What Everyone Gets Wrong About Carry-On Travel (Airlines WON’T Warn You!)

[@PortableProfessional]

*Halara's HUGE Black Friday Sale:* halara.link/s/12jchPrSDJ

[@herschelmayo2727]

Why does overhead space run out? Here's why . People bring on a "personal item" which is a backpack as big as their carry-on bag. When they board, THEY PUT BOTH OF THEM in the overhead. Until airlines crack down on this, with size limits for carry-on, all these problems will persist.

[@Reed-2big]

Did you forget that some of the bins have first aid kits and other airline items in them making them inaccessible to everyone.

[@Sunshine-614]

Often I see people putting their coats/jackets and bags with airport purchases in the overhead bins too. The bins fill up fast. I don’t know why airlines allow this. If I have a jacket I just lay it over my shoulders or across my lap.

[@earthwormscrawl]

I saw a guy put an acoustic guitar in an overhead bin. It took up three rows or nine seats. When people started to pack things around the guitar he started demanding that no oen touch his property. The flight attendant made him check it even though it wasn't in a case. He should never been able to board with it.

[@Steve_in_NJ]

Or build planes with bigger overhead bins, because people will NEVER change if they don't have to pay for the carry-on bags (why Spirit is going bankrupt).

[@PsychedelicChameleon]

@@earthwormscrawl Many airlines used to have an exception for long musical instruments, specifically allowing them to be put in overhead bins, because those are often damaged if baggage handlers handle them.

[@hushpuppy3]

My last flight was in April. I had a Comfort Plus ticket and was waiting to be called to board. First Class boarded and then they announced Comfort Plus. A got in line and a middle aged couple pushed in line right in front of me. I was a bit annoyed by their rudeness, but just thought "Let it go." They scanned their phone and they did not have Comfort Plus tickets. The gate agent told them they could not board yet and to go sit back down. No alarms went off, but it did leave a smile on my face as they stomped away mutter something unintelligible.

[@lpleme]

I travel a lot for work and have found that using a backpack that opens flat and then laying all your clothes flat is more efficient than rolling and also minimizes wrinkles. Items that can’t be laid flat are arranged in the spaces around the clothes.

[@letterbox203]

I’m about to get on the plane in a few hours for my first time this year. Your video gives me some good points to be mindful of. Follow the boarding rules, don’t ask others to switch seats, and use the overhead cargo space appropriately. Ok wish me luck and Happy Holidays.

[@letterbox203]

To be transparent, I just chill about whatever happens with delays, bin space, or luggage. Not gonna let that destroy my vacation vibe. I travel with no expectations and it usually works out well, or maybe because I didn't let stuff bother me.

[@Mina-hm2og]

This is I think the best approach, accepting that things will not always go my way, so I am letting go and just deal with them as they come.

[@Jsfrog]

"Just chill." Good words. Someone else said that along with your stuff, "pack your patience."

[@letterbox203]

@@Jsfrogit just happened to me, I missed my flight to Fort Lauderdale and instead of getting all worked up about it I just kindly asked the gate attendant “What should I do?” and he said wait for him and he will help me rebook the flight for the next day. I waited, he helped me, and I thanked him. problem solved. Sure it was a little annoying but had a good outcome

[@lawrenceseguin1865]

"What should I do?" can work magic. Back in the 90s I managed to board a flight to Switzerland without my passport, having left it in a coat pocket which I handed to friends who'd come to see me off at the airport (YYZ). When I discovered it I didn't have it, I informed the chief steward, who suggested I talk to the station manager in Zurich upon landing. Which is what I did. When he told me it was my problem, I said to him, "Yes, I know - what should I do?" It's like his countenance magically changed and he worked with me to solve the problem, knowing I'd do my part. (I finally got my passport on a flight coming to Zurich the next day.) Off course, since 9-11 getting on an international flight without showing your passport at boarding is impossible, but things were laxer 30 years ago

[@letterbox203]

@ great story, good lesson, ty

[@nogames8982]

I travel with a carry-on backpack. And I put it in the overhead bin. I do this because my guide dog goes on the floor in front of me and under the seat in front of me. So I have no choice but to do this. If I have a personal item at all, it’s usually a very small purse that I just keep slung over my shoulder or I just have a coat with pockets and call it good. I put my dog’s harness in the seat back pocket. Unless I have a window seat and then I put it between the seat and the window. I try to take up as little space as possible. and I did do the army roll plus compression bag thing and it worked pretty well.

[@Patriotgrl01]

I traveled last week on a good airline and they were very diligent about overhead bin space. Some people were trying to sneak their personal items into that space instead of under the seat. Not cool. Thankfully there was someone from the airline who spotted this allowing more people to properly use the space.

