There's nothing worse (in my opinion) than being stuck with a ton of luggage during a long layover. It's heavy, it's bulky, and you can't move around the airport, or the city you landed in, freely without a huge weight on your shoulders (pun intended).
One of my favorite things to do during long layovers is to leave the airport and explore the city while I wait for my next flight. I did this recently when I had a 12-hour layover in NYC and a 11-hour layover in Singapore.
Some people choose to buy a room at DayHotels (see my blog post on these) or just chill in the terminal for hours on end. If this isn't something you're comfortable with, you should use a luggage facility located at the airport. It will help you keep track of your things during a long layover and allow you to explore the city you landed in - stress free.
Here's a few tips on how I have done this in the past to help make my layover more enjoyable and stress-free.
How to Utilize Bag Storage Services
- Check the airport for a luggage holding facility.
Most airports I've visited have some sort of facility you can use to hold luggage of all sizes for daily or hourly rates. Call the airport or check their website for more information on the location and prices of the facility.
- Double check operating hours.
Most of these facilities are not open 24-hours, however they may stay open past normal business hours (9am-5pm). Call the airport or the facility to be sure because you won't be able to retrieve your luggage if the facility is closed. This is especially important to remember if your layover occurs at odd hours.
- Keep valuable items with you.
Anything you wouldn't want broken or stolen, take it with you. You never know who is working there and you don't want valuables to be stolen or broken while being stored.
- Bring 2 forms of I.D. and a credit card for payment.
- Bring a lock or security tape for your luggage.
Some facilities provide security tape when you drop off your luggage, but it's not a guarantee.
- Keep your receipts.
I had to show my receipt in order to pick up my luggage at smartecarte in JFK. They emphasized me keeping track of my receipt during check-in, and a few other things like the bag tag number, flight no., and more.
- Arrive early to pick up your luggage.
At peak airport times (Thursday-Monday between 6:00am-9:00am and 3:00pm-7:00pm based on my experience), the density of people at the airport increases exponentially. This could cause a major delay to your check-in at the airport if you need to go to an airline counter to re-check the bags or get your plane ticket.
If you decide to use a luggage storage facility, let me know in the comments how it goes!
Talk soon!
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