. (actually some of the longer-shaped stuff doesn’t go in pelicans, but in golf bag shipping caes… tripods, jibs, stands, etc.). We ship them via FedEx marked “Hold at FedEx for pickup,” indicating the FedEx location closest to our destination airport or hotel or shoot location… whatever works best. We zip by, pick it up, and it’s always there waiting for us. There are always stories people have where things didn’t go well… but we have never once had a piece of gear delayed, lost, or damaged. I can’t say the same about checked baggage.
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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Grin-
The camera that got dropped so hard it broke the deck was in the huge coffin-sized shipping case that it came with from Sony. So since then I’ve ALWAYS hand carried. But, for what I do, traveling without sticks and lights is simply not an option. That and I don’t mind checking a bag with clothes.T2 –
I almost always FedEx lights, stands, tripod & grip equipment ahead. The problem becomes multiple location shoots where we’ve had to check stuff with the airlines in order to keep up with a multi-city schedule. Last year was the worst one yet going from home to Chicago, Chicago to Oakland, Oakland to Seattle, Seattle to LA for five shoot days in a row. (Lesson learned: don’t let the client set the schedule.)I’m also under some pricing pressure these days where I’ve been getting grief about several hundred dollars of FedEx, even when it’s 3 day Economy. On this next gig I’m doing stills as well so there’s that camera, still tripod, strobe heads and powerpacks in addition.
And just for everyone’s FYI, my insurance carrier wrote our policy to include gear “in transit” so we’re covered and don’t have to pay FedEx’s far more expensive insurance fees.
Oh, well. Thanks to all of your for your comments. Still interested in anything else anyone has to contribute.
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The last multi-city shooting trip (3 flights, San Diego>Nashville>Home) ended up running about 1100.00 in checked bag fees for our clothes bags (2) and a golf club hardcase (tripod, light stands, etc), and a beefy pelican with de-lamped lights, mics, baby legs…
We each had carry (not roller) laptop bags and we each had a small Kata bag (191 I believe) with the camcorder and small gear, harddrives, etc. (an EX1…it even fits in the overhead on a puddle jumper…one of the prime benefits of that small camera).
Renting (non-key) gear with an assistant at each site can sometimes be the easiest route.
TimK,
Director, Consultant
Kolb Productions, -
The ability to turn on the camera is a must to show them a picture, they may even want you to record something and play it back so have a tape ready. You mentioned money’s tight on the shipping budget, what about a local guy with some of the bulky items like stix and a light or 2?
Steve
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Most of our shoots involve a tripod case checked and carry-on with HDV camera, some tapes and DV clamshell deck. No problems with this system aside from airlines taking every opportunity to lose the tripod case. Taking an earlier outgoing flight is usually sufficient to avoid completely lost luggage, but not always.
A few times a year we travel with lights, multiple cameras/tripods and other bags of gear. We pay extra for excess baggage on all but Southwest airlines.
As for camera and laptop on the same flight, I would leave the laptop at home unless you absolutely need it. If you are shooting stills, sounds like you absolutely need it.
Just carry the minimum amount of carry-on baggage. Presumably you could still carry the camera and laptop on (stick the lens in a small padded duffel under your seat, the camera up in the overhead) even if you have to check your bag.
Mike
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According to TSA, it is business as usual
https://www.tsa.gov/press/happenings/dec25_guidance.shtmbut I suppose each airport will have its own interpretation of “normal.”
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I’ve traveled several times recently and carried on a full-size Panasonic camera body with the lens & viewfinder taken off. I put the camera body and lens in a medium size backpack with padding that stays with me, the viewfinder is with some other gear in a hard plastic pelican case that’s checked.
On some of the puddle jumpers they’ve tried to check it at the gate, but I just tell them it’s a broadcast camera and I need to keep it with me. A couple gate agents and stewardesses on these smaller planes have gotten a little curt with me, but once they see it fits under the seat in front of me, they’re fine with it.
I’ve also put the strap that comes with the camera on just the body and carried it on that way, with the lens in a smaller bag that easily fits under the seat. Again…no problems.
Chris Blair
Magnetic Image, Inc.
Evansville, IN
http://www.videomi.com
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