[Jeff84]

In a few months, I’m going to my old Master Sergeant’s retirement ceremony. I haven’t been on a plane in a few years. For those of you who fly quite regularly, are coat closets still usually accessible? I’d like to avoid folding a suit in a suitcase.

 

[JBierly]

Business class or First class. Otherwise maybe....

 

[Dhaller]

If you're in economy, they'll tell you the closet is full; if you're in First, as JBierly says, you'll have access.

But if you're staying in a hotel, the room probably has an iron, and of course there's the old shower steam/hanging suit trick. Well, unless you're going straight from the plane to the ceremony.

And of course, "one hour" cleaners exist for a reason!

DH

 

[Jeff84]

Thanks gents. I’ve only flown in first class when I was active duty (someone gave up their seat for me), and wow it’s expensive. I’d be getting in late, and the ceremony is early in the day, so relying on a cleaner is pretty risky.

 

[SG_67]

Coat closets are not generally available. You can ask, but it’s up to the flight crew.

I would recommend a garment bag if possible. Also, a plastic dry cleaners bag over the garment prior to packing helps with the wrinkles.

 

[poppies]

I’m a big fan of the Skyroll bag available at most Men’s Wearhouse locations for this very use case. Carefully packing a suit in a Skyroll reduces wrinkles to the point that a travel steamer will suffice to produce a sharp, clean look.

 

[Mr. B. Scott Robinson]

On overseas flights, I typically wear mine on the plane and fold the jacket in half and gently place it in the overhead after the chaos of boarding is over. This approach has worked well for me and eliminates all fear of my suit being lost with my luggage.

Cheers,

B

 

[ItalianStyle]

I second Mr. BSR's advice. That's what I do. I normally use a small duffel bag as carry-on (so doesn't take up the hole 'height' of the compartment) and gently place the jacket on top of it. That also minimizes the risk of any fellow passenger violently stuffing their hard case carry-on on top of it because they can't see it.

 

[pkincy]

Years ago we had a sticky that taught how to fold a jacket for packing in a suitcase. Let me try and describe it as you would not expect to do it this way.

Hold the jacket as if you were about to put it on a customer or friend sitting in front of you that is facing away from you So your fingers are under the lapels at the shoulder seams with the back of your hands facing forward and the jacket is facing forward and your thumbs are over the lapels and on top of the shoulder seams. Basically the jacket is open to the front with its back towards your belt. Then simply push forward with your thumbs and rotate your hands outward so that the back of your hands are now facing you. You have turned the jacket inside out. Now fold your hands together with the inside of the jacket being on the outside and the jacket now folded in half lengthwise with the lining facing out. As you make this move use your right hand to push the right sleeve head into the left sleeve head. So now your jacket Is inside out with one sleeve head inserted in the other Put your hand inside the inner sleeve head and gently shake the jacket and you will find that the jacket is hanging gently inside out and easily folded in half again up and down. Pack that in your suitcase and you will find nary a wrinkle when you hang it out when you get to the hotel.

The other trick is to take the jacket on a hangar and hang it in the bathroom with the shower on hot as possble filling the bathroom with steam. That will take the wrinkles out of a wool jacket very quickly adn also works on trousers.

Have a great trip.

 

[medhat]

Years ago we had a sticky that taught how to fold a jacket for packing in a suitcase. Let me try and describe it as you would not expect to do it this way.

Hold the jacket as if you were about to put it on a customer or friend sitting in front of you that is facing away from you So your fingers are under the lapels at the shoulder seams with the back of your hands facing forward and the jacket is facing forward and your thumbs are over the lapels and on top of the shoulder seams. Basically the jacket is open to the front with its back towards your belt. Then simply push forward with your thumbs and rotate your hands outward so that the back of your hands are now facing you. You have turned the jacket inside out. Now fold your hands together with the inside of the jacket being on the outside and the jacket now folded in half lengthwise with the lining facing out. As you make this move use your right hand to push the right sleeve head into the left sleeve head. So now your jacket Is inside out with one sleeve head inserted in the other Put your hand inside the inner sleeve head and gently shake the jacket and you will find that the jacket is hanging gently inside out and easily folded in half again up and down. Pack that in your suitcase and you will find nary a wrinkle when you hang it out when you get to the hotel.

