Prohibition Might Be Making A Comeback, In The Friendly Skies
By Mike | October 28, 2009
I recently read an interesting article, by Christopher Elliott, who is a travel columnist for National Geographic Traveler Magazine. He suggests that airlines, or the FAA should ban alcohol on flights because it creates many dangerous and uncomfortable/annoying situations. He provides a few extreme examples, such as a harrowing experience on an Amsterdam – NYC flight where overly intoxicated men were lining up to use the lavoratory and groping female passengers and flight attendants along the way. Is this a rediculous series of events? Yes. Is it likely a singular instance that stands our in this person’s mind? Probably. Is it a few bad apples ruining things for the rest of us, the majority? Definitely.
Here is the point that I am trying to make. Alcohol on flights doesn’t cause problems, its people that drink in access and become roudy and obnoxious that do. I have been on my share of domestic, charter, and international flights and haven’t seen the serving of alcohol cause any problems. Now consider the fact that I have been on several spring break flights – flights where you would expect wild college kids to go crazy and overboard with the alcohol…but they didn’t. I am not a huge drinker, and generally don’t drink on shorter domestic flights. However, when flying longer international flights, I like knocking back a few strong cocktails because it helps me fall asleep, and sleep through the flight. Now I don’t know about you, but when I sleep, I don’t get annoying, violent, or belligerent.
Mr. Elliot writes that alcohol hightens stressful situations, and that on a plane its harder to ignore or get away from a beligerent drunk. He also mentions that alcohol at higher altitudes is much more toxic/intoxicating than at ground level. This is true, however a simple reminder of this for people will likely solve that problem. Most average people aren’t on the plane to get wasted, especially since getting drunk on a plane is generally a very uncomfortable situation. I would be ok with limiting the number of drinks that each person can have, although then you run into the problem of weight and tollerance. I think that flight attendants should act like bar tenders – they should cut people off before they push themselves over the top.
One more thing – even we did stop the serving of alcohol on flights, it wouldn’t solve any of the issues, because the people that do want to be drunk on a plane still will be. Their are airport bars which serve alcohol, and don’t forget about the duty free shops which sell alcohol for cheap. Also don’t forget, airlines are struggling as it is, taking away alcohol, one of their revenue sources, is probably not going to help the situation.
I am very interested to get our readers take on this one. Please reply with your comments.
Topics: Airline Regulations, Business Travel, Domestic Travel, International Travel, Other | No Comments »
Best Reviewed Rolling Luggage: Eagle Creek Tarmac 22
By Mike | October 1, 2009
According to customer reviews compiled from all over the web, this is the best rolling luggage out there. It is very light weight, weighing only 8 pounds, which is lighter than just about all comparable luxury (e.g. Tumi Alpha) and bargain (e.g. Delsey Helium Fusion) brand products. However, weight aside, the feature that sets this piece of luggage apart from most others, is the lifetime warranty that Eagle Creek offers on this line of products. Eagle Creek calls it their “No Matter What” warranty. This piece typically fits well into most overhead bins, however for international carriers one might need to downgrade to the Tarmac 20, which offers the same features, but at a smaller price, and smaller size.
Topics: Airline Regulations, Luggage, Bags, and Travel Accessories | No Comments »
Luggage Pros 2.0 – New Website Launched
By Mike | September 29, 2009
For those of you who have visited the Luggage Pros site before, you have likely noticed that things have changed a bit. This morning we launched a fully redesigned website. The new site has new features to improve your shopping experience. We have improved our navigation to make searching for products much more intuitive. We have a product comparison tool, as well as product suggestions, a recently viewed products window, a “my cart” window, and the ability to create an account to better keep track of your orders and stay up to date on Luggage Pros sales and promotions. Please take a look around and leave us your feedback at luggage@luggagepros.com
Topics: Other | No Comments »
The “Tipping” Point: a travelers guide to tipping
By Mike | September 23, 2009
"To tip or not to tip"
To tip or not to tip, that is the question. Or better yet, how much to tip. Whether you are travel frequently or seldom, for business or for pleasure, or any combination of the above, you have probably had this dilemma. This becomes a problem especially when traveling internationally. In the U.S. we are pretty much used to the commonplace 10% – 15% minimum gratuity, however in other countries this can vary up or down. And what about those dreaded doormen, porters and maids? In this post I will give you some pointers that I have gathered from my travels.
- When arriving to a new destination, make a quick detour to the airport info kiosk and ask about tipping practices/customs in the area. Otherwise make a quick stop at the hotel concierge and ask the same question (don’t forget to tip him/her as well)
- Have a separate stash of “gratuity money” available in small local denominations. This way you don’t have to worry about getting change back (some waiters tend to “forget” to bring it back), or about not having enough money for a tip.
