Packing Your Bags for the Airport Notwithstanding the recession, millions of people get on a plane every day to wing their way to their destination whether it is for a vacation, a social visit or a business trip. Most people do not travel alone and almost everyone has a certain amount of luggage. The question is: what ought you to be taking with you? In order to avoid trouble with the airport security staff, you need to carefully consider what stuff you can take and what ought to get put in which bags. There are things that you may take on the plane, but not in your hand luggage and there are some items that are banned from all luggage, but which you may hand to a flight attendant to take for you. You have to be aware of what you may carry and where you may carry it so as not to lose time at the check in. If the problems you create packing are really significant, it could even mean losing your flight altogether. Even if this does not occur, it could get very embarrassing. Examples of items that you are not permitted to carry in your luggage or on your person are some chemicals and anything that could get used as a weapon, including razors, knives, strong alkaline and acids and naturally guns, loaded or not. There are some strange objects that might not be taken as well such as mercury. These have to be given to security for safe-keeping, but you will get them back after landing at your destination. You will find a list of prohibitted objects on the airline's web site, Carry-on luggage might not contain liquids in volumes greater than 100 ml, so if your medicine comes in big bottles - such as cough medicine - decant what you require for the flight into smaller containers. Some people carry a small penknife on their keyring - this is not allowed, so think about your luggage carefully. For convenience, particularly on a budget airline, it is worth taking a couple of bars of chocolate or sandwiches in your hand luggage although you will not be allowed to take cans of drink as they are more than 100 ml in size. It is also worth taking a damp cloth or flannel in a plastic bag and a small hand towel. Some airlines prohibit the storage of pressurized cans such as hair spray or deodorant in the luggage at all. This is because they could be used as a weapon in the cabin and because they might explode in a hold that is unpressurized. Some airlines allow them some do not, so it is best to buy new after you arrive. A closing tip is to check the weight and condition of your cases. The weight allowances vary from airline to airline and from class to class of passenger. First class passengers may carry more than tourists.
You can pay for extra weight usually, but not always. You should also check that your luggage can safely carry the weight placed in them. Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on a variety of topics, but is now involved with international shipping boxes. If you want to know more go to Where Can I Buy Shipping Boxes?