Delta’s famed attendant, others offer travel packing tips

You can almost hear the finger wag in her voice as Delta Airlines flight attendant Katherine Lee describes the bag.

Lee, aka Deltalina, the airline’s “Safety First” video star and YouTube sensation, says she can pick out overhead compartment-clogging luggage before a flyer even boards.

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Louie Favorite / lfavorite@ajc.com

Deltalina — aka Delta flight attendant Katherine Lee — can pack a suitcase in 15 minutes; moreover, she can spot an oversized bag before the passenger even boards.

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“After 11 years of doing this, I’m pretty good about spotting oversized bags,” says Lee, who will be welcoming passengers aboard next week as Thanksgiving travelers flock to airports.

“Sometimes, you just have to say, ‘I’m sorry ma’am, that bag is the size of a pterodactyl. We’ll need to go ahead and check that.’ “

Experts say as the holiday season amps up next week, travelers need to plan ahead and think about what they’re shoving into their suitcases. Some airlines like Delta are now charging for even the first checked bag, and that Homeland Security-inspired 3-ounce limit on liquids and gels still applies as well.

But security lines aside, flyers can help assure prompt take-offs and arrivals by being smart about what they choose to lug along.

Go simple, think ahead

Candler Park professional organizer GiGi Miller stresses planning ahead, including visualizing your entire trip.

“Lay everything out on the bed so you can get a look at everything,” the owner of Vision Organizing advises. “Go with simple color schemes. And before you haul something with you, try it on. That slinky black dress you wear on New Year’s Eve might not fit any longer.”

“Deltalina” Lee, who says she can pack for a trip in 15 minutes, says it’s really a science when you do it frequently.

“It’s all about consolidation,” she explained during a packing demonstration this week. “And if you roll your clothes tightly enough, you can get twice the amount of items in the same size bag. And be as minimalist as you can. Think about what you’ll be doing on your trip — and check the weather.”

Atlanta chef Richard Blais has been traveling almost nonstop since he appeared on Bravo’s “Top Chef” last season.

If at all possible, he suggests, go all carry-on, and bring a laptop and your iPhone on board to stay productive. He also packs his own snacks (one chef’s tip: avoid egg and tuna salad sandwiches).

Blais’s other hints come from personal experience: “Do not ask security if you can pretend your baby came through the security conveyor and take a picture, and do not pack multiple miscellaneous white powdered molecular gastronomy ingredients.”

Oh, and always check your cellphone service rate with your provider before leaving the country. Blais was recently smacked with a $1,000 cell bill on a recent three-day trip overseas.

Streamline accessories

Frequent traveler Frank Wrenn says a 2.8-ounce bottle of Febreze To Go is a mainstay in his carry-on luggage. “It’s perfect for when your clothes aren’t quite nasty but need a little somethin’-somethin’,” he says. Also avoid dragging the laptop with you if you really don’t need it. Wrenn gets by with podcasts on his iPod and a few copies of the densely worded but thin New Yorker magazine.

Also, Wrenn suggests for guys: “Build your outfits around one pair of shoes. That means one color of shoes, one color belt. If you must diversify, at least limit it to two pairs — one of which will be on your feet.”

Miller says women can accessorize simply as well. “A tube of red lipstick can add a lot of color to your look and you’re not lugging that red sweater with you.”

More than anything, Delta’s Lee advises being patient this holiday season, and to remember that what you pack can directly affect the level of goodwill toward men aboard your flight.

“Everybody has to wait when oversized bags become an issue,” Lee says. “Arrivals are pushed back when the overhead compartments are jammed and we have to sort it out. It’s all in the preparation.”

Still, Miller will be watching for those travelers herniating discs, dragging around half their closets this holiday season.

Says Miller: “It makes me want to hand them my business card and say, ‘Call me!’ “