Don't lose your shirt the next time you fly
First of two parts
When Karyl Barnes flew to Manchester, England, by way of London Heathrow Airport, she didn't just kiss her husband goodbye. She also kissed her luggage goodbye.
And because the dollar is taking such a pounding from the pound, buying replacement clothing was incredibly expensive. So Karyl bought a few items from a second-hand store to get by. The only thing fresh about her outfit each day was her smile.
Karyl wasn't the only one to lose her shirt in England.
Bernadette Heath, JoAnn Prim Shade and Dick Thompson all had similar stories. And so did I. Here's the problem.
You can travel to the United Kingdom with two carry-on bags. But you can only carry on one bag on any flight departing from a British airport. So passengers crossing the Pond and making connections found themselves in the proverbial pickle. It meant clearing security a second time and finding a way to check extra items for a connecting flight.
On top of that, Heathrow Airport is overcrowded and outdated. So even with a two-hour ground stop, some luggage doesn't have enough time to make it to its connecting plane.
It's such a common occurrence that the connecting airports expect the problem. When we arrived in Manchester, an intercom system announced the names of those passengers who shouldn't even go to the baggage carrousel, but instead should proceed directly to the lost-luggage department.
The baggage-claim department operated like a well-oiled machine. Within minutes we were on our way to locations all over the U.K. without our baggage. Most of it arrived at our respective locations by courier within 48 hours.
So how do you avoid losing your shirt on an international flight?
• Make a list. Take a picture of everything in your bag before you close it and keep a list of your belongings in your carry-on bag. To make tracing easier, place your itinerary with contact numbers inside your bag. And be sure to remove all old tags from previous trips that might confuse the issue.
• Give yourself plenty of time. Arrive at the airport with plenty of time. Check-in procedures for some international flights can easily take up to three hours. And connection flights out of certain airports, such as Heathrow, can also be more than two hours.
• Pay attention. When an agent tags your bag, make sure it plans to go to the same destination you're headed. Manchester, England, is nowhere near Manchester, N.H.
• Know the rules. All security isn't created equal. Each country has its own set of security rules. Airlines post these regulations on their Web sites. And because rules change, check just before you pack.
• Expect the worst. Pack your carry-on bag with the essentials you'll need for at least 24 hours. Include a change of clothes, a jacket appropriate for your destination, as well as any necessary prescriptions and medications.
When Carrie Johnson and her husband flew to Peru from Nebraska for their honeymoon, their luggage did not greet them at baggage claim as planned. But they had worn several layers of clothes on the flight, as well as hiking shoes, and were ready for a trek up the Andes without their luggage (which reached them the next day).
• Finally, be sure you've packed your sense of humor in your carry-on case. You might have lost your luggage, but you've gained a boatload of material for your next cocktail party.
Next week we'll deal with what to do after you lose your luggage.
Gail Todd, a free-lancewriter,worked as a flightattendant for more than 30years. She can be reached viae-mail at gailtodd@aol.com.