How much luggage do you take?

[Heidijs]

So we're going 8 days 7 nights...our airline, Northwest, charges $15 to check a bag. I am not a fan of just taking your carry on luggage, no way, not enough room. So it's DH, DD 4 and me. DH and I have these HUGE hard sided suitcases we use on trips and pack a scale to weigh it to keep it under 50 lbs...which amazes me that sucker can be full and still not weigh 50 lbs...my theory is I want to make sure we have plenty of room to bring home goodies...I don't want to have to drag a ton of carry on luggage and bags as we'll have DD with and I don't want the hassle of lugging stuff around the airport with her. Would you just take two big bags for yourself and do a carry on for her? Or should I just say screw it and pay $15 for a big bag for her too and eliminate any carry ons? I think I'd still take ONE carry on and that's it. That way we have the essentials for when we get to our room and whatever treats and activities we need on the plane and my stuff like camera and all that stuff...plus I usually throw in a couple bags in our suitcases just in case we need more for the flight home. I don't mind having carry ons going home cus it means you bought tons of goodies! plus we'll have winter coats and all that stuff we'll probably want to ditch in our carry on when we get to Orlando....I hope!!!! So we'll take at least one and maybe DD can carry her bookbag on with her goodies in it. What do you do?

Oh yeah, I'm sure DH will insist on taking the laptop again too but I can stuff that in the carry on once it goes through security...

I guess I'm assuming somewhere in the trip DD will ask for a big stuffed animal and I'll cave and we'll have to get it home!!!! Can she just carry it on? LOL!!!!

 

[Dani C]

We also are flying NW and will be taking one checked bag each along with our carry-ons. I considered taking two checked bags (just me, everyone else only having the one) but $30 ($15/way) for the first and then $50 ($25 /way) for the second made me change my mind. I decided that for the additional $50 I could just ship something home if I needed to.

 

[Keri]

I think last year we took 3 suitcases for our family of 5 for 6 nights, but it might have been 4? And we do carry on a decent amount -- each big kid brings a backpack with their lovey, books, leapster & headphones & ipod. My DH & I bring 2 stuffed full diaper bags, a laptop bag & a camera bag, and I think we had one more duffel bag with us last year too. I bring one set of extra clothes for the kids & one set of pjs in case they lose our luggage, change of shoes and top for me, diapers, snacks, meds, etc.

It seems like a ton and DH makes fun of me every time we go somewhere ... but he loves when he asks "did you happen to bring ..." and the answer is always "YES"

 

[Sgt Mickey]

Why fly with winter coats. I would leave them in the car or with the person who is dropping you off and picking them up and just wear a lightweight sweatshirt becasue that is all you will most likely need in Fl. I like to have a carry on so you have snacks and such. I don't thin I would bring three big bags I think two is plenty you can put her clothes in with yours and your dh's.

 

[Heidijs]

I think last year we took 3 suitcases for our family of 5 for 6 nights, but it might have been 4? And we do carry on a decent amount -- each big kid brings a backpack with their lovey, books, leapster & headphones & ipod. My DH & I bring 2 stuffed full diaper bags, a laptop bag & a camera bag, and I think we had one more duffel bag with us last year too. I bring one set of extra clothes for the kids & one set of pjs in case they lose our luggage, change of shoes and top for me, diapers, snacks, meds, etc.

It seems like a ton and DH makes fun of me every time we go somewhere ... but he loves when he asks "did you happen to bring ..." and the answer is always "YES"

Sounds like my DH when we go camping. He thought he'd throw me when he asked if I had an zip ties and I DID!!!!

Okay well maybe I'll bring two carry on bags. DD has her own little M&M carry on that she can put her blankie and stuffie in and activities and treats and DH and I will share one together and stuff all our crap in it after security. That way we only really have to carry two things through the airport. We can stack hers on ours if we have to. I can already see having to carry her at some point in the airport... So I don't want a ton of luggage...bad enough we'll get dropped off at the doors with 3 big bags...do they have luggage racks at the airports? I don't know how we're going to get this all to the luggage counters!

 

[Keri]

curbside check in Worth EVERY penny. Seriously. There is no way we could get through the airport with 2 walking kids, a stroller, our carry ons and all our checked bags. Going home is a NIGHTMARE for me when it's just the 5 of us. This year, thankfully, MIL wil be with us to lend an extra set of hands!! Last year getting home DH took a few carry ons & 2 checked pieces, took the shuttle back to the car, then I managed 3 kids, the stroller, had the "big" kids (then 5 and 4 & exhausted) helping with their carry ons, and DH sprinted across the lane of traffic to pick us all up. It was ABSURD. But what else can you do? And we didn't even have the carseat!!!

