To ask how on earth people pack light?!

[NeedSomeAnswersPlease]

Travelling to the Netherlands for the Dutch Grand Prix in ten days or so

We (stupidly) booked to travel hand luggage only and I just don't understand how it's possible! The amount of things you need, I'll be due on my period that weekend too so need to take extra bits for that as well. I know everyone's answer will be "just take less clothes" but it all seems to accumulate - shorts, t-shirts, a dress or two for if we want to go out in the evening, it's not possible!😩

Sorry can you explain,
what are packing cubes?

Few people will be able to match our “friend”.
She regularly does a 4 hour flight with nothing more than a Wilco plastic carrier containing little more than one spare pair of knicks….and sometimes for a month at a time.
(Then she wants to blag our stuff when she gets there 😬)
Tbf it’s mainly a naturist holiday, but still…..

Have you got the right size suitcase for BA? And the right size for the person bag?

They are small cubes or oblongs with a zip that you use to stuff your clothes into. You pack them full then squash the air out while zipping them up. Great space savers!

But you need compression packing cubes to squash the air out and reduce the volume.

There's also normal packing cubes which separate clothing but don't help reduce the volume. Although these do have their uses. I put the clothes I needed for a weekend away in a small ordinary packing cube in my rucksack with everything else and it kept them all together nicely.

Anyway, as expected, the OP has now found she had plenty of luggage space for a short trip.

@YellowphantGrey I'm hoping so because I don't want to buy a new one 🤣

OP, try not to gloat too much as you glide past those waiting in the baggage hall on arrival. It’s a tad naughty to do, but a nice feeling 😀.

But why would anyone need hold luggage on a 4 day trip on an airline that lets you take the kitchen sink in the cabin anyway?

However ive never understood the aversion to taking hold luggage. It rarely takes more than a few minutes to collect, it makes security a lot easier and you can take whatever liquids you like with no fuss so i take if its needed, specially if it's included or similar price to extra cabin bags which it is in many circumstances.

Because I was raised by a woman who took 4 suitcases for a family of 4 on a 1 week trip 🤣 I'm a "just in case" type of girl.

I've never collected luggage that fast unless it was in our small regional airport that would literally have one or two flights landing an hour. We're flying into schipol and Gatwick, it'll take forever to get the luggage, but our concern is actually dropping it off on the way out

I can go away for a 2 week city break with carry on only. I do rent an apartment with a washing machine right enough but I've got no idea what people take in huge suitcases. Completely uneccessary

in your opinion its unessceary but other it's what they want to do. I bring checked in luggage when going for a week or more. like to have a selection of clothes etc. I like to bring wine etc back and I am on holidays refuse point blank to do washing.

If packing light then I plan to wash clothes in the evening.

I won't take hold luggage unless I absolutely have to (not had to in 20 years and more) since the airline lost my luggage for four days about 25 years ago.

Also the hassle of drop-off and pick up and the excess tut you take and have to lug about.

Just googled and for BA it's 56cm by 45cm by 25cm.

I'm assuming if it's bigger, they make you check it like other airlines do

@YellowphantGrey my gut says it's smaller but I'm going to measure it in a bit

Honestly, it never takes a few minutes to collect checked baggage now. When was the last time you traveled on a scheduled flight?

It's not uncommon for it to be an hour until all the bags are on the belt since covid.

We came back from Tenerife last year and everyone was stood by the bag collection 30 minutes until the belt started moving then it was another 10 mins until bags started appearing.

I was so tired, I briefly contemplated just leaving my bags and questioning whether I really needed clothes 😂

I fly on average 3 return trips in Europe a year including post covid. Last couple of times the luggage has already been there when we've got through passport control.

Sorry but, with the exception of maybe straighteners, do people really take all this stuff!?

OP - I have a huge fear of suitcases going AWOL and losing all my best clothes, so I started travelling with ONLY hand luggage where I could. Bought a large zip-up canvas bag and can quite comfortably fit a week's worth of clothes in plus sandals, make-up, travel toiletries (so no big bottles) and GHDs.

Yes, it is quite large and very heavy to carry with all that in. But, because it's 'only' a bag that I can have on my shoulder, I'm never quizzed on size and weight or asked to put in hold.

It's been a total gamechanger.

Huh? Who are you flying with? I fly about 90% with EasyJet and it’s usually only a few minutes

@User7171

Honestly, it never takes a few minutes to collect checked baggage now. When was the last time you traveled on a scheduled flight?

It's not uncommon for it to be an hour until all the bags are on the belt since covid.
Huh? Just came back after flying long haul. Bags started coming through about 5 mins after we got to the carousel

Where on earth are you flying from and with which airline?

@Hucklemuckle

Huh? Just came back after flying long haul. Bags started coming through about 5 mins after we got to the carousel

Where on earth are you flying from and with which airline?

"Huh?" Which trip?

I'm constantly on flights as I work abroad ~2 weeks per month, and it's anywhere in the world on pretty much any airline.

I arrived back from Jakarta to Manchester on Tuesday of last week (via Abu Dhabi on Etihad) and it was 45 minutes from deplaning to baggage belt starting.

In early July I flew into LHR T5 from Texas on BA and it was longer than that - I was travelling with hand luggage but my colleague with a checked bag waited roughly 70 mins in the baggage reclaim hall.

I've had other flights this year where bags were already on the belt as I got through security but my point is it's not at all uncommon for lengthy delays to occur, post covid.

You are aware that your one trip where bags were through in seconds isn't the reality for most?

In fact, I've never had a flight where I havent had to wait for the belt to start and the bags to start filtering through.

Difference is, I know people have different experiences so don't presume people are exaggerating for effect.

I check bags and even long haul, by the time I've used the toilet in the terminal and perhaps purchased a water or other beverage & strolled to baggage claim, the bags start arriving.

Never waited anywhere remotely near an hour in any country.

Waited 2 hours in Crete then there was rush to collect bags, coaches waiting - bloody awful.