What to Take in Aircraft Carry on Baggage
Hints and Tips for Packing Airline Hand Luggage
Oct 11, 2009
It can be difficult to decide what to take with you on an airline flight, particularly if it is a long haul flight of several hours. What is the traveler likely to need, and what can he or she safely put in the hold. A child’s luggage for the flight can be particularly difficult to organize. An experienced traveler gives some advice.
First Consider Restrictions and the Allowance for Hand Luggage
All airlines have a size allowance for carry on baggage, and some have a weight restriction too. The traveler should take note of these, and try to obtain a bag of exactly the correct size. There are also certain items which are not permitted to be carried on board an aircraft.
More information on this can be obtained in the article Hand Luggage Restrictions for Airline Flights. The reasons for some of these restrictions are discussed in another article: Why is Liquid Forbidden in Airline Hand Baggage.
Necessary Items for the Trip
The traveler should consider carefully what he or she is likely to need during the flight. The following are usually items which will be wanted:
- Basic toiletries. Most people would like to clean their teeth, comb their hair, and generally freshen up on a long flight, particularly an overnight flight. Some airlines provide these items, so it might be worth finding out in advance if this is the case.
- Reading Matter – an essential for most people, but one book is usually sufficient.
- Extra clothing, particularly if the traveler is going to a country with a different climate.
- Money, passport, tickets, travellers cheques etc – don’t make the mistake of packing anything essential like this in hold baggage, just in case it goes astray.
- Water or other drinks – most airlines will now not allow travelers to take these aboard, but they can be bought after passing through customs and passport control, and are essential in the dry atmosphere of a plane.
- Basic medical supplies such as painkillers, and any prescription items required.
- Anything else the traveler could not do without if the hold luggage was lost.
How to Keep Carry-on Baggage to a Minimum
Looking at the above list, the traveler might wonder how on earth he is going to get all these items into the small bag allowed. This is where organization comes in. Here are some tips:
- Buy travel-sized packs of any toiletries needed, eg a travel toothbrush and a small size of toothpaste.
- Take a paperback book
- Inflatable items such as a blow-up cushion for sleeping on the plane take up hardly any room.
- Discard extra packaging, for example of aspirin tablets; it will not be needed and takes up much-needed space.
- Wear extra clothing if really necessary; it can always be taken off after boarding the plane.
If the traveler follows the above tips she will hopefully have a pleasant and trouble-free flight. In fact, she may find that she becomes an expert at traveling light, and abandons taking hold baggage at all for short trips. For more advice on doing this, see Airline Flying With Only Hand Luggage.
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