One of the commandments of budget travel is “Thou shalt not overpack.” With rising ancillary fees, this age-old principle is more important than ever.
Late last month, JetBlue starting charging up to $9 more for checked bags. The carrier attributed the price adjustment to escalating fuel costs precipitated by the war in Iran.
“As we experience rising operating costs, we regularly evaluate how to manage those costs while keeping base fares competitive and continuing to invest in the experience our customers value,” JetBlue said in a statement. “While we recognize that fee increases are never ideal, we take careful consideration to ensure these changes are implemented only when necessary.”
Passenger in economy categories below Blue Plus pay $49 for the first checked bag for off-peak travel in North America, the Caribbean and Latin America — a $4 bump. For peak periods, such as spring break, summer and holidays, the cost is $59, up from $50. Travelers can save $10 by paying for their bags on the website or app at least 24 hours before departure.
They can also pay nothing by packing frugally.
“You have to be ruthless,” Matt Kepnes, a budget travel expert who goes by Nomadic Matt, told The Washington Post last year.
To lighten bags but not wallets, travelers should pack carefully, conscientiously and carry-on only. Follow these tips and tricks and you will never feel the pinch of luggage fees, no matter how high they soar.
Choose the right bag and packing accessories
Carry-on dimensions are not uniform. Crosscheck your bag’s size with the airline’s specifications so you don’t get dinged at the gate.
For optimal capacity, consider the bag’s design and material. Choose a model with a large cavity and expandable features. If you carry fragile electronics, a computer sleeve is essential. To stay organized, use packing cubes. When overhead bin space starts to fill up, airline staff will often gate-check roller bags but not softer pieces, such as backpacks and duffels.
Emma Topp, head of social at EF Ultimate Break, a tour operator that caters to 18-to-35-year-olds, can fit weeks of international travel into a medium-size duffel.
“It’s so moldable,” Topp told The Post last year. “I fill every little nook, because you only have so much space.”
In a packing video, Topp demonstrates her space-saving techniques. She rolls instead of stacks, for instance, and tucks smaller items, such as socks, belts and bathing suits, into an extra pair of shoes.
Flight attendant Ashlee Loree swears by packing cubes, separating her dirty laundry and shoes from her clean clothes, as well as a hanging toiletry bag, two packing products endorsed by consumer advocate Chris Elliott.
Elliott has recommended Travelon’s hanging toiletry bag and Monos packing cubes, which are made of tear-resistant nylon twill, in addition to BluffCube Pro from Bluffworks and Yeti Crossroads packing cubes.
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One of our secret weapons is the compression bag. We use them to divide categories of clothing — underwear and socks in one, workout clothes in another — then toss them into a larger compression bag that can shrink the load to about half its original size.
Though airlines limits passengers to one personal item and one carry-on bag, travel pros suggest tucking a smaller foldable tote into your primary luggage.
Janice Moskoff, founder of Gather and Go Travel, a travel blog, is a fan of Ori London’sPaddington crossbody bag. Baby Baggu slips into back pockets like a handkerchief. On a trip to Scotland, we picked up a backpack by Eco Chic that transforms into a small, flat pouch. It now travels the world with us.
Winnow down to the essentials
To avoid overpacking, don’t throw clothes into your bag willy-nilly. Curate a capsule collection based on trip length, climate/weather, activities and your personal comfort level. Look deep into your underwear drawer and ask yourself: How many pairs do I really need?
Tom Stuker, who earned the title of the world’s most frequent flier by clocking more than 23 million miles, does not dwell on “what if” scenarios. He recommends packing necessities, plus one backup, and making sure the garments are easy to clean.
Be honest with yourself, Yolanda Edwards, founder of the luxury travel magazine Yolo Journal, told The Post last year. Don’t bring certain types of clothes if they’re only aspirational. If you don’t plan to work out, skip the fitness attire, or throw in athleisure pieces suitable to lounging and athletic pursuits.
She urges travelers to learn from past mistakes. Ask yourself which items were worn sparingly — or never — on previous trips? If the patchwork Madras shorts or jeweled flip-flops saw only the inside of your suitcase during that trip, leave them at home this time around.
If you are unsure of whether you’ll need a certain incidental item, such as a beach towel, book or umbrella, Sally French, lead writer at NerdWallet, recommends purchasing it at your destination — as long as it is covered by the 10-$10 rule.
“If you can acquire it in less than 10 minutes and can get it for around $10,” French said, “then just buy it on location.”
The tactic is slightly elastic, she said. You can spend more than 10 minutes to locate the right store and pay whatever your budget allows. Just don’t waste an entire morning on a scavenger hunt or sink a large sum of money into it.
Stuker, meanwhile, reminds travelers that they can replace most basic toiletries on the road. One hack: Top off travel-size shampoo and conditioner containers with the hotel’s dispensers.
Versatility before volume
This one’s for my overpackers.
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Packing savants often profess strategies that involve a series of digits that equate to a quantity of clothing items, such as 5-4-3-2-1 or 3-3-3. But superlight packers don’t need multiples.
Kepnes focuses on the bare essentials, such as T-shirts, underwear and socks. He brings a pair of pants — the ones he wears on the plane.
Moskoff follows a 3:1 ratio: three (or sometimes two) tops to one pair of bottoms. They will have a “cross purpose and go together,” she said. Comfort comes before style. “They are not my favorite clothes,” she said, “but they can all be mixed and matched.”
Gillian Morris, a tech founder and co-author of a Substack called Supernuclear, seeks clothes with multiple uses, such as a sports bra that can stand in for a bikini top or more intimate apparel. Topp also incorporates versatile garments. She’ll bring a maxi skirt that can double as a dress and a cardigan that she can wear as an outer layer, buttoned-up shirt or cape.
Though you might be excited to pack newer items, bring older clothes for their last hurrah. At the end of your trip, French said, leave them in your vacation destination.
With such a tightly edited wardrobe, you may wear the same clothes repeatedly and often on consecutive days. Choose breathable fabrics that don’t absorb scents. Morris favors natural fabrics, such as silk, linen and wool, and sweat-wicking athletic wear.
“You can hang them up at night, and they’re usually aired out and fresh by morning,” Morris said.
Roll, fold or both?
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Rollers and folders are staunch defenders of their preferred packing method. But travel experts recommend both — in the same suitcase. Generally, you should tightly roll T-shirts and underwear and flat-pack formal wear and chunky sweaters.
“I like to roll all the things that can handle rolling, and then I fold my nicer things I don’t want to have to iron and put that on top,” Edwards said. That means items such as her workout clothes get rolled while blazers or pants get folded flat.
Stuker uses leftover dry-cleaner hangers and plastic coverings to pack some clothing, and rolls the rest.
The travel pros will wear their bulkiest items — coats, sweaters and shoes — on the plane, both ways.
Be sparing with extras
Electronics and toiletries can be space hogs.
Each gadget doesn’t need its own charger. Consolidate with a product that includes different USB ports. Topp uses one cord to charge several devices, such as her iPhone, laptop, noise-canceling headphones and camera.
True to the minimalist ethos, the packing gurus will usually forgo souvenirs. Or they will buy items they can use — or wear — during their trip, such as a sarong from Indonesia or a scarf from France.
If you are bursting at the seams, remember that duty-free purchases are exempt from carry-on limits.
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