Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs
A flight attendant has revealed the biggest mistakes travelers make — well before boarding the plane.
CiCi has worked as a flight attendant for a major U.S. airline for six years, and she’s seen all kinds of mistakes during the course of her career.
Once she became a flight attendant, one of the biggest changes she made to her lifestyle was how she packs for trip, CiCi — who omitted her full name and the airline she works for for privacy reasons — told Business Insider.
She’s since become a travel expert and an expert in packing smartly, and she shared the most common — and avoidable — mistakes passengers make when packing a carry-on with BI.
Overpacking a carry-on
CiCi shared that one error many people make is packing their carry-on so full that they’re unable to lift it up into the overhead bin.
Passengers will often ask a flight attendant for assistance when they struggle to lift up and store their bag, but she stressed that this is not part of her job.
Many airlines actually have policies forbidding flight attendants from doing so.
Flight attendants don’t get paid until all passengers are on board and the plane doors are shut, so if they get injured, they won’t get workers’ compensation since they’re not on the clock yet.
CiCi said that passengers should feel confident that they can lift their bag up and won’t need help.
Bringing more than two bags
CiCi noted that some people will bring more than two bags onto the plane, violating the two-bag rule. She often sees people bringing a rolling suitcase, a backpack and a purse.
This often leads to gate agents having to ask the passengers to consolidate their items at the gate into just two bags.
Some airlines even charge for an extra carry-on, so be sure to only bring the amount of bags your airline allows.
Not utilizing a personal item
CiCi shared that people often will put their flight necessities in their carry-on suitcase that’s stored overhead rather than in a personal item like a backpack or purse, which ultimately causes delays in boarding.
“People put things that they need on the plane — like their book and their earbuds or whatever they’re going to need — inside their suitcase,” she said. “And it’s not easy to access.”
Having to sift through your suitcase during boarding can back everyone up, and it’s too risky to go through the suitcase mid-flight due to turbulence and a risk of injury. CiCi suggests putting everything you might need in your personal item so it can be easily reached throughout the flight.
Not packing liquids correctly
CiCi has experienced people’s TSA-approved liquids leaking “all over the place.” This is because changing altitudes causes gases to expand, which can end with toiletries or water bottles leaking in your carry-on, according to The Points Guy.
She recommended squeezing as much air out of the bottle as possible to help prevent expansion mid-flight. But most importantly, she said to be smart about which travel-sized bottles you’re packing.
Having tried many travel-sized containers during her travels, CiCi shared that she’s had the most success and the least leaks with those that have screw-on caps rather than snap tops. She believes that these bottles have a tighter seal that helps prevent leaking.
Not bringing a reusable water bottle
According to the Aerospace Medical Association, it’s recommended to drink eight ounces of water per hour while on a plane.
CiCi stressed the importance of staying hydrated during a flight — but since you can’t bring more than three ounces on the plane, bringing an empty water bottle to fill up once you get past security is a great way to make sure you have water.
Forgetting to pack snacks
In the case where flights are extremely turbulent, flight attendants are sometimes required to sit for the entirety of the flight — meaning they won’t be coming around with snacks.
Some airlines have also axed complimentary snacks completely, including Frontier Airlines and Allegiant Air.
CiCi said that passengers should always pack their own snacks when flying, just to be safe.
Packing heavy items
One mistake CiCi often sees is passengers packing their heavy clothing items rather than wearing them on the plane.
She sometimes will speak to passengers who have just a carry-on and are wearing light clothes on the plane. But CiCi perfers to have more space in her bag.
She shared that she recently flew to Italy, and though she was flying out of sunny and hot Florida, she wore her bulky rain boots, a sweater and a jacket on the plane so save space in her carry-on and allow for more room for outfits.
