Suitcase.com's Suitcase & Luggage Blog

With the December holidays quickly approaching, another busy travel season is upon us. If you plan to fly this month, you’re sure to find some of these seasonal items making their way into your luggage, leaving you with a packing dilemma.

Here, we focus on three of the most popular items that air travelers tend to pack during the holidays, and provide tips for proper packing that save time, money and future security hassles.

Flying with Food

Holidays are synonymous with food, and most partygoers like to bring something special to a family member’s or friend’s home. If you’re traveling to a holiday gathering by plane this year, be aware that certain food items are not permissible in a carry-on bag.  Some of the most commonly packed, seasonal food items are cranberry sauce, dips, condiments, jams, dressings, soups, and bottles of alcohol or wine.

Avoid having to throw these items out in the security line, and pack them in a checked bag, or ship them to your destination. Also, note that pies, cakes and desserts are allowed through the security checkpoint, but if necessary, they may be taken for “additional screening.”

View TSA’s complete list of food items to avoid packing in your carry-on.

Packing Pre-wrapped Presents

Depending on the size of the gift, you should be able to keep any pre-wrapped gifts in a carry-on bag. Remember that your carry-on must adhere to your airline’s specific size and weight regulations. Any gift is subject to screening, if needed, and can be unwrapped if security finds it necessary.

If the gift is larger, and fits awkwardly in your carry-on, choose a safer option, and pack the gift in a checked bag so it will not be unwrapped. Or, premeasure your wrapping paper, neatly fold it, and bring it along with the gift item to avoid having a TSA attendant unwrap your gift.

Traveling with Ski Equipment

In the winter months, it’s quite common for travelers to head for the mountains during the holidays for ski vacations. This usually requires additional, recreational equipment, most of which fits in a carry-on or checked bag (outerwear, hats, gloves, goggles, socks, accessories, etc.).

For the other bulkier items, like boots, skis, poles and snowboards, it’s important to know how to pack, and do it efficiently. Ski bags and boot bags are made to properly hold and protect ski equipment during travel. If it adheres to your airline’s regulations, your boot bag can be counted as a carry-on item. Then, check with your airline to see how they accommodate “special items,” such as ski equipment. Most airlines will count a ski bag in place of a checked bag, and some will accept two ski items. 

Fly Stress Free

The holiday season is a time for fun and food with family and friends. If you do a little bit of research beforehand, you’re sure to simplify the packing process. Once you’re aware of what you can and cannot bring through security and onto the plane, you’ll be one step closer to a joyful—and restful— holiday.

Photo courtesy: Conde Nast Traveler

Are you traveling this holiday season? What packing tips do you use to stay stress-free?

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With checked luggage fees on the rise, many travelers are searching for ways to pare down their luggage contents this holiday season, and packing up carry-on bags.

While carrying on might seem relatively simple, there are a number of things fliers should consider before choosing to carry on in order to make sure it's the right choice for their travels. In addition, we've outlined basic carry-on knowledge and etiquette to help you avoid any holdups at the airport and during your flight.

Travel Carefree with Carry-on Luggage

You can find tips for carrying on luggage, and our top picks for carry-on bags on SlideShare, or view the presentation below.

Our carry-on picks include bags by:

• Rick Steves
• Victorinox
• Briggs & Riley
• Eagle Creek
• Brics

Assess Your Travels

Before jumping into a carry-on bag for your next flight, remember to assess the length of your trip, and what you'll need. Once you make sure that carrying on is the right choice for your travels, you'll be flying home for the holidays stress- and baggage claim-free!

Do you avoid checking bags, and travel with a carry-on? Tell us about your experiences.

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Last week, I took an extended weekend, and traveled out West. Usually, I’m a “carry-on only” type of traveler, but a four-night trip required more kinds of outfits, shoes and travel essentials than I anticipated. 

Luckily, my airline checks the first bag for free, so I checked it at the ticketing desk. As an added bonus, I didn’t have to lug a heavy carry-on through the airport and security line, leaving me much lighter in my travels.

