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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

OH, MIL and Bloody Hand luggage. AIBU??

118 replies

KrayKray00 · 15/08/2017 07:57

Due to fly out on holiday this week.

Not married but for sake of the post will put MIL to simplify things and me and OH have been together 9 years.

Anyway, I am being told I am being unreasonable.

Both of my two children both have those trunkies for hand luggage they were gifts from MIL
They are big and bulky and actually don't hold a lot, in these I have packed an assortment of items to keep my children occupied on the 6 hour flight.

Here is the dispute. OH and MiL are telling me I cannot take a small backpack for my youngest (who is 2) in this bag I have put 5 nappies, nappy cream, a pack of wipes, light change of clothes and an empty water bottle ( no liquids through customs) they have told me I cannot take this bag as he already has hand luggage.

However every time I go abroad I take a large hand luggage bag and a small handbag (usually a cross over the body one)
MIL does too, so if we are allowed handbags then surely my 2 year old can have a small changing bag?

I thought it was done on weight anyway? His backpack is tiny and weighs next to nothing I said I would happily put it in my "hand luggage bag" and now OH is in a strop because he thinks MiL will have to pay fees if we go over our allowance (booked in her name).

I don't want to keep getting the bloody "trunki" out and unpacked every time my son needs baby wipes or a nappy change.

AIBU or are those actually the rules? Sorry for the long post but holidays are bloody stressful!

OP posts:
Penfold007 · 15/08/2017 08:48

Thomas Cook allow a small handbag, laptop so a child's rucksack should be fine. Put the cream and wipes in a clear plastic bag and take out of the bag at security. The Thomas Cook web site has very clear advice on what is acceptable.

Original poster
KrayKray00 · 15/08/2017 08:48

Light change of clothes because I usually find the airplane quite cold and as soon as we land the temp is 35 degrees + the issue is the extra bag. But Oh just said he hasn't got hand luggage so I've sorted out a hold-all of him to put the rucksack in. Sorted. Thank you to the PP who went on the website yes I should of looked first but was wondering other people opinions. I also totally forgot about the nappy cream being classed as liquid, I had my Mac foundation taken off me in customs before! He gets very sore though, he has an issue with his testicles but the cream is not prescribed. I might ditch the ankle breakers trunkies, backpacks are easier to pop on the pushchair than dragging those bloody things round.

OP posts:
Sandsnake · 15/08/2017 08:49

You should be fine, they're being dramatic.

On a more serious note, why does it fall on your shoulders to ensure that your toddler has sufficient nappies / cream etc? Has your partner considered this at all? Or is he just happy to put up obstacles whilst whining to his mother?

londonrach · 15/08/2017 08:50

Last time i flew i had to stick handbag in cabin bag as it was strict one bag per person. Put bag inside trunkie

TuckMyWin · 15/08/2017 08:50

Totally confused now. Your OH isn't taking hand luggage so you're putting the extra bag in another bag for him to carry? Why the hell doesn't he just carry the changing rucksack???

HotelEuphoria · 15/08/2017 08:53

errrr, leave trunki at home and tell her why.

Increasinglymiddleaged · 15/08/2017 08:55

errrr, leave trunki at home and tell her why.

^^ this. I honestly can't imagine lugging those ridiculous plastic suitcases around. I'd have told MIL to take them back to Argos.

Original poster
KrayKray00 · 15/08/2017 08:57

I didn't realise he has not done a hand luggage bag. I'm not putting just the rucksack into another bag but other items too to spread the weight out as one of the suitcases I just tested was over the allowance. So he can put the rucksack in his bag and I shall use that to make things easier (take the rucksack out when DS needs changing rather than the whole bag IYSWIM).

OP posts:
TuckMyWin · 15/08/2017 08:59

Ok that makes sense :)

TuckMyWin · 15/08/2017 09:01

Although, as a previous poster mentioned, if I were you I would be wondering why you are running around trying to sort out the kids' hand luggage and making sure that you have toys and essentials packed for the journey while he wasn't even planning on taking any hand luggage at all.....

BarbaraofSevillle · 15/08/2017 09:02

Surely the logical thing to do in the first place is to check the airline website as to what their luggage policy is

^^ This. Every airline has a slightly different policy and how strictly it is applied.

Some allow a handbag, some don't. Most allow 10 kg of hand luggage, some like Thomas Cook allow less. Different rules for infants and their equipment. Most allow a duty free bag, some don't. Tip - if you have too much stuff, put some in a duty free bag - instant extra allowance.

No point posting on here asking what the rules are without specifying the airline until you've posted half a dozen times. But I'd still check the website because half the answers are wrong anyway.