[@herschelmayo2727]

I see this constantly on American. They do nothing about it.

[@randyhome1544]

If you fly bulkhead sets, everything goes in the bins. But I check my bags so I’m only using a small space in the overhead bins. Sorry.

[@gailwatson4485]

It is too hard to get stuff out of over head bins in flight so its better to have personal bag on the floor near you so can get at all the essentials needed in the flight!! Why do people put it all up top then not use it on the flight (Im in Autrailia so all flights tend to be long haul for me 😊

[@Ro33West]

I had a Karen next to me whining about her overhead small bag having a pie in it lol what a B.

[@chutethemall8099]

Every numbered seat should have a corresponding numbered overhead bin, or partitioned section of a bin.

[@tammydunham9962]

I’ve always prided myself on not being a “gate lice” person until a couple of weeks ago. I was flying home with a layover in Charlotte NC. Generally, this airport is one of my favorites but they’re doing major renovations and there was absolutely no place to sit. No place. After a substantial delay, I was exhausted so I became a gl. I didn’t care at all. I was part of a crowd of about 50 lice. I won’t be shamed! 😂

[@Ro33West]

Who cares if people want to stand. Alot of bad backs or leg issues, feet as well

[@kimp7160]

I don't think just standing is gate lice. There are never enough seats at the gate. I try to keep our family out of the way of the pre-boarding line but you have to be ready to go as well.

[@kitty_s23456]

Hi. That wheelie case + personal item (in form of backpack) won't be accepted by most budget airlines in Asia. From experience, they usually only allow 7 kg (15.4 lbs) handcarry (whether wheelie case, backpack or duffel bag = yes they weight it), plus a small personal item (small tote/ shoulder bag or man bag). If the gate agent sees that your personal item is "quite large", they'll ask you to include the item during the weighing of your handcarry. If they exceed 7 kg, then you'll be asked to either check it in (and pay the fee) or decrease your load. That's if the gate agents are strict (but lately, they usually have been strict).

[@charlesdavis1080]

If you are using a backpack, take it off before you board the plane and hold it in front of you. If you have it on your back inside a small space your bound to hit someone whenever you turn your body.

[@MeiLee-t2v]

I really like the technique of giving a verbal and visual summary of the main points at the end of the video.

[@joannharrington2279]

That is how I am taking my next trip. Carrying a backpack to see if I can live out of it for a week. It looks very liberating.

[@philradspinner8847]

Make sure you check the size restriction to make sure it is even possible. There is not a continuity of size allowed of personal items among the airlines.

[@Lukiel666]

Get some vacuum compression bags. Use vacuum to suck all the air out, shrink them right down. And you can buy socks, underwear etc. when you get there. Wear your jacket/boots.

[@philradspinner8847]

@@Lukiel666 I still have "Space Bags" from decades ago. They work great!

[@MrCyclist]

I remember when travel/flying was fun. What happened? It is too stressful now and I plan on doing just the minimum. Too many people are flying/travelling causing destruction to what once were great places to visit.

[@lahermosajarifa7007]

So, agree. It has become more aggravating than fun.

[@deedsh6280]

I must be unusual, but I jump at the chance to gate check a carry on bag. I know it's going right from the gate to the belly of the plane and the minor wait as they bring it up as we deplane is far superior to going down to baggage claim. I fly out of a small city to a hub, so this happens nearly every time. One less stress to fighting over space in the overheads. Never lost a gate checked bag.

[@benjamindover4033]

The most recent time I gate-checked a bag, it was in the last group of bags to come out at baggage claim.

[@jurgschupbach3059]

Air Berlin........and Targeted Individual Thank You not my checked Bag anymore

[@kimp7160]

I have never gate-checked a bag but I would always gate-check our stroller when the kids were small. We never had it lost once and it was almost always waiting for us by the time we got off the plane. I only bring a personal item with things to entertain/feed my kids and myself plus meds so I don't want to check that.

[@AlbertusMagnus_44]

That last hack is something I never thought of! The personal item only needs to be under the seat for takeoff and landing and you can pull it back for leg room during the rest of the flight. I’ve been doing it wrong all these years with cramped feet around a PI that probably has too much in it. Thanks Megan! That’s a hack I can really use! Especially at 6’-3”! 😎✈️

[@shirleyn4677]

I heard that from a flight attendant when a woman wanted to keep her personal item on the floor. Attendant said she only needed to stow it on takeoff and landings. She never ask for it back until we landed. Another safety issue when I flew business class recently was that before a rough landing a woman failed to fully latch the lavatory door. When we landed hard it flew open. One of the attendants had to shove it closed.😮

[@brettupton9154]

I regularly travel coast to coast to visit family. The built-to-United-standard personal item bag I bought from Walmart hold more than enough for a five day trip, particularly since I can count on having easy acccess to laundry. It's an squarish squat duffle thing, but it legit gives me every square inch of space I'm allowed and still slides nicely under the seat.

