With the holiday period underway, you’re probably making plans to visit South Africa. And once you’re here, you will surely want to explore the many  attractions in the multiple regions. There is so much to see and do. Imagine a visit to the multitude of beaches that have been awarded Blue Flag status, or the many nature reserves. Besides the natural beauty for which the country is famous for, there are all the tourist attractions to check out, like the V&A Waterfront in the Western Cape, the Addo Elephant Park in the Eastern Cape and Gauteng’s Gold Reef City, just to name a few. Wherever you choose to go, you’ll definitely go home with experiences that you will treasure forever.

While you cannot wait to get started on this adventure through this beautiful country, we thought you might need a few tips, especially regarding the different flight rules and problems you might face with baggage. Once you’ve read through these handy tips, you’ll be free to just let yourself loose and enjoy the country of South Africa!

Baggage Tips

We all know how tricky it can get when it comes to boarding a flight and getting all your luggage sorted out. To help you keep everything under control, check out these tips.

1. Label your luggage

Losing your luggage at the airport is one of the worst things that can happen to you while travelling. To protect yourself from this, put a label on all your bags, with information such as your name, contact information and your destination address.

2. Keep your valuables close

When you’re sorting out which items go into certain bags, it’s essential to keep certain items with your hand luggage only. While you can take precautions with your check-in luggage, these items are better off with you. They are:

• Cash/cards
• Legal documents i.e. Passports
• Laptops
• Jewellery
• Medication
• Cameras

Even hand luggage comes with its setbacks. Should space in the overhead compartments become a problem, you will be required to place your hand luggage in the cargo hold. You should then make sure to remove all your valuables before this happens.

3. Keep the liquid items in containers less than 100 ml

Liquids, aerosols and gels in containers larger than 100 ml are not allowed in hand luggage. Should you have such items that are in containers less than 100 ml, you will need to put them in a re-sealable, plastic storage bag.

4. Secure your check-in luggage

Securing your check-in luggage with a lock, especially a combination lock, will always serve to deter potential thieves. An additional measure you can take to make the idea of stealing your luggage contents extremely uncomfortable is to use the airport’s wrapping service, which guards against potential damage and theft.

5. Check what seating class you belong in

The different seating classes in flights entitle passengers to certain weight limits, as follows:

Economy Class – 1 – 2 pieces at 23 kg each
Business Class – 1 – 2 pieces at 32 kg each
Infants not entitled to a seat – 1 piece at 10 kg as well as a pram

Please note that baggage allowance terms and conditions apply.

6. Reporting your mishandled baggage

You can report your mishandled baggage at the Baggage Enquiries desk at the airport, where they will create a file for tracing purposes. Your personal and travel information will be essential when making this report.

Should you have any other questions, you can make contact with your preferred flight company.

Once you’ve sorted out these details, you can relax and enjoy your tour of South Africa the way you really want to. Start making your holiday plans now!