Woman vs. Cabin Luggage

These days, an increasing number of budget airlines are keeping prices down by getting rid of unnecessary extras like, you know… luggage.

With many of us truly believing that “we CAN fit a fortnights worth of clothing into our cabin luggage” to save our precious tenner, this is my variation on the old fit-your-stuff-into-a-weekend-bag trick.

On 7th January 2008 the ‘one piece of luggage’ allowance officially came to an end to make way for a cheaper, lighter, quicker flight experience. New restrictions mean that only one item of hand luggage is permitted to fly as long as it complies with strict guidelines – 56cm x 45cm x 25cm per bag.

Here are a few tricks and tips for maximising your space.

Clothes & fabrics

It may seem an expensive way to save a few pounds but after just 2 trips you’ll have made your money back with a Vacuum storage bag. Ideal for minimising the air content in everything from towels to trousers, these multiple-sized bags make light work of bulging clobber. They save up to 75% luggage space by removing trapped air quickly and effectively, plus they protect against spills, smells, dirt, bugs and moisture too.

If possible, try to take clothes that are thin and can be layered i.e. a t-shirt, cardigan and lightweight zip-up fleece are better to take than a huge hoody; layering also means you can wear multiple items again. Be sure to pack items that can be dressed up or down by using accessories. Smartening up your day dress with some pretty earrings and matching necklace is more space-saving than taking a whole new evening outfit.

Lotions & potions

Once the summer-themed adverts appear on the TV you may be tempted to rush out to your nearest chemist and raid their shelves of tanning lotions and moisturisers. However, you can save space by buying it out there! The vast majority of popular tourist destinations will have a corner-shop nearby and most certainly a travel store at the arrival airport. Save your weight, money and luggage allowance and only take the bare essentials (i.e. prescription creams, small perfume bottles, etc.).

Which bag to choose?

All the big-name brands i.e. Samsonite, Aerolite, American Tourister, Antler, Carlton, Skyflite and Caribee have got in on the cabin luggage act. If you’re not fussed about brand, view all 439 in-flight bags at Luggage Superstore – their website lets you browse by price and features (i.e. number of wheels, integrated padlock or laptop compartment) if you have a bag style in mind. If you don’t want to carry any extra weight, you can browse their lightweight luggage, also.

It’s only a matter of time before we have to stand during the flight if we don’t want to fork out for a seat, but until then, at least we’ll be able to pack a mighty load of holiday essentials into our cabin luggage!

 

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