The things to be taken
The USA is a big country offering a wide spectrum of climates. So it is
impossible to make a single list of items that one should take to the
US. It depends heavily on where you are going to live in the US.
Below however are some general info relevant for every student travelling by air.
We also provide links to two item lists in this page.
General info
Baggages
When you travel by air, you are allowed two types of baggages.
- Checked luggage:
- These are the big things, suitcases etc that you will not have any
access to during the flight. If you are stopping at some place midway, you
may not have access to your check in luggages even at these stop over
points. Typically, the airlines allow two pieces of checked luggage (eg,
suitcases).
- Cabin luggage:
- This is the only luggage you can keep with yourself during the
flight. So you will take your documents, toothbrush, and
one set of dress (among other emergency things) in it. Typically, most
airlines restrict the cabin luggage to a medium sized bag. I would
personally recommend a cabin luggage that can be strapped on your back.
While deciding what to put in your cabin luggage remember the
following points:
- You have to carry it around, so filling it up to its limit may not be
a good idea. A big cabin luggage might become a nuisance especially when
you are to wait for a few hours for a connecting flight.
- Occasionally, flight schedules change abruptly halfway during a
journey, forcing the passangers to make a nightstay at some intermediate
place. While the airlines pay for the accommodation, it is better to keep
some emergency things in your cabin bag to cope with such troubles.
- You should never keep the absolutely important things( eg,
passport, money) in your
cabin bag! Always carry them on your person.
- Occasionally the checked luggages arrive late or (heaven forbid!) get
lost! So pack a sort of one day survival kit in your cabin luggage. But
remember that you do not need much to survive for a day!
- Keep some
interesting book in your cabin bag.
Baggage restrictions
When you buy your air ticket, you are also buying the right to carry a
certain amount of luggage without extra charge. These luggages (checked
as well as cabin luggages) must meet certain restrictions imposed by
the airline. These restrictions vary from airline to airline, but usually
there are two types of restrictions, and your luggage is supposed to meet
both of them:
- Size restriction
- Weight restriction
Below we provide links to these restrictions for some common airlines. The
comments show the links that you have to click on to arrive at the baggage
info.
Do these restrictions matter?
Some "expert"s might maintain that you can safely ignore all these
restrictions. I myself never tried the experiment, so I do not have any
first hand experience. But my friend was travelling with a companion by
Singapore Airlines
(US to India) with excess luggage. He was caught, and he could avoid
paying extra charge only by transfering some of his luggage to his
companion's bag.
Dollar-Rupee Rate
Check out the latest at the RBI website
The Last Word
Before you are all packed and ready to fly, here is an intersting and very informative article forwarded by Mr. Abhyuday Mandal.
Last modified: Fri Jan 16 16:11:20 NYT 2004