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10 Reminders About Packing Your Airline Baggage, Even When You Travel Regularly

Baggage Airline Travel tips
Baggage Airline Travel tips

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Pack your airline baggage right! You feel excited about traveling and you are done packing up your things. From the time you reach the airport, you have to separate with your check-in baggage and claim it again at the airport of your destination. You don’t want to see your baggage like a mess and most of all, you don’t want to have it lost.

To avoid undesirable outcomes, pack your things cleverly and take note of the precautions. Arrive safely together with your check-in baggage.

1. Check Your Baggage Limit

Before booking your final ticket, check the airline’s size and weight limit as well as baggage fees. Number of carry-on bags and the overall permitted weight must still be considered. Not all airlines have the same policies so if you have booked to several airlines, checked them all.

Also consider your estimated weight of your bags for your return trip so you can increase your baggage allowance and save more when you include it on your flight booking or reservation.

Some countries around the world permit 2 checked-in bags or 3 if you don’t have a carry-on bag, stroller or luggage while some places have limits not on the number of bags but based on the total weight of your checked-in bags.

2. Keep with You the Most Important Items

You must bring your most precious belongings with you as a carry-on bag such as cash, credit cards, keys, jewelries, cameras or other electronic gadgets. Medicines must be with you at all times.

Important documents such as passport and tickets must be kept with you while other documents like contracts, business papers, etc. may be placed on a suitcase and bring with you inside the plane. Small fragile items such as shades must be hand-carried as well.

3. Know What the Restricted Items are

Aside from knowing the prohibited general items (alcohol, sharp objects, flammable items, big bottles of liquids, etc.) in airports through reading brochures or browsing the airline website, you must also be aware of other things that are restricted (pirated goods and pornographic materials) in your destination country.

4. Bring With You the Perishable Items

Like medicines, perishables must be carried because flights carrying the checked-in baggage may be delayed for 1-2 or more days. It will be surely disgusting to have a spoiled item or a waste inside your bag. Toiletries, jackets and underwear must also be carried with you so you can get these immediately as needed.

5. Label Dark Bags by having Bright Colored Name Tags

Checked-in bags must be labeled with your name, address and contact details so you can find it in case it is lost. Name tags that have bright colors and tying colored ribbons on your bags are recommended so you can easily identify your bag when claiming it on the baggage carousel. You can also draw or mark your bags with bright colored pens or paint if you want.

6. Avoid Over Packing

Using plastic bags for checked-in items is a no-no for airports. Over packing items will pop the bags open and may result to re-arranging items on your other bags which may waste your time. For glassware, electrical equipment, small appliances, musical instruments, plates or other fragile items, these should be packed in a box or any hard container that are designed to protect these items and survive the rough handling.

7. Be Early with 2 Hours as the Latest

You must catch up with the airline’s check in deadline. Going to the lines and counters is a long process. Be early so you won’t move in a hurry. If you did not reach the airline’s deadline, they will not be liable for your delayed or lost baggage.

It is better to be early so in case your bags have exceeded the check-in weight limit, you can have more time to repack your things.

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8. Don’t Remove Stubs and Stickers

Remove hooks, straps and key chains from your checked-in bags for the reason your bags can get caught with other bags or processing machines. Without removing these items will result to bag damage.

Cover your checked-in bags with cloth and locks so no one can put illegal items there.

When you reach the check-in counter of the airline, double check the tags of your bags before letting it go through the conveyor belt so you will be sure that the destination for these will be correct.

Don’t remove stubs and stickers on your bag until you exit from your destination’s airport. These will be needed to show the airport security when leaving the airport.

On your next trip, you can remove the tags and stickers of your previous trip to avoid confusion on the part of staff and baggage handlers.

9. Report if something’s suspicious

Since you have placed name tags and bright colored markers or ribbons, you can now easily identify your baggage and check its name tag. If your baggage arrives damaged, opened or unlocked, check in the spot you are staying if there are missing items or if someone put illegal items. Report the incident immediately to the airline and airport security. Insist on filling out forms that proves you have reported it to them.

Take note of the date, time of report and the contact details of the person you have spoken with. Follow-up immediately with a formal and certified letter addressed to the airline.

10. Know what purchases to bring back

It takes effort and money to shop for the most beautiful things but remember to take note that marine plants and animals, rare items, pets that are endangered animals are not allowed onboard. It will be a waste if the immigration will tell you to leave things that you have already bought.

With these airline baggage tips, you can now be sure that you are doing the right way. Avoid the penalties. Proper packing leads to a stress free and safe travel.

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