Top Features People Regret NOT Having in Personal Item Bags

These are very important features all personal item bags need for airline travel in 2025. You will also learn bad features you really do not need in a personal item bag. In every airplane, you're allowed a personal item bag that fits under the airplane seat in front of you. So you will need only the best features that will help you while you are sitting in your airplane seat. I will show you my backpack features as well as tote bag characteristics. The number one most important feature is that your bag has to fit the size dimensions for your airline's personal item bag rules. Some airlines like Frontier or Spirit even have given a monetary incentive if their gate agents catch people trying to get a personal item bag that is too big for their rules. So it depends on how strict the gate agent is and which airline you're flying with that day. One travel hack that may help you is that the color black makes your personal item seem or appear smaller, if that helps. With the really strict airlines, you have to put your bag in their bag sizers. Major airlines have pretty much stopped having the bag sizer in their gate boarding area. But if your bag is not the correct dimensions, it could mean that you would have to check that bag if you already have a carry-on suitcase and a purse or that would count as a carry-on bag. And if you already have a carry-on suitcase, you're going to have to pay to check it or just it's going to delay you as well. So know before you go. Your personal item could even be a large purse. So just make sure you check your airline's website. The number two feature is the weight of your personal item bag. Some foreign airlines are really strict on the weight that you're allowed. So be sure to check their allowance before you pack. Two travel hacks that may help you are number one, to put your personal item bag on top of your carry-on suitcase and drape your coat over it. Or if you're traveling in the summer, drape a cardigan over it to make it not stand out as much or as easily. The number two hack is to wear it over the shoulder that is away from the gate agent and do not look suspicious like you're trying to hide the bag. The number three feature is pockets. Avoid this type of feature in one of my backpacks that I never travel with and here's why. It's called an anti-theft backpack. Not because of the slash resistant straps, but because the pocket for the entrance of the backpack is against your back if you're wearing it on your back. But here's the problem. It is small compared to a lot of backpacks that are out there. So if you need a small one, just debate and look at the features that I'm showing you. It is large enough to fit a Costco sized paper towel roll. But the problem with this feature is that if I am trying to get so many travel essentials inside this backpack because I'm restricted on the size, I'm going to fill it full of travel essentials. So if I need to get to something that's in the middle, everything could spill out and therefore I could lose an important item. I also want to show you this pocket that I think is a bad feature. I think that's why I don't reach for this backpack as often anymore because especially if I don't travel with a crossbody bag, if my wallet is in here, I have to open the whole thing to get to my essentials that are in this backpack. Look at that striped fabric. Isn't that so cute? And the other one is striped fabric as well. If you'll notice, this pocket on this backpack only opens from here to there. So I can go in the top to retrieve anything that might be in there compared to this one that I have to unzip the whole thing. It just is more things to worry about if I'm hurrying in an airport and I only open it a little bit. Things could still fall out from that side. Let me know if having pockets is really important to you. For me, I am mostly unorganized. Surprise! But I need a lot of pockets to help with the organization. If you can see, both of these backpacks are the same version on Amazon. They're 15.6 and that just means that they allow a computer that's 15.6 to fit in the computer sleeve part. But they both have 17 pockets, including the ones that are on the outside. I appreciate that My tote bag, which is the only one I will ever travel with right now because it feels like a large purse, yet it holds everything I need. I've traveled internationally with it as well. That's usually when you pack too much or you need extra stuff. Also in the winter, if you're going to a winter wonderland vacation, do not miss the massive packing list guide ebook that I have. It's 20 pages long. This tote bag only has like seven pockets in it, but I love it. Let us know how many pockets you like having. A lot of people say if there are too many pockets, they spend the whole flight trying to find some travel essentials and they can't remember where everything is. Here is a quick list of travel essentials that I do pack in my personal item bag pockets. Peeps, which clean my eyeglasses because with the reflection of the sky, the clouds, the sunshine coming through the airplane seat windows, it just glares all of the little smudges that are on my glasses. There is a knockoff brand that comes in multiple quantities that I will also list in the first comment and in the paragraph that says read more right down here. I always pack a fingernail file because in airport security, I always break at least one nail. I also pack my phone prop. It folds flat and it's really sturdy so it can also hold your Kindle or iPad, but I use it for my phone to watch entertainment. I'll also pack like purse wipes, my antibacterial wipe. These are good for just they're damp. They're not wet and the antibacterial wipes are wet with all that goodness to clean out the seat belt buckle and the tray table, all those