What luggage to carry on Lion Air?

[Trilobite]

Those duffels are great eh. I cant think of other luggage options, but would it be so bad to have the camera / housing / strobes etc wrapped up in bubble wrap inside a small duffel? If it's on your back or a cubbyhole most of the time, I can't see it being that easy to damage...

Agree. Have carried a variety of expensive camera and optics in a soft sided carry-on on c. 25 international trips over the years and never had any damage. I just put the lens case on land camera and telephoto and a neoprene case on my uw housing; then cushion the bottom with clothes (need those in there anyway in case checked luggage is delayed).

As for Lion Air, I had no problems with my usual carry-on flying with them. But it's soft-sided, so easier to fit in tight spaces.

 

[Cali_diver]

If it is the ATR then the overhead compartments are pretty small. I have a ThinkTank roller derby for my camera gear (housing and whatever else I can fit) and a back pack filled with other camera and I have had no problems fitting it in the Lion ATR compartment. Sometimes they want to grab it when you are getting ready to board and I will usually say camera and batteries and they will usually let it go. Being nice gets you a long way!

 

[Tim Clark Diving]

If it is the ATR then the overhead compartments are pretty small. I have a ThinkTank roller derby for my camera gear (housing and whatever else I can fit) and a back pack filled with other camera and I have had no problems fitting it in the Lion ATR compartment. Sometimes they want to grab it when you are getting ready to board and I will usually say camera and batteries and they will usually let it go. Being nice gets you a long way!

Hi Cal Diver - do you mean this bag?

Airport Roller Derby™ V2

Easily to maneuver with improved weight distribution to minimize muscle fatigue, holds up to a 400mm f/2. Superior construction, ideal for pro photographers.

www.thinktankphoto.com

It is almost 56 cm high, which is a lot more than the 40 cm Lion Air states as max height. If yours fit then ours are slightly smaller and should have no problem. Also, they state a second carryon like a women’s purse can be taken. Sounds like you had no problem with what we normally take on international flights. I will make sure to put batteries in everything we carry on!

 

[Cali_diver]

Hi Cal Diver - do you mean this bag?

Airport Roller Derby™ V2

Easily to maneuver with improved weight distribution to minimize muscle fatigue, holds up to a 400mm f/2. Superior construction, ideal for pro photographers.

www.thinktankphoto.com

It is almost 56 cm high, which is a lot more than the 40 cm Lion Air states as max height. If yours fit then ours are slightly smaller and should have no problem. Also, they state a second carryon like a women’s purse can be taken. Sounds like you had no problem with what we normally take on international flights. I will make sure to put batteries in everything we carry on!

My best advice to you is to pre-pay your extra luggage allowance. I think you can pre-pay 30kg. Do this to save money and time.

 

[Darnold9999]

Its going to very much depend on the airplane you will be travelling on. Most, but not all, Lion Air flights I have been on have had enough room for my 23 x 14.5 x 9 carry-on (a very tight fit on some planes). I have been on flights on smaller planes (Wings Air, Kupang to Alor for example) where the smaller size carry-on was a non negotiable requirement and a normal international type carry-on had to be checked. I carry a camera backpack as well as my carry-on and if necessary I can and have moved my strobe, video and camera batteries into that bag and it is small enough to meet the requirements you need. You can then check your carry-on and keep the really fragile and absolutely essential stuff (medications etc.) with you. The backpack will likely exceed your weight allowance for carry-on but the magic word "batteries" will likely get you waved through. This is the backpack I carry https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/p/deluxe-backpack-200eg?color=Black&type=New

Definitely pay for excess luggage in advance. It is cheaper and WAY more convenient then trying to pay for it at the airport.

 

[Luko]

Definitely pay for excess luggage in advance. It is cheaper and WAY more convenient then trying to pay for it at the airport.

Concur 100%
FWIW I checkin all my photo equipment except camera and lenses : 60 kgs with dive equipment. Been doing this for years traveling in Asia, nothing happened (yet).

Problem is that on most external booking platforms where you'll be booking flights, most of the times you cannot add extra luggage. Because of a technical problem they haven't solved for years, you can't book through LionAir website directly, it doesn't display any search flights request result, however you can add and pay extra bagage on LionAir website providing you have booked a PNR beforehand on an external platform.

My experience : a couple of weeks ago I added extra bagage on AirAsia.com for a LionAir flight, when I retrieved my booking on LionAir website, only a part of the ancillaries showed, not the full extra bagage. (hence I won't recommend adding luggage here).
You then need to go to LionAir website and add and pay additional luggage there.