Travelling is a joy, and many of us do it for different reasons. Some do it to sample the cultures of different countries while some are keener on trying out the staple cuisine a place has to offer, whilst some go around the globe just to find bargains that will keep their wallet in a better state! But what do you do when you get carried away with all the great finds a place has to offer? Luckily for you, there are several ways to deal with extra baggage, so here are some tips you might find useful on your next international shopping run!
THINK AHEAD
The ultimate key to avoiding all the hassle of dealing with excess baggage is to plan ahead. Make sure to account for the extra load you’ll be towing home from your travel. Most airlines will give you the option to book for additional baggage for a small fee when booking your ticket. The rule is it’s always better to have breathing room when you check in your baggage as opposed to scouring for last minute solutions for your extra luggage. To give you an idea how much additional baggage fees go for per airline, go to reliable websites like TripAdvisor.
UTILIZE YOUR HAND CARRY
It’s very easy to go overboard with your purchases, especially when you’re in a land where everything is cheap like Singapore, and tipping the scale over to the other side of that red line is something that cannot be avoided at times. If you feel like you’ll go just a bit over the scale with your check-in luggage, turn to your hand carry for salvation. Most airlines actually allow up to 15kg of hand carry baggage (depending on what airline and as long as it can fit in the overhead bin), apart from your usual hand or shoulder bag where you can put all your essentials. So when selecting a hand carry tote, make sure that you opt for a light bag with a lot of room. You’ll never know when you’ll need to maximize that!
CALL FOR HELP
Sometimes, excess baggage is something that cannot be avoided. You get shopping high, you get carried away. It happens. But what do you do when you go overboard the allowance that you booked with your airlines? You can opt to just pay for the excess baggage fee upon check-in but that will probably cost you an arm and a leg as most airlines jack up their prices by up to ten times when you pay last minute. There are other solutions that won’t require you to waste money and still get your baggage through – like third party excess baggage companies like World Baggage. They offer the same services as airlines does but for a fraction of what you’ll be charged over the counter. These companies usually handle worldwide destinations so you wouldn’t have to worry about your baggage getting home unaccompanied.
Dealing with excess baggage doesn’t have to be a stressful venture nowadays. Travel with ease with your purchases in tow and just enjoy what your destination has to offer!