Top 5 Tips for Lugage Packing when Flying

If your flight plans include airplane travel, consider these bits of information before you over-stuff your luggage:

* Bringing gifts? DO NOT gift-wrap anything before your trip! You (or a security agent) may be forced to unwrap gifts for inspection, whether or not the gift is in a carry-on or checked piece of baggage.

* Place incidentals such as your toothbrush, comb, medicine, etc. in clear plastic bags. This reduces the chance security will have to ruffle through your personal items.

* If you reside in the United States, visit the Transportation Security Administration at http://www.tsa.dot.gov/ for a list of prohibited items. They also provide some useful packing tips.

* Especially for longer journeys or plane trips during the evening, strongly consider taking necessary items for grooming, personal care, medicine, etc., in carry-on bags. (Of course, on the flip side, security may have to inspect your items before or at the gate, but this beats not getting to your medicine in case of an emergency). If a flight gets delayed, your baggage may end up in Albuquerque, but you may be stuck overnight in O'Hare.

* Two reasons why you need to leave a little bit of room in your luggage before taking a trip: Airport security may open your bags, so why make it harder for them to do their job by them having to spend time mashing your items closer together to re-close your luggage? And, you want to save a little room in your luggage, as you may be tempted to buy a few souvenirs during your journey :)

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Andrew Malek is the developer of TravelScreensavers.com, offering virtual multimedia travelogues of many areas across the United States.