Luggage

Continue to receive the suggestion that I continue to put up some advisory posts about my travels, so let me discuss luggage – the best things to consider.

If I travel for 4 days or less, I do travel light and do not check in bags, but as often travel in 2 week chunks and may need substantial clothing to cover extremes, I do check-in bags. So with 500,000 miles in the past 3 years under my seat, what are my recommendations and guidelines for checked-in luggage:

1. Form – Your luggage will be damaged, so reduce the risk and investment.  Make sure, it is clean in form and function, such that the handles are hidden, wheels have reduce exposure and avoid pockets-zippers.

2. Again, avoid secondary pockets, as they offer limit value by increasing risk of handling damage and add weight.

3. Weight – As airlines impose greater limits et cetera, be conscious of the weight of the bag and be aware that the largest bags are easy to go over the weight limit!  Keep to a 29″ bag, if you can.

Air Canada basic weight limit starts at 23kg, with the cost of overweight starting at 113.50 CDN$. And you should expect you will lose 5+kg (20+% of this lower limit from the bag alone!)

4. Weight the bag at the store, as often the specifications listed on the website are optimistic light (being kind!).

Lies, dammed lies and datasheets!

5. Clear identification – – For theft management of the bag – do not get black.  Make sure it stands out from a crowd.

6. Your bag’s contents are not secure. Breaking into most bags is simple and with TSA locks et cetera required with simple bypass, that if the thieves after check-in want your bag’s contents, they will get it.

Once you checked-in the bag, you must rely upon the security measure of the airlines and their employees and contractors.

For this reason, I rather use an low cost bag, versus a premium bag that says I have “money”.  Make the bag stand out, but not scream I have money!

Be humble.

7. Always take a spare duffel bag with you. Luggage may break, you may get-buy more than you expect or have an agent (last trip) that demands you to repack – check in your carry-on et cetera.

8. Moving it – 4 Wheels and make sure you can handle it with 22kg inside.

So what do I use?  Samsonite Orange F’Lite and how does it rank:

1. Cost of Replacement – A
2. Clean Form – A
3. Weight – B
4. Bag Identification – A+
5. Humble – B+

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The internet is great discount store of the world, but like shoes I would buy this at a store. Verify the weight, ensire the form is clean and make sure if moves-carries well.

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Sidebar, story from my last travel. I had to repack my bags 2 days ago in Brisbane, as the Virgin Australia Agent demand I limited my Carry-On to 1 bag of 7kg. My camera bag and camera along is 3.5kg, and I was eventually force to pack my laptop, charger, et cetera into my luggage, and protected my camera and ipad

Now, as I tried to register my compliant, Virgin Australia state this was a function and limitation of my ticket from Air Canada and if I have an issue, I need to address it with Air Canada.

Air Canada says this was an incorrect interpretation of the ticket and the compliant should be with register with Virgin Australia at the orgin (which they refused to do).

In short, I had no recourse, but to respond to arbitrary rules imposed on me at Brisbane, with no mechanism to formally identify the fault.

The Qantas return flight from Brisbane to Cairns was just fine!

Morale of the story, if you come across the power tripping person Agent or Security staff, whether they are right or wrong, you just need to accept the fact and go with the flow.

All I can do, is never fly Virgin Australia nor buy a codeshare Virgin Australia flight with Air-Canada.

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