I’m flying soon, and will be greeted at the airport by the cutest 5 year old girl in the whole wide world.She of course knows that she gets a present when she sees me, right?
So, I’m shopping today, and I see this oh-so-nice teddy bear, the perfect gift. The problem is logistics.The damn thing is about 2 feet high, maybe 2 feet wide with its arms and legs fully erect (no dirty jokes, please,–but that’s the only way to describe this creature’s appendages–they stick out when you squeeze it.)
Now, I’m already carrying the maximum 2 suitcases and a carry-on bag, which will be full.
So I have this weird idea–I’ll just carry the teddy bear like any kid would , sitting on my lap.
So - 2 questions:
Is this permitted by the airline regulations?
And is it permitted by the rules of : how-to-act-when-400-people-are-confined-together, and one grown man is holding a teddy bear for a 6 hour international flight, a plane change and another 3 hour domestic flight?
(it might fit in the overhead compartment on the international 747, but the domestic flight will be a 45-seat commuter jet, where even the carry-on bags getstowed.)
Call the airline, tell them your problem, and ask what they suggest.
My WAG is that you’re already at the suitcase and carry-on limit, so you’ll have to pay extra. The airlines have cartons available at check-in, you can probably fit your teddy into a carton and check it, and then you’ll give it to your cutie when you get the luggage.
Call the airline, as has been said, but my guess is that you’ll be fine. I almost always take two carry-ons (one backpack and one big Domke camerabag – about 6in x 6in x 18in) and have never once been called on it. Pretty much all the airlines have a one-bag carry-on limit. Up until recently, I used to fly about a dozen international flights a year, and my experience has been consistent across airlines. The bear is a little bit on the big size, but my feeling is that you should be able to sneak it through…
I was once told by an airline that a cushion I was planning to sit on (back problems, and I needed to take said cushion with me for other reasons and sitting on it seemed the most obvious way to take it) counted as an extra item and I wouldn’t be allowed to take it. Even when the word “disabled” came up, they wouldn’t budge. I ended up stuffing it into a bag somehow.
Check with the airline, definitely. I suspect they won’t allow the bear in addition to your carry-on. Perhaps you could pack it up somehow and check it, if need be?
That won’t fly, I’m afraid. While you could certainly spend most of the flight with the bear on your lap, during takeoff and landing, they would insist that the bear be stowed, just like all other carry-on luggage. So, the bear “counts” as a carry-on item.
Several airlines allow you, in addition to your standard allotment of luggage, one “personal item” that you carry with you. They specifically mention purses, briefcases, and sometimes laptops in this connection, and I’ve carried a book this way on numerous occasions (including during takeoff and landing). I would expect that a teddy bear could also count as a personal item, and it’s not going to be a hazard during takeoff or landing, so that shouldn’t be a problem, either.
But as others have said, the way to be sure is to call the airline and ask.
It’s probably going to depend on how crowded the flight is. If you’re next to, or near, an empty seat, it shouldn’t be a problem. If coach is full ask if Teddy can upgrade.
If you can get past check in with the carry-on and the bear, just take it to the gate. If they won’t allow you to take it on the plane, the gate agent can check it there.
Last time I flew (last week in Dallas) the security people were being really strict about the two item rule. You couldn’t make it past security if you couldn’t combine your items into two bags. I saw them send people with excessive items back to the ticket counter. If I were you, I’d just check the suitcase. Baggage collection is usually pretty speedy and I’ve only ever had a problem with my luggag once (I almost always check 'cause I hate dargging around all those bags) and that just resulted in the luggage being brought out to my hotel a couple of hours late.