[@kimp7160]

We only ever use personal items vs carry-on but we still have one checked bag between the four of us. The army roll is necessary for even that--especially in winter with sweaters. Those compression cubes do seem interesting to have at least a back-up outfit in our bags. But yes, it's amazing what you can all fit into there. My kids use mini-backpacks and I can fit their security blankets, favourite stuffie, plus a small book, some snacks and crayons, etc. And you can cram a lot into an over-sized purse or into a backpack.

[@RobinMajumdar]

Great content as always with extra kudos for the next-level edit quality on this one!

[@phillippalmejar9548]

Just did 2 weeks in Eastern Europe with only a carry on. I wash my clothes at my hostel every 3 days and boom, ready to go again. Rolling clothes and packing cubes are the keys. Especially when trying to get your bag into the check space when getting your boarding pass.

[@superwebsitehero7261]

ITS SUNDAY with My Fav Travel Guide!! Love You Megan!!!! 😍😍😍

[@domturneryoutube]

All these years I did not realize I can move my personal item under my legs for more leg room. I will definitely try this when I travel next year. Thank you!

[@peggywoods4327]

On long-haul flights I've used it as a footrest (take my shoes off first)

[@chanej2651]

I take my under seater and put my fanny pack in it with my flight essentials. That way I don't have to worry about overhead space. If I am going on a short trip that's how I pack. . For longer trips I just check a bag and bring a personal item on the plane.

[@RadiantTwilight]

personal item for many airlines is now around 30cmx40cmx10cm... the 10cm is the huge issue here... Most cases I specifically bought as personal item luggage are at least 15cm there. The PI example you show has more than double the volume that the airlines I fly with allow... This s*** really needs to be regulated... it really sucks that the airlines can pull these numbers out of their a**to force extra payments.

[@ChristineMC74]

Me, my husband and our 2 kids did backpacks for a 7day cruise (2wks ago). We did the 54321 packing method. Next year's cruise we are going lighter since we didn't wear all the clothes we brought .

[@kimelizsabeth]

Ollie is adorable!

[@davesaunders7080]

The army roll idea is really a great way to maximize space. Next I will try with compression bags as well. It can be worth it on booking tickets to prepay for seat assignments as close to the front as possible to make it more likely to have bin space. So far this has worked on all my trips.

[@howcotube]

Thank you once again for enlightening us. From your previous video I learned that you can take that under seat bag and place it under the legs, and as practical as I am I did not even think of doing it although I thought the bag had to stay under seat through the entire flight. Always a feast for my eyes and tips for my travel as well and for that I thank you Megan. I never miss your videos ! Howard.... Also I will try next time to pack better -you gave me the incentive !

[@mjkraft9365]

This video is excellent as it covers a huge issue. I have personally traveled with a personal item for a 3 week international trip to Africa. One bag that fits under the seat, that’s it. I personally get irritated when I see folks trying to scam their way through and take up more space to save a buck. I had to fight not to check that one bag when standing next to me was a couple with huge bags that were let through. Thank you for more tips and hacks to pack lighter and save room and a buck. Happy Thanksgiving!

[@ajd8558]

The term gate lice is really a clear sign to me of what airlines actually think of their clients. I'm not one - I usually wait until the end to board because I hate being in the plane - but different people have different anxieties and reasons for what they do. The ever decreasing cabin baggage and bin space is CREATING this issue. People don't want to wait because they're scared they won't have anywhere for their bag or they'll be forced to check it because those who got in before them took the space. So the airlines create these problems, then have the gall to refer to people as gate lice, as if they're something dirty no one wants on their plane. It's actually despicable. And yet more of their "calculated misery" ethos, where they deliberately make things as uncomfortable as possible to force you to pay more for basic things you should be getting included anyway.

[@8981USMC]

Nailed it. I travel a lot for work, the roller bags and subsequent competition for overhead space is out of control. I check my luggage and only have a backpack of just the things I need in the airport or during the flight; placing the bag under the seat in front of me as I know that is my guaranteed space even though I am in barding group 1.

[@Ro33West]

Yes those silly roller bags, ban them tonight!!

