Don’t Check a Bag

I’m sure that you have heard it all before – “don’t check a bag”.

Here are some reasons for NOT checking a bag.

– It’s a fact that you will get to your destination quicker – I had to wait an hour once for my mom to get her checked bags at BWI.

– I also know that there is a chance the airline can lose your luggage – although the Department of Transportation says that there is only a 1% chance of it happening.

– It is much quicker to check in if you don’t have to wait at the counter – sometimes in very long lines.

There are many tips to help you pack lighter…these are a few of my favorites.

1) Bring clothes you no longer want and leave them behind (my favorite tip as my daughter grows so fast I take things she is at the end of using) to make room for souvenirs.

2) Use space saving bags (although they won’t affect the weight limits).

3) Buy the lightest bag you can find (not cheap as you want it to last). I found a really good Columbia set of luggage and got a really good deal with coupons and a shopping portal.

4) Wash and reuse clothes during your trip.

5) Layer as much as you can and carry your coat on the plane (don’t put it in your bag).

5) Ship a box home.  On three separate trips I shipped a box home – one from Spain, one from Argentina (leather goods were so great and inexpensive) and from Germany (I went from the alps to Munich where I had to buy tanks it was so hot).  I always send it the slowest method so it’s not too expensive.  Send the stuff you won’t need right away like souvenirs.

6) So many airlines charge for extra bags and extra weight.  Once I found myself laying on the airport floor trying to move items into my carry on.  (You could buy that new luggage that has a built-in scale.)

7) Do a home exchange!  You will have a washer (usually) and most items you would need.  It really does make traveling so much easier.

There are a few reasons you SHOULD pack a bag.

– You are flying Southwest and you just can’t go on vacation without your guitar.

– You are going to The Arctic Circle.

OK, next time I am going to try my best to pack only a carry-on.

How about you?