Friday, February 13, 2009

Packing Tips To Save You Time And Hassle

By Andrew Scott

When it comes to air travel, many travelers are more concerned with their carry-on luggage than they are with the bags that will be handed over to airport staff. These bags, commonly referred to as checked baggage, are usually just as important, if not more important, than your carry-on luggage. For this reason, there are a number of different factors that you should take into consideration, when packing your bags for your next flight.

Also remember that most airlines now charge a fee for excess baggage, so when in doubt, travel light, and dont bring anything with you that you can easily and inexpensively purchase at your destination. This will also reduce the chances that certain items, i.e. bottles of shampoo, conditioner, lotion, etc will break during transit, making a mess of your suitcase and damaging your clothes.

In the past, certain airlines only randomly searched checked baggage. Many times, these searches were only implemented if airline officials or airport security had probable cause. Today, all bags are checked, including your checked luggage. Most checks will quickly be done, but, in some cases, more extensive searches may be conducted. A quick check of your luggage may include rummaging through all of your belongings, looking for anything out of the ordinary. An extensive search could include searching all of your clothing pockets and baggage compartments. In the event that you are subject to one of those checks, it is likely that you will be caught if you are carrying prohibited items. A list of prohibited and allowed items is available from the TSA website.

Today, all bags are checked, including your checked luggage. Most checks will quickly be done, but, in some cases, more extensive searches may be conducted. A quick check of your luggage may include rummaging through all of your belongings, looking for anything out of the ordinary. An extensive search could include searching all of your clothing pockets and baggage compartments. In the event that you are subject to one of those checks, it is likely that you will be caught if you are carrying prohibited items. A list of prohibited and allowed items is available from the TSA website.

The TSA advises against locking your baggage before heading to the airport. After your bags have been properly screened, some airlines will allow you to replace the locks on your checked baggage, but some wont. For this reason, you may want to reconsider storing expensive items, such as electronic equipment, in your bags. In addition to the possibility of theft, you will find that items packed inside your checked luggage are at a higher risk for being damaged then those that are in your carry-on bags.

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