When you’re going on holiday, the last thing you want is for your suitcase – or its contents – to arrive damaged.
This can really put a dampener on your trip before it has even begun, but unfortunately, it’s an all too common occurrence.
Packing the wrong things in your suitcase is an easy mistake to make, especially if you’ve done it in a mad rush before you headed off to the airport.
But taking some extra care and time to perfect your packing can help you avoid any unfortunate slip-ups where your luggage is concerned.
One baggage handler says that a very common item can wreak havoc on the contents of your bag.
Taking to Reddit, one ramp agent for American Airlines issued some important advice for holidaymakers keen to keep their belongings as safe as possible when travelling.
They said that aerosol cans can pose many problems, so it could be worth ditching these in favour of toiletries in tubes or jars instead.
In the post, they cautioned: “Pressure does weird things. Decreased atmopheric pressure at altitude can cause pressurized bottles and cans to leak. I have had to clean the better part of an entire can of shaving cream out of my toiletry kit before.”
However, if you do want to bring any aerosols with you, then there’s an extra measure you can take to ensure they stay safe.
According to the UK Civil Aviation Authority, any release valves on aerosols must be protected by a cap or other suitable means, in order to prevent the accidental release of the contents.
Also in the Reddit post, the ramp agent hailed the importance of using the right kind of suitcase for your travels – and the problems that can arise from failing to do so.
They said: “Use an appropriately sized suitcase. If you only have 10Lbs of stuff, do not use an oversized suitcase. The suitcase will collapse if insufficiently full, leading to a baggage avalanche when bags are stacked on top of it.”
And the suitcase’s material can also play a huge part in its safety too.
The ramp agent added: “Avoid plastic hard shell suitcases. These are incredibly slick and prone to sliding off the bag cart while turning- taking everything on top of it with it. Cloth suitcases have far more friction and are far more likely to stay where we put them.”