Hi All,
Flying into Strasbourg with a 5400 cu in. backpack. Obviously this is going to be checked. Can anyone give me any tips on keeping the pack safe between the time I hand it to the airline in Boston and when I get it back in France? Are packs like this treated any different from conventional luggage?
Appreciate any advice.
Thanks so much!
~ James
Have a way to tie the straps flush to the pack. The danger is that they would get caught on something. Otherwise, it's like a big duffle bag. I've seen them come out on the luggage conveyer belt here in Madison and they looked fine.
Pam
They make back-pack covers specifically for checked baggage on airplanes, and they seem to sell a good many of them. The airlines used to supply big tough plastic bags, but don't know if that has gone the way of all things. What they do is prevent the many straps on the pack from getting snagged on something, the most common source of damage to packs in checked baggage.
James,
At some airports in Europe, private businesses provide a service to "Saran Wrap" luggage with a fluorescent green wrap (I saw that at Milan / MXP recently - not sure what they charge for that service?). What type of Backpack are you using? If it doesn't have a "stowable harness" (which is provided on some Eagle Creek models), it would be a good idea to secure it in some way.
Some people use a folding Duffle bag for that, but I've also seen travellers use a Glad bag to enclose their packs. Some airlines will place Backpacks into a plastic "bin" so that it can move freely along the conveyor systems. The best option is to secure the straps in some way, if possible.
I normally lock my Backpack with a TSA-approved Lock, but disposable plastic luggage ties could also be used. I prefer the TSA Locks that have a small "flag" that indicates whether the bag has been opened.
Cheers!
The airline will require you to do something to secure the straps before they'll check it for you. The airlines still provide the big plastic bags, we got one this summer from Lufthansa for my son's booster seat. The plastic bags are pretty loose, though, and can get holes in them, so you'd still want to secure your straps.
Put it in a waterproof backpack bag for the trip. It will keep it from getting wet or stained and keep the straps from getting caught in machines. While you're on the ground in Europe, the bag works well as a laundry bag inside your pack or waterproof storage when needed.
I have either had my backpackpack placed in plastic or in Munich I was direced to place my pack in the special handling section. It was still put in plastic though...I always travel with a backpack and never had problems.
You all are awesome! Thanks so much for your advice. This will be the first time I've flown with a backpack this size. Appreciate your direction.
I used a cheap $3 mesh laundry bag from Walmart, and put the whole pack in it. That way if it openeed, everything would be contained, and the straps wont get caught on anything.
