10.31.13 Travel Tip, Wander

Travel Tip – When To Check Your Bag


TRAVEL TIP WHEN TO CHECK IN SUITCASE

I did it last month, when I flew to Iowa City.  It felt slightly shameful, but so good.

I did it again last week when I flew back and forth to Europe.  For a weeklong trip (which, for me, is nothing).  Shameful.

I checked in my suitcase.  And dare i say it, I liked it.  (Not having to pay for it certainly helped – thank you United status!)

There are times when checking in a bag is not only not shameful, it’s downright necessary.   I won’t check in my bag for an overnight trip next week, but I’ll certainly be dropping it off at check-in in a few weeks when I jet off to Asia (nearly 3 weeks, two climates, and an Indian wedding?  Even I’m not that good).

Here it is – my primer on when to check your suitcase:

  • Packing food or wine.  Pesky international regulations have it so food items and wine bottles cannot be carried on (and with certain foods, not allowed at all).  I stockpiled a collection of hot sauces during my trip to New Orleans last year, and carefully packaged the bottles inside plastic baggies (and then my dirty laundry) to prevent breakage when my suitcase would be inevitably tossed about my luggage handlers.  After spending the weekend in Veneto (i.e. land of prosecco), I clearly came back full-handed – my two bottles of bubbly were wrapped with care in bubble wrap and packed between layers of clothes.  All items came safely from the Venice >> Frankfurt >> JFK journey.  My sanity, however, is probably still in the Lufthansa lounge in FRA.
  • Tiny planes.  I loathe tiny aircrafts, the number 1 reason being you have to deposit your suitcase in the jetway and wait for it after landing.  When flying to small airports, as I did in Cedar Rapids, I willingly relinquished my bag to the check-in agents in Philadelphia and collected my bag mere seconds after obtaining my rental car keys.  #win
  • Long / multi-climate trips.  My husband and I have finally admitted defeat to packing ONLY carry-ons for Asia.  Between the variant climates (the chill of China & Seoul vs. the tropics of Malaysia and Indonesia), the duration of the trip (nearly 3 weeks!), and the Indian wedding we’ll be attending (3 space-occupying outfits each), we just can’t do it.  I’ll be busting out the rarely used big suitcase for this jaunt.
  • Indian weddings + vacations.  I can pack a carry on for vacation.  I can pack a carry-on for an Indian wedding.  But for both?  3 outfits + accessories tends to occupy the majority of your suitcase, so if you’re not lazing around on a beach somewhere, I’d even recommend the check-in route.

Any other trip?  You can definitely pack in a carry-on.  My Pack Perfect Calculator will get you started – get on my mailing list and snag it for FREE.

I’d love to know – what are your rules about checking in vs. carrying on?  Any random stories about you having to check in a bag when you didn’t expect.  Talk to me in the comments below!

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