little switches and all that stuff. I'll pack a pen and maybe a journal or my laptop depending on the type of trip I'm going on. I like for my eyes to relax by using a real physical book versus a Kindle. So sometimes I will just pack my book instead of a journal and then I'll also pack an RFID wallet especially in the outer pocket for the airport and I usually just do that if I'm traveling with my husband and won't need like a key and all of the stuff that you sometimes need when you travel by yourself. So I'll just pack my wallet instead of a crossbody bag and then I'll also have my passport in an inside zipped pocket just in case anybody wants to steal that or other valuables. One feature that I like about backpacks is that I can be hands-free walking down the aisle of the airplane but be careful not to hit the passengers who are already seated when you turn around to put your suitcase in the overhead bins. I used to only travel with backpacks as my personal item bag but since I found that tote bag, I tend to travel with that more. Okay this tote bag does have a feature that has an entire the pocket is the entire whole side of my tote bag that's inside and zips but it also has loose pockets so you may want to see if you need your pockets to be zipped or if you like them to be like just loose like that or if you need a mesh pocket. I will say that every personal item bag needs a pocket on the outside for quick access in airport security. One travel tip is when you're walking through airport security line, you are going to have an easily accessible pocket that you can toss your ID and phone in or your belt or cardigan in real quick and then retrieve it right after the line. You're not going to leave it in an easily accessible pocket for thieves. You're going to just use that easily accessible pocket for airport security if that makes sense. Another feature that personal item bags must have and you need to avoid it if it does not have this one feature, a trolley strap. That is a strap that it goes across the back of your backpack or across the width of your tote bag because when you're going through the airport, you need to be hands-free and trust me those bags get so heavy because some concourses are incredibly long so you have to carry your bag on your shoulder that entire time which is not good for your back and it just weighs you down. Before your vacation even starts, you can't be bothered with extra stress. One feature that I do think is important for your personal item bags is that you can pack all the way into your bag. It's an extension of your suitcase. I want to pack a compression cube with a shirt, two pairs of undies, and socks in there in case my luggage does get lost, let's say. I want that in the very bottom of it. There are certain ways that I organize inside my bag. I'll put that video right here for you and in the first comment for you but anyway, I want to be able to fill my bag with my travel essentials not only for the airplane but if I need more room because I've already packed everything in my suitcase. Here's another feature that's hit or miss for the viewers on this Travel Tips by Laurie channel. You may not like a computer sleeve for several reasons but number one, they have too much padding. You already have a case on your laptop. You don't need super thick amounts of padding which gives weight and size additions to your bag and then I've also noticed probably 10 years ago that some of them are so padded and they look like really cool for walking all day in them but it makes you sweat so much. Just take note of that when you're looking at a bag and if you do not love a bag, return it. It's not worth one dollar if you do not love it and here's another tip. If you have bought a new bag that you are not used to traveling with, it's like going to a grocery store that you haven't gone to in five years. Nothing is where you think it should be and it is really frustrating that first time you move to a new personal item bag and airplanes are so dark so just know that ahead of time so that you're not stressed. One feature that I really like about this bag, I can't list my Amazon things on the little view products sticker that pops up right here but you can go look for some of the items like this is from Nomad Lane. You can look at that one when it popped up but I'll also have all the links in the first comment but if it's right here you can go and look at the features while I'm talking and it won't stop this video but anyway see how the handles tuck into the strap right there? I think that's really helpful. This is an extremely small backpack along with the gray one that I showed you earlier. If you are restricted to size, I highly recommend that one. This is my newest backpack that is for packing in only a backpack. It was really hard to pack in only a backpack but one thing I like about it is it's top loading so if you need to pack in only one bag that goes under your airplane seat, it's a great option from Amazon and it has these little clips that compress it just a little bit to help you get it down to the size you need it to be and it has this feature which some bags do have. It's a briefcase handle so on the length side of your personal item bag you would have that extra handle or you'll have the one at the top too. Once you do get in your airplane seat, I have some travel hacks that are going to help you with the little bitty seat back pocket. It's not even the size of a piece of paper so I've got some travel hacks to help you. Be sure to watch that video and I'll put it up here as well as in the first comment with all of the links to everything and then the read more paragraph is right underneath dot dot dot read more that'll also give you the same information just two different places. All right, good luck the next time you're in the airplane and thanks for watching.