Travelling would be nothing if not for the advent of the carry on suitcase. There are a few rules to which you must adhere if you ever plan on giving the world a glimpse of your brilliance. It seems that more and more carry on suitcases are becoming objects of great controversy. What you have to be astutely aware of is the strict rules set in place for anyone who decides to bring a carry on bag.
Every airline is different in their regulations about luggage and carry on suitcases. However, the one aspect of all airport security is the no-nonsense rules put in place to ensure that no single carry on suitcase contains anything that may cause harm to the plane or its passengers. Most notably, when travelling you are only allotted one carry on suitcase and a personal item. Perhaps this addition of a personal item is every airlines way to encourage passengers to bring a carry on roller suitcase as opposed to checking a suitcase in order to avoid unnecessary charges to your credit card. The fact that one must charge for luggage – because obviously nobody really needs clothing on a journey lasting longer than a few hours – is silly.
The saving grace has been the invention of the carry on bag. Travelling without one surely means you may find yourself in a dire situation without soap, toothpaste, and a change of clothes. When it comes to the right carry on suitcase for you, you’ve got to consider how long your journey is, how long your stay is, and if you’re able to fit it in the desperately minute overhead compartments. Be wary, most commercial flights’ overhead compartments are a laughable version of their pre-911 selves and have pretty much caused more grief than good. A carry on roller suitcase is brilliant for travelling to foreign countries because after an eight hour flight everyone needs to do a quick wardrobe change and freshening up before heading into their respective City of Lights. However, you must be very careful that the roller suitcase size is compatible with compartments –as a general rule, assume that all overhead compartments are between 20” x 12” x 5” and 22” x 14” x 9”. Find a bag that’s about 2/3 of those dimensions and your carry on suitcase will be sure to fit.
Always travel with lightweight luggage. Regardless of the overhead compartment dimensions, there’s nothing more aggravating than travelling through the airport at breakneck pace with a supposed carry on bag that weighs more than the bag you just checked. Consider that most people are going to have to rush to get to their gates to make their flight in time. You want to make sure that your carry on suitcase will be able to keep up with you, not hold you back. There are a plethora of travel suitcase sizes: ranging between a small computer bag to the larger 45 linear inch carry on roller suitcase. To ensure that your carry on suitcase will be able to stay at your side, a great rule of thumb is to make sure that the length, width, and depth of your bag doesn’t exceed 40 linear inches.