Travel expert shares 8 packing tips to help business travellers fly with carry-on luggage only

Corporate Traveller Global Managing Director Tom Walley says astute travellers are avoiding checking in their bags to help reduce the risk of any issues and offers tips to help travellers pack everything they need for their domestic or international trip in carry-on luggage.

At Corporate Traveller, Flight Centre Travel Group’s flagship SME division, Tom has seen the impact of the travel disruptions on executives who fly. “Some forms of disruption are likely to continue for at least the remainder of the year as airports around the world slowly return to normal efficiency levels following the pandemic and associated isolation rules for positive cases.

“Business travel is a comprehensive undertaking, usually jam-packed with meetings and events, leaving little to no time to file a baggage claim or purchase new clothing if luggage fails to arrive. To navigate the current climate, it’s a smart idea use carry-on luggage wherever possible. Fortunately, there are myriad ways executives can pack lightly and strategically to avoid checked baggage.”

Below, Tom offers eight tips to help pack everything for your business trip in carry-on baggage:

Get the maximum carry-on baggage allowance.

Choose an airline that allows up to 14kg in carry-on baggage, either as part of the airfare or through additional carry-on allowance that can be purchased. Additional baggage fees purchased online will be lower than the fee applied at the airport. While the International Air Transport Association prescribes the maximum dimensions for carry-on baggage, both international and domestic, to be 56cm x 45cm x 25cm^[1], dimension and weight requirements can differ across airlines, with 14kg generally the maximum allowed. In addition, domestic and international flights allow one personal item that can fit under the seat in front, while some airlines also allow passengers to take a garment bag. Use this allowance to pack more essential items in a small backpack or a laptop.

Book a hotel with a good range of amenities.

Reduce the need to pack all your essentials by booking a hotel with premium toiletries, skincare, and hair appliances; gym and pool facilities; and spa services to give you everything under the one roof. Pack any further essential toiletries intravel sizes, ensuring they adhere with airline guidelines on liquid items.

Avoid technology and bulky hardcopy files.

Take an ultra-slim, lightweight laptop or tablet on the trip. If you need to take hardcopy presentation documents, contracts, training manuals or other files, consider digital copies – saved on a device, USB or on the cloud – and organise to have them printed at your destination hotel. Kindles are another storage idea for reading materials on your flights. They are ideal for storing large files and weigh no more than 188g, with a charge that can last weeks.

Pack multipurpose items.

Pack business clothing that can transition into leisure wear and stick to neutrals that can adapt well to different situations. Consider taking loungewear that can be worn on international flights and for sleep. Packing three tops for every bottom can also help you transition the same items from day to night, and work to leisure.

Utilise empty spaces in your luggage items.

​​​​When packing, cleverly place smaller valuables inside other items. For instance, jewellery or phone chargers could be stored inside shoes or coat pockets. Tightly roll clothing items to allow for more compact packing and prevent creasing. Some experienced travellers, however, prefer folding clothes and prevent creasing by placing tissue paper between each fold to ensure items remain neat.  

Wear your bulkiest clothing on board.

​​​​When travelling to colder destinations, consider wearing bulky outerwear or boots in transit to avoid wasting limited luggage space. Another clever space-saver is to place loose items such as wallets, passports, and pens, into your jacket pockets, provided they have a secure zipper. Many flights have hooks on seats for passengers to hang jackets.

Consider using a packing app.

Free smartphone apps such as PackKing or PackPoint can generate a packing checklist based on the travel destination, duration of stay and planned activities, along with information on laundry amenities and other essentials in proximity to the booked accommodation. If your business uses a travel management company, take advantage of the expertise of their travel advisers and innovative technology, which provide in-depth information that can assist with planning your travel, including packing strategically.

After you pack, try to reduce your luggage by another 20 per cent.

When you have finished packing, step back and consider whether every item in your carry-on is essential and will be used well and remove items that will not be. Know that you can purchase additional essentials at your destination and plan to use your hotel laundry service to wash clothing items that you will wear more than once.

_{[1] IATA iata.org/en/programs/ops-infra/baggage/check-bag/}

About Flight Centre Travel Group

The Flight Centre Travel Group is one of the world’s largest travel retailers and corporate travel managers. The company, which is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, has company-owned leisure and corporate travel business in dozens of countries, spanning Australia, New Zealand, the Americas, Europe, the United Kingdom, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and Asia. ASX listed Flight Centre Travel Group (FLT) also operates the global FCM corporate travel management network, which extends to more than 100 countries through company-owned businesses and independent licensees, along with Corporate Traveller, the flagship business specific to the small-to-medium-sized enterprise sector. For more information, visit fctgl.com.