The Luggage Blog

Packing to Avoid Airline Fees & Stress

• Pre-Packing Tips
  
• Packing tips for guys
• When packing for two seasons, how can I avoid airline baggage fees?

Frequent Fliers

• Signs That You Travel Too Much
• What it’s like to be a Flight Attendant

Airport Security

• New TSA Uniforms cost taxpayers $12 million
• Congress questions why TSA agents are no longer screened
• US Develops Mind Reading Airport Screening Device

Photo by Andrew Currie

When you pick up your baggage from the airlines, you are usually tired and grateful to be at your destination. Most people don’t look over their bags to make sure they’re OK. Then, when they go to unpack they find something missing or torn. Unfortunately the airlines loathe taking responsibility for what they do to your bags, even though we have all watched the handlers toss our bags around and wonder why they don’t all spill open on the tarmac.

The most important thing about putting in a claim for a damaged bag is to know the game before you need to know it. The airlines will spout policy to you, if you accept that you will get nowhere. Remember, you do have the right to say, “No, that is not acceptable.”

Know what to expect:

• All airlines expect that you file a claim while you are still at the airport (no matter what time of day or night it is).
• There is not always someone available to take your claim at the airport.
• Most airlines allow up to 24 hours to file a claim, but you often are required to come into the airport.
• International travelers usually have 7 days to file a claim.
• Know your airline’s policy! US Airways, for example only allows 4 hours to file a claim.

The “customer service” agent is not always helpful in these matters. With the financial state of the airlines these days their policies have gotten stricter. Therefore it can be [Read more →]

Nothing’s worse than forgetting the memory stick for your camera… except maybe forgetting your passport! CNN posted a really helpful checklist of things to do before you start packing.  Our favorite tip:

Record the contents of your suitcase
Take pictures of your clothes, shoes, and jewelry, which will serve as documentation if your bag is lost or stolen. Download the shots onto your home computer, just in case.

Check out CNN’s entire list and make your trip go a lot smoother.

More great packing tips:

• Packing Tips from the Pros
• How to Get it All in One Carry On
• Free Downloadble Packing List
• Packing Tips for 1 Bag Trips (video)

Destinations

• America’s Most Stressful Cities
• World’s Most Beautiful Coastlines (pics)
• 10 Incredible Underground Lakes and Rivers (pics)
• Endangered Natural Wonders Worth Seeing

Airlines

• Top 10 ways to Avoid New Airline Fees
• Us Airways Saving More Money Because Nobody is Buying Their Drinks?
• United Airlines is Apparently Crappy at Buying Fuel

Ask Metafilter

• Where to store a suitcase in Manhattan
• How do I set up a Remote Working Hub [while on Vacation]?

Photo by Sanghavedanta