technique

A secret flight tip could help ensure your luggage is among the first pieces to appear on the carousel once you’ve landed, and it doesn’t involve ‘fragile’ stickers

Airport journeys can be riddled with anxiety, from the nail-biting security queues to the dread of misplaced luggage that only subsides once you spot your case on the conveyor belt. Whilst keeping a watchful eye ensures nobody mistakenly grabs your bag, a clever hack could see you retrieving your suitcase ahead of the crowd after landing.

Travel experts at Escape.com have shared a cunning strategy: check in your luggage as late as possible without risking missing your flight. Airport ramp worker and gate agent Thomas Lo Sciuto revealed the insider knowledge: “Your best option is to be one of the last passengers to check your bags.

“This is because bags will always be loaded front to back on the bag carts.”

Yet timing alone doesn’t guarantee success. Occasionally, it’s down to the way you pack your belongings, reports the Mirror US.

If leaving check-in until the eleventh hour fills you with dread, SmarterTravel discloses that some carriers – such as Delta at London Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 3 – organise luggage by dimensions to achieve proper weight balance aboard the aircraft, suggesting an alternative approach worth considering.

Hand over your case at the check-in desk and curious about its journey afterwards?

Your luggage is sorted into large containers, or “cans”, which can carry multiple bags for easier transport.

As per travel site SmarterTravel: “In other words, how far back your bag ends up depends on the weight of the can and the needs of the plane, not when you check it.”

It’s worth noting that single-aisle planes usually store checked luggage in a holding area before being loaded onto the aircraft shortly before take-off. Thus, suitcases are likely to be loaded in the order they were checked in.

However, checking in early may actually work against you – your bag could be put at the back of the storage space and loaded last, although it would probably be the first to be unloaded.

Want to avoid a lengthy wait at the baggage carousel?

Marking your suitcase as “fragile” could do the trick. News site news.com.au suggests that labelling your suitcase “fragile” can result in ground staff loading your bag last, which means they could unload it first.

Suitcases are also more likely to be processed in batches, meaning the order may not always be the same.

But remember to remove any old “fragile” labels from a previous trip.

You can also jazz up your luggage with ribbons, brightly coloured labels, or a unique name tag so it’s easily spotted.

Travelling with only hand luggage is the quickest way to breeze through the airport.

However, to avoid having to check your bag in, make sure it meets the airline’s specific requirements.

A personal item, often referred to as a small bag, should fit under the seat in front of you and typically shouldn’t exceed 40x30x20cm.

Hand luggage must be stowed in the overhead locker. They usually weigh up to 10kg and are no larger than 56x45x25cm.

Among UK airlines, British Airways typically offers the most generous free hand luggage allowance on its basic fares.

Passengers are allowed to bring one 23kg hand luggage bag (56x45x25cm) and one smaller personal item (up to 40x30x15cm) free of charge.

Jet2 and Virgin Atlantic also allow a free hand luggage bag (10kg, 56x45x25cm) and a personal item. Always double-check with individual airlines before you travel.

When he first offered to man the grill, Tobias Raymond had no intention of holding onto the role. He was not, by any stretch, a connoisseur of grilled meats. Nor was he experienced cooking over an open flame. Yet this was the offensive line’s first summer barbecue, and somebody on USC’s offensive line needed to step up. So Raymond, the Trojans’ redshirt sophomore right tackle, volunteered.

He didn’t know what he was getting into at the time because what started as a gathering of linemen eventually, by its fourth iteration or so, had evolved into a full-blown team bonding event. That meant grilling up hundreds upon hundreds of hot dogs and hamburgers. And Raymond, by virtue of being the first to volunteer, had become the de facto grillmaster.

It wasn’t the sort of role Raymond might’ve willingly embraced three years earlier, when he first arrived at USC as raw talent at offensive tackle. Since then, Raymond has developed into one of the Trojans’ most trusted linemen, a critical cog at an otherwise uncertain position for USC.

As he stood behind the grill this summer, flipping burgers, his fellow linemen could see just how much had changed during that time.

“He held it down all summer,” center J’Onre Reed said. “He’s standing there with his shirt off, flexing like he’s Captain America. He loves it, man.”

It wasn’t long ago that Raymond tried to actively avoid that sort of attention.

“He was the type of guy who would lead by example and be the hardest worker on the field, not necessarily speak up,” said Tim Garcia, Raymond’s coach at Ventura High.

But on the football field, he had a way of turning heads. He played with a mean streak that stood in total contrast to his chill demeanor off the field. At Ventura High, coaches marveled at his ability to finish blocks and his willingness to push through the whistle.

In high school, Raymond could afford to get by with brute force. He was so athletic for his position that Garcia and his staff gave Raymond some run at tight end ahead of his senior year, just to see what he could do.

That athleticism was enough to convince some college coaches right away of his future in football. But Raymond still had a lot to learn as an offensive tackle. His technique needed work.

“He was still very green, very raw as an offensive lineman,” Garcia said.

Not everyone wanted to pour the time into developing Raymond that would be required. Even USC took until six months before signing day to offer.

“There were some coaches who came on board who were not interested in Tobias,” Garcia said. “Then others said, ‘Well, this guy has it all. I can do this with him, that with him.’”