It sounds like it's a good idea to ditch the trunkies though. Or make DH deal with them - so every time you need a nappy or whatever just say 'DH can you pass me a nappy from the trunkie' If he insists that it comes, he deals with the inconvenience.

wonkylegs · 15/08/2017 09:03

It is confusing as every airline is slightly different. We are going KLM and we can have hand luggage and a small bag/briefcase for everybody except the baby who gets hand luggage + a free checked bag (smaller weight than paid for checked bag) + buggy
Oh and the even more confusing thing that every airline classes hand luggage as a slightly different size/weight.....
It's enough to set your head spinning before you even get to the airport, between that and the potential passport queues I'm already eyeing up my first glass of relaxing holiday wine and we haven't even left yet!

BlueGloves · 15/08/2017 09:04

This is very confusing - can your OH not just take the small rucksack as his hand luggage then?

Something I often do is bring a large canvas bag that folds up very small. I like to carry a small handbag, backpack and a little bag for on the plane with magazines etc. I chuck them all in the big canvas bag pre-boarding and then it's "one bag".

In terms of the nappy cream, your kids get a liquid allowance too. Instead of shelling out on multiple mini tubs, see if you can get hold of some small 100ml bottles (boots sell them, or you can use washed out hotel shampoo ones) and decant the cream into various ones of those. You can easily fit a few into the plastic bag and that should be enough for a longish flight. Then have a big tub in your hold luggage that you can decant for the way home.

I do this regularly with my stupidly expensive shampoo and it's fine.

PantPlot · 15/08/2017 09:05

Sort of begs the question why your OH didn't just say
'I can carry the nappy bag as I have no hand luggage'

Confused
babybigapple · 15/08/2017 09:08

Haven't RTFT but last time I did this I just put the bag on my arm with my coat over it and then appeared flustered and struggling so they didn't even check Wink

justkeeponsmiling · 15/08/2017 09:13

Those who say it depends on the airline: it really doesn't.
I fly several times a year, always with one budget airline or another. Honestly, nobody ever cares, as long as my carry-on bags are small enough. They DO care very much about oversized bags. But small bags? Nah. I have before now had my handluggage case, medium sized habdbag, shopping bag (cloh one) with food, plus booster seat. Nobody blinks an eyelid. Who would? There is literally nobody who polices the hand luggage. Probably because once you are in the departure lounge, you could buy 20 litre-bottles of whiskey and an entire wardrobe and you would also bring that onto the plane.

grannytomine · 15/08/2017 09:21

justkeeponsmiling, that isn't always true, I've seen someone being told they couldn't have their handluggage and a handbag, she ended up dumping some stuff from hand luggage so she could put her handbag in. If the flight is full and everyone has max sized hand luggage plus another bag it gets difficult with people arguing about locker space.

I'm often amazed at how much luggage people take, I only ever take one bag and that is hand luggage sized.

Sciurus83 · 15/08/2017 09:29

Justkeepsmiling I have seen this change recently with strict one bag enforcement on a number of budget airlines when boarding passes are checked.

bimbobaggins · 15/08/2017 09:30

Just because your mil paid for the holiday doesn't mean she has to be the one who pays if there is a charge, the airline will be happy to take payment from you .

ShellyBoobs · 15/08/2017 09:31

There is literally nobody who polices the hand luggage.

That is entirely dependent upon the airline.

I was travelling back from Lyon a couple weeks back and there was a lady trying to take on a cabin bag (not oversized) and a handbag (not huge) and the person on the gate was having none of it.

The lady ended up squashing the handbag into the case and then the gate staff checked it still fitted in the sizer.

Saw something similar in Milan a couple of months ago, too.

I think OP will be fine but it's not true to say they never check.

Littlelondoner · 15/08/2017 09:37

I used to order nappies milk etc click and collect in boots in the airport.

Go through check in. Then can go collect bits from boots. No worries about liquids weights easy access etc as all in carrier bag.

Much easier and a lot less fuss.

teaandtoast · 15/08/2017 09:40

I've just flown on Easyjet and it was one piece of hand luggage to go in the overhead bin AND one other, smaller, bag to go under the seat in front of you. Check the small print, it depends what you've paid for.

KatharinaRosalie · 15/08/2017 09:42

•In economy class, adults and children between 2 and 12 years are allowed to bring one piece of hand baggage weighing up to 6 kg free of charge.
•Childs Trunki Cases are accepted as hand baggage as long as this is associated to a child travelling. This cannot exceed 6kg in weight.
•You may also bring one of the following items on board with you; a small handbag, a laptop/tablet including case or an umbrella.

Youcanstayundermyumbrella · 15/08/2017 09:42

EasyJet police this ferociously. I recently watched a queue full of men in suits desperately trying to ram laptop cases into their carry ons to avoid the 60 euro charge they were being threatened with. The ground crew walk up and down the check in queue. It is galling as you can take any size duty free bag on with you. I assume many people buy something and then stick extra hand luggage into the bag.

Youcanstayundermyumbrella · 15/08/2017 09:43

Teaandtoast, you must have been flying Flexi as the standard allocation is very strictly one bag.

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