5 tips for flying with luggage

To fly without luggage problems, the essentials are to check what your fare includes before you pack, check in with your suitcase clearly labelled, keep valuables and batteries in the cabin, follow the rules on liquids and prohibited items, and know how to claim if your suitcase is lost or arrives damaged. The permitted sizes and weights vary by airline and type of ticket, so the final reference is always the information in your booking.

There is no longer a common rule. Many basic fares only include a small item that fits under the seat, and the cabin bag or checked bag costs extra; others include one or more pieces for the hold. Before you pack, check in your booking:

• How many items your ticket includes, in the cabin and in the hold.
• The maximum dimensions of each one and the weight allowed.
• Whether extra luggage is cheaper if you add it online than at the airport, which is very often the case.

If you are over the weight limit at check-in, the airline will charge you for the excess at its own rates. Weighing your suitcase at home is the simplest way to avoid that.

When you check in at the desk or at the bag drop machines, you will receive a receipt with your suitcase's number, usually stuck to your boarding pass or in the app. Keep it until you collect your luggage: it is what will allow you to make a claim if anything goes wrong. Also:

• Attach a label with your name and a contact phone number, outside and inside.
• Remove tags from previous trips to avoid routing errors.
• Take a photo of your suitcase and its contents; it will help if you have to describe it.
• Respect the check-in deadline: we explain how it works in check-in and boarding: what time to arrive.

Valuables, documents, medication and electronics should go in your hand luggage. And there are two rules worth knowing well:

• Lithium batteries: power banks and e-cigarettes have to travel in the cabin, never in checked luggage, because of the risk of fire in the hold.
• Liquids: the general rule is to carry them in small containers inside a clear bag that you present separately at security. Some airports with new-generation scanners are changing these requirements, so check the current rule at your departure airport and at the one you return from.

Some items cannot be carried either in the cabin or in the hold, such as explosives and flammable or toxic substances, and others are only allowed in the hold, such as sharp objects, tools or blunt sports equipment. If you are carrying something you are unsure about, check your airline's list and the airport's security information beforehand: anything that does not get through security stays there.

Do not leave the baggage reclaim hall. Go to the baggage services desk and make your claim there: you will be given a property irregularity report with a reference number to follow up the case. Then claim in writing to the airline within the deadline: under the Montreal Convention, 7 days from delivery for damage and 21 days from when you receive the suitcase for delay. Keep the receipts for anything you have to buy in the meantime.

Your luggage does not end at the reclaim belt: you also have to get it home or to the hotel. A standard taxi takes the usual luggage for a trip, and we explain the rules in luggage in taxis. If there are several of you or you have large suitcases, pushchairs or sports equipment, the best option is a 7-seater taxi, with a bigger boot; we help you decide in how to choose the right taxi for your luggage.

When you book, say how many suitcases you have so we can assign the right vehicle. You can book your taxi to the airport or ask for a pickup at Barajas with your flight number. A fixed fare by zone, with no traffic surcharges: €33 from inside the M-30. And for the rest of the trip, read our tips for a comfortable flight.