If you all are anything like me, packing lightly and adequately is not my forte. However, I seized this opportunity to research some rules, tips and formalities to educate myself and to share with you all, considering I am hopping on a plane in two days. Yikes! Whenever flying, you always risk luggage troubles. I think I have had more luggage failures than successes in my personal flying experiences. However, since I am going to Florida this week for only 4 days, I must pack smart and light to stay under American Airline's weight limit and save my money. Depending on the airline, they can charge you a pretty penny to check your bag in, which is hard to do after the hundreds of dollars you already given them for your plane ticket. There are obvious circumstances where you must check a bag in, like if you are going somewhere for an extended period of time and your bag can not fit their carry on criteria. My best advice to save some money and stress, would be to bring a smaller suitcase onboard as your carry on. American Airlines specifies carry on luggage dimensions on their website. In order for your carry on to fit in their overhead compartment, your bag must not exceed the dimensions of 22" long by 14" wide by 9" tall. What's worse than cramming an oversized suitcase into a small compartment? You don't want to be that person.
Once you have made sure your bag is within these dimensions, it is important to think about the contents that you will be packing. Flying restrictions have immensely impacted our packing and travel habits post 911. It is important that we are aware and cautious of all of the restrictions to ensure a smooth transition through security. No longer can we pack liquids greater than 3 fluid ounces in our carry on bags. The most recent restriction being absolutely NO toothpaste regardless of its size on your carry on. My advice would be to first make a list of your liquid bottled essentials, then go to Target and buy them in their travel sizes. It is always good to put them in a zip block bag, to prevent any leakage.
Now we get to the tricky part...clothes. The hardest part about traveling is to resist temptation of packing your entire wardrobe. I realize you need your options, but that is just not realistic. It is (sometimes) OK to wear something more than once on a trip, or to do some laundry. Thinking about what you really need versus what you may want is the hardest obstacle to overcome. It is also crucial to check the weather forecast of your destination when packing to ensure you are fully prepared for anything mother nature might throw your way. Depending on your trip's duration, you may only really need 1 pair of flip flops, not 5 that look slightly different.
Each trip and travel experience will be different for everyone. Different climates, different durations and different destinations all bring different needs. If you find yourself in a similar situation like me, take the worries out of packing, keep it simple and have fun!