If you love something, set it free – by packing it in your checked bag.
Meaning: You may never see it again.
Flying with checked luggage is a gamble this summer, especially if you’re traveling internationally. Shortages of airport staff during a summer of pent-up travel demand have not only delayed and canceled flights, but conspired to thwart those intended journeys with suitcases containing all our favorite things.
“I would tell travelers flying into or connecting to major airports like London Heathrow, Amsterdam and Paris that you might as well flip a coin as to whether your luggage is going to get where you’re going,” said Kyle Potter, editor of the Minneapolis-based Thrifty Traveler.
Social media is full of horror stories about bags that have disappeared permanently, been sent to faraway places or been reunited with their owners weeks after returning from vacation. In May, nearly six out of every 1,000 checked bags were “mishandled” — either lost, damaged, delayed or stolen — according to the most recent federal data available.
While that doesn’t sound terrible, “it doesn’t capture the true start of the summer travel season,” Potter said, “nor does it capture how bad things have been in Europe.”
Earlier this month, Delta sent a flight from London to Detroit with zero passengers — but about 1,000 pieces of lost luggage, which were then sent to their destination.
The advice that travel experts continue to hand out this summer is to only pack what you need in your carry-on. If you can pull this off, you’re a deity in my book. Apart from the period in my 20s when I was backpacking through Asia and washing my socks in hostel sinks, I tend to prepare for all possibilities when packing my suitcase. It’s even worse now that I have children because I fear moral judgment if I have failed to plan for the unlikely.
I asked Potter and other carry-on crusaders for their tips on minimalist packing. Here’s what they said:
Use the bulkiest items on the plane
Space-saving sandals go in the bag, bulky training shoes on the feet. Also wear thicker clothes such as jackets, sweaters, hoodies or jeans on the flight. While packing, choose quick-dry clothing from outdoor stores like REI that can be squeezed into your carry-on.
My friend swears by rolling her clothes, military style, like little Twinkies. You can also purchase TSA-friendly compression packing cubes that can help you squeeze more clothes into your bag, or at least help you stay organized.
Another friend says she questions every item of clothing. Can it be used multiple times, multiple ways? Items that cannot be “team players” stay at home.
Potter, who admits to being a “pretty regular dresser” by nature, opts for versatile clothes – basic T-shirts and quasi-athletic wear that work just as well on a hike as in the pub. “People have this impulse to bring as much as they can,” he said. He encouraged me to think back to the last time I checked my bag “and do a mental inventory of everything you packed that you never wore.” Eek.
I have childhood memories of my mother packing her suitcase with containers of Pond’s cold cream to give as gifts to relatives on overseas trips. Sorry, aunty – this time you get money.
When Gatachew Teklu, owner of Admas Travel, flies back to Ethiopia to see his family, “I just give them money instead of buying them all these things from T.J. Maxx and Marshalls,” he said.
Get the most out of your personal item
Don’t waste the space under the seat in front of you on a small bag. A medium-sized bag or backpack with multiple compartments can store electronics and headphones, a new set of clothes and airport essentials. Just measure the dimensions and check your airline’s restrictions to make sure you can store it under the seat.
No matter how long your trip is, pack only a week’s worth of clothes. When choosing accommodation, consider an Airbnb that has an on-site washer and dryer or a hotel that offers a wash-and-fold service, advises Potter.
When Allie Hawley March of Oakdale travels, each child gets their own backpack. E-books are a must. If your child is old enough to use a car seat, consider inflatables like the BubbleBum to save space. On her last family trip, Hawley March said, “The booster seat literally fit in my carry-on, along with all my clothes, and was in my bag under the seat in front of me. No overhead bin or checked bag. It was amazing.”
How is it to win the bonus round?
“I don’t want to try to wrangle kids AND a rolling suitcase,” said Hawley March, who hasn’t checked a bag in 20 years. “I want both hands free so I can hold little people—hence a backpack. And if the kids all have backpacks, they can be responsible for their own gear.”
Converted yet? Potter said most travelers have their routines and don’t want to be told there could be another way. But he has faith that in this unpredictable and potentially stressful travel season, some of us can open our minds—and our carry-ons—to the beauty of packing light.
“The only thing worse than going somewhere for two weeks and not having all the clothes you want,” he said, “is going somewhere for two weeks and not having any clothes, period.”
