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This summer, it’s risky to fly with checked luggage, especially if you’re going abroad. Due to a lack of workers at airports during a busy summer travel season, flights have been delayed or cancelled, and all of our favourite things are stuck in suitcases that can’t get where they need to go.
If you’re flying to or through major airports like London Heathrow, Amsterdam, or Paris, you might as well flip a coin to see if your bag gets to where you’re going.
There are a lot of scary stories on social media about bags that have gone missing for good, been sent to faraway places, or been returned to their owners weeks after they got back from vacation. According to the most recent federal data, nearly six out of every 1,000 checked bags were “mishandled” in May. This means that they were either lost, damaged, delayed, or stolen.
Even though that doesn’t sound too bad, it doesn’t capture the real start of the summer travel season or how bad things have been in Europe.
This month, Delta sent a plane from London to Detroit with no passengers but about 1,000 pieces of lost luggage, which were then sent where they needed to go.
This summer, travel experts keep telling people to only pack what they need in a carry-on. If you can do this, I will think of you as a god. Except for the time when I was in my 20s and backpacked through Asia and washed my socks in hostel sinks, I usually pack for every possible situation. Now that I have kids, it’s even worse because I’m afraid of moral judgement if I don’t plan for the unlikely.
We asked “carry-on crusaders” for tips on how to pack as little as possible. What they said was:
Wear the biggest things you have on the plane.
Put your bulky gym shoes on your feet and your sandals in your bag. On the flight, you should also wear thicker clothes like jackets, sweaters, hoodies, or jeans. Choose clothes that dry quickly from outdoor stores like REI that you can pack into your carry-on.
Roll up your clothing.
My friend swears by the army-style method of rolling her clothes into little Twinkies. You can also buy compression packing cubes that are OK with the TSA. These can help you fit more clothes into your bag or at least keep them in order.
Evaluate your clothes ruthlessly.
Another friend says that she asks questions about every item of clothing. Can it be worn more than once and in more than one way? Things that can’t help the group stay at home.
Cash is the best gift.
When I was a kid, I remember my mom putting containers of Pond’s cold cream in her suitcase to give as gifts to relatives when she went abroad. Sorry, Auntie, but you’re getting money this time.
Use your own things to their fullest.
Don’t store a small purse under the seat in front of you. A medium-sized bag or backpack with lots of pockets can hold electronics, headphones, a change of clothes, and other things you need at the airport. Just measure it and see what the airline’s rules are to make sure it will fit under the seat.
You can always do laundry.
No matter how long your trip is, only bring enough clothes for a week. When choosing a place to stay, you look for an Airbnb with a washer and dryer on-site or a hotel with a wash-and-fold service.
Taking kids on a trip
E-books are a must. If your child is old enough to use a booster seat in the car, you can save space by getting an inflatable one like the BubbleBum.
If you have to check a bag,
Make sure your carry-on has the things you need, like medications, toiletries (travel sizes, of course! ), clothes, shoes, valuables, contact lenses, and clothes you plan to wear to special events, like weddings.
Apple AirTags or similar wireless tracking devices are almost a must-have right now. It won’t stop your bag from getting lost, but it might help you find it faster because you’ll know where it is. They were selling on Amazon for $27.50 each, or $89 for a set of four.
If you buy your plane ticket with a credit card that has baggage protection, you may be able to get money back to pay for a change of clothes and toiletries during your trip if your luggage is lost or delayed for a long time. Getting airlines to pay for some of these costs could take time. Make sure to get proof from the airline that your bags were lost, and keep the receipts for the things you bought.
Another option is to buy travel insurance on its own. But make sure you read the fine print and that your policy covers your bags.
Still not sure? Most travellers have their own routines and don’t want to hear that there might be a better way. But some of us will open our minds and carry-ons to the beauty of packing light during this unpredictable and potentially stressful travel season.
The only thing worse than going somewhere for two weeks without any clothes is going somewhere for two weeks without any clothes at all.
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