What do you carry on?

[tlcdoula]

With all the extra fees for luggage etc I am wanting to carry on as much as I can.

For myself I always carry on a small rolling suitcase and bring a big purse for my person item. Dh takes a small roilling suitcase and usually carries my laptop but I am not sure if we will be taking it this trip.

I am not sure what I can use as a personal Item for the kids or my dh to take on. Would a small backpack count? as they will also have a small rolling suitcase..

tlc

 

[aristocat65]

Most airlines will allow you to take one personal item like a purse or backpack and one additional item like a carry on sized bag or suitcase. Which airline are you flying? Their website should say what you are allowed to bring on per person.
We're flying Alaska and they still allow you to check one bag for no charge.
For a few years we were going carry-on all the way so we wouldn't have to wait for our bags. But our last few flights, the flight attendants were getting really impatient (with good reason) at the amount of stuff people were trying to fit in the overheads. I actually had to spend one flight with my feet on my carry on suitcase shoved under the seat in front of me as the overheads were full. I've also seen flight attendants take people's bags away and check them because there was no room.
Now we just check one bag each and I actually find it less hassle. We each bring a backpack or large bag onboard that will easily fit under the seat in front with just essentials, like toiletries, laptop, camera, light change of clothes, etc. HTH.

 

[SandraC]

We manage just carry-ons every trip. Two adults, one teen and one 9 year old. I put all toiletries in the outer pockets on the carry-on. I take a small backpack as my personal item. dd and dh take laptops, ds takes a small pack with art supplies. S

 

[minnie56]

How can you get away with toilletries in carry on? They are so strict on liquids..unless you have none?

When I travelled with AC a couple of weeks back-they weighed our carry on and made a few people ahead of us check theirs as they were too big or heavy.

I think the Airlines are going to get tougher on carry on unfortunately.

 

[Cdn Gal]

I think you're right Minnie56- the airlines are going to get stricter with carry-ons. We take a change of clothes, a book to read on the plane, and our bathing suit- just in case our luggage is lost. I also take along my traveling folder where I have everything organized and ready to go!

 

[aristocat65]

How can you get away with toilletries in carry on? They are so strict on liquids..unless you have none?
.

I just bring minimal toiletries. Toothbrush, small toothpaste, hand lotion (airplanes are so DRY!) in the small sizes that they allow. The rest I put in the checked bag and I use the hotel stuff (I take my chances) Just enough icase our bags are lost or delayed.
Actually though, it was probably around the time of the new restrictions that we decided to check our bags again. Too much hassle otherwise.

 

[c&m]

We used to do the carry-ons. Each of us (DH, me, DD13, DD9) would have one each. However, that proved to be quite the haul -- going through the security checks, going to the restroom, eating at a restaurant, finding space in the overhead bins, etc. -- so we now just check in 2 large suitcases, and each of us brings our own purses (or in my DH's case a "man purse"). Our hands are free to wander into the airport stores when waiting for flights, and we drag less weight when we have to run if we're getting late for our flight.

Our purses would be a decent size, big enough to contain a book, iPod, Nintendo DS, etc. We also find that baggage claim these days are easy. Most people bring carry-ons, so we find it easy to spot and grab our luggage on the carousel.

 

[wdw-ocd]

1 carry-on for all 6 of us carried by the pack mule, I mean, me.

Other than our passports, park tickets, and a notebook with all of our confirmation numbers, etc., I only bring my wallet, glasses, contact lens case and solution, dd7's medication (puffers and aerochamber), magazines (for me and the kids), and a notepad and pens (for the kids to draw and play games). Dd7wears her fanny pack that carries her epi-pen and her snacks.
I've found that keeping track of 1 bag to be sooo much easier than trying to keep track of the kids' bags (and dh's!).

 

[SandraC]

I love doing carry-ons only. Everyone pulls their own.

As for toiletries, I get everything I need in the carry-on using mini supplies, toothpaste, toothbrush, Purell, sunscreen, hand lotion. Shampoo and soap is hotel stuff.

I even have room for a few snacks. Simple. S

 

[Disney_Mama]

When I travel alone or with DH I just carry on my small back pack purse and my book. When we travel with the kids I'll have a small bag for snacks and plying cards. The kids are old enough to have their own bag for stuff that they want such as i-pods or DS and games.
I hope that they do become more strict with carry on luggage. I was just on US Air and some of the bags people hauled on the plane was ridiculous. Full size luggage. No where near the size limits.

I know I should carry on some stuff just in case my bags get lost..... But so far I have been lucky.

 

[4orm]

My husband and I are admitted product junkies. We have so many liquid products but we always manage to bring them in the carry on. As long as the products are in 100ml or smaller containers and everything fits in a sandwich sized ziploc (one per person) it's a-ok. I would only bring products that I could carry on. It ets pricey if you needed to replace... plus if we lost our baggage or got stranded I'd be very happy to know I could use my personal face wash and night cream.

 

[tone.def]

I normally take a box of granola bars, change of undies, t-shirt, baby wipes for my face and hands, book, ipod and camera. I normally put all my toiletries in checked baggage and hope for the best!

 

[tlcdoula]

Most airlines will allow you to take one personal item like a purse or backpack and one additional item like a carry on sized bag or suitcase. Which airline are you flying? Now we just check one bag each and I actually find it less hassle. We each bring a backpack or large bag onboard that will easily fit under the seat in front with just essentials, like toiletries, laptop, camera, light change of clothes, etc. HTH.

We are flying from Seattle to Orlando on Continental and home on American Airlines..... I'll go check the airlines out and see what it says.... I am hoping we can get away with only bringing 2 checked suitcases... drives me crazy having to pay as much for checked luggage as one persons flight... I plan on doing laundry a couple times when I am there so we should be able to do it...

The kids are old enough they can pack their own stuff on the plane so at least I wont be (or shouldn't be) lugging their stuff as well as mine....


I cant wait to go...