By George Curry
How often do we carefully book our flights, check villa availability, mark the holiday in our calendar and then pack frantically at the last minute. We take our luggage for granted when our thoughts are on our luxury holiday villa, but by remembering a few simple points we can ensure we have happy memories of our holiday villa and not of luggage crisis.
Don't put all your clothes in one case when travelling as a family. Distribute clothes for each person among the cases. That way if you lose a case, everybody will have clothes to use until it is hopefully recovered. It is even more important to distribute prescribed medication among cases and hand luggage. When packing, include a colour copy of your passports, tickets and other important documentation. That way if you lose your paperwork you know another copy is available to make life easier.
If you can't remember the detail, write down the make and model of your cases. Should your cases go missing you will be asked to describe them and identify them at the airport, and it's amazing how many people could not name the manufacturer of their cases, or describe any identifying features. Even better, take a photograph of your luggage with a digital camera and the description process will be easy.
Make sure ownership of your cases is in no doubt. Attach strong labels with your name, home address and destination clearly printed. It's a good idea not to make this obviously visible to passing public - you don't want to advertise your home address as you leave for a fortnight in the sun. The final attachment for the case is a multicoloured hair band, scarf or belt which will help you to identify your case on the carousel on arrival after your flight. This is definitely a situation where good colour taste is not a consideration - the bolder the better. Should your case go astray or be damaged, report it to the baggage handlers immediately. Don't leave the airport to think about it, find out what the procedure is and follow it.
Security is an important consideration in the modern world, and we get so used to being asked the standard questions at check-in that we can be lax in looking after our belongings, and in the worst-case scenario even our freedom and our lives. Don't leave your luggage in the care of anyone no matter how short the time, how friendly they are or how pleasant the elderly couple seem. What does a smuggler look like? Similarly, don't offer to carry anything for anybody you don't know, no matter if you seemingly initiate the idea. The stories you hear on the news are often about ordinary people who were just too naïve or careless.
Be aware of your baggage allowance and plan for the return flight as well as the outward journey. If your allowance is 20kg per person and you have 19kg going out, it's not giving you much scope for buying clothes and other items while on holiday. There's no point in saving money at an outlet mall and paying for excess baggage on your return journey. The common holiday destinations have shops selling soap, toothpaste and basic medications, and holiday villas have towels and the comforts of life - you probably don't need to bring those things you have packed 'just in case'. A common technique is to travel out with one case inside another empty case.
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George Curry is a Director of System Alchemy Ltd which manages several property websites. Their latest development is
VillaCal, an ASP villa availability calendar.
Avoiding Problems With Luggage
