After months of keeping an eye out for suit case deals, reading articles and comparison charts by brand, a decision had to be made. I am flying in about a month and needed to get the reality check purchase made. Restrictions on size being the main criteria, small European flights are indeed small, like flying match sticks, and have no overhead room. So, how do you get that in that small but useful cabin bag size working for you and What features do you really need?
When I first started considering the small plane flights, I remembered one of my hops last year and how I barely made the size restrictions on that last leg of my Transatlantic flight, and the fear and expense of having to track two bags in the hold. There’s nothing like getting to your dream vacation spot and your luggage takes days to catch up to you. I was using borrowed travel cases and learned so much about baggage “hate” that trip. This year I decided I had to budget for new cases and invest in sizes that fit the minimum or under in dimensions for the overhead bins in the cabins, and that they had to work for the smaller planes. After doing research on the internet, I decided I had better call the airlines for Aer Lingus restrictions on my tiny flight and was glad I did. The online references really weren’t clear, going mostly by weight. The case size was restricted to a 18 inch tall bag (length) and I had to research how to get the carry on under a good budget and afford the purchase of a second larger case. In my initial research, I found that if I bought cases according to maximum measurements, I was averaging a huge sum of money for specific sizes. I am sorry, I know there are people who love the designer thing, and some that are professional travelers, but most of us can’t spend $500.00 or more on luggage. That covers quite a few nights in a hotel. But what about buying cheap cases that may bust in the hold? How can you meet a tight budget and have cases that survive the trip? Check out reviews online and hope for the best. After some research and looking at some reviews, I made a choice that fit my budget and the size restrictions. I also went in with the mindset that if the cases made it through two Transatlantic trips, meaning two vacations, it would be a good investment. Why get a expensive set of luggage when size restrictions could change in the future?
Your carry on bag should contain all toiletries you will need immediately upon landing, and at the very least 2 changes of clothing. If your baggage is delayed you have something to work with while you wait for the cases to catch up with you.
Measurements for Consideration
55cm x 40cm x 24cm Cabin for Transatlantic, 18 inch tall for smaller planes.
90 x 75 x 43cm (35.5 x 29.5 x 16in) Checked Luggage size
Contact your airlines for intercontinental flights sizes before you board. The restrictions can vary per airline, but many airlines buy the same planes. The above is an average.
Luggage Restrictions for European Fights 2017
Criterion
Hard-sided meeting European cabin luggage restrictions 18 inches tall, 4 wheels not 2, for smaller intercontinental and island hopping flights.
Wheeled, preferably spinner second case under 62 inch restrictions
Small travel backpack/day pack with iPad pouch and place to hide passport, etc.
Spend amount less than the price of one very expensive piece of luggage. Buy a set of2 for the price of one American Tourister.
Purchase Made: inUSA brand, Model: San Francisco, spinners( 4) on both cases, self locking TSA lock combo included (we’ll see about that).
I finally made a choice after reviewing several cases on Amazon. I also chose a situation where shipping was free, since I was finding many of the cases were costing a great deal in shipping fees, thus adding to the price. My considerations were meeting the size restrictions and including spinner wheels height extension. After years of standard cases and lugging a case that was too bulky across Scotland last year, I decided it was time to scale down and streamline, bring less clothing and do more washing. Not something you want to have to do on your trip, but planning your trip to include space and time to do laundry unfortunately has to be done. I planned for laundry in Glasgow and Dublin Stops, with research on Yelp for reliable machines.
Other Considerations: TILE brand luggage and pets GPS tags, DYNOTAG permanent luggage tags. Osprey light daypack, featuring space for camel pack or laptop, tablet, and padding space, hiding space for passport.
Research Your Cases
http://nymag.com/strategist/article/the-best-rolling-luggage-according-to-frequent-fliers.html
Taistealaiche 