Consider Checking Your Bag If You’re Flying This Holiday Season
Earlier this week, I traveled across the country to my hometown where I will be spending my holidays. In addition, for the first time in history, I have checked not one, but two suitcases, and I invite you to do the same. Maybe not a part of two suitcases, but a check of your luggage as a whole.
Usually I am the one who tries to carry the bag whenever possible for people and always suggest that others do their best not to check the bag. Holidays are the only time I change this rule.
Save time
Yes, checking the bag takes time. Do you know what else takes a lot of time? TSA is unpacking your suitcase at the checkpoint because you stuffed too many things into it, so much so that it is difficult for them to understand what is going on there.
On your typical day of travel, it may not take long. During the holidays, you also queue up for every infrequent traveler on the planet who packed a bottle of water, full-size shampoo and a pocket knife in their suitcase. The point is that you will be waiting, potentially a long time, for the TSA to unpack your suitcase and make sure that what you have packed is constantly growing. Then you have to repack it.
The less you have with you when you are randomly selected for an additional check or your bag is tagged, the faster you will be on the road.
Be free of your hands
My personal trip involved a delayed first flight, leaving me only 10 minutes to get from one end of the Atlanta airport to the other. I ran. I flew. Do you know why I was happy that I didn’t have it with me? Heavy duty duffel bag.
Holiday airports are more crowded than usual. Carrying a large bag with you, navigating the already tight spaces of a restaurant or shop at an airport can become an even bigger nightmare just because now 20 people are trying to do the same with their suitcases.
By dropping your luggage, you can be much more mobile at the airport. You can squeeze into a corner around this big family to grab a Combo bag, or sit down and have breakfast without worrying about putting the bag next to you, but not blocking that server passage. When dealing with crowds and crowded places, the less things you have with you, the better.
Board faster
If you don’t have the status of the airline you are flying with, and you are not traveling in first class or premium economy, there is a huge chance that you will still have to check this suitcase at the gate.
Everyone takes a lot of things with them during the holidays (myself included), which means the top space will fill up pretty quickly, and when that happens, you’ll have to check the bag you took 45 minutes to get. have passed TSA checks and have been driving around the airport with you in the last 2 hours.
Yes, baggage screening is free, but pre-screening is not. I understand you. But sometimes the price is worth it to avoid the pain. Plus, depending on your airline, they may already be offering free check-in at check-in. If cost is a concern, it’s worth asking. Better for the airline and you if it checks it as early as possible.
Without a suitcase, you can easily navigate the aisles on the plane, no need to worry if the top drawer is full before you get there, and you don’t need to worry about someone going to destroy your suitcase trying to stuff theirs into it. trash can next to it. I speak like someone who had the side of my favorite duffel bag ripped off last month by an overzealous roller-bag owner.
I took a bookbag with me with a change of clothes and essential medicines. By the way, I’ll tell you that my worst-case scenario really happened here: Delta lost one of my bags. However, airlines are very good at electronically tracking baggage these days. By the time I landed without one of my suitcases, Delta knew that they had lost the bag and taken it on another flight. They also brought it to my friend’s house when it landed. Let it happen almost 12 hours later, but it happened.
It wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t an end-of-the-day scenario. Don’t check what you absolutely need if something goes wrong.
Bottom line: While the pros of not checking your bag usually outweigh the cons, holidays are one exception to the rule. If you are traveling in the next few days, consider this. You might be happy you did.