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Last April, Leila Amirfeiz Chen and her husband faced an unusual dilemma: Downsize their luggage on the spot, or miss their flight from Toronto to Bermuda.

"We weren't allowed to check in any bags. The plane was overbooked and overloaded," she says. "We were given five minutes to run to a nearby store, buy two standard-sized carry-on bags and stuff whatever we could inside." The rest of their belongings would stay in a locked facility at the airport until they returned.

It was a tough call for the couple, who were heading out of town to celebrate a friend's wedding. But today the Chens might look back on that incident as a crash course on the future of travel.

In the past few months, a number of major carriers have introduced tighter constraints on checked bags. American Airlines announced that it will charge $15 (U.S.) for one bag and $25 for the second on its North American routes. Delta Air Lines allows one free checked bag but charges $25 (U.S.) for the second. And travellers who book Air Canada Tango and Tango Plus flights within North America will be charged $25 to check a second piece of luggage.

Even Dublin-based Ryanair, famous for its £5 seat sales, is now charging £10 for the first checked bag and £20 apiece for the second and third - yes, your Samsonite pays more than you do.

All of which makes it tempting to seek refuge in the overhead bin. But travellers beware: Gone are the days of sneaking that extra shopping bag or slightly larger-than-standard carry-on case past the gate agent. Airline staff have begun strictly enforcing carry-on limits. If the airlines can make a few extra bucks in cargo, why would they let people cram the overhead compartments?

"I once watched a woman carry on a piece of antique furniture in addition to her carry-on luggage and purse," says Susan Foster, a packing expert and author of Smart Packing for Today's Traveler (http://www.smartpacking.com). "The fact that the airline allowed her to board amazed me."

According to Foster, trying to carry on too many items ultimately leads to problems for the airlines. "It's the gate agent's job to check out the amount of luggage passengers are carrying on and the flight attendant's job to find places for one piece per passenger. The former will become increasingly difficult."

Foster prefers to pay to check bags. "As a small, short woman, it's hard for me to lift my bag into the overhead bin and it's my responsibility - not my seatmate's or the flight attendant's - to do this."

Checking bags doesn't mean you need to turn your suitcase into a closet, however. "Just take less," Foster says, "and let go of the idea of packing a different outfit for each day." She isn't afraid of repeating outfits and packs interchangeable pieces based on one neutral colour. "Two pairs of dark pants plus one jacket plus four tops will last for a week. For two or more weeks, I just plan to do some laundry."

Doug Dyment, creator of http://www.onebag.com, has also spent decades honing the art of travelling lightly. "I don't think I've checked a bag in more than 30 years," he says proudly.

He extols the virtues of soft-sided, rectilinear bags ("essentially a rectangular box") and advises against anything with curves or side pouches. "They're built for marketing reasons, not practical ones."

Bags with built-in wheels aren't the best option either, according to Dyment. "They triple the weight of the bag, reduce its usable packing space by about a third and are more prone to various types of breakage. And, outside of airport and hotel corridors, they don't even work very well." For those who really need wheels, he suggests using a collapsible luggage cart with a decent bag.

Brad John, meanwhile, founder of New York-based travel boutique Flight001, has a different view. "I prefer light, hard-sided carry-on bags like the ones made by Rimowa. They aren't the biggest ones out there, but they have plenty of open space, are durable and look great at the airport."

What John notices most on airplanes these days is huge duffel bags. "People think because they're soft-sided, they'll be able to shove them overhead." Ultimately, if the bag doesn't fit, it will be sent off the plane to be checked.

He gives his customers one valuable piece of advice when considering which suitcase to buy: "Don't go for the biggest suitcase in the store. The more room you have, the more you'll over-pack and, in the end, you'll end up paying overweight fees. Fifteen dollars per bag is one thing, but an extra $100 or more for being overweight? That's when the costs get excessive."

Yet, no matter how many surcharges the airlines throw our way, packing, like travelling, shouldn't be stressful.

Whether she is off to Mumbai or Manhattan, Toronto-based textile designer Virginia Johnson sticks to her own simple routine. "I leave mini-versions of my favourite shampoo and conditioner, poured into tiny bottles, in my suitcase full-time so I never forget them," she says. "Everything I want to take has to fit into a soft weekender-style bag so that I can carry it myself and walk for miles if necessary."

And does she save room for souvenirs? "My suitcase is very malleable and roomy. But I've also been known to ship boxes home from a Parisian post office."

More tips from the pros

Fold and Roll A combination of folding and rolling will maximize space and keep clothes crease-free. Underwear, T-shirts, jeans, cotton pants and knits won't wrinkle when rolled tightly. Stiffer fabrics such as dress shirts, blazers, dressy pants and skirts should be folded carefully.

Layer and Stack Start packing rolled items first, then layer on long items such as skirts and pants, alternating waists with hems to avoid one-sided piles. Top with shorter items such as shirts, stacking collars together and folding arms in. If the clothes move, they will wrinkle, so pack a bag until it is full but not overstuffed.

Wrap belts around the

perimeter of the bag This protects your clothes inside and saves your belts from creasing.

Group similar, small items together Assign one resealable transparent bag for cosmetics, one for hair products and one for skin-care items. Tuck the bags into the corners of your suitcase or in a zippered outside pocket.

Shrink it Pile clothing into compressor bags such as Flight001's Spacepak. Lay clothes flat along the length of the compression compartment and then zip them in to create up to twice as much space in your suitcase.

Leave bulk at the bottom Heavy and large items, including shoes, should be packed at the base of the bag; this stops them from sliding down and crushing clothes when the bag is upright.

Limit shoes to three pairs Wear the bulkiest pair and pack two. Stuff shoes with rolled-up socks, underwear, sunglasses, electronic chargers and anything else that will fit. Then pack each pair tightly together, soles out and the heels at opposite ends.

Eliminate liquids and gels Heavy, bulky and prone to leakage, shampoos, perfumes and body lotions can cause more hassle than they're worth. Most items now have solid equivalents (stick deodorant instead of roll-on; powder makeup instead of liquid) or can be purchased cheaply at your destination. If you have to pack your favourite toothpaste, then opt for the travel size and pack it in a leak-free, resealable bag. Full bottles fare better than those containing large air spaces. Squeeze plastic bottles a little before screwing on the cap, thus giving the contents room to expand.

Bundle Bundling eliminates the folding of clothes altogether. Wrap clothes in a specific order around a central object - say, a packing pouch filled with socks and underwear - so that the larger and more tailored garments end up on the outside of the bundle and the less easily wrinkled pieces remain closer to the core. For instance, start with shorts, then add knits, pants, short-sleeved shirts, dresses, skirts and jackets.

Never leave home without an extra foldable bag

This can be used to transport bundles back home.

M.S.