by Shanti Gunaratnam

THESE days, it's smart to travel light. You can save money as you wouldn't have to pay for excess baggage.

We often see travellers arguing with airline counter staff as they are not willing to pay for the excess weight of suitcases and hand luggage which can cost more than the ticket (if you're flying low-cost).

To cope with rising costs, many airlines have resorted to charging more for excess baggage.

To avoid this, bring only what is absolutely necessary for the trip, be it for a seaside vacation, a city holiday, adventure trip, honeymoon or even a business meeting.

To start, get the right bag, one that allows you to carry more for less weight. Soft top bags are usually lighter than hard top models. Some traditional suitcases are really heavy.

Decide what you need. For summer weather regions, pack light clothing and for cold climes, pack your woollen clothing but it's better to hand-carry your jackets. Wear the bulkiest clothing for boarding, like jeans, sweat shirts and jackets. You can remove these once you are in the aircraft.

To get more space in your bags, roll your clothes instead of folding them. Don't worry about your clothes getting crumpled as hotels these days usually provide an iron and ironing board in the rooms.

In some countries like India, Sri Lanka and Thailand, it costs very little to send your clothes to the laundry, so you don't need to bring too many clothes.

Underwear, socks, handkerchief and scarves can fit well into the edges of the suitcase along with sarongs and pareos. And instead of regular-sized bottles of toiletries and skin care, bring miniature versions.

Shoes, sandals and trainers should be the last items to go into the bag and should be packed with soles up.

Do carry a change of clothes in your hand luggage, together with prescription drugs and toiletries - just in case your checked-in baggage is lost or there are flight delays.

The New Straits Times