Some airlines charge extra fees for excess luggage, so weigh your luggage prior to the trip. Don't get carried away by over packing because you will probably be buying new things on your holiday anyway! If the baggage weight exceeds the free allowance for flights (20kg for economy class, 30kg for business and 40kg for first) the excess weight is chargeable at 1.5% of the normal economy class fare per kg. If you are letting your children pack for themselves, go through everything once they are done to ensure that they haven't under or overpacked.

Before packing your clothes for the trip, be aware of your destination, the number of days you'll be away and whether you will be doing any shopping at all. A good idea is to choose clothes that you can mix and match, such as jeans with interchangeable separates in solid colours. Start with two or three basic colours such as navy, black or cream, and work your way from there. If there is a lot of sightseeing involved, comfortable casual ensembles and a good pair of walking shoes are encouraged. Always bring an extra change or two for young children in case of spills and stains.

Soft items such as skirts, dresses, jackets and t-shirts should be rolled up for packing. This not only reduces wrinkles, you save space in your luggage too. If you need to fold the items instead, just insert tissues between the folds. Fold dresses and skirts along the seam lines. When you arrive at your hotel, the first thing you should do is to unpack and hang up the clothes that crease easily. Most hotels provide irons, so it should not be a major problem if you need one.

Heavy items such as shoes, video camera and cameras should be packed towards the back of your luggage or suit case, opposite the handle (to avoid it spilling out when you open and close your bag). For fragile items, tightly pack them with soft clothing and place these items in the middle of the bag.

When packing cosmetics or toiletries, use small plastic bottles or containers to store your grooming products such as cleansers, moisturizers & shampoo to prevent leakage in case of breakage. Of you are going to a resort, go for waterproof make up, and remember essentials such as sun block lotion, after sun moisturizers and lip balm. Items such as shaving razors or even small scissors should be kept in a separate container. When asked, let the officers at the airport check in counter know that you have brought these items. It's better to declare it to them openly than having them find out later, which might land yourself into trouble.

Depending on your choice of accommodation, you might not need to bring along everything as most hotels would be well- equipped with an array of grooming products for your convenience, such as hair dryers.

If you travel frequently, it may be a good option to have a permanently packed toiletry bag to save time as you don't need to waste time packing and unpacking your cosmetics. Keeping your things in one bag would also be easier to locate as things are not scattered in your luggage.

If your baggage contains valuable items, you are advised to take out extra insurance, make an excess value declaration and pay 1% of the declared value as a premium to cover the transportation of such items in the baggage. Do not keep cash or travellers cheques in your luggage.

Label all your bags with your flight destination, and that the baggage reclaim receipts tally with the number of baggage you have checked in.

If you have children travelling with you, it is a good idea to pack some of their favourite snacks, games and toys into a small bag of their own so that they can entertain themselves during the journey. Bringing books, magazines or music (walkmans or CD players) can be good alternatives for older children.