Of course, though, there were still hold-ups. When making your way to the gate, there are a few things that can throw a wrench in your plans — even when checking luggage. Remember these essential tasks that can save significant time and lessen stress next time you’re in an airport security line.

Wear Slip-on Shoes

It may seem logical to wear athletic shoes if you need to get around the airport quickly. Flip flops and other slip-on, tieless styles of shoes are comfortable, and will undoubtedly save you more time, and the hassle of removing your shoes, and then finding a bench to sit down and re-tie them.

Opt Out of Accessories

Be a minimalist when it comes to your travel outfits. The least amount of items you have on your body, the better. Your go-to piece of jewelry, and even hair accessories, can sometimes hold you up in line.

On my last flight, I stuck with my own advice, and opted out of wearing jewelry, thinking it’d make things simpler in the security line. However, I did have on a decorative metal headband, which I forgot to take off. Save yourself time, and skip the annoying accessories. This goes for men, too. If you can, choose to wear pants that don’t require a belt, and keep your watch in a laptop or carry-on bag, which you can retrieve later.

With that being said, it doesn’t mean you have to be a “plain Jane” for the duration of your flight. Keep the accessories you want to wear in your carry-on bag or purse. Then, simply put them on once you’re seated on the plane.

Taking a Laptop? Take Two Bins

If you plan on bringing a laptop through security, remember that it not only needs to come out of your bag, but you must place it in its own plastic bin. If you leave your laptop in a purse or carry-on bag, a member of TSA security will have you return to the line to remove it, and put it in a bin.

If you frequently take a laptop with you when you travel by plane, think about investing in a TSA-approved laptop bag. The bag will still need its own bin, but you won’t have to remove the computer from the bag; simply unzip it, and lay the bag flat to expose the laptop.

Check Your Makeup

By now, airline travelers are aware that liquids stowed in carry-on luggage must be less than three ounces, and contained in a one-quart plastic bag. It’s easy to forget, though, about the liquids that you may carry in your purse or bag on a daily basis.

If you tend to carry makeup in a purse, make sure to check for liquids, and transfer it to your carry-on luggage before entering the security line. Some items to think about include liquid foundations, hand or body lotion, hand sanitizer, sunscreen and smaller bottles of perfume or cologne. Plan beforehand, and you’ll avoid having to throw these items away in the security line.

Always Be Prepared

TSA has a slogan on its website that I believe all air travelers should remember: “When in doubt, leave it out.” You’ll save yourself a significant amount of time, hassle and stress by preparing yourself and your bags ahead of time, and knowing the rules before you get in the security line.

What are your tips to get through airport security hassle-free?

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If you’re an avid airline traveler, you’re probably aware that carrying on luggage can save you a lot of money in baggage fees. However, sometimes the ever-changing Transportation Security Administration (TSA) rules for carry-on bags can add stress to your travels. 

From laptops to liquids, there are a number of restrictions that airline passengers must abide by to not only travel safely, but to also proceed through security quickly.

Here are some tips and considerations to keep in mind when packing these popular items.

Laptops

Business travelers have their own share of travel stresses to handle, including lugging around laptops. In recent years, the TSA began allowing laptops to remain in bags with “check-point friendly” features. Once the laptop is inside, you can open up the bag and lay it on the belt for screening.

Liquids

Liquids can be confiscated and thrown out if TSA rules are not followed. Keep in mind the 3-1-1 regulation: each container can hold three ounces or less; put the containers in a one quart-size, clear plastic, zip-top bag; one bag is allowed per traveler. Keep your bag handy because you’ll need to place it in the security bin.

Food and Beverages

Many travelers aren’t aware that it is safe to bring food through security. Food must be wrapped and covered or in a container, and fruits are also permissible. Beverages, on the other hand, are not allowed through security at any time. After clearing security, beverages may be purchased in the airport and brought on the plane.

Sports Gear

Certain sporting equipment like golf club bags cannot be brought on any aircraft in a carry-on bag and must be checked. Other common sport essentials like skis, hockey sticks, baseball bats or hand weights also must be checked.