- Whenever tipping, its best to err on the side of generosity – think about it, these people are preparing your food, cleaning your room, and ferrying you around from place to place…all things you want done well, and generally you get what you pay for.
- Most countries outside of the U.S. include a service charge in your bill, but its still a good idea to give at least 5% over the top.
- In most Asian countries, Japan and China in particular, gratuities are not common place. In bigger cities its a good policy to leave 5% – 10% more, but otherwise they generally include a service charge and don’t expect to get anything on top of that.
- If you are ever traveling in a country with a corrupt government/social system, try to avoid paying bribe “gratuities” if you can. If you are forced to bribe your way out of a bad situation do so, but otherwise just walk/drive away.
These are just some general guidelines for you, but as mentioned above its a good idea to ask the locals when you arrive, because every place is a bit different. Check back next week, for a more detailed region-by-region synopsis of tipping policies.
Topics: Business Travel, Domestic Travel, International Travel, Other, Trip Planning | 1 Comment »
Packing Advice from Rick Steves
By Mike | September 16, 2009
I have blogged many times about packing and travel tips, but in case you don’t trust my opinion, here is a great article from the travel expert himself, Rick Steves. In this article Rick explains how to pack light, stay organized, and fit everything into one carry-on. Most, if not all of these tips have been posted by me before, but there are some more new/improved tips. Enjoy – http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32867413/ns/travel-destinations/
Also, if you trust Rick’s travel advice, then checkout his line of travel gear.
Topics: Business Travel, Domestic Travel, International Travel, Trip Planning | No Comments »
Rolling Luggage the Dance Show?
By Mike | August 18, 2009
It seems that these days they will make a musical and/or dance show about anything. This is also the case at San Diego International Airport, where Jean Isaacs’ San Diego Dance Theater put on a performance today. The show was appropriately called Rolling Luggage and depicted dance moves skillfully choreographed with pieces of luggage. The performance was free to both visitors and travelers passing through San Diego Airport’s Terminal 2 Baggage Claim area. I wonder if part of the dance was somehow dedicated to travelers arguing and complaining about overweight luggage fees?
Topics: Airports, Domestic Travel, Luggage, Bags, and Travel Accessories, Other | No Comments »
Best Practices for Carrying-On
By Mike | July 16, 2009
Whether its questions on Twitter, Facebook, or questions for our very own customer service reps, people seem to be consistently asking for tips and advice on carry-on luggage. I have blogged on this topic many times before, but now I will try to give you a “best practices” guide to hassle free carry-on use.
- Know The Rules – Double check the carry-on guidelines with your airline. The size and weight guidelines tend to vary a bit from airline to airline, so be sure to get specifics. For example, your 35lb. suitcase might fine with one carrier, but will have to be checked with another. Carriers also have varying linear size limits. Check out our Travel Center for more tips, guidelines, etc.
- Know Your Size – Are you planning on domestic travel, international travel, or both? This is very important, since domestic regulations limit the carry-on bag size to a 22″ bag, whereas the international limit is 20″. If you plan on using the same suitcase for all your travels, I suggest getting a 20″. I personally travel with a Crew 7 20″ Rollaboard .
- Beware of the Liquid Restrictions – In case you didn’t know yet, the TSA has restrictions on liquids. All liquids must be in 3oz. containers which all need to fit into one clear ziplock bag. You can technically go out and buy mini bottles of shampoo, shaving cream, lotion, toothpaste, etc. However, my preferred solution is purchasing a TSA approved bottle kit. This allows you to not only bring your favorite shampoo, lotion, etc with you, but it also will save you money because the mini bottles are grossly marked up. The Eagle Creek Pack-It Custom Travel Bottle Set is my favorite because it contains squeeze bottles, a pump bottle, a spray bottle and a toothbrush holder all conveniently packed into a custom reusable zipper bag.
- How to fit everything you need into one bag – when going on longer trips, it becomes harder to fit everything you need into your carry-on, especially if you are traveling to colder climates and packing bulky clothes. My favorite solution is compression bags. If you have a few extra large heavy duty ziplock bags handy, you can pack them full, and press the air out of them. However the ziplocks are prone to tears and they do slowly refill with air, so you need to pack fast. My suggestion is to spring $20 or so, and buy a set of compression bags (Eagle Creek Pack-It Compressor Set).
- Check Your Lock – If you are going to lock your luggage, be sure that you are using TSA approved locks. This can benefit you in several ways. First, if you bag needs to be searched, you don’t need to fiddle around for the key, every TSA agent has a master key. Second, if you make the bonehead mistake of forgetting or losing your key, you will be able to have a TSA security agent open it for you – save yourself a trip to the hardware store and $25 on bolt cutters (personal experience).
