Virgin Atlantic hand luggage - unusual shaped bag

925dancer

Nothing very odd, I have a vintage Tourister which is round, 17 inches all round. I would like to use it as hand luggage but it doesn't neatly fit within the guidelines but overall it fits.

There is no way I am sending it to the hold, over my cold dead body and contacting Virgin hasn't got me far as they've been non-committal.

Anyone taken a slightly unusual bag and had no issues? Or should I just not risk it and stick with my dull happy to get trashed walking round theme parks bag?

photome

restrictions are

Maximum size
23 x 36 x 56 cm (that’s approx. 9 x 14 x 22 inches) Maximum weight
10kg (22 lb)
Not sure what you mean by yours is round

does it fit in a box that measures 9x14x22 if it does you will be ok, if it doesnt you probably wont

EDIT I have found one online and if you square it, it would measure 17 by 17 going on your measurements which would mean that it wont fit as one side is bigger than the allowed 14 inches, of course you may get away with it going out but you might not coming back or vice versa, and it wouldnt matter what VA told you before you went, it would be the airport staff who have the final say

headpin

Virgin normally ask to see any carry on luggage at check in and then tag it so that the cabin crew know it has been checked. So you take a chance if you take it. Often will depend on mood of ground and cabin crew if you can get it on.

pleasedelete

What class are you flying? If it is upper class in my experience you could take your kitchen sink and they would fit it in.

mum2one

I flew Monarch a month ago (from UK) they were checking all hand luggage and coding it, we were premier so had 7kg, both DD and me had roller cases, mine was slighly bigger (thou lighter) they were coded different,

The layout was 2, 4, 2 - so her case went above us (on the 2 seat(, mine had to go in the middle as they were bigger holds.

Even when we left Goa everything was tagged even my crutches... There really clamping down.

Personally if it was me I would not risk it, if the bag is that important to you x

photome

mum2one wrote: »

I flew Monarch a month ago (from UK) they were checking all hand luggage and coding it, we were premier so had 7kg, both DD and me had roller cases, mine was slighly bigger (thou lighter) they were coded different,

The layout was 2, 4, 2 - so her case went above us (on the 2 seat(, mine had to go in the middle as they were bigger holds.

Even when we left Goa everything was tagged even my crutches... There really clamping down.

Personally if it was me I would not risk it, if the bag is that important to you x

thought you were allowed 10kg in economy, unless I was quoting out of date figures above

EDIT

sorry just seen you were talking Monarch, OP is flying VA

InsideInsurance

925dancer wrote: »

Nothing very odd, I have a vintage Tourister which is round, 17 inches all round. I would like to use it as hand luggage but it doesn't neatly fit within the guidelines but overall it fits.

There is no way I am sending it to the hold, over my cold dead body and contacting Virgin hasn't got me far as they've been non-committal.

Anyone taken a slightly unusual bag and had no issues? Or should I just not risk it and stick with my dull happy to get trashed walking round theme parks bag?

Its very evidently bigger than the allowed size, the question is if it is a rigid bag or if it could be squashed into the cage it must fit in?

If it cannot be then evidently its a risk, the higher the class you are flying or the higher the status you are with the airline then the lower the risk you are taking.

benjus

Hope it doesn't look like this:

925dancer

I'm only flying cattle class so I'm at the bottom of the flight social ladder!

It is a rigid bag, circular in shape, from the 50s. No squishing it to fit but it's not enormous, only a couple of inches too big on one side, if it had a conventional side, it's smaller in every other way.

I think I may not risk it, even though volumetrically it is within guidelines they may or may not take my view depending on who I happen to deal with on the day and although I thought of a back up plan of having it plastic wrapped before checking if absolutely necessary to stop the exterior getting damaged this now seems a little more hassle than is worth just to complete my travelling outfit (I know this makes me seem terribly vain, I am but not in an imposing way, I just have a bit of a thing for the 50s!). My fabulous bag will just have to stay at home and I'll just have to get over myself.

Edit: Here's a Google image link of said bag, for those curious. Mine is brown for those even curiouser....

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=round+tourister&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=jg9-U5aKKPTB0gWggoG4Cw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg&biw=1366&bih=643

InsideInsurance

925dancer wrote: »

I think I may not risk it, even though volumetrically it is within guidelines

The guidelines are not actually a volume but explicit dimensions.

Plenty of times you'll see people with oversized luggage getting on a plane without problems. Last weeks flight back on BA someone had a tribal drum thing that took the customer and 2 flight attendants to force into the overhead lockers - didnt hang about afterwards to see how they got on with getting it out again. It is a punt though and one that may not be worth taking.

headpin

InsideInsurance wrote: »

The guidelines are not actually a volume but explicit dimensions.

Plenty of times you'll see people with oversized luggage getting on a plane without problems. Last weeks flight back on BA someone had a tribal drum thing that took the customer and 2 flight attendants to force into the overhead lockers - didnt hang about afterwards to see how they got on with getting it out again. It is a punt though and one that may not be worth taking.

My experience is that BA are not as strict checking carry on. I have flown Virgin PE four times in the past 9 months and each time have been asked to present carry on at check in. The last time was in March and I as asked to used Upper Class check in and they too asked to see the carry on and tagged the bags.

it is a gamble if you try to take something outside the dimensions.