Luggage Size

Don’t forget that there are also size regulations for carry-on luggage. While size of carry-on luggage differs with each airline, most airlines accept luggage between 45 and 50 linear inches, which is the total of the height, width and depth of the bag. In addition, the bag cannot exceed 35 pounds, and must fit in an overhead bin. Usually, planes taking shorter flights have smaller overhead bins, so consider how far you’re going and pack accordingly.

While the majority of airlines don't charge for carry-ons, a few have recently added additional fees. Check your airline's regulations and policies beforehand.

Smooth Travels

With baggage fees on the rise this year, you can save money during your next trip by using a carry-on instead of checking luggage. In addition, by understanding TSA guidelines, you can save time and reduce stress.

If you’re unsure about an item or piece of luggage, contact TSA for security information, or call your airline for more details.

Do you save on baggage fees by carrying on luggage? How do you get through security hassle-free?

 

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Photo credit: Mobile Edge Laptop Cases

Suitcase.com and Bretts Luggage are celebrating the Fourth of July with an explosive sale on the HC2 Hovercraft collection by Eagle Creek.

Our entire selection of Eagle Creek HC2 Hovercraft luggage is now 25% off. The lightweight luggage is crafted with refined styling and details. And be sure to check out the hottest new color in the collection — Torch Red.

HC2 Hovercraft luggage is made for those who value both quality and simplicity. Backed by Eagle Creek's "No Matter What" Warranty, the HC2 Hovercraft collection provides plenty of reason to celebrate!

 

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It’s no surprise that consumers are adjusting their travel habits and luggage purchasing behavior because of increased baggage fees. According to the Department of Transportation, airline firms brought in over three billion dollars of revenue from baggage fees. Now, the nation’s two largest airlines are upping their fees — a second checked bag could cost as much as $75.

Our 2011 Consumer Luggage Report revealed 48% of survey respondents prefer to pack lighter and use smaller travel bags.

Depending on your travel situation, you may be able to avoid or minimize fees through smart packing and luggage choices.

Here are some of our most helpful posts that focus on lighter luggage and carrying on bags:

Reader’s Digest Features Suitcase.com’s Tips for Packing Lighter — Based on our 2010 Consumer Luggage report, Reader’s Digest featured ten ways to beat the baggage game.

The Guide to Carry-on Luggage — Carry-on luggage tips can make your walk through security a breeze.

What to Consider When Buying Carry-on Luggage — Styles, colors and features can overwhelm the purchasing process. Consider things like wheels, handles and material that impact your travel experience.

Get the 4-1-1 on the 3-11 Airport Security Guidelines — When carrying on your luggage, it’s important to familiarize yourself with liquid regulations and restrictions.

Keep it Light: The 2011 Consumer Luggage Report — Key survey results revealed increased airline fees and security regulations impact consumer behavior.

Earlier this year, a Wall Street Journal article shared that business travel is on the rise for 2011. Also, business professionals who haven’t traveled in the past two years due to budget constraints plan to take more trips this year.

If you’re a business traveler going back to the skies this year, you may be looking for ways to simplify your travels.

Have you ever looked to your luggage as helping ease the stresses of your trips? Here are three ways that luggage can lighten the load surrounding business travel:

TSA-Friendly Laptop Bags

In any air travel, getting through the security gate can be a challenge in itself. For business travelers, adding a laptop to the mix can drain even more time. Now, many luggage and suitcase retailers are carrying TSA-friendly business briefcases and laptop bags.

Instead of rummaging through a bag to take out a laptop, you can open the briefcase flat on the belt and run it through security. There are a number of sizes, styles and materials available.

• Bonus Tip: Use the time you save getting through security to get some work done — and make sure to take advantage of the business lounges and free Wi-Fi if it’s available.

Lightweight Luggage and Packing

As we shared in our 2011 Consumer Luggage Report, lightweight luggage has taken over, with offerings to suit all needs and tastes. However, keep in mind that even the lightest-weight luggage can become heavy with improper packing.

