Why Airlines Are Urging Travelers to Pack Smarter
With around 60 million passengers travelling through the United States’ busiest airports LAX and ATL each year you can guess that there is a lot of baggage to check. Each airline has their own policy on how heavy your bag can be and what you’re allowed to carry on, but they all have to follow the same airport rules of baggage checking. Each and every bag that goes onto the plane has to be screened by machinery. Bags get flagged up as suspicious for a variety of reasons and these have to be checked for safety before being put in the hold. Airlines are urging passengers to pack more efficiently to make their jobs easier when checking bags that have been flagged up during the screening process. Passengers are also advised to check what can be taken on a plane before shoving it in their suitcase.
What You Can and Can’t Pack
Lots of people think that it’s only carry on luggage that has restrictions, but it isn’t. There are many things that you can’t pack into your hold luggage, and while it seems obvious, airlines sometimes find guns and knives in passengers hold luggage. Be sensible with what you pack and check out this list of guidelines for what can and cannot be in your plane luggage.
Tips On How to Pack More Efficiently
Packing is one of the worst parts of travelling, so make sure you pack efficiently. Not only will this create more space for you within your luggage, but it also helps airlines out when they have to check through your bag. Be sure to spread things out between your hold and carry on luggage as in recent years almost 2 million bags have been lost during the travelling process.
What Happens To Your Luggage Once Checked In
The life of your luggage after you have checked it in with your airline is an interesting one. It goes on a trip of its own where it is screened for dangerous items. Luggage that is flagged up as suspicious is then checked by hand by somebody in the airport, where they will remove anything that can’t go on the plane and if really suspicious then it might not make its way on. Once checked and approved it will be loaded into the hold before flying with you to your destination and returned to you at the other end.
Whenever you travel on a plane, make sure you know the rules on baggage of the airline you’re travelling with well in advance. This way you’ll be able to make sure that your bag travels through the airport smoothly. This will allow airlines more time to ensure your flight leaves on time instead of having to check every bag. Many planes are delayed for a variety of reasons so make sure your luggage isn’t a reason. Here you can find information on delayed flights so you can check before you fly.