[@shaffehaffejee3657]

Sushmita: bought a carry-on which students use for High School... it's a game-changer 😊 Stands up-right and has many different compartments to find items when needed. Use as a "carry-on" 👍 Invest in one... you won't be sorry 👌

[@devontucker1572]

Especially prominent with American travelers that don’t travel often, gate lice for certain

[@Ro33West]

You can't control who wants to stand around, lighten up. They are probably nervous people

[@Lukiel666]

I carry an Arc'Teryx B40 backpack as carry on. Exact size for carry on, and non rigid so can squeeze into a smaller space. And vacuum compression bags, suck all the air out. You can buy jeans, t-shirts, underwear, socks etc. when you get there. Don't bother to pack more than one spare pair of clothing. If taking winter jacket, boots etc. wear them. My 'personal item' is my cane, polycarbonate tube, hollow and transparent. That space under the seat is now extra legroom for me. A one month trip is just my carry on.

[@ozgirl45]

I can do a month trip with just a carryon and a personal item and both are within the size limits. Admittedly I’m going to stay with family in the US so there’s laundry available and I leave toiletries there. Even so none of my traveller friends can believe that’s possible.

[@Lukiel666]

@@ozgirl45 Yes. I don't carry toiletries. Toothbrush and toothpaste, shampoo etc. a few $ when I get there vs the hassle of packing them and worrying they might leak.

[@karincope3019]

If the people who feel they are so entitled that they take up too much space with several more carry on more then they should there would be enough room and use the SPACE above YOUR seat . So many times we go to put our bags above our seats and the space is taken already from some one who sits elsewhere or they have 3 or 4 items .

[@dzymslizzy3641]

My dad served in the Navy in WWII. He taught me about rolling clothes, because that's how they had to do it to fit everything into their sea bag. You'd better believe that their uniforms had better not be wrinkled, and with the rolling method, I've never had trouble with clothes becoming wrinkled. That only happens with traditional folding. Important to me, because you see, in my world, "iron" is a real "4-letter-word!" 😂

[@janicepottie802]

Great tips as always Megan! You’re close to 200k subscribers 🎉🎉🎉

[@Jameschewingfoil]

I have a 38 liter Osprey Back Pack and it’s perfect for an overhead bin.That’s all I need.

[@Shippingnews]

Osprey bags and Eagle Creek packing cubes are superior to all others. I will die on this hill.

[@johnnygavin3654]

Southwest takes forever to board and de-plane lol. The 2 bags is very time consuming. And beware of their new price increase on any oversized item. They hammered me for $200 EACH. Happy Holidays.

[@elizabethkerr3938]

Thanks for the tips. I'm going to try them out. Love those Halara pants too!

[@artsvdo]

Great video! I love sharing your videos with my wife, who thinks she has airline travel down, after watching your it and hearing her say, "Oh yeah! Why didn't I think of that!" 😊👍

[@philradspinner8847]

BE CAREFUL! Many international airlines such as Swiss, Lufthansa and Austrian allow very small personal item bags - basically a purse or laptop case. And if you bought the ticket through one of their partners, such as United, you do not get the size allowance that United would give you. ALWAYS CHECK! Personal items are probably what they will crack down on next.

[@TheBooban]

I thought the EU just regulated all luggage specifications and requirements now. Airlines can’t make up the sizes for carry on.

[@bangalorebobbel]

Just for your information: Lufthansa personal item dimensions are 40 x 30 x 10 cm/ 15 x 11 x 4 inches. United Airlines personal item dimensions are 43 x 25 x 22 cm / 17 x 10 x 9 inches. Combined you could bring 40 x 25 x 10 cm / 15 x 10 x 4 inches And yes, in fact personal items are usually such items as laptop bags or purses, and not rucksacks or small suitcases. And yes, true, the next big thing after checking carry on luggage is surely checking personal item sizes. And weights. IMHO, the real expertise in travel is not about how to take as much as anyhow possible with you into the cabin, but about how to leave as much as possible behind. Not only in terms of cabin luggage but also in terms of luggage in general. But unluckily this is something none of these videos shows us because of course: you can not get sponsorships and cannot make advertisement for things you don't carry but only for stuff you are suggesting to purchase and take into the airplane ...

[@sgrant9814]

@@TheBoobanit is a proposal and not yet law

[@philradspinner8847]

@@TheBooban Yes, you are correct, for carry-on. Personal items are different and even vary more widely among airlines than carry-on.

[@philradspinner8847]

@@bangalorebobbel I have the same philosophy - take as little as possible. I have traveled multiple times with only carry-on and now that there are an increasing number of airlines charging a disproportionately high amount for that carry-on, relative to the ticket price, I will be looking more seriously at using the personal item allowance as my sole baggage.