Don’t be afraid to think outside of the suitcase; look at other options that may be lighter and simpler for quick travel use. Carry-on sizes of duffel and garment bags come in a variety of styles, and can hold just enough for a weekend or two-day trip.

• Bonus Tip: Do double-duty with your bags: duffel bags can double as gym or overnight bags, and garment bags hold clothes and accessories, and also keep suits and dresses wrinkle-free.

Carry-on Luggage with Ease

Airlines are paying 41 percent more than last year for fuel, which means flight fares and baggage fees are also going up. Traveling with a regulation-size carry-on bag will keep your company from spending extra baggage fees. Some luggage pieces also feature convenient expandability options that offer more room for your belongings.

Many times, the airline will ask for volunteers to check bags for free at the gate if the plane is full. If you have the extra time to grab your luggage at the baggage carousel, it’s a nice, hassle-free way to get on and off the plane quickly.

• Bonus Tip: By saving your company some extra cash, they might put it toward your lodging — hotel prices will also increase this year up to 20%.

Make Your Luggage Work for You

A business traveler should focus more on the trip’s purpose and less on the stresses of traveling. By incorporating these tips into your routine, you’ll be able to do just that. If you’re looking for more tips, marketing expert and frequent traveler Chris Brogan offers some great advice.

Are you a frequent business traveler? Tell us what suitcases you use, and packing tips you’ve learned to make trips less stressful.

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Part Three: Heading Home

Days Four and Five

Well, here we go again! B is packing me again, and this time she is taking a little extra time to make sure that she has all her liquids together and laundry sorted. She does this on “flying days” so I am guessing I am going to go home today. The reason that B takes the extra time is so that when she goes through TSA security, her 3-1-1 bag is ready to go and accessible, enabling us to get through without incident.  

Once again, I am loaded into the rental car for the day. Finally, late at night, B takes me out and after returning the rental car we head to the terminal of the airport. Looks like B did the online check in again so we don’t have to wait in any lines and can head straight for the gate.

We go up escalators, walk on moving sidewalks, and then take a shuttle out to the gate where we board the plane, and I am placed in the overhead bin with no problem at all. B has managed to curb her spending and hasn’t overloaded me so I’d have to be expanded or get “gate-checked” on the return trip.  

We have finally arrived back in Boston! B is pulling me out of the overhead bin and we easily go down the aisle of the airplane, through the airport and out to the pickup area where we are picked up, and I am thrown into the back seat of a car and taken back home. 

B immediately unpacks me, zips me back to keep those pesky cats from jumping inside me. B takes me back downstairs and into the storage area that keeps me dry, safe and ready for the next adventure.  I think I overheard something about the Caribbean…well, a suitcase can dream anyway!       

Photo taken by Becky Tannar of the ferry docks at Roche Harbor, Washington.

Part Two: Days Two and Three

Day Two 

The next morning I am thrown back into the car as we drive north to meet B’s mother and I am joined in the back seat by more luggage. It looks like we are heading to the ferry dock. I am once again taken out of the car and wheeled onto the boat. Wow, lots of bumps and look at these stairs - this is going to be a quite a workout for me. B has decided to use me for a footrest – not my favorite thing to have happen to me, but I am happy to be a source of comfort and have multipurpose use. I have learned that if B is happy and comfortable, it makes my trip much more pleasant.

We have arrived to our lovely island destination in the Pacific Northwest and I am now being wheeled off the ferry boat and schlepped up a very bumpy and crowded street to meet a shuttle bus. Here I am tossed into a luggage stow away area in the bus where I am smashed in with various other bags.  I hope that I am not damaged from all this tossing around that is happening to me.

Thankfully, the trip is a short one and I am unloaded and wheeled into hotel lobby. From there, B takes me on a bit of an adventure where she pulls me for about ¼ of a mile to our housing for the weekend.  The walk is bumpy, over some gravel, but at least the scenery is beautiful!  Once we get into our accommodations, B immediately unpacks that fancy dress to get the wrinkles out (although I do a good job keeping those to a minimum if I do say so myself!)  Of course it helps that B always keeps her hanging items inside plastic dry cleaning bags to help minimize wrinkles that inevitably happen during transit. Ah, a little rest for a day.

