1. Pack light or pay. Many budget travelers and free travel vagabonds that have gotten good deals on a flight have been less than thrilled to find out that the luggage weight limits were more restrictive than they realized at first and ended up paying extra charges at the airport.
2. Plan it the smart and free travel way. Will you be buying new luggage? Don’t go for the hard cases that won’t fit in as many places and compartments as soft bags or backpacks do – especially if you usually like to bring your luggage onboard with you. It will also be advantageous to select a bag that meets most airlines’ size restrictions for carry-on luggage as you will always be able to use them no matter which airline you fly with.
3. Swap and be safe. If you will be traveling with a friend or two and you will be checking-in your luggage, consider splitting your essential items between each of the bags. Should one of the bags get lost or delayed, you will still have some clothes to wear and so will you friend.
4. Keep it fresh. Since your clothes are going to spend quite a bit of time trapped in a bag, you can put one or two perfume sachet or scent packs in between layers of clothes. You can also use a fabric softener sheet. This will keep your clothing smelling fresh and prevent them from stinking of dampness. A thin plastic bag to put your dirty laundry in will also help to keep your clean clothes from smelling bad. No need for the budget traveler and free travel enthusiast to stink!
Get to the airport early
5. The quick and easy way. Even though it may be more of a hassle to pass through security, by opting to carry-on bags with you the risk of not having your luggage lost or stolen will be greatly reduced and you will be able to get out of the airport quickly when you arrive at your destination.
6. The early bird… It’s not a bad idea to arrive at the airport with enough time to register your bags even if they meet the requirements to bring them onboard with you. For whatever reasons (including space limitations), the airlines are legally entitled to refuse you to bring luggage inside with you and can require you to check your bags in. Don’t get caught!
7. It’s the details that matter. If you’re bringing battery-operated equipment on your trip you can reverse the batteries in your machines when you pack them in your bags so that they don’t turn themselves on accidentally during the flight and wear the batteries out. Small details like this make the difference if you want to travel for free.
8. Label it. Excuse us for stating the obvious but don’t forget to label your bags with your email and phone number inside and out. Print out an extra copy of your itinerary and place it inside the bag, on top of everything else. This will facilitate the airline’s job should your luggage get stolen and need to be redirected to your destination.
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