The day has come. Your meticulously planned, long awaited vacation is finally here!
Whether the trip is a special event like a honeymoon, your dream trip abroad or your annual family getaway, nothing dampens the start of a vacation more than LOST LUGGAGE. The recent surge in airport issues, limited direct flights, staffing challenges, flight delays and cancellations have all increased the possibility your checked luggage may be delayed or lost.
So, what can you do to avoid the pitfalls and stress of lost luggage?
Start by NOT checking luggage
Some may think it’s impossible to fit everything you need for a long trip into a carry-on plus personal bag.
I’m here to tell you it is not only possible, but easy.
Even if you have a direct flight, I still recommend carrying-on.
You’ll be walking off the plane and right into your vacation without that extra stop to the dreaded baggage carousel.
Outlined below is everything you need to make your carry-on dream a reality!
First and foremost, know your airline’s carry-on rules – US Domestic size and weight limits are different than International travel. Additionally, some countries are more rigid than others. For example, Australian airlines have carry-on weight restrictions that could prove challenging for even the minimalist traveler.
Check your airline’s rules for “personal item” sizing which is meant to fit under the seat in front of you. It’s quite sizable! In my picture above you can see my TravelPro Maxlite 5 Under Seat carry-on situated on top of my actual Carry-on suitcase.
Consider a luggage makeover
If your suitcase is 15 years old, it likely weighs more than luggage sold today. Not only will a new set of lightweight, durable luggage help meet weight restrictions, it will be much easier for you to lift into overhead bins.
As a female with the upper body strength of a toddler, having a suitcase that weighs 4 lbs less than my old one has been a lifesaver! I ADORE my TravelPro Maxlite 5 carry-on.
The Class struggle is real – it behooves an airline to be strict with carry-on rules when they have revenue tied to checked luggage. On crowded flights or smaller aircrafts with a limited amount of overhead bin space, we all appreciate adherence to the rules so every person has room. However, I’ve heard stories of travelers required to check a bag that was a little over the weight or size limit. To the contrary, I’ve witnessed passengers board full flights with suitcases larger than the allowed size. Is it just the luck of the draw with your airline attendant? Maybe….but other factors may be at play.
Below are possible reasons why cabin class/ticket factor
More likely to have your bag checked:
- If your airline or cabin class requires you pay for every checked bag, airlines won’t want to miss out on that baggage revenue
- If you haven’t paid to check any bags, carry-on more than allowed or larger than regulation, you have a greater chance of checking at the gate
- The farther back your boarding group, the more chance overhead compartments may be full
Less likely to be asked to check:
- If your ticket allows for one or more free checked bags but you are only carrying-on, the airlines seem to be less rigid
- Higher cabin class tickets also means a better boarding group, therefore less chance overhead bins are full. If you are in Business or First Class, you have even more wiggle room
- Some airlines, like Air France, allow 2 carry-on sized suitcases and 1 personal bag for Business Class
In general, I think airlines are more flexible with their Business Class passengers. I was lucky to fly Business Class to Italy. I stressed for months that my carry-on (which met US Domestic sizing) would be flagged because it was 1 inch too tall for International flights. Luckily I had no issues.
These are my personal opinions and observations. Pack and carry-on at your own discretion. I try to follow rules and not cheat the system, but I also learned to not stress less over that 1 inch handle!
Packing Techniques
The most important criteria to becoming a successful carry-on traveler is WHAT you pack and HOW you do it
WHAT TO PACK
Plan out your outfits in advance! It may seem OCD but it’s worth the time. I overpacked even when I mapped out each day’s outfits (in advance, on a calendar, with pictures…ok I’m a bit extra!).
Wear your largest shoes and coat/jacket on the plane. No need for them to take up luggage space.
Inevitably, I always end up with unworn clothes I never used for dinners. For guys and gals, plan daytime outfits that easily transition to appropriate dinner attire. Unless you are sweating all day or going to a very dressy dinner, many outfit choices can work out very well from day-to-night.
You can always wash clothes midway through a long trip. Pack a few neutral or versatile tops that can be worn with a single pair of pants. You’ll save luggage space and have multiple outfits that don’t look like repeats.
HOW TO PACK
The three most popular space saving packing techniques are Packing Cubes, Rolling Method, and Bundle Method. Right off the bat I’m going to tell you the Bundle Method is the clear winner. I trial-packed my clothes and shoes for a 2 week trip to Italy using all three methods. Bundle Method was the only one that allowed me to fit everything. I did the same three trials with my husband’s clothes and Bundling yielded an extra 2 inches of space top space over the other methods.
