Baggage allowance and things to bring on the plane

         Flying overseas for a PCS allows you to have a larger weight allowance for your baggage than a typical commercial flight. Most airlines allow you to have 50 pounds, a PCS flight allows you to have 70 pounds per bag. Each family member can have 2 checked bags, one carry on and one personal bag such as a purse.  So yes, if you have a family of 5 you can have 10 checked bags and 5 carry on bags. Remember you and your kids have to carry all of this into the airport and get it all back once you land. When my husband and I flew to Germany we had 4 checked bags and 2 carry on bags and it was a lot to keep up with.  I had 2 suitcases, one weighed right at 70 pounds and the other 71, oops haha, they let me go without a fee for that extra pound! But all that weight was very difficult for me to lug around. It may seem like you want to take as much as you can but remember, the hotels on post have washers and dryers. You can wash and re-wear clothes. The hotels also may not have much space for tons of bags. Just be aware that you may be cramped in a hotel for 2 weeks before you move into a house.

          Make sure you look up the temperatures for your arrival time and wear clothes on the plane that are comfortable but fit the conditions when you arrive. We flew out in June and I wore jeans, a short sleeve shirt, and flip flops, but my Mom kept saying "won't your feet get cold on the plane?" Nope, because I brought socks! I don't like having to tie and untie shoes so flips flops were the obvious choice for me to be comfortable! I also had a fleece jacket and neck pillow. And it did get chilly on the plane but they also had blankets for everyone. Obviously bring things to do on the plane, books, Ipods, mini DVD player for kids, handheld games (make sure the sound can be turned off). Our flight did play movies but I had Sudoku, crossword books and a cross stitch project to keep myself busy. They will allow knitting/crocheting/cross stitch needles on the plane. They did ask if I had any sharp objects in my carry on, and I did have scissors but I just said no. If I was caught I would have said sorry I forgot and thrown them out. 

         Depending on the time of your flight they will serve meals. Our flight left at 1830 so we had dinner served and a “snack” which was a full meal with a sandwich later in the wee hours of the morning. If you are picky about what you eat then bring your own snacks. And if you have children make sure they have toys and snacks to be sure they stay happy on the seven hour flight.  Don't be afraid to get up and walk around. It's actually good for your circulation to stand up every now and then. If you have children have them walk around and stretch so they don't get too restless.

        Just remember that it's only a few hours and next thing you know you'll be in Deutschland!

                    Dinner on our flight! And it was actually very good!