Airport chaos: How to avoid luggage headaches
We’ve all seen the luggage nightmare at airports: suitcases piled by the hundreds – specks of colour in a sea of black. And it’s not just Canada. From London to Dusseldorf to Amsterdam, travellers going through international airports abroad are also facing airport chaos.
Marybeth Bond spent a month this spring travelling to four different countries in Europe without dealing with the hassle of checking any luggage, and she just flew from California to Connecticut for a July 4th family union with her husband – again with just carry-on luggage.
“What a difference that makes,” Bond, the author of a dozen travel books and one of the bloggers behind GutsyTraveler.com, said in a phone interview on Monday.
“Carry-on is the only way to go because then you bypass the luggage check. When you get off the plane, you’re the first in line to get out of the airport quickly. And it is chaotic out there.”
You might not have any control over the nightmare of long lines and cancelled flights, but you can have some control over whether you spend the first few days of your vacation with or without your travel essentials.
From Bluetooth trackers to picking the right suitcase, here are some tips and tricks on minimizing your chances of a luggage disaster at the airport.
PICK THE RIGHT LUGGAGE
Some people might recommend going with a lightweight hardshell suitcase to minimize the temptation to overpack, but Bond and CeeCee Chilanga, a Toronto-based style expert and founder of Dapper Style Mint, both recommend going with soft luggage for its flexibility and expandability. They also come with outside pockets for fast and easy access to items that may need to be pulled out at security.
“The soft luggage you can stuff it and it expands… and then I typically do either a backpack or a duffel as my second personal item,” Chilanga, who rarely flies with checked luggage, told CTVNews.ca in an interview.
“I hate standing in line for luggage if I don’t have to.”
She says purses are a waste of space and instead, puts her wallet and passport into a fanny pack or a small cross-body bag that she can stuff on the side of her duffel or fit under her jacket.
If you opt for a duffle bag instead of a suitcase, consider one with wheels so you have the option of wheeling it instead.
Bond’s favourite suitcase styles are light-weight, “spinner” styles with four wheels that can be easily pushed instead of pulled.
Always double check the carry-on size limitations for the carrier you will be flying with, keeping in mind that domestic and international airlines can have different requirements. Bond notes that there are weight limits in Europe that can be challenging to meet.
BLUETOOTH TRACKERS
For $40 and up, these battery-powered tracking devices can be placed in your luggage to help you find your baggage in a crowd of suitcases.
Originally popularized as a method of tracking misplaced keys, wallets, even pets, Bluetooth trackers like Apple’s AirTag, Samsung’s SmartTag, or Tile send information to your mobile phone so you know exactly where they are. They don’t consume a lot of power and typically have a range of about 100 to upwards of 300 ft, depending on the strength of the Bluetooth signal between the tracker and your phone. They can also emit an alarm to help you locate the missing item. When the item is outside the Bluetooth range, many of the models will show the tracker’s most recent location.
Some models only work with specific devices, brands and operating systems, like iOS and Android. The AirTag, for example, only works with the iPhone. But it operates on Apple’s Find My system, which helps track your item through the company’s network of devices. This allows the location of your AirTag to be updated frequently even if you are out of range, and allows for more precise tracking.
Some trackers use a GPS, which offers much greater coverage than Bluetooth, but requires a subscription, and not all countries use the same cellular network technology.
As PC Magazine wrote in its review of trackers, “Think about how you plan to use a Bluetooth tracker…some models work better for certain applications than others.”
PACKING LIGHT: DOES IT PASS THE TEST?
A key trick to packing light is bringing low-maintenance clothes you can layer, mix and match. And start early – don’t wait until the night before, Chilanga and Bond advise.
“It’s just really being mindful of what you will actually wear and what is just weight,” says Chilanga, who always checks the weather before packing just in case the temperature is unseasonable.
Starting early means giving yourself time to consider what you need and don’t need. Chilanga aims to get three to four different combination possibilities out of every clothing item she brings in order to minimize the number of items she has to pack.
“So preparing things in advance…