The other trick is to take the jacket on a hangar and hang it in the bathroom with the shower on hot as possble filling the bathroom with steam. That will take the wrinkles out of a wool jacket very quickly adn also works on trousers.

Have a great trip.

This is the way I do it and I think it works really well. I may still steam out a few errant wrinkles, but it allows me to pack two suits easily in a carry on roller.

 

[upr_crust]

My experience of traveling with a suit is confined to trans-Atlantic trips using a 29" suitcase, so my advice for a short domestic flight may not be optimal, but, when I travel, I have the suit(s) with which I'm traveling dry cleaned, and I keep them in their plastic wrappings. To further isolate the suit from the rest of the contents of my suitcase, I use one of the garment bags in which my suit was packed by the store from which I bought it, packing the suit in its plastic wrapping on the dry cleaner's wire hanger (usually bulked out with cardboard for the shoulders and tissue paper for the arms) inside of the store bag. Ideally, the suit carrier from the store will be one that folds in thirds and zips shut (SuitSupply's garment bags are made this way), making it ideal for packing, thought I've done this with those that only fold in half.

Keep the plastic wrap, and use it to wrap the suit on the way home - it will minimize wrinkles, making it wearable after the trip is over (perhaps with a bit of steaming/ironing).

 

[icky thump]

If you can get to a hotel before destination you can always try hanging it in the shower, turning the shower on full hot and closing the door.

If the flight isn't super long, I usually have the best results by staying full suit until destination.

 

[challer]

It's no hard to fold your suit so there are no wrinkles. and a google will get you there. I prefer to turn the jacket inside out, then in half side to side and then in half top to bottom. I travel every week. Just get it out when you arrive and hang it.

 

[Jeff84]

In anyone’s experience, do you have to fold your garment bag in half (zip it) or do they let you go thru security with it normally?

 

[SG_67]

In anyone's experience, do you have to fold your garment bag in half (zip it) or do they let you go thru security with it normally?

it's not a matter of security. It's a matter of its volume vis a vie the rules for carry on.

ask your local dry cleaners for some of those plastic garment bags, or use your own if you have some in your closet. Put that over your suit, the suit in the garment bag and fold. This is what I do and no problem.

When you get to your destination , take the suit out, hang in a closet and wear when you need to. Keep the bag for the trip home.

 

[Jeff84]

it's not a matter of security. It's a matter of its volume vis a vie the rules for carry on.

ask your local dry cleaners for some of those plastic garment bags, or use your own if you have some in your closet. Put that over your suit, the suit in the garment bag and fold. This is what I do and no problem.

When you get to your destination , take the suit out, hang in a closet and wear when you need to. Keep the bag for the trip home.

I kept the last dry cleaning bag for this very reason. Thank you.

 

[Fading Fast]

Decently made suits - mid priced ones are usually fine - will do well following SG67's suggestion.

My "travel" suits were always the wool ones that experience had taught me didn't easily wrinkle and - when hung with air around them - unwrinkled themselves. I know some people, when traveling, hang their suits in the bathroom during a shower to let the steam address the wrinkles, but I've shied away from that as that also softens the trouser's creases and other parts of the suit that you want to look crisp.

So again, cover the suit with a dry cleaner's plastic bag, put it in a hanging bag (don't sweat that the bag gets folded during the trip) and, then, when you get to your room, immediately take the suit out (and out of the plastic bag - save it for the trip home) and hang the suit somewhere where it can breath.

I don't now, but I did a decent amount of business travel and this worked really well. Just to emphasize, it is import to identify which of your suits don't easily wrinkle.