Travelling to the U.S.? Confused by carry-on rules and different interpretations at Canadian airports?
The rules changed again, midweek: Now, one carry-on bag is allowed, in addition to the pre-Christmas standard of a laptop bag, camera case or purse.
This should be music to travellers' ears, especially those who flew after the Dec. 25 bombing attempt and were justifiably confused by the inconsistent application of Canadian Air Transport Security Authority standards. Laptops were acceptable one day and not the next; even books were banned for a day. And purses, which mostly survived as a sole allowable carry-on item, were a source of consternation: Smaller bags were nixed while larger ones got through.
So what's the deal now? You can bring a briefcase, suit bag, backpack or wheelie (no bigger than 55 cm x 40 cm x 23 cm – or 22 in x 16 in x 9 in), and laptop bags and camera cases are acceptable extras (as long as they're purpose-built – a laptop in a briefcase counts as a carry-on bag, not a laptop bag).
But, what about a purse? The short answer: Yes, but CATSA is still having purse-cution issues. The latest regulations state a purse must be “small,” which CATSA spokeman Mathieu Larocque says is “a little smaller than a laptop,” about the size of a football.
Now, set aside the fact women are prevented from carrying on purses as big as laptop bags. Purses are often soft – the size and volume changes depending on how they're handled. So, will your almost-empty bigger bag be allowed, if it can be folded to football size?
That will be up to the individual CATSA agents who should be seen as the rough equivalents of border guards. What they say goes – simple as that.Special to The Globe and Mail