[@Steve_in_NJ]

My partner does our packing after he discovered my "Army Roll" packing method. He prefers our slacks and dress shirts to be folded flat and square. Yet, with new luggage, our two checked bags never weight over 48 pounds (well, almost never). Carry-on bags are perfect size, as we both use a CPAP machine and mine fits neatly into my carry-on bag, plus food items. We always stay in a timeshare unit with a full kitchen, so we bring items like coffee filters and protein bars from home. Plus our medicines and eyeglasses fit into my small extra bag that I purchased from a cruise way back in 2005 and cannot find anything like it anywhere.

[@sx64man]

Airlines are getting wise to this hack and making it impractical. the international airline we were just on has a 4.5 lb limit on the personal item and one will never be able to pack clothes and bathroom essentials with that weight limit.

[@lisaphares2286]

If you stay at a hotel, they provide soap and body wash and shampoo. All you need is conditioner as some don’t supply that. Have a conditioner bar, it weighs less as water weighs more than the solids, much more. Also, leave your electric toothbrush at home, for the time you’re traveling you can use a regular toothbrush. These 2 swaps will save 11oz (100 ml each shampoo, conditioner, body wash and electric toothbrush 13oz; manual toothbrush and conditioner 2oz. )

[@robertwilliamson922]

@sx64man I never pack bathroom essentials. I buy them at my destination, often cheaper than they cost at home.

[@verenarousseau5820]

Spoken like a man, lol. I need to use specific face moisturisers etc as I'm allergic to a lot of stuff, so I have to bring all that with me. ​@robertwilliamson922

[@Jsfrog]

Your bonus hack at the end is very good. I especially appreciate it as I really need to stretch my legs out underneath the seat in front of me, and a bag under there would prevent that. I develop terrible knee pain from an old injury if I cannot stretch out. Stretching out after takeoff will be just fine. (Just have to move it if your seatmate needs to get out.) So thank you!

[@marceld6061]

Ever since I have STOPPED using a backpack as a personal item bag, I *haven't* been stopped for "additional security screening". Not once. It used to be every time I flew.

[@jbowerdel]

as i have watched the huge amounts and size of luggage that people bring onto airplanes these days, and how long it takes to board while everyone stows all that luggage, that airlines would be more efficient if they allowed people to check bags for free and charged for carry-on luggage. think more people would then check their bags and risk it. I have to carry a CPAP machine with me in my carryon-hopefully medical equipment would not be charged-so travel with it in a backpack that can go in overhead bin or underseat if needed. Problem is some seats now have electrical boxes that hang into area and keep bags from fitting and you don't know this until are on plane-any way to find out this information when booking a seat. Thanks for another great video!

[@henryc1000]

2:47 one can get away with just the personal item bag by being willing to buy what you might need at your destination.

[@verenarousseau5820]

And then throw it away half used at the end of the trip?

[@johndunn3492]

Thank you, that was very useful. Just one comment, as your personal item gets larger, your legroom gets smaller. You still have to put your feet somewhere. If the flight is a long one, this can be a problem. No issue if it’s an hour or so, but on a five or seven hour flight somewhere, that’s pretty uncomfortable if your knees are shoved up against your chest.

[@patti1044]

Love the backpack so large that it hits people in aisle seats as they walk down the aisle - then out that in overhead in addition to their luggage. And underseat bags need to fit under their seat, not spilling out into my foot space.

[@sexygeek8996]

Airline staff should just remove these items from the plane.

[@HR-wd6cw]

IDK why government regulations don't require all planes to have a bin slot for every seat sold on a plane (and for manufacturers to design planes so that it can be this way). I know that not every passenger will have a carry-on bag, particularly those who may fly daily for business (and therefore maybe don't need an overnight bag or can just get away with a backpack if it's a 2 or 3 day trip). But I almost feel that the overhead bin space thing is sort of the same philosophy as overselling/overbooking a flight and people having to get bumped to another flight. I can see where some people might appreciate this though since if they don't have a carry-on they aren't going to want to pay extra for one, but for those who do, it means the ticket price is slightly more. At least for now, Southwest still doesn't charge for bags which is a bonus, and my guess is that they will still keep carry-ons free with the ticket (although maybe raise ticket prices across the board so not quite free) but they may become more strict on the size of carry-on as to date, they have never checked mine, but I've always stayed within the 24 inch limit that their aircraft allow (which are 737's). For the trips where I don't want to use a carry-on, I've figured that if I bring 3 days worth of clothes (possibly wearing some of them onto the plane, as a hack for jackets and sweatshirts and other bigger items) and then packing a travel laundry detergent, I can avoid a carry-on for trips up to about 5-6 days providing they are domestic trips, as I can then do a quick load of laundry in the hotel bathroom which takes maybe 45 minutes. For longer trips, or ones overseas I may try this, but I would probably need to bring a carry-on at least since buying clothes (in an emergency) is not always as easy as doing that domestically (which is pretty easy since most airports are close to stores that carry some type of clothes and most major cities have a department store -- like a WalMart or Target nearby).

