China w/ Avalon - luggage question

My DH and I are leaving on this trip in a few weeks. We just received our travel documents. Under baggage it states that our checked luggage should weigh no more than 44 lbs. I can deal with that.

Under carry-on it states that the bag should not exceed 12 x 11 x 6 which is about the size of my purse. It also states that you should carry a change of clothes and all toiletries and medication in this bag in case your checked luggage gets lost.

I expected the luggage guidelines to be a little restrictive but the size of the carry-on seems especially restrictive.

Has anyone been recently that could shed some light on how strict this is?

Thank you.

I did Avalon's China tour two years ago. It included a Yangtze River cruise and also went to Tibet. I think there were four intra-air segments within China, all on China operated airlines. My recollection was that the security was tight and all bags were closely scrutinized (checked and carry on).

In some airports we checked in as a group and I don't recall there being any problems if the checked bags were slightly over the 44 pound limit. I know we acquired souvenirs along the way and our bags got heavier and at one point went over the limit.

They didn't measure or weigh the carry on bags. If they did, I would have been in trouble as I carried a large, heavy carry on. But they did closely search the carry on. One of the members on our tour had purchased a model of a Chinese fighter jet that was made out of bullet casings. Even though it was bought at an airport gift shop, the security personnel confiscated it!

Our particular tour went to Tibet. The Chinese are very strict about tourists entering and leaving Tibet. At one of the airports, a baggage screener saw something in my checked bag on the x-ray and I was called to a back room and asked to open my bag while a security guy went through it. It was rather unnerving because he didn't speak English and, even though the local tour guide accompanied me, the security agent kept insisting I had some kind of spray in my bag that looked suspicious on the x-ray. He found nothing and finally let me go. But they do take their jobs very seriously.

Aside from that incident, the Avalon tour was absolutely fabulous! Enjoy your trip!

Thank you so much psygist. I appreciate the information. Not too much around about Avalon's offering in China but we are really looking forward to it.

I think that small carry on is to fit overhead on a motor coach as I think all airlines let larger carry on than 12x11x6.

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