Tips from Aliaksandra Arutsiunian, our Senior Key Account Manager
If you have ever watched the movie “Up In The Air”, you probably remember how smooth and efficient George Clooney’s character was at passing airport controls. A few years back, when I started traveling for work frequently, flight after flight, I was watching many people stuck at baggage control. Looking lost and questioned by the airport staff, travelers were getting even more nervous due to the prohibited items in their baggage. Seeing those situations motivated me to start looking into packing smart: having as little as possible while carrying everything needed for a comfortable stay.
Decide What Baggage To Take
Whether it will be a weekend getaway or a business trip, the first step is to decide what baggage is more suitable: a backpack or a suitcase? For me, it is more convenient to bring a small cabin suitcase on board. You can keep your clothes in a better condition and explore your destination with a purse or a smaller “city” backpack.
Unfortunately, a few low-cost carriers changed their policy and now push a reduced free baggage allowance. The airline baggage policy is something that definitely needs to be checked and considered prior to traveling. Always refer to your e-ticket information in the Kiwi.com app to cross-check your respective baggage allowance. This is especially important in the case of having multiple airlines in the itinerary and can help you to avoid unpleasant surprises or paying additional fees at the airport.
Hygiene and Skincare
One of the tricky parts is preparing cosmetics and healthcare items due to various rules imposed about carrying liquids on board. All the liquids in the cabin cannot exceed 100ml containers. Unfortunately, in the majority of cases, regular cosmetics used at home exceed this limitation. Although the majority of drug stores offer “travel-friendly” bottles, in some situations, it won’t be suitable. Essentials like toothpaste or shower gel can be easily bought at your destination, however, when it comes to more “personalised” items like hair or skincare, it could be difficult to find your preferred brands.
My personal choice are the refillable bottles that you can fill with whatever liquids you need. This option not only allows you to continue using your regularly selected products while traveling but also it is more eco-friendly.
Healthcare
Probably thinking about any health issues during the trip sounds like a nightmare! It is better to be prepared for some smaller issues that might be caused by the different cuisine or climate. Instead of bringing various pills separately, it is possible to buy “pills boxes” that come in different sizes. I used to travel with a small 6-pack box, so I could easily take first-aid pills for headache, stomachache, or allergy.
Electronics
Phone, laptop, tablet, smartwatches, camera and whatever else, like many of you, we cannot imagine traveling without gadgets. I used to travel with a cable snarl and multiple charges. However, there are much better options to make your life easier when you travel. Now I take one charger with multiple USB entries. Moreover, you can buy 2-in-1 cables (e.g. Lightning + USB-C), which will help reduce the electronics peripherals you need to take with you.
Always check what socket type is used in the country you are traveling to, as well as the countries you might transit. I recommend buying a “travel adapter”. This has many different sockets for different countries, which will save you having to think about it, especially helpful if you are transiting different countries, during your trip.
At the Airport
Now with all those tips, it takes 10-15 minutes to pack even for a week-long trip, not to mention being better prepared for airport checks will go smoothly. Even though nowadays business trips and perhaps personal trips as well, are still quite limited, the skill of packing smart makes my life so much easier.
Test it for your next trip!