 

[LWatson]

We are flying SWA, so we have 2 free bags each. BUT, we are only using 1 per person. DH & I are in one suit case, Both boys in 1, Diapers/blankets in another, and then toiletries in the last bag. We packed an extra bag in the toiletry bag for souveniers. Its a huge bag (the xtra) but it folds up small.

 

[Heidijs]

I'm having someone drop us off at the airport and I didnt' want them to have to park, just drop us off. Wonder what my options are at the doors for luggage?

 

[wmharley]

since you get charged for each....

I'd do this...

DH: 1 Checked + 1 Carryon + 1 personal item (laptop bag or backpack stuffed)
DD: 1 Checked + 1 Carryon + 1 PErsonal Item (backpack)
You: 1 Checked + 1 Carryon + 1 personal item (your purse or large purse)

Everyone gets a checked bag with clothes. Everyone gets a carryon to pack some extra items (try to keep this light as you can fill it with souvenirs) and the personal item bags can contain walkmen/ipods, books, etc for the trip.

That shoudl be mroe than enough.

 

[wmharley]

curbside check in Worth EVERY penny. Seriously. There is no way we could get through the airport with 2 walking kids, a stroller, our carry ons and all our checked bags. Going home is a NIGHTMARE for me when it's just the 5 of us. This year, thankfully, MIL wil be with us to lend an extra set of hands!! Last year getting home DH took a few carry ons & 2 checked pieces, took the shuttle back to the car, then I managed 3 kids, the stroller, had the "big" kids (then 5 and 4 & exhausted) helping with their carry ons, and DH sprinted across the lane of traffic to pick us all up. It was ABSURD. But what else can you do? And we didn't even have the carseat!!!

Its not "too" hard.. if need be, we strap smaller bags to the top of the larger wheeled bags. We have a sit and stand so we put both carseats on top of it, then on the stand part, we had 2 carryons.

the wife wheeled a carryon and my daughter wheeled her carryon to the gate.

When we got oout of the car, the wife took a large bag and carryon, and i pushed/hoofed the sit and stand with an extra bag on top and I pulled another large bag.

was a sight.. of course that was with a a DD4 and DS1. when the little one gets to be 4-5, then he can carry his own carryon, and the DD/DS will share a bag again.

.do they have luggage racks at the airports? I don't know how we're going to get this all to the luggage counters!

have them drop you off at the curb.. then get a porter to curbside check in. seriously though, we normally just hoof it ourselves.. dealing with a bag and carryon is easy. you have 2 hands.. one for each bag.

 

[Heidijs]

Maybe I'll just take 3 carry ons, one for each of us, and put DD's smaller one inside my regular sized one so we don't have too much to drag through the airport and that way I have a spare empty bag for the flight home...

 

[squirrel]

I like my carry-on to be a backpack. I also have my niece with a backpack as her carry-on. I stick one on my back the other one goes on the stroller. Then I push the empty stroller and pull one smaller rolling luggage with spare clothes and snacks.

We each take one large rolling suitcase with clothes for check in.

 

[PiperPizzaz]

since you get charged for each....

I'd do this...

DH: 1 Checked + 1 Carryon + 1 personal item (laptop bag or backpack stuffed)
DD: 1 Checked + 1 Carryon + 1 PErsonal Item (backpack)
You: 1 Checked + 1 Carryon + 1 personal item (your purse or large purse)

That is what we are doing. We are flying airtran there and swa back. I am going to have those carry-ons stuffed.
I am bringing an extra duffel type suitcase with us empty so if we have souvenirs we can put them in there on the way back and check that.

Make sure to check the dimensions of carry on suitcases before you go.

 

[longstangetrip]

No checked baggage. One carry on and one backpack each. That's it. I do laundry, use hotel toiletries and pre-ship a few snacks for in the rooms. You will need way less than you think. Have fun planning!

 

[ohlas]

so much that i have to drive 18.5 hours

 

[james'mommy]

We only ever fly with carry ons. 3 people so 3 carry ons. Since it costs so much to check bags now we started the no checked bags policy. My motto is that if it can't fit into a carry on you don't need it.

 

[mousebymarriage]

We usually take 1 checked bag each. So that's 4 checked bags, the kids each have a carry on and DH and I share a carry on and I have my purse. So that's 4 checked bags and 4 carry ons, wow, that's a lot of luggage for 4 people for 1 week.

This time we are driving so I don't have to worry about that. I tend to be an over packer so I think the back of my minivan will be dragging on the ground shooting sparks all theway to Disney.