[@lisaphares2286]

You don’t need laundry detergent. Does body wash get your body clean? That’s what’s on your clothes, dirt and oil from your body. If you have a spot, used full strength body wash and rub, then wash in sink as usual.

[@TheBooban]

@@lisaphares2286just use the hotel soap. Btw, liquids have to be in bottles clearly labeled 100ml on the bottle.

[@henrietta9206]

because airline is a private business. Nothing to do with gov thats why. "race to the end" it is - game of "lets see how many people we can piss off before someone notices" examples? - overbooking. Asking people to leave when it is airline fault letting screamers on. 8hr flight with screamer when clearly no one paid THAT OBSCENE amount of money to endure 8hours of screaming unruly fees stamped on passengers. "race to the end". Game of "when will they find out" and 'how much cash can I grab' before passengers collectively band together.

[@renferal5290]

Good advice as always

[@OliviaArvelel]

Your videos always inspire new discoveries and ideas. Thank you for your creative energy!🌎🏅🐶

[@jeanetteraichel8299]

I travel with so much electronics. I bring three cameras, two GoPro's (with a packing cube filled with mounts and accessories), tablet, phone, chargers, snorkel mask, and so on. My personal item is full and carry on is full. Never had a priblem with getting a overhead bin in Group 4

[@TheColdViking]

Referring to someone as "gate-lice" is a pretty weak insult. If an airline struggles with passengers crowding the gate and disrupting the boarding process, it’s usually the airline's fault. When they bury important luggage rules in fine print, they can’t blame passengers for not catching on! Passengers are justified in calling this chaos a scam, especially when airlines advertise misleading ticket prices that don’t reflect all the hidden costs. You won’t encounter this kind of nonsense with legacy carriers, which is why they’re making a comeback in the airline industry. Travelers are fed up with these shady practices and are willing to pay a little more for a better experience. Avoiding the hassle and deceit of budget airlines is often worth the extra cost.

[@kimp7160]

Getting a little tired of "gate lice" too. I have never been to a gate that has enough room for everybody to sit. Most people are just standing around, waiting their turn. Our home airport would have you blocking passengers on other flights from reaching their gates if you stood in a neat line. So you have to mill around a bit. Sure, you get your pushers and eager-beavers but sometimes people just don't understand the instructions.

[@lbeard7661]

This is how I travel for a week too. Technically you could do longer if you have access to laundry facilities, but I have (several) pets so I never travel for longer than 5 days at a time anyway.

[@bonnitaclaus2286]

If you’ve been in the military, you should know about rolling your clothes.

[@susanlongardnio1721]

Great Advice! Thanx!

[@israelmacario3853]

I get a cc from the airline so I can bring a carry-on without a fee. cost to have but if you travel regularly it is worth it. Ollie is bringing you more followers.

[@Xia-hu]

you can bring a small sling on top of the person item. It's somethign that you carry ON YOU and don't have to put it under the seat so it's okay. I never had issues with my fanny pack and it didn't count towards personal item. and even if it does, you just take it off, shove it into your personal item backpack and that's it. I also use a zipped neckpillow case where you can out clothes to fill up and use it as a neck pillow on the plane. worked great with Ryanair restrictions. I had only a person item backpack with me, a fanny pack and a neckpillow I put my clothes in. gate agents didn't say a thing, they were only checking backpacks and bags.

[@ozgirl45]

I also carry a small cross body bag with my passport, credit card, mini iPad and phone. It’s black and I usually wear black for travelling so it’s not noticeable. I haven’t had a problem with it theoretically being a third item but if I was asked I could put it in my personal item bag. And only once before take off was I asked to put it under the seat for safety reasons.

[@YoSpiff]

I have to check my suitcase anyway because I travel with tools. I choose a seat in the back of the plane, where the seats and overheads don't fill up as fast. Since I am only carrying my large backpack, I am fine with putting it in the overhead bin. I think this is fair and reasonable. I've never been asked to move it under the seat. Since I have to wait for my checked bag anyway, waiting to deplane from the back doesn't consume any extra time.

[@mkmariak]

Some great suggestions, and I'll definitely check out Halara. One thing, though. I can see how the army roll would be good if you're on a trip where you're in one or two places for the whole time. But if you're moving every 2-3 days as some tours do, it will get tedious very quickly.

