Reddit user craigyboy2601 knows a thing or two about airline baggage handlers. After all, he is one. So, when he offers some tips on how to protect your luggage from loss or damage, you should probably pay attention! Here are the highlights from his post.
Did you know you can help protect yourself when traveling with a gun? No, not like that; and not in any way that's going to land you in prison. Simply by packing a gun, you can ensure that not only will your luggage be safer, but that the airline will make certain that it reaches its destination. Photo by Alamy
The airline is not your friend. It will do anything it can to gouge your dignity, time, and most of all, money. One of the biggest scams to get a few extra bucks out of you are those dreaded baggage fees. If the lines, security, "random" screenings, and unwanted fondling aren't bad enough, you have to pay them to check your bags (which, most of the time, is done poorly). Flying truly is the most inconvenient way to travel.
Mobile app publishers are using augmented reality to solve everyday measurement problems from measuring the length or height of items to previewing furniture in the home.
Last year, the Washington Post's Ashley Halsey wrote an article on what really happens to your luggage at airports. In it, they unwittingly published a photo of the master keys the TSA uses for TSA-approved baggage locks. Now, thanks to that picture and a French lock-picking enthusiast, anyone with a 3D printer can make their own master keys to unlock any TSA-recognized locks.
Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) is making it easier for its passengers to travel by employing an incredibly practical new augmented reality feature included an update to its iOS app.
In a rush to the airport with no luggage tags and have a roll of duct tape lying around? DuctTapeStuff saves the day with this tutorial on how to create luggage tags from duct tape. The second half of this tutorial features a fun, creative way to make your own bookmark for your current read.
Rafael and Zappos How To demonstrates how to pack your luggage efficiently. First, make a packing list to determine what you will need to bring on your trip. Go through your day in your mind and add things to the list accordingly. Don't forget your toiletries. Ideally bring one pair of shoes and coordinate your wardrobe accordingly. Lay out everything you will be packing and group them by like items. Don't put piles in your suitcase. Instead, roll your garment to prevent wrinkles and save spa...
In this how to video, you will learn how to open a locked zippered luggage bag. This is very useful if you plan a trip and forget the key to the lock of your luggage bag. All you need is a normal pen. Remove the lid of the pen. Apply pressure in between the zipper. Once you get through, slide the pen all the way around to open the luggage. This will open the luggage and you will have access to the entire inside. Once you are done, you can close it back with the pen or the zipper. It will be u...
Bed Bug control for luggage is the best way to protect your luggage from infestation. What you will do is, open your luggage and any zippers you may have on your luggage and spray it down the best you can. You will want to spray the seams and any closed area inside and outside you luggage. You should also spray down your handle and wheels (if available). Bed bug control will keep the germs from different hotels or any where you travel, so that it doesn’t follow you back home.
Marilyn Bohn, of Get it Together Organizing, offers a travel tip of how to measure carry on luggage. She warns you that every carrier has a different requirement for carry on luggage, so check before you leave what your carrier requires. In order to measure your carry on luggage you use three different figures and add them together for the final result. Measure length, measure width, and measure depth. Write your numbers down and then add them together. After this, you will come up with a sin...
Learn how to pick a luggage lock with this lock picking tutorial. You need a baggage lock and a paperclip. Use needlenose pliers to bend the paperclip into a lock pick or a homemade key. Twist your lock pick around until the lock opens. Simple lockpicking tutorial.
After dealing with a middle seat, a screaming baby, and a weather delay, you get to your destination—but your luggage doesn’t! It happens to 10,000 people every day, but that doesn’t have to be you. Learn some helpful tips on avoiding this common annoyance.
Creative, functional, and fabulous, these embroidered luggage tags are quick-stitching and make and fast, easy gifts. Embroidered luggage tags add a fantastic splash of color to suitcases and roller bags, making it uniquely yours for quick identification. And the best part? They are made right in the embroidery hoop. Watch this instructional embroidery video & make your own luggage tag today!
Here's a short video on how to prepare luggage to pack your cosmetic products. Remember to use regular sturdy luggage.
Hate paying for the check-in luggage fee while flying? Slim down your bulky suitcase to a carry-on luggage size and use the following tips below to lighten your load without lightening your wallet.
In this sewing video series, learn how to make your own cell phone case and luggage tags. Dressing up the most important of tools in your arsenal, whether it’s a Blackberry or an iPhone, can help you add a sense of style and personality to your everyday life.
In this video, we learn how to pack a suitcase like a professional concierge. First, you want to tuck in the edge of the case and pack the shoes at the very bottom. After this, tuck shoes or underwear into boots and shoes to help save room. Next, lie the jeans over the luggage and then fold shirts up to where you are rolling them from the bottom up and place them on the pants. Add in any more shirts, then place the waist band and bottom of the pants over the shirts. Use tissue paper on the to...
Have you ever found something in your suitcase that wasn't yours? Maybe it was, but you're almost certain it wasn't. Maybe a friend slipped something in your baggage before your departure flight? Maybe the TSA was playing a joke on you, since they have all the master keys for your approved travel locks?
Airports are expensive places these days, aren't they? Remember the good old days when you didn't have to pay to check your luggage? Well, in these crazy economic times airlines, just like everybody else, are trying to get extra cash anywhere they can.