Packing Cubes – come in various sizes and are zippered, flexible, fabric containers. You fold or roll your clothes, pack them into the cubes, then put the cubes in your suitcase. The biggest benefit to me was the organization aspect of the cubes and the ability to keep “like items” together. The negative is that it didn’t provide the same space savings or lack of wrinkles I enjoyed from the bundle method.
Rolling – is tightly rolling your clothes (versus traditional folding). This squeezes out the air between folds and takes up less physical space than folding. Clothes can be rolled and placed right into your suitcase or your packing cubes. This technique was a huge fail for me. My rolled jeans took up a lot of space and some of my other clothes looked very wrinkled after sitting in the rolled state for a few days.
The Bundle Method – the CLEAR winner. I’m still shocked by the amount of clothes, shoes and purses I fit into my TravelPro Maxlite 5, 21 inch carry-on. This method allowed me to pack so much for my last two International trips that I brought much more than I needed. Lesson learned – just because you can fit it all in the carry-on doesn’t mean you need to bring it all!
I fit all of these clothes into my Maxlite 5 21in carry-on.
Click here to watch the video.
Your shoes (stuffed with socks and other small items) go in first on the bottom of your carry-on. Bundle packing starts from there. It involves laying out your clothes in a certain order on top of your open suitcase. Starting with pants, then skirts, dresses and finally tops. The direction of each item will alternate as you build the bundle. There are several bundling techniques out there, but my favorite is from Packing Light Dot Com. Click Here for their YouTube Instructional video and Click Here if you’d like to watch my video where I packed using their technique.
Since you are layering flat clothing, creating a soft fabric core, it saves space and produces the least amount of wrinkles by eliminating harsh folds. The bundle of fabric-on-fabric also keeps your clothes from moving during travel and getting more wrinkles. The only downside to the method is that you have to un-bundle it to get out an article of clothing. In Italy, we stayed in 4 cities over 2.5 weeks so I packed two separate bundles in my carry-on. One bundle with my outfits for the first two cities and the second for the last two cities. Since my outfits were all planned, it was easy to make the two bundles.
Liquids and the dang 3-1-1 rule:
Per TSA.gov “Each passenger may carry liquids, gels and aerosols in travel-size containers that are 3.4 ounces or100 milliliters. Each passenger is limited to one quart-size bag of liquids, gels and aerosols. Common travel items that must comply with the 3-1-1 liquids rule include toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, mouthwash and lotion.”
I love this inexpensive Cableinthebay TSA approved bag from Amazon. The bag, and more importantly the zipper, are very durable. I haven’t had any issues so far with this product.
The 3-1-1 rule is by far MY most challenging part of flying carry-on since women usually have more liquid based products than men. There are ways to maximize your space in that one quart-size bag. Click here for those tips.
Worst case, if you have to leave out your shampoo, conditioner and hairspray, those are inexpensive and easy to find in most countries.
Location Consideration
If you’re travelling to Europe, keep in mind many Airbnb’s and even some hotels don’t have elevators. Another reason to pack lighter. It’s no fun carrying your huge suitcase up flights of stairs.
When we were in the Amalfi Coast, we saw many people unprepared to navigate these cliffside towns with hundreds of steps to get anywhere. I’ll never forget this young couple that was lost and trying to find their Airbnb. The husband was drenched in sweat and physically exhausted as he carried their giant luggage up 30 steps just to find out they were in the wrong location.
Our hotel valet in Positano, Italy carrying our luggage a LONG way to our room
What I always bring, and never use:
Hairdryer- When was the last time you were at a hotel or Airbnb that didn’t have one?
Too much makeup – can you get by with foundation and one eyeliner, a lipstick, mascara, blush, powder and a small shadow pallet is plenty? I always bring a LOT more and never use it.
Accessories – I pack too much fashion jewelry and every time I regret it.
Wait, no room for souvenirs?
I usually shop on vacation and have to check my luggage on the flight home. If your carry-on suitcase is too small to fit your purchases, you can always buy a cheap piece of luggage in town.
Even better (and cheaper), put your dirty clothes or overflow items in a cardboard box, seal it up, write your name/number and check it with your luggage. Easy-Peasy.
I hope this article was helpful and motivated you to try carry-on travel. If you’re still married to checking your luggage, invest in something like Apple AirTags or similar products that work with your mobile device to track your luggage if it is lost.
Happy Travels
Cindy
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