[@maletu]

I am getting rather weary of your (and other people's) smug comments about "gate lice." Maybe you travel in places where boarding groups are announced clearly, in English, over decent loudspeakers. In such a case, as you say, why get up before it is the turn of your group? ON THE OTHER HAND, what I am seeing is announcements over horrible quality sound systems, in, say, Bulgarian or Arabic. And after the first boarding group is announced, subsequent groups seem to be announced much more softly. Or maybe they are announcing something else? Or is it that passengers are supposed to intuit when the first boarding group is done and they are ready for the next group? WHAT I SEE is a lot of passengers standing around, looking at their own and each others' boarding passes, having halting conversations in a variety of third and fourth languages, trying to figure out WHAT ON EARTH the gate personnel are wanting them to do. This is who you wish to shame as "gate lice"?

[@Ro33West]

Yep horrible announcements, Colombia is brutal for blah blah blah super loud in the airport

[@TruthinLove]

This inspires me to try to do Prague for a week with just my Aer Travel Backpack 3 Small. I leave in 8 days!

[@patrickdeady410]

Wonderful suggestions!! Thanks, Megan!!

[@Kittyququmber]

Rather than the zipper compression cubes use the plastic compression bags with the small portable vacuum. More space saved.

[@TLhike]

Ive been rollin clothes for home too lol. Great vid yes total nonsense ive been paying for early boarding when possible to avoid the mandatory checking cuz of dummies! Thanks!

[@chrismarcus3058]

the carry-on issues are two fold problem. gate agents need to be more diligent on the number of bags walking past them, and their sizes. there is nothing I love seeing more than some old experienced battle axe gate agent who stops people with bags too large for the bins, or too many bags and forces them to check them. it's delicious. they need to go back to those little sizers like the budget airlines use and if your bag does not fit in the box, it's not getting on the plane period. this would help to eliminate some of the issues getting on flights with the battle over bin space.

[@Mina-hm2og]

Questions: is there an option to pay a bit more to board first? And what about the souvenirs you buy in your vacation? Shouldn't you leave some space for them too? I think it helps a bit in what season you are traveling, as winter clothing is a lot bulkier that summer clothing, and also if the place you are visiting has a laundry and clothes drier machine which you can use to wash and dry your clothes so you won't have to bring a lot of them.

[@lisaphares2286]

Bring merino wool base layer top and bottoms, then you don’t need bulky sweaters to keep you warm.

[@Lord.Kiltridge]

I only travel for vacation and it could be for as long as three weeks. I always check one bag going down and a carry on with everything I can't get along without in the event the checked bag doesn't make it. Coming back, I don't care. If it takes an extra week or two to get to my house, it doesn't really matter. But I don't want any arguments going down. Also, I am mobility impaired, but not in a wheelchair. I'm supposed to have priority boarding and _always_ have to push my way through a crows of gate lice. It's _very_ irritating. No chance I can get three weeks worth of absolute necessities into a personal bag. Regarding compression cubes, I have been using large Zip-Lock bags for this for forty years.

[@jimross7648]

The only issue is I'm sure that airlines are already figuring a way to shrink the dimensions of even personal item bags, just as they've done with every other luggage category. Eventually passengers will be restricted to a zip lock bag unless you pay them big fees. That being said some good tips.

[@nunuvyurbiz123]

In a way, they've already unintentionally did that what with so many underseats blocked by AV systems and the like, or seat posts not aligned to be in between seats.

[@RadiantTwilight]

Aye, thats the sad truth, the personal items my carriers allow are already half the volume of the example size in this video... heck they even shrunk allowed dimension of the regular hand carry luggage size so my very expensive carry on suitcases are too large in one dimension... thankfully I never had problems disregarding those dimensions, and the day I will have problems, they will probably have to detain me, because I will get very angry.

[@user-_56710]

My first time traveling with Avelo and already started on the wrong foot: Charged me $50 for CARRY ON

[@letterbox203]

I missed my flight today and they taught me a lesson: please arrive there 2 hours before take off. Boarding gate closes 15 minutes before take off.

[@BatPamHasReturned]

Those Halara pants look amazing!!!

[@paul_domici]

I'm going to Florida for a week in Jan. I'm going to try this : ) Thanks

[@itravelers]

Nice tips!

[@TM-ui9gt]

Ideas for a bag for the aisle seat that usually has less underseat space. I have the Nomad Bento bag and it won't fit underseat for Americal and United's aisle seats.

[@verenarousseau5820]

Do Airlines in the US not have weight restrictions for their carry on luggage? Here in Australia, every single airline has a weight restriction for carry-on of between 7kg (most common) and 10kg. If your bag weights 2kg empty, that only leaves 5 kg of luggage. That's not much for a week away, especially in the cooler months.

[@robertwilliamson922]

What if the floor at your seat or under the seat in front of you is covered in sticky stuff from a previous passenger’s spilled drink or food? You don’t want to put your bag there.

