Never pack these items in your suitcase – you could risk a huge mess

Travelling with a suitcase is a necessity for many holidaymakers, especially when jetting off on long, overseas trips. While passengers tend to be aware of weight and size limit for bags, they may not realise that there are some items they should avoid packing.

A baggage handler for a major US airline revealed some of the things he has come across in luggage that can cause problems when in transit.

On a Reddit forum, he revealed the one thing passengers should never pack in their suitcase.

“Food,” he wrote. “Please don’t pack food or drinks in your bag. They rot, break, leak, open. It smells. Especially alcohol. Then I smell all day after picking up a bag that leaked on me.

“Same goes for cologne and perfume. Please wrap it well so it doesn’t break!”

READ MORE: Hand luggage: Always pack this one surprising item [INSIGHT]

Ensuring your suitcase has wheels will streamline this process.

Another baggage handler seconded this notion in a Reddit forum.

They commented: “If you are packing heavy, get something robust and something that rolls.

“You know those four-wheeled hard case bags, they are light and easy to manoeuvre, easy to stack, much more likely to keep your belongings safe.”

The baggage handler additionally revealed some other bizarre items he has happened upon during his working life.

They include “car parts, engine blocks, live crabs (in a duffel bag!)”

All of these items can make the task of a baggage handler a lot more difficult, and therefore they encourage travellers to refrain from packing them.

He also points out that some items must be handled more gently.

“But strollers, wheelchairs, car seats, instruments and the like are always handled more gently because the can break much more easily.

What should I do if my luggage is damaged?

Arriving at your destination to find your suitcase has been battered in transit is a worst-case scenario, but it can happen.

Recent data from MoneySuperMarket discovered that the Civil Aviation Authority received over 2,000 complaints to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regarding lost, delayed or damaged luggage complaints about flights to and from UK airports since 2015.

If you do discover your bag has been damaged it should be reported as soon as you arrive.

Most airports are equipped for lost and damaged bags and have an onsite baggage desk in the baggage claims area.

Passengers will be given a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) which they will use to put in a written claim to the airline.

However, there is no guarantee the PIR claim will be accepted by an airline, in which case a passenger will have to escalate the complaint to the CAA

source: express.co.uk