Raymond wanted the whole recruiting process over as quickly as possible. He took one official visit to California the summer before his senior year and told Garcia right after that he wanted to commit. Just to get it over with.

Three days later, USC offered. Raymond didn’t want to go for the visit at first. He’d seen USC once before, on an unofficial visit. He figured that was enough. He didn’t want to make a fuss. But Garcia convinced him to go through with it.

That Sunday, after the visit, Raymond called Garcia.

“And he says, ‘Hey coach, would it be OK if I commit?’”

It would be a while after that before Raymond finally made his mark at USC. He was slow to develop as a freshman and redshirted. In his second year, he was thrust into action in eight games, speeding up that process.

Still, he tried to fly under the radar.

“I think that was one thing I really needed to work on, saying things when I thought it was the right time,” Raymond said. “I was always really quiet as a freshman and sophomore, just getting into college and learning how it goes. But I feel like I’m in a spot where I can start being a more vocal person.”

It was in the run-up to USC’s bowl game last December that coaches could sense Raymond finally getting comfortable, on the field and off. His progress accelerated from there.

When Zach Hanson took over coaching the offensive line, he kept challenging Raymond to tweak his technique. Every time, he says, Raymond had it corrected within a play or two.

“He’s not afraid to try different things,” said Hanson, who’s entering his first year as USC’s offensive line coach. “A lot of guys get hesitant to do that. But he’s a pro at his craft.”

He’s still getting the hang of being a leader in the room. But what might’ve felt unnatural to him not that long ago, he says, is starting to feel like second nature. Thinking back on where he started, USC coach Lincoln Riley called Raymond’s transformation “radical in every way.”

Now no one in the building bats an eye when Riley declares Raymond to be “one of the best players on the team.”

That’s what Riley will need Raymond to be this season, if USC hopes to hold up along an otherwise thin offensive front. He’s expected to play right tackle to start the season. But his teammates and USC’s coaches have expressed confidence that Raymond could playany position on the line, if need be.

That might have, at one point, seemed like a worrisome proposition. But Reed, the Trojans new center, saw all he needed to see this summer while watching Raymond preside over the most important job at the barbecue.

“It was hot, and he didn’t have no problem sitting there sweating,” Reed said. “He’s got it, bro. He definitely did the thing.”

Packing can be a nightmare when you’re trying to stick to cabin bag limits, but there is one change you can make that will ensure extra space in your bag – and it’s not the common rolling technique

One of the biggest hurdles when jetting off abroad is trying to cram all your essentials into the airline’s limited luggage allowance. If you’re aiming to travel light, sticking to cabin bag restrictions can be a real headache – but there’s one simple switch that could free up some much-needed space in your suitcase.

A common trick for conserving space is rolling your clothes; not only does it make use of the suitcase space, but it also helps avoid deep creases from forming when packed down. While many travellers have adapted to this technique, there’s an alternative method proven to be even more effective.

The KonMari folding technique, popularised by Marie Kondo, involves folding your garments into rectangles, rather than rolling them into cylinders, as we often see. This allows the clothes to stand upright next to each other in your suitcase, optimising even more space, reports the Express.

Here’s what to do:

• Take your item of clothing and fold one side to the middle, then the other side over it, creating a rectangle
• Then, fold it in half lengthways
• From here, fold it into thirds until it’s a small rectangle that can be slotted in alongside other items

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In addition to this nifty technique, it’s also smart to ditch hefty toiletries like shampoo and body wash, as most hotels supply these complimentary. If you’re heading overseas for an extended period, think about purchasing these upon arrival to spare suitcase space.

Alternatively, numerous hotels are happy to receive online deliveries prior to your stay, allowing you to order your bathroom necessities to arrive before you do. It’s a straightforward strategy to lighten your load and prevent overpacking items you may not even use.

Investing in jewellery and cable organisers is another savvy move. These will keep your belongings safe and untangled, saving you from rummaging through your suitcase in search of what you need.

Now you’ve mastered the rectangular folding technique, there’s another tip to be aware of when you’re at the airport.

Waiting for your suitcase to appear on the carousel at the airport can be a tense wait, but there’s an easy trick to ensure your suitcase is one of the first to be taken off the plane – and it won’t cost you an extra penny.

Hadleigh Diamond, Commercial Director at SCS Chauffeurs, revealed that a lot of the company’s clients use the same hack to get out of the airport as efficiently as possible. He explained: “Clients regularly tell us that the difference between a good travel day and a stressful one often starts with baggage reclaim.

“If you’re standing waiting for 30 minutes while the carousel clunks out someone else’s bags, your trip can feel so much longer. But the fragile sticker trick is a game-changer, and it often works.

“We’ve heard this tip from both airport ground staff and frequent flyers. You don’t need to lie or explain – just politely ask the check-in agent to add a ‘fragile’ sticker to your suitcase. It’s not guaranteed, but more often than not, your bag is among the first out. We’ve seen it work time and time again.”

The reason it works is that airport ground handlers will typically load ‘fragile’ items last into the aircraft’s hold to avoid them getting crushed, and then these get removed first on the other side to avoid sitting under heavy loads. Of course, it won’t save you hours of time, but those 20 minutes it might save you could just mean a bit of extra pool time (or getting to your hotel early enough to be one of the first at the buffet!).

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