You bring your suitcase on the plane. You’re pretty sure it’ll fit in the overhead bin… so you try it. And it doesn’t. What do you do?
Well there are two options. You can either give up with the thing and ask the flight attendant to check the bag under the plane.
OR!
You can try to maneuver your bag so that it’ll fit in the overhead bin. I swear, as absurd as what I’m about to tell you may seem, it works for some suitcases. I’ve watched many flight attendants assist passengers with their suitcases and this is the generally the solution:
Turn your bag around.
You’re probably saying, “What? What does she mean by that?” Let me show you.
Most people will load their suitcase into the overhead bin like this (handle facing towards you):
However, certain suitcases don’t fit into the overhead bin like that. So try loading your suitcase like this instead (wheels facing towards you):
Notice that there won’t be any problem closing that bin.
Why does it work? Well if you look at the structure of your average suitcase, the top of the suitcase is thinner than the bottom. That’s why your suitcase can stand alone on it’s wheels without tipping over. And since the widest part of the overhead bin is closest to you, putting the widest part of your suitcase there will allow it to fit.
So for those of you who have a suitcase that is supposed to fit into the overhead bin but doesn’t - try this trick. Hopefully it works for you!
As I was packing my suitcase today, I realized halfway through my packing that I almost forgot socks! How could I forget socks?! Well, it happens. I can’t tell you how many times I have forgotten something on a trip. Luckily for us, almost all of our everyday needs are accessible to purchase in any town. However, it’s better to just remember it while you’re packing!
I recommend making a packing checklist a week ahead of your travel date (I should really start doing this more often). While some of you may have impeccable memories, chances are you will eventually forget something important. By making this list ahead of time, it gives you a couple days to think of any items you may have forgotten to list. This also reduces last minute packing stress – If you have your list, you’ll know exactly what you need to pack and won’t have to worry about forgetting something.
When it comes to clothes, I always pack extra – enough for a day. Who knows – you might stay an extra day, spill something on a shirt, or even get your sock wet. Whatever the situation is, you won’t regret packing extra – you will, however, regret not packing extra if something happens.
Bring an extra pair of shoes – If you’re wearing sandals on the plane, bring a pair of sneakers (or vice versa). Two pairs of shoes are always convenient to have – especially if where you’re going is warm in the middle of the day and cold at night.
If you take medication, pack extra meds as well. You never know if you’ll need an extra dosage if you happen to stay an extra day or two.
I recommend bringing all of your important items on to the plane with you. Worse case scenario, if your checked bag gets lost or something happens with your flight, you will still have all of your important items with you. Some important items may be: medication, cell charger, laptop, etc. It might be a bear to have to carry all these items on the plane but I promise you, it’s worth it!
Good luck and happy travels!