[@SherryOsborne]

This has nothing to do with the content of this video (which was great by the way!) but I'm curious about where you got the nice lights that are in the background of your videos!

[@Jumperchick11]

I travel with a cpap machine. I’d love to find a bento bag or carry-on bag that I can fit it into in its case……maybe with the rolling and cube hack, I will be able to do that!

[@teaeff8898]

Only one wee problem: I end up coming home with more stuff than I went with, lol. 😅

[@BetsyDudash]

I've ended up mailing stuff home to myself, but it's been worth it.

[@iancvisuals707]

The sad reality is that airlines created this problem because of charging for checked baggage. But it has become such a cash cow for them it opened the floodgates on their willingness to inflict hassle on the passengers for greater profit so it is not going to stop and will likely get worse. Already you have to pay for seat selection, snacks onboard, priority boarding. About the only thing the haven’t tried charging for yet is fees for disembarking priority or baggage collection.

[@wesleyy2792]

Thanks Megan!

[@Reed-2big]

How on earth can you army roll Jean etc compress them and not be overweight?

[@elizabethsternal2094]

I don’t travel often but I pay for my luggage to go into the cargo area , I still take a back pack and camera onto the plane - I think it is unfair when I see so many people carry large suitcases and bags on the plane for free - the cases seem to be getting bigger and bigger , I can’t believe they are under 10 kg a lot of them😊

[@marcietownsend3635]

In the past year, I've had airlines give me free check-in luggage since so many are doing carry-on. Not always however. If flying a budget airline like Norse or Spirit, I'd rather just pay the baggage fee and exit the plane as fast as possible like a bat out of hell. Remember: you can buy stuff when you get there and don't assume there are US-style laundromats.

[@chibigon01]

My problem is not the volume of my items. I really compress them to fit into small volumes. My problem is the luggage weight limitations: 8 lbs, 22 lbs, 50 lbs, etc. Any recommendations?

[@TheSimArchitect]

Soon they'll not allow us to take a personal item for free either, unhappy many of us are doing it. I was pleased to be able to check my hand luggage for free without hassle, in advance. Much easier to cross security and much less work as I was checking one large suitcase anyways (long international trip, paid for the large suitcase, though, weird it wasn't included on an 800 euro flight but this is the new normal, I guess). One thing I notice I am very unlikely paying for is upgrading to Economy +. I noticed the largest people sit there. So, if you're short like me you'll have a higher likelihood of getting a large neighbor that will hog the space instead of a normal sized person (I thought thin and tall people sat there, mostly, but it wasn't the case on my flight back from Brazil, they were large people squeezed together more than us back at economy minus 😬).

[@jmb1606]

What kind of compression cubes do you use? Very interesting and efficient

[@PortableProfessional]

Love compression cubes! These are the ones I use and showed in the video 👍 Compression Packing Cubes: shoptripped.com/portableprofessional-holiday24-carryon

[@jibrilamvs]

This wouldn’t be a problem if people would stop bringing three bags as “carry on” then taking up the entire overhead bin space. If you need that much for a trip bring a suitcase and pay for under carrier transport in the cargo hold. Sadly that’s too complicated for people so they bring everything onto the plane with them which annoys people who reach out to airlines who, eventually, change their rules.

[@davidhuth5659]

I'm traveling to Argentina in a couple of months for a photography workshop. This is the first time I have flown with my gear. I'm taking the minimum gear in a smallish camera bag. Is it possible the airline may make me check this bag? I don't think the gear will survive as checked luggage.

[@krisvalenti4141]

I find when packing like described for a short trip with just a carry on that finding a laundromat at my destination is also key if you know what I am saying.

[@kartof1]

I wonder if personal bag, sling and waist pack are possible without extra fees and without hiding sling and pack under a coat.

[@TeamD2012]

Thank u for this vid

[@ronaldtipton6035]

As a guy who hates wrinkles & ironing clothes, I would rather pay the extra fee for bringing a carry on, than have to iron every piece of clothing I brought with me when I get to the hotel room. Army rolling wrinkles the hell out of any garment with a higher cotton content.

[@isabelm.1833]

Do you find that on international flights airlines are a little more "accommodating" than domestic?

[@ghyslainabel]

I like your videos, except for 1 thing: advertisement for the current video. "Stay for the bonus tip at the end of the video", "wait for the third tip". If I am still there at the 3rd minute mark, I am already committed to watch the video. You do not need to waste everyone's time by convincing us to watch the full video. Either use the 2 minutes of self-advertising for more useful content, or make a 7 minutes long video.

[@lauracastelli4776]

What backpack do you have please ?