7 Packing Tips From An Airline Baggage Agent

I’ve been doing travel ALL WRONG! And you probably have too. I recently came to an epiphany and realized quickly that I’ve been packing wrong my whole life. Here are 7 packing tips from an airline baggage agent that will change how you travel.

1. Do NOT over pack. Just because an airline has a maximum weight limit per bag doesn’t mean you should pack every last ounce up to that limit in your bag. Over packed bags have a higher risk of getting damaged during transit because of the sheer weight. Handles may break when the bag is being lifted. Zippers can burst open spilling contents. Not to mention the personal injury risk you take having to lift a 50lb bag out of your car and off the baggage carousels once you arrive at your destination. Maybe leave the 6 pairs of shoes at home and opt for 2. Konmari your suitcase before you zip it shut.
2. Keep important items with you at all times. Baggage delays happened for a variety of reasons and can be anywhere from a couple of hours to several days. To avoid disappointment always keep essential (especially live saving) items in your carry-on. Items like medications, personal electronics like ipads, laptops, cell phones (and their chargers), car and house keys, wallet, passport, ID, sleep machines like CPAP’s and even a change of clothes should always be with you in a carry-on bag.
3. Put your name on everything. Well, not every-little-thing. But definitely invest in a personal name tag for the outside of your bag. Put your first and last name, a contact phone number and even your home address. From time to time those long white bag tags that airlines use do come off. Those tags are a wealth of information from origin city to connecting city to final destination to booking reservation code and name. Without that airline tag, your own personal tag is the best resource an airline has to get your bag to the right destination in order to meet up with you. And if the handle on your bag breaks (see tip #1) I also recommend putting a piece of paper or business card INSIDE your bag as well. If you want to be ‘extra’, put your current flight info on the paper inside your bag especially if you’re changing airlines and flying internationally or overseas.
4. Bags are meant to get damaged. Wait, let me explain. The purpose of a piece of luggage is to move your personal belongings from one place to another while keeping the contents safe. The bag on the other hand is doing it’s job if it sustains a dent or ding while keeping your clothes folded safely inside. Travel is rough and dirty. The cargo hold of an airplane is not pristine. Bags are often exposed to extreme climate changes especially in the winter and damage does happen. How do bags get damaged? Lots of different reasons. Hard side bags crack in cold weather, soft side bags rip when they get caught on something sharp, handles and zippers break when people over pack (again see tip #1), bags can accidentally fall, turbulence can bounce luggage around as well. If you decide to purchase luxury luggage and are more worried about the safety of your luggage than the contents inside your bag, you might want to reconsider your purchase or stick with carry-on so you can control the handling of your bag during your trip. I also suggest checking online with your airline to see what their baggage damage policy is as airlines damage compensation can vary greatly. Also check your travel insurance policy for luggage damage. No luggage is “indestructible” despite what some companies put in their brochure and their price tag.
5. Leave the lighters at home. There’s a long list of items that are no-go in your checked luggage and others a no-go in your carry-on luggage. For instance, you can travel with a disposable cigarette lighter in your carry-on, purse or pocket but you can not pack them in your checked luggage. Are you a billiard pool champion? You’ll have to check your pool cue in your luggage as they are not allowed as a carry-on. Bowling balls on the other hand, can be carry-on and checked baggage. CATSA in Canada and TSA in the USA are responsible for the safety screening at airports. Unsure of something you want to pack? Check with the CATSA website for a complete list of dangerous goods.
6. Take a picture of your bag. It might seem like an unnecessary step but it might be very valuable down the road. If you think about your luggage right now, could you describe it in detail? What colour is it? What is the brand? How many wheels does it have? When you are finished packing, could you describe the items in detail that are inside your bag? In the event that your bag is delayed to your final destination for some reason, you will have to visit baggage services to file a delayed bag report. The more detail you can provide for this report, the better. Most and I mean MOST bags that don’t make it to their final destination with a passenger are simply delayed and arrive within 24 hours. Also, STOP BUYING BLACK ROLLING LUGGAGE! Find a loud bright colour or pattern or plaster your hard side bag with stickers. Make it stand out and easy to locate.
7. Be kind and rewind. Airlines and their employees are not purposely trying to delay or damage your bag. I promise you. They are working hard to help make your travel experience pleasant and seamless however sometimes things happen. Take a breath and remember to show kindness to the staff who are there to help you. Airline staff have training to assist and systems and procedures set up to address your concerns. Staff are not there to take on abuse or get yelled at for any reason. Keep in mind that extreme behaviour can affect future travel with a carrier and if need be local police are on site and can be utilized if staff feel threatened. It is true in most situations in life that you’ll get more bees with honey than with vinegar.

My time as a baggage agent has changed how I look at travel, in a good way. I pack smarter and lighter and have adjusted my expectations and flexibility. I know not everyone gets this kind of perspective but I hope some of these tips help you the next time you’re traveling. Do you have any packing tips that have changed the way you travel? Have you ditched the check bag for that ‘carry-on life’? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Happy Travels!