What Travelers Need To Know Before Heading To The Airport With A Garment Bag

Garments bags are the sore thumbs of airplane luggage. You can't carry it on your shoulders, like a backpack. They don't have a simple strap or handle. You can't wheel them down the concourse or fold them into a handier container. Garment bags are designed to protect your gown or suit, and they're usually sized to match. To prevent wrinkles, you generally have to hold them upright, dangling a hanger hook — or several — from your fingers. If you dare lay it down, you have to find a flat surface or the back of a chair; a more careless position may ruin all that pressing and starching you paid dearly for.

But there's more bad news: If you want to take your precious finery into an airplane cabin, the garment bag will count as your carry-on. Why does this matter? Because some passengers may want to pass it off as a "personal item," which would still entitle them to a full-sized carry-on bag. These folks are in for a rude awakening, because most airlines will reject this line of thinking. Garment bags are big and floppy and take lots of space, and therefore, they are categorized as carry-ons, not personal items. This is just one of the many carry-on luggage rules you should know before heading to the airport.

Transporting formalwear is almost always tricky. You could pack your clothes in your checked luggage, but this might cause problems; certain materials are hard to fold down without leaving creases, and checked bags sometimes get knocked around. Plenty of travelers would prefer to carry their nicer outfits, so they can avoid rough handling. There are many ways to pack a suit in a carry-on, and garment bags are extremely effective when properly prepped and toted. If airlines treat this unwieldy bag as your carry-on, you'll have to pack everything you need for a flight into a personal item, which can be a real pain on long-distance routes. You'll also have to stow your garment bag in the overhead bin or underneath the seat in front of you, which could wreak havoc on your threads.

Many airlines will be more than happy to permit two carry-on bags — for a price. This additional fee is inconvenient, of course, but in an emergency, most people will pay what they have to. This rule may also take travelers by surprise: It's perfectly possible to arrive at the airport, check in, get through security with one carry-on and a separate garment bag, then learn at the gate, just minutes before you board, that you can't bring both onto the plane. Such a last-minute expense is frustrating, and it's not a mistake you will likely make twice, but at least your freshly dry-cleaned Armani will arrive safe and sound. Remember, too, that many budget airlines charge for any kind of bags, large or small. These are the airlines that still offer free carry-on luggage.