Travel Tips For Avoiding Problems With Luggage

How often do we carefully book our flights, check villa
availability, mark the holiday in our calendar and then pack
frantically at the last minute. We take our luggage for granted
when our thoughts are on our luxury holiday villa, but by
remembering a few simple points we can ensure we have happy
memories of our holiday villa and not of luggage crisis.

Don't put all your clothes in one case when travelling as a
family. Distribute clothes for each person among the cases. That
way if you lose a case, everybody will have clothes to use until
it is hopefully recovered. It is even more important to
distribute prescribed medication among cases and hand luggage.
When packing, include a colour copy of your passports, tickets
and other important documentation. That way if you lose your
paperwork you know another copy is available to make life
easier.

If you can't remember the detail, write down the make and model
of your cases. Should your cases go missing you will be asked to
describe them and identify them at the airport, and it's amazing
how many people could not name the manufacturer of their cases,
or describe any identifying features. Even better, take a
photograph of your luggage with a digital camera and the
description process will be easy.

Make sure ownership of your cases is in no doubt. Attach strong
labels with your name, home address and destination clearly
printed. It's a good idea not to make this obviously visible to
passing public - you don't want to advertise your home address
as you leave for a fortnight in the sun. The final attachment
for the case is a multicoloured hair band, scarf or belt which
will help you to identify your case on the carousel on arrival
after your flight. This is definitely a situation where good
colour taste is not a consideration - the bolder the better.
Should your case go astray or be damaged, report it to the
baggage handlers immediately. Don't leave the airport to think
about it, find out what the procedure is and follow it.

Security is an important consideration in the modern world, and
we get so used to being asked the standard questions at check-in
that we can be lax in looking after our belongings, and in the
worst-case scenario even our freedom and our lives. Don't leave
your luggage in the care of anyone no matter how short the time,
how friendly they are or how pleasant the elderly couple seem.
What does a smuggler look like? Similarly, don't offer to carry
anything for anybody you don't know, no matter if you seemingly
initiate the idea. The stories you hear on the news are often
about ordinary people who were just too naïve or careless.

Be aware of your baggage allowance and plan for the return
flight as well as the outward journey. If your allowance is 20kg
per person and you have 19kg going out, it's not giving you much
scope for buying clothes and other items while on holiday.
There's no point in saving money at an outlet mall and paying
for excess baggage on your return journey. The common holiday
destinations have shops selling soap, toothpaste and basic
medications, and holiday villas have towels and the comforts of
life - you probably don't need to bring those things you have
packed 'just in case'. A common technique is to travel out with
one case inside another empty case.

Wherever your holiday villa is, include packing in your calendar
plans and use the time available to ensure your journey is a
success.

About the author:
George Curry is a Director of System Alchemy Ltd which manages
several property websites. Their latest development is href="http://www.aspavailabilitycalendar.com">VillaCal, an ASP
villa availability calendar.