PACK IT RIGHT AND CARRY-ON

Getting ready for a trip? Pack smart to leave room for extra shopping and dodge hefty fees for checked baggage allowance

- Sarah Stanley

Whether it is to save money on checked baggage or to make sure there is ample room to fit in extra shopping, packing a carry-on bag efficiently is the ultimate skill in every traveller's arsenal.

Ms Amanda Khoo, 30, a program manager in an e-commerce company, has been on nine overseas trips in 2024. She travelled on eight of them to destinations such as Komodo Island, Ho Chi Minh City and Tokyo with just a carry-on bag.

For travellers like Ms Khoo, who often opt to fly on budget carriers, purchasing checked baggage allowance can be a hefty additional cost.

"I'd rather spend more money on the trip itself than the flight and baggage allowance. Checking in luggage can be expensive," she says.

Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of national carrier Singapore Airlines, provides economy passengers with 10kg of complimentary cabin bag allowance.

When pre-booked, its one-way check-in baggage fees cost between $24 and $62 for a 20kg allowance, depending on the destination.

Budget airline AirAsia provides 7kg of free carry-on baggage, and charges up to $72 for 20kg of one-way pre-booked checked baggage for international flights.

Prices vary according to travel period.

Ms Khoo usually takes along a backpack so she can whizz through the airport and on to her next activity as quickly as possible.

"In the worst-case scenario, you could lose your luggage and I wouldn't want that to happen because when I reach a country, I want to maximise my day," she says.

Travelling with just a carry-on luggage or bag may not be for everyone, but it remains a cost-saving and convenient way to travel, especially when heading to nearby destinations like Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.

Here are five hacks to pack your carry-on bag efficiently.