I’ve written in the past about the pros and cons of traveling with carry-ons vs. checked bags, and I’ve also written about how to avoid gate checking bags. An OMAAT reader asked me a question along the lines of this topic, which I haven’t addressed before. I’m sure he’d appreciate other perspectives, and for that matter, I imagine it’s a question others have as well.
With that out of the way, here’s the question in full:
Basically, I’d love to use a Rimowa roller accompanied by a backpack or Keepall 50 style duffle as a personal item. The thing is, the personal item restrictions/sizes vary greatly between US & Europe, and I’ve read they are super strict in Europe regarding both weight and size measurements of your carry-on and personal item. However, I also read that for business & first class, they are way more lenient, and European airlines allow 2 carry-ons + personal item in long haul (not sure about intra-Europe). Furthermore, Emirates and Qatar have such a tiny measurement for personal item allowance that makes no sense to me, and I have a hard time believing they would force a business or first class passenger to gate check their roller if their personal item is deemed too big.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on One Mile at a Time.