Day Three

The wedding is over, and it’s time for me to be repacked and rolled back onto the road again.  I am rolled back the ¼ mile to the shuttle pick up, and then thrown right back into that luggage stowage in the bus.  I thought last time was rough, but this time I have about 10 cases on top of me. 

We make it to the ferry landing and I am taken out of the crowded luggage area and B takes me back up the ramps and more stairs of the ferry.  I am being hauled into the cafeteria area and am used to hold a bag while B grabs a much needed cup of coffee.  I really wish she could get a cup of coffee for me too.  I am working really hard and could use the caffeine boost.

The ferryboat has arrived at its’ destination, and as luck would have it, it happens to be raining rather hard and I am getting wet on the trek to the car.  Fortunately, I have nylon and will dry rather quickly.  I am relieved that I am not being left in the rain, or sitting on a tarmac getting soaked. I am once again thrown in the car, but at least I have these other bags to keep me company.  

We have finally arrived – six hours later – to our next destination.  I am finally seeing the light of day after being in the trunk all that time. I find myself being wheeled into a house, and having to go up more stairs.  Finally, after this long day, I am set upon a luggage rack and can rest my weary wheels.

Photo taken by Becky Tannar of the ferry docks at Roche Harbor, Washington.

The final post will cover days four and five of the travel adventures with B: the trip back to Boston.

The following is a three-part blog series told from the perspective of Becky Tannar’s carry-on suitcase taken on a recent five-day trip to the Pacific Northwest.

Part One: Preparation and Day One

Today I was pulled out of the basement storage area and taken upstairs to be opened up, aired out and packed.  My owner, “B”, is staring at me intently deciding what she is going to pack.  As far as I know, I am off for another adventure with B, but I am not sure where yet.  I have heard rumors of a wedding, rental car, plane and even a ferry boat.  I think I am really going to have a workout on this trip! 

So far, I am being loaded with the usual clothes, and B really likes to load me up with Eagle Creek packing cubes.  I think she likes these for organization, and I like them because I feel nice, snug and efficient.   Ah, a fancy dress (this must be for the wedding) and some casual clothes – uh oh, here come the toiletries. Whew, I thought that hairdryer was going with us. It’s such a space consumer! 

It looks like B has finally figured out that she really doesn’t need nearly as many toiletries as she has hauled in the past, and with airline 3-1-1 regulations, she has conveniently tucked her quart size bag of 3 oz. liquids into my front pocket so that getting through security will be a breeze for us. 

Photo taken by Becky Tannar

Day One

Wow, early flight! Is B nuts?  I am being boarded on a shuttle van at 4 a.m. We’ve made it to the airport and B has done online check-in so we are avoiding the check-in lines. We have made it through a very long security line and arrived at our gate in plenty of time.  We have made it onboard and B has stowed me in the overhead cabin. 

I have been put in wheels-first and I fit just perfectly on this plane.  That’s not always the case on smaller airplanes, so I am happy to fit so nicely, however, it’s not so lucky for the suitcase next to me.  Her owner wasn’t aware that expanding her would not allow her to fit on board.  She is being “gate-checked”.

I am making friends with a duffel bag next to me.  He is traveling all the way to Alaska and is excited to be on a fishing adventure. He talks to me about his upcoming adventure, and when I tell him I need to rest a little, he politely lets me catch some shut eye until we arrive in Seattle.

B has gotten me out of the overhead cabin, easily wheeled me off the plane and we are heading towards the car rental place.  I am so happy to be of such help to B.  She is able to rest her other bag on top of me since this line is pretty long. 

Luckily, the line moves quickly and next thing I know I am being put into the backseat of a rental car.  We arrive at our destination, which is about 40 minutes from the airport.  I am once again pulled out and wheeled into the home of B’s friend.  The kids of this house are looking at me quizzically and I am hoping that dog doesn’t try to chew on me, or worse!

The next post will cover days three and four of the travel adventures with B: arriving to the destination.