If your going on a beach holiday you could put your towels in there - books, spare shoes/flip flops etc. I don't usually have much trouble with weight going over but coming back I fill my backpac with clothes etc

Thanks Glynis We won't be taking towels as they're provided, but I'll definately put shoes and books in. It's coming back that's worrying me as we're going to New York so plan to buy quite a lot
I've just been looking on the Continental Airlines website though and am I right in thinking that we're actually allowed up to 2 cases each? We haven't had any paperwork as we booked it through Expedia and are being issued E-tickets.
Sunaholic

i have my purse,the passports baby wipes for any messy faces or hands my camera and camcorder ,sweets for take off, sweet wrappers ect... lol

Sunaholic, try to wear as many of your clothes as you can. Put on your heaviest shoes for travelling, don't take any 'spare' jewellry, wear 3 necklaces if you have to.

My hand luggage generally only consists of travel documents and money/passport, a book, sunglasses, purse and cigs, camera and that's about it. However now the luggage allowance has been further reduced I might take more in my hand luggage - although I travel light enough to not get up to 15kg I worry a bit about the stories I've been hearing about the excess baggage charges made at Dalaman airport when people know they are nowhere near over.

I don't usually take any hand luggage - passport, tickets, wallet and mp3 go in my pockets

However, as the airlines have reduced hold luggage from 20kgs to 15kgs, i will now use my 5kgs carry on allowance rather than pay for 5kgs extra hold..... and i will now buy my toiletries at the airport so i reckon i should get a good 7-8kgs on the plane in total

What a pain, reducing the limit to 15kg, so we up it by lugging extra weight hand luggage around! I can see they think people won't do it but lets face it we will! Now I managed to lose 10lbs before my hol, can I have that as extra luggage weight please?

I'll put books and heavier bits in to keep the case weights down although, I am trying to be good on the clothes. Saying that its always been hubby who put too much in, no really, I'm not joking!

Saying that though, I do think the introduction of 5kg on hand luggage is a good thing. Some people used to haul huge amounts of stuff on the plane - meaning less storage space for the rest of us.

Me and DH each carry a backpack - we split between the two - DVD player, DVD's in one of those zipped holder thingies, camcorder, digital camera, Ipod, wetwipes, a couple of small tubs of Pringles, sunglasses, sweets for take-off/landing, little bag containing travellers cheques, currency, passports, tickets, insurance, EHIC's etc goes in one of the backpacks too.

We're allowed 10kg of hand luggage this year instead of the usual 5kg (as wel as 20kg hold luggage) so will find stuff to stick in them from the suitcase I'm sure. I might stick some undies/T-shrts/shorts for the kids in 'just in case'

The kids all have backpacks with sweets, books, Pringles, crayons, DS's, games and their fave stuffed toy for bedtimes - shame I can't fill theirs as well with our stuff but poor mites wouldn't be able to carry 10kg I don't think

Thanks for this thread - it's great to know what others put in their hand luggage. I never know what to put in my hand luggage bag - so thanks for the ideas!
The airlines restriction to 15kg (on main luggage) has come to my attention. I hadn't heard about this. However, I've just checked my tickets and they say 20kg per person, so am I right to assume I'm still ok?

Cheers
Helen x

Yes, it's up to the individual airline so if your tickets state 20kg then that is what your allowance is.

Well I thought that must be the case, just wanted to check so thank you. I'm finding as this holiday is getting nearer (8 days to go) I'm getting more paranoid about things!

Helen x

Just travelled BA and there is no weight for hand luggage except you have to have the measurements to their requirements. Well mine weighed 11 kgs and it was on wheels and my OH lifted it into the overhead compartment. Full of electrical stuff - heavy plugs for recharging Nintendo DS and ipod - my favourite books, heavy shoes, recharge toothbrush things, hair dryer and straightners etc. small tripod for camera and binoculars etc. I take a digital photo of the first layer, put more on top and take another and so on until I could not get anything else in there. My OH takes his laptop so we can repack as per photo. By the way this was not for 2 weeks but for 10.

I've always liked to travel light in the past hand luggage wise.......however that's going to be a thing of the past if they keep reducing the hold luggage allowance

In April en route to Lanzarote was the first time I took my full hand luggage allowance, I placed heavy (allowed) items within reason, i.e Straighteners, Hairdryer, costume jewellery, books, plugs, chargers and my make up (all within the liquids allowance of course ) It wasn't as bad as I thought just a pain to have to lug it around and my case was only 18kg on the way out and we had 20kg allowance, so at least I knew I had some leeway fro coming home.

In 2 weeks we're off to Cyprus for 11 days and this time I've purchased a lightweight Kipling holdall on wheels which I'll use for my hand luggage......I'm hoping this will save my shoulders & hands from taking the strain of a hand held bag as per the Lanzarote trip

I also intend to get my suncreams and aftersun from Boots once we're through security for a change to help reduce the weight of the 200ml + bottles x 4 that I'll take.

Happy Hols

Do you put your jewellery in your hand luggage or hold?? I've always kept my hand luggage to the minimum possible e.g. travel docs and a book, however I've just booked an easyjet flight for the first time, and it says that you can't put your jewellery in the hold... Have I misunderstood? Louise

Jewellery should go in hand luggage as it wouldn't be covered by your insurance for loss if it was in your hold luggage.

luci

Thanks Luci. Better change my habits!!! Louise

I've always only taken a large handbag and just put passports, insurance documents, printed off flight confirmation, details of accomodation, purse, sunglasses, phone and a pen ! But this year, with the low hold luggage allowance, I'm gonna have to get myself a rucksack or something and stuff loads of holiday things in that ! Am gonna have to google 'capsule wardrobe ' meethinks .............

I used to put alot of toiletries in my hand luggage (had a big bag! ) to save on weight in the cases.

But now, I just have the necessities - jewellry, medication, passports, money, insurance docs,sunglasses,
keys, phone and a book.

Having had to do an entire holiday without our suitcase, I was "lucky enough" to have packed a day's clothes in my hand luggage( and my straighteners!). If I hadn't the beginning of my holiday would have been ruined. However, we didn't use our space as well as we could have. From now on we are both taking hand luggage and concentrating on the essentials and not what is heavy. I also had my jewellery-never never pack your jewellery into hold luggage.