Mechanical locks have been around since ancient Egypt, with the oldest known artifact found in the ruins of Nineveh, an ancient city in Assyria, Mesopotamia, which is just across the Tigris River from what is now Mosul, Iraq.
Airport security lines are one of the biggest hassles involved in air travel. Navigating them quickly and successfully can be the difference between making your flight and not. This video offers some tips for how to get through security quickly, including buying airport-security-friendly luggage and packing said luggage in an easy-to-inspect way. Also, don't wrap any gift, as security may want to unwrap them!
Moving is one of the top ten most stressful life experiences. Here’s how to pack it up without wanting to pack it in.
In this video, learn how to create camera accessories out of common objects for travel. Sometimes when you fly, you are not able to carry heavy camera equipment like tracks, dollies, tripods, etc. In this video, Jan will show you how to take common things like toys and use them instead. These are also great because they are lightweight enough to not weigh down your luggage. Have fun!
Flying is complicated enough, especially when you are flying overseas. In this tutorial, Rick Seaney gives you tips on how to find the cheapest flights to popular international destinations. Rick also goes over how to save on luggage and other hidden airport upcharges. So, before you take your next big trip, check out this tutorial and get some insider information on how to avoid hefty costs and enjoy your holiday.
Hitting the friendly skies? Not bringing a lot of stuff can save you the hassle of checking in a luggage or being searched at the airport. Watch this video tutorial by Better TV for tips on how to pack light and tight for your next trip.
Avoiding the need to check luggage has been one of the biggest goals of business travelers for decades, especially now that many airlines charge more baggage fees than ever. This video outlines six easy tips for packing lightly and efficiently, which will enable you to carry all of your bags with you and save a lot of time at every stage of your trip. These include wearing your heaviest clothes and organizing your belonging within your suitcase.
There was recently a case that came to national attention where a gentleman was arrested at an airport for having a watch that looked like a bomb, among other things. As it came out, the watch was, in fact, not a bomb, and the man was just an artist who was probably trying to make a statement of some sort. Well, that message was lost amongst the hail of people shouting that either he had been stupid for bringing that watch on the plane and so deserved to be arrested, or that it's a free count...
In this video, Jeff gives some tips to frequent travelers on how to avoid bringing bed bugs home with them. First, you should begin with inspections of a hotel room, making sure to bring a flashlight and looking carefully in the bed for any bugs. After a stay at a hotel, you should always check yourself for bed bugs before going home. This includes methods such as placing your suitcases in bags in order to avoid infesting your car and emptying your clothes from your luggage outside your home ...
In this video, we learn how to save space while packing using 3 household items. You will need the following items: garbage bag, vacuum, and rubber band. First, fold your clothes and stack them on top of each other in a pile, then place a garbage bag around them. Now, take your rubber band and tie it around the bag, then stick the hose of the vacuum into the hole. Now, turn your vacuum on and let it suck the air out of the bag, and you will see the bag shrink within just a few minutes. Keep s...
This video shows us how to organize our closet without breaking the bank. As summer comes around and winter is finishing up, it’s time to do some spring-cleaning. Some tips to help get additional space in your closet: Tip 1. Use your luggage to store winter items not used during the summer. Tip 2. Use those old boxes that have just been piling up to store items. Tip 3. Invest in a hanging shoe bag to preserve the shoes you love. Tip 4. Invest in a clear storage rack where your accessories can...
Need to leave town earlier or later than planned? Flying stand-by is not as simple as it used to be. Learn how to fly stand by - you never know when it may be necessary.
Whether you're hiking or hunting, spending time outdoors can also be an opportunity to spend time with man's best friend--your dog! Get tips from this how-to video on spending time with your dog AND keeping her safe.
Apple AirTags are super helpful for keeping track of your keys, backpack, and other frequently misplaced items, but there are some pretty clever things you can do with them beyond finding regularly used stuff.
It seems like there's never any breaks in air travel when it comes to money. The airfares just keep rising, and now most major airlines charge for all checked baggage, so carry-ons are the way to go. But you need to know how to take it easy with your packing list. Pack light and travel without the burden of that extra $15 or more per bag.
Bed bugs are parasites not yet known to spread disease — but they cause plenty of irritation. As scientists and landlords search for new ways to deal with the pests, a new study examines how we can deter bed bugs without so many chemicals.
Bed bugs are brown and creepy. Could you spot one in your hotel room? A new study reveals most people are freaked out by bed bugs, but only about 35% could identify one.
Smartphones are vital travel companions. While you're on the go, they connect you with loved ones back home, help you find tickets and passes for tourist attractions, and make it easy to find your way through foreign roads — but even the most powerful smartphone could use help from travel accessories.
Wedding insurance, vacation packages, travel discounts – the American Automobile Association offers its members more than free towing.
On the airplane, in the middle of cold and flu season, your seatmate is spewing, despite the clutch of tissues in their lap. Your proximity to an infectious person probably leaves you daydreaming (or is it a nightmare?) of pandemics and estimating how likely it is that this seatmate's viral or bacterial effusions will circulate throughout the plane and infect everyone on board.
