Chaos at airports | Cabin baggage to the rescue

Delayed flights, lost or abandoned luggage… The chaos in airports has something to dampen the enthusiasm of travellers. To reduce stress and avoid waiting at destination, carry-on baggage is a valuable ally. Here’s everything you need to know to travel with your carry on in the rules of art.

Florence Dancause
The Press

Air Transat advises travelers to favor carry-on baggage “given the operational issues currently affecting baggage management service providers in the hold at several Canadian airports, including Toronto and Montreal,” it says by email. The airline confirms that it is currently receiving “a high number of complaints related to lost or delayed baggage”.

“If travelers can leave with only a small bag with them, that’s ideal,” confirms Nathalie Lahaie, co-owner of the Voyages Arc-en-ciel agency. She considers herself lucky to have had only one case of delayed baggage in the past few weeks.

Saying he is not very alarmed by the situation since none of his customers have suffered any problems, the general manager of Voyages Constellation, Moscow Côté, points out that the recommendation to bring only one piece of luggage in the cabin “has always been there”.

Pro tips for traveling light

If we have the luxury of choosing the bag to take on the plane, “we should favor a suitcase with a hard shell”, explains Luc Nowlan, stylist and pro of suitcase storage. “We also take a suitcase with four wheels, with a central closure. »

Ultimate advice for traveling light: imagine your vacation and plan sets accordingly, says the stylist, who suggests taking clothes with soft fabrics, which do not wrinkle or hardly crease.

Now, we have to handle the art of making everything fit into our baggage. “We use the recesses of our suitcase to place our underwear and stockings. Then it’s the turn of longer pants or clothes. To avoid unsightly folds, “we lay them flat and let the legs stick out”, explains Luc Nowlan. We roll up our t-shirts and put them on top and then we roll up our pants.

Ideally, we would have one side of the suitcase filled with clothes, and another side intended for shoes, hygiene products and any other accessory that we want to bring with us, suggests the expert.

What is allowed?

Two carry-on bags are allowed per person, says Transport Canada on its website. Just check with your air carrier for the maximum dimensions and number of items allowed.

For example, Air Canada allows a standard in-cabin item that must not exceed 40cm x 23cm x 55cm, including wheels and handles. A personal item is also allowed (43 cm x 16 cm x 33 cm). On the Air Transat side, the cabin baggage must not exceed 40 cm x 23 cm x 51 cm and the personal item must be a maximum of 30.5 cm x 12.7 cm x 43.2 cm.

For both carriers, there is no weight limit; you only have to be able to lift your luggage to put it in the upper trunk of the plane.

If you opt for the suitcase in the cabin, your toiletry bag will have to be reviewed accordingly in order to pass through the security check. Soap, toothpaste, lip balm, shaving cream, deodorant — any liquid, aerosol or gel must be in a container of 100 ml/100 g (3.4 oz) or less.

All you need is a transparent, resealable plastic bag with a maximum capacity of 1 L to store them. Medications are not subject to quantity restrictions.

We leave at home any sharp object – knife or scissors – with blades longer than 6 cm.

Portable electronic devices (laptop, camera, etc.) are welcome in flight. However, some precautions should be taken if you carry batteries, it is better to find out beforehand. The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority offers on its website a complete and detailed list of items that can and cannot be brought into the cabin.

Can’t do without your checked baggage? “You should have in your bag in the cabin at least everything you will need in the next 48 hours,” says Nathalie Lahaie. This will avoid some trouble at destination!