Topics: Airline Regulations, Domestic Travel, International Travel, Luggage, Bags, and Travel Accessories, Other, Trip Planning | No Comments »
Viral Protest of Baggage Handlers Breaking Guitars
By Mike | July 10, 2009
I recently stumbled on a funny video on YouTube. A musician, Dave Carroll, had created a music video for his song “United Breaks Guitars” – the title is pretty self explanatory. He had been Passing through Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport where United Airlines baggage handlers were seen carelessly tossing baggage, including Dave Carroll’s Taylor guitar. Upon receiving the guitar at his destination, Dave had to spend over $1200 repairing it.
Yes, this story does have a relatively happy ending though. The song has become a viral hit, with close to 1.5 million views in the past 4 days; Taylor guitars has offered to fully repair Dave’s guitar, which he says still doesn’t sound the same, and they promised him a discount on his next purchase, and even United Airlines seems to finally want to address this issue, after a whole year of ignoring it. The moral of the story is, if the airlines lose and/or break something of yours, just put up a video on YouTube.
Enjoy the video…
Topics: Airports, Domestic Travel, Luggage, Bags, and Travel Accessories | No Comments »
Standing Room Only…On A Flight?
By Mike | July 7, 2009
“Standing room only” – its a phrase you are likely to come across when buying concert tickets or tickets to see a favorite speaker and/or comedian. However, in the near future you might start noticing this phrase when purchasing airline tickets. In an effort to cut costs and improve efficiency, a Chinese low-cost carrier, Spring Airlines, is trying to get approval, from the China’s aviation regulatory body, for reconfiguring its planes to allow for areas of standing spots. It is no surprise that RyanAir has also stated that it will sell standing-room seats, if the aviation authority allows it. This has been months, if not years in the making. I have read several articles about Airbus pitching the “standing-room-only” to various Asian airlines, and now one finally seems to be buying it. Currently there aren’t any countries, including the US, which allow airlines to sell standing-room seats. For example, the US FAA states that all passengers, above the age of 2, must have a seat.
If this does happen at some point, it will obviously only be for domestic fights, since most international flights are way too long for people to stand through. However, can you imagine flying NYC to LA while standing? I am curious how big of a price difference will there be between traditional seats and standing-room spots, because there is no way that I would pay hundreds of dollars to stand for 4 hours.
If you ask me, air travel is uncomfortable enough as it is, and I am a below average sized person. Making people stand in a cramped “seat” isn’t going to make that situation any better. I am curious to know, how many of you would willingly buy a standing-room-only seat and at what kind of discount, compared to a regular seat?
Topics: Airline Regulations, Business Travel, Domestic Travel, International Travel | No Comments »
Top Rated Laptop Bags
By Mike | July 6, 2009
More and more people are working out of the office a lot. Whether this means sitting at the local coffee shop, in the park, or at home, most of these people are using laptops. Two problems come with having a “mobile office”. First, is organization because hauling along all those peripherals and office supplies can become a hassle. Second, is safety/durability because if anything were to happen to your laptop, which likely has your whole life saved on it, you would be lost. Obviously the way to address these two issues is by buying an adequate laptop bag, and as always, Luggage Pros is here to help. Below are two best-rated third party reviewed laptop bags that we carry. It is not a coincidence that both are made by Brenthaven, a company that prides itself on functional quality and durability.
Top Rated Briefcase-Style Laptop Bag
Brenthaven MetroLite II Laptop Shoulder Case – This bag is stylish, durable, and functional. For such a thin case, the padding is very thick and impact absorbent. Your laptop will be safe and secure. A very functional front accessory pocket is perfect for all your cords and accessories. An optional shoulder strap is also included. The one downside of this bag is that there is not much space for transporting books, notebooks, files, etc. At a price of $79.00 this is a great bag for the someone who sporadically takes their laptop out of the home and/or office to work.
Top Rated Wheeled Computer Bag
Brenthaven Duo II Wheeled Case – This laptop bag is perfect for the road warrior and/or those people who need to constantly have multitudes of files and paperwork with them, as well as their laptop. This bag is a bit on the heavier side, which is normal for wheeled bags, but it provides great padded protection for the laptop, and has a second main compartment for all your notebooks and paperwork, as well as an organizational pocked for all the necessary laptop accessories.
If neither of these two bags are to your liking, please checkout our large selection of laptop bags (laptop backpacks, laptop messenger bags, laptop briefcases, etc.).
Topics: Luggage, Bags, and Travel Accessories, Other | 6 Comments »
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