Suitcase season

As we gird for travel and holiday season, here’s an item to heed: Some airlines will be charging for carry-on luggage. Meanwhile, charges for checked baggage are already common these days, and they are reportedly going up in some cases. Everybody likes holiday surprises, of course, but some surprises are better avoided.

There is, of course, a swirling, moving, and constantly changing global galaxy of airline policies and fees. It’s a competitive industry, with a lot of dynamics shifting around all the time, so things zig and zag a lot.

The Web has a lot of resources for this stuff. Kayak.com has a good page on airline fees, which includes a well-populated list of links to the appropriate pages for airline sites. And Clark Howard, the ultimate smart shopper, also has useful information at his website, ClarkHoward.com.

Mr. Howard has a sharp pencil. Me, I’ve just got a dull crayon, but I’ve got a few general observations to share.

After all, I’ve got a dull suitcase, too, since I’ve had some years where I’ve been on the road for more days and nights than I’ve had at home. I’ll mention a few factors that I’ve noticed in this whole suitcase and travel and packing thing.

First of all, the market offers a nice array of carry-on sized suitcases. Some of these things used to be sturdy, but heavy, warhorses. I’ve more recently noticed more and more lightweight models out there. I finally made the switch to a lightweight model.

Suitcases are steeply discounted sometimes. When I find a good sale, I buy a few, saving a couple for future duty, and giving the others to relatives. Unless you’re independently wealthy, suitcases aren’t products that are well-suited to being last-minute purchases.

The importance of a good suitcase is pretty obvious for anyone who is traveling, but the “personal item” (purse or briefcase) is something often overlooked. Before I get into that territory, let me brush against the context: Most (not all) of the airlines I’m familiar with allow you, for no fee, to take both a carry-on item (e.g. a small suitcase) and a “personal item” aboard.

The ideal personal item here, at least from my experience, is a soft-sided (e.g. canvas) “attaché” that can do triple-duty as a computer bag, overnight bag, and traveler’s goodie bag (for snacks, books, etc.). I’ve mentioned this realm a few times before because if you find the right bag, it makes life a lot more pleasant when traveling.

The problem is finding the right bag. The market seems to have abandoned us here. The two products that I used to sing praises to are no longer available on the Web.

The only candidates that I’ve found to fill the void are far more expensive, in the $300 to $400 range. I haven’t tried them, and I’m not really sure they’re perfect substitutes anyway. I think the problem here is that the sweet spot is also a null spot: The ideal size is a little bigger than the average computer bag for office use, but is also noticeably smaller than what Joe Sixpack would want for a travel bag. The Goldilocks factor has, alas, failed us here.

Meanwhile, I’ve noticed a trend, at least in the mainland, that makes travel a lot easier: the long and steady move toward more casual attire. I remember the day when executives used to pack three suits. I guess that’s still done in some circles, but I think that the average situation is a lot less demanding now, which makes packing a far easier, and less voluminous, proposition.

As for the East, well, much of it is still more conservative, dark-suit territory. If you’re swimming in those circles, you don’t need to hear from me about all this stuff. So you can just give me a call during your next fitting from W.W. Chan and we’ll meet for high tea in Kowloon. Well, either that or high coffee at McDonald’s on Nathan Road.

As for Saipan, well, it’s easy to get caught in the middle. I’m not the only person who has hopped a plane to Japan or Korea only to realize that although they’re just a few hours from Saipan, they are worlds apart. Whenever someone tells me to “pack accordingly,” I feel like saying, “Gee, thanks for the great advice, Pinhead.”

Anyway, the big point here, as we roll toward the holidays (whether we’re ready or not), is that the airline pricing dynamics seem to be on the move, so it might be a good idea to take a fresh look at the fees you face.

The little point is that if any readers want to recommend a good attaché bag for travel, I’m always happy to get suggestions.

And the final point? Wherever you’re going: pack accordingly.