Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/09/26/how-to-avoid-carry-on-luggage.html
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I’m fine with just using my backpack though if the bag will end up being heavy having something in this form factor is pretty great 
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Yeah - I just switched over to a backpack for shorter trips. Slide it under the seat in front of me - never have to check it if they run out of carry on space.
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I always fly with a backpack and i tend to pack super light anyway so condensing everything down to use that isn’t much of an issue for me. But i have had times where i had to travel with my work laptop and it does make it much heavier than i’d like, and i would see myself wanting to have a little rolling bag.
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I actually like the backpack laptop sleeve for that. But my laptop isn’t huge. I use the Pacsafe Metrosafe LS450 25 Liter Anti Theft Laptop Backpack - with Padded 15" Laptop Sleeve. The brownish/khaki was on sale for 1/2 price - I guess it’s not a popular color - I do not care!
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My current one does have a dedicated slim compartment for a laptop which works pretty well but it weighs it down enough that running around with it starts to become a chore. I’ll keep an eye on that backpack though in case i ever decide to replace mine.
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My solution is to pay $20 more, fly Southwest, and pack what I need without any stress.
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Sometimes there’s no choice, the last time i flew in one of those cheapass airlines it was because the departure/arrival times fit with what i was trying to plan my schedule around though the experience was unpleasant enough that i will definitely not be using them again.
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I did Ryan Air once in the UK (huh, decade ago now), and it was pretty goddamn obnoxious, but if you are doing a long weekend and just need a couple of changes of clothes and a credit card it’s mostly okay. I say mostly okay because they were £10 flights. Not sure if they do those anymore.
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My solution is status. 9 times out of 10, I’m on the same airline for work. They are the cheapest and most convenient of the 3. And I rack up quite a few miles. Depending on how much I travel each year, I’m allowed 2 or 3 bags, each 70 lbs. For free. Not including carry-on backpack.
For personal travel, where I might only have one bag, the savings makes the budget airlines less of a deal. And since I’ve got tones of frequent flier miles, I’ve gotten the entire family places for less than $100.
Oh, and I get 10cm more legroom. Wheeeeee!
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Don’t they have large trench-coats with huge pockets specifically for this reason? It may not be glamorous to carry rolled-up tee-shirts, boxers, and socks in your coat, but coats are not considered carry-on from what I understand.
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Spirit could be offering me free flights and I wouldn’t fly with them. They are THE WORST
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Mine too, except last week I had to book Christmas tickets from Boston to Sacramento, and SW wasn’t an option. By far the “best” option was American, at over $800 round trip for red eye flights, and they not only charge for carry-on luggage but now also charge you to choose your seats. $15 upcharge to sit with your travel companions or you get randomized.
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OK but when I put everything into one carryon, the TSA goes into, takes all the toiletries out, tosses away all liquids, nail clippers, tiny scissors, etc.
How do you get around that when the airlines take advantage of zealous searches?
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Wearable luggage, i can get by for a few days with this.
But its hot in the summer, looks not so good if worn to biz meetings
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10 cents per kilometre? Thats pretty great.
When I travel I wear a lot of Scott eVest clothes, keep almost everything I need including other clothes in them, and have a small backpack or shoulder bag for everything else.
Right thread!
Thank you for posting.
Since we’re on it…
https://www.marioninstitute.org/greenhouse-initiatives/gaviotas-carbon-offset-initiative/
https://www.marioninstitute.org/greenhouse-initiatives/green-belt-movement/
I take the following article with a grain of salt the size of Mount Everest.
Therefore, I calculate my carbon footprint and plant trees myself. A lot of trees. Thank goodness I am fortunate enough to find both public and private land where I am permitted to do so.
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I avoided Spirit for years thinking they were the worst (charging for everything, the lowest seat pitch of any carrier, etc.), but ended up taking a Spirit flight a couple years ago when they had the only flight that fit my schedule. I’ve since flown them several more times and I no longer actively avoid them. If their flight schedule works for me and they’re the cheapest (once factoring in the fees) I’m perfectly happy to fly Spirit.
I’m 6’1" and don’t find their seats any less comfortable than the back of the plane on the legacy carriers (where I have no status and won’t pay for extra legroom), although Southwest and especially JetBlue are a notch better. It’s possible that on long-haul flights Spirit’s thinner padding might get uncomfortable (I’ve not taken a Spirit flight >4hr), but the thinner seats offset the lower pitch when it comes to actual legroom, and on daytime flights I actually LIKE having seats that don’t recline, because I care much more about the person in front of me staying upright than I care about reclining my own seat. Spirit also has a “Big Front Seat” option that’s essentially the same as the legacy carriers’ domestic first class seats (minus the recline), often for less than the price of an extra legroom upgrade on those airlines.
And yes, Spirit charges for everything a la carte. But if you know the rules and factor those fees into the cost of buying tickets when comparing prices, I find Spirit still often ends up being cheapest.
The fact that they charge more for carryons than for checked bags means FAR fewer passengers trying to stuff giant rollaboards into the overhead bins, which translates into much smoother boarding and deplaning.
And anecdotally I also feel like I encounter fewer obnoxious self-entitled passengers on Spirit. This is probably a function of primarily attracting passengers who prioritize value over service. But I find their staff at least as pleasant as any other airline staff.
Try it some time. You might not find it that bad!
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