Traveling within the Commonwealth is usually a friendly, and even fun, proposition. But for those who are going to venture afar during the coming holiday season, it’s worth giving some thought to making the airline excursions as easy as possible; the game hasn’t exactly changed, but there’s a lot less slop in the rules these days.
For example, one recent trend in many airlines is to charge passengers for their checked baggage. It pays to research this stuff beforehand, so you can decide whether you want to lighten your load to just a carry-on stature, or, if not, you can maybe pay due heed to the checked bag weight limits and try to minimize the number of checked bags you have to haul.
Of course, if you’re a habitually light traveler, as I am, you’re so used to skipping the baggage check that the fees don’t seem to concern you. But in a roundabout way, they do: In order to avoid checking luggage, a lot of passengers are trying to defy the laws of dimensional physics by stuffing items the size of armchairs into overhead bins that are the size of, well, overhead bins. As a result, cabin stowage space is really at a premium these days.
The standard arsenal of the frequent flyer is one "rollaway" (by which I mean wheeled, carry-on suitcase) that fits into the overhead bin, plus one "briefcase" that can go under the seat in front of you.
As far as I’m concerned, the rollaway suitcase is the best thing to happen to aviation since the invention of the airborne coffee maker. My rollaway has lasted over a decade and has seen as many as 240 days per year of hard duty on the road. There are a lot of good brands out there, and it pays to web surf for reviews, since travelers like to compare notes on this stuff.
The "briefcase" allowance is a little more fluid than the suitcase provision; I don’t know what formally constitutes a briefcase. But if you travel a lot, or merely want to maximize your amount of briefcase space for your next trip, the Cabela’s Outback Computer Attache is best bag I’ve found for the job and, believe me, I’ve tried a lot of bags. I was so impressed with this thing that I wrote about it in my Aug. 15, 2008 column (I’ll put an archive link at SaipanBlog.com). I note that the price has gone up by 10 bucks (now $89.99); you’ve got to love that weak dollar, eh? Well, the bag is still worth it.
Here are some random travel opinions, based on my wandering ways:
1. Pack earplugs. Always.
2. Pack a small flashlight. Not only is it useful on a long flight, it can keep you from breaking your face during a 3am bathroom visit in a strange hotel or in your cousin’s guest quarters.
3. Start shopping for a travel alarm clock early. A lot of designs are wretched, so you can’t just grab one on the road on a whim.
4. Electric stuff (cell phones, etc.) that can be charged via your computer’s USB port will save a lot of space since you can forsake dedicated charging adapters.
5. Shoes are the hardest thing to pack. If you can avoid packing a pair, you’re ahead of the game. Sometimes, my wife actually mails me shoes.
6. If you’re going to a cold climate, wear your coat, don’t pack it; packing it just takes space. I’ve gotten strange looks at Saipan’s airport as I wear my coat in the searing tropical heat, but, then again, I get strange looks no matter what.
7. If you are going stateside, note that airlines have reduced capacity in many cases, so you should expect a crowded situation.
8. An airliner is a lousy place to try to get any real work done. But it’s an OK place to enjoy some casual reading. That’s what I think.
9. For some reason I’ve seen a lot of good buys on gifts in airport shops this year, so if you’ve got the time and inclination, it might be worth nosing around.
I’m just now getting ready for a Thanksgiving vacation, so maybe I’ll see you on the road.
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Ed is a pilot, economist, and writer. He holds a degree in economics from UCLA and is a former U.S. naval officer. His column runs every Friday. Visit Ed at TropicalEd.com and SaipanBlog.com.
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