May 2009 enewsletter

 

News you can use about packing and travel from Susan Foster, packing expert, spokesperson and author of SMART PACKING FOR TODAY’S TRAVELER and the It’s a Suitcase, Not Your Closet DVD.

 

Memorial Day Weekend and the beginning of the summer travel season are looming large and it is time to get serious about your vacation! “Tips for Travelers” comes to you only when there are newsworthy items to report and this edition is a feast of packing and travel updates and tips just in time for your summer trip planning.

 

Disclaimer: I include brand name products and resources frequently in “Tips for Travelers” and I want you to know that I do not receive any consideration from these companies. I frequently link to Magellan’s as they are a valued retailer who sells both my Smart Packing book and DVD, but smartpacking.com is not an affiliate, nor do I receive any other type of commission.

 

 

1. Fees Change Yet Again!

2. Swine Flu – Should This Change Your Travel Plans?

3. April in Paris, Spring Time in Spain

4. Luggage Rules Within Europe Are Different!

5. TSA Secure Flight Begins…

6. DO NOT Check Valuables!! Lock Your Suitcases!!

7. Smart Packing and Dove on Facebook, Enter to Win a Prize!

 

 

 

In the previous edition of “Tips for Travelers” I alerted you to an essential chart showing airline checked baggage fees, now updated on May 18, 2009 to reflect some important recent changes:

 

 

These changes include:

 

--- US Airways recently announced an additional $5 fee per checked bag for anyone who does not pay in advance online, beginning July 9, 2009. The first checked bag will cost $15 if paid online/$20 if paid at the airport; the second checked bag will be $25 online/$30 at the airport.

 

--- United Airlines matched this for tickets purchased on or after May 14, 2009 for travel on or after June 10, 2009: the first checked bag will cost $15 if paid online/$20 if paid at the airport; the second checked bag will be $25 online/$30 at the airport.

 

And you know from past experience that when an airline adds or increases fees that the others are quick to follow.

 

--- Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air will begin charging $15 for the first checked bag, which was previously free. For tickets purchased before May 1, 2009 for travel before July 7, 2009 that first bag will still be at no charge. Alaska’s new policy for future flights is:

 

1^st bag -- $15 one way

 

2^nd bag -- $25 one way

 

3^rd bag -- $50 one way

 

 

For most of us Swine flu will not force us stay home from a vacation that has been planned for months – I returned from Spain just as the flu outbreak was reported in Madrid where I had spent six days. Most airlines have waived change fees to affected areas should you feel nervous about making your trip. Each has a slightly different change waiver policy, so look on the airline website home page for “flu travel information” or similar language.

 

To help you make the “go/no go” decision, first check out the CDC website for the latest flu information by destination here:

 

 

 

Then you have to decide for you and your traveling companions:

 

--- Are you a in a low or high-risk health group?

--- Are you going to an area with good or marginal health care?

--- Does your health insurance cover you when traveling?

 

There are things each of us can do to protect our health when traveling, swine flu epidemic or not:

 

--- Don’t travel if you have a fever, this puts you and everyone in your contact area (think the entire aircraft) at risk of catching whatever you have.

--- Wash your hands! I use antibacterial moist towelettes to clean my hands before eating or drinking while onboard an airplane. Then I use the towelette to wipe off my tray table. Keep these wipes handy and use them frequently as you travel, especially before touching your nose, eyes or mouth.

--- I use a personal air purifer called “Air Supply” and have written about it previously. This tiny battery-powered device hangs around the neck and kills bacteria and viruses, reduces pollutants, smoke, dust, pollen and odors in the air around the wearer. I have flown to China, Viet Nam, India and Europe during flu and cold seasons spanning several years and have been healthy post travel for the first time in my life. To see more about Air Supply (available from Magellan’s) click here:

 

 

 

 

Can you imagine that I packed for three weeks, three cities, and three climates in one 22” rolling bag (the largest legal carry-on, but I checked it) and had everything I needed including two items that I did not wear as the weather remained chilly? See exactly how I managed this in my DVD available at www.smartpacking.com or at Magellan’s:

 

 

A cautionary note: April in Paris is cold and rainy although we fortunately had much better weather than anticipated. Take your raincoat, an umbrella and “walk in the rain” shoes.

 

My two women friends and I had a fabulous time in Paris doing all girly-girl things and we were well dressed for each event. We had our casual day (comfortable shoes and jeans) of hitting Les Puces de Saint-Ouen flea market (also called Clignancourt) and Pere Lachaise, the world’s most visited cemetery where luminaries including Edith Piaf, Chopin, Proust, Sarah Bernhardt, and even Jim Morrison are buried. And we had our dressed-up birthday dinner at the very chic Le Grande Colbert where the final scenes from the movie “Something’s Gotta Give” starring Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton and Keanu Reeves was filmed. I left Paris to meet my husband in Barcelona and was still able to pack everything into my suitcase!

 

Barcelona is all about architecture – from the old Gothic Quarter built on Roman ruins to structures built for the 1992 Olympics and is a city where the narrow old streets require walking. My husband and I like to take a “one day, see all” tour for an overview, then revisit places that are of interest. We took a “hop-on, hop-off” bus tour, and then hit our favorite spots either on foot or by subway. Barcelona is a tourist city, so casual dress is appropriate almost everywhere. We wore jeans, comfortable shoes, warm layers and a raincoat most days.

 

We met a lovely opera singer in town for rehearsals and performances at the Liceu, a stunning 1800’s building and one of the largest opera houses in Europe. Over dinner she shared a packing tip: “Never go out without a plastic raincoat or poncho!”

 

Eilana had been on a bicycle trip with her little dog LouLou tucked into her backpack when a downpour hit and both were drenched. Eilana and LouLou travel the world for her career, so heed this is advice from another pro.

 

The AVE is a high-speed train within Spain, so rather than flying the 300+ miles between Barcelona and Madrid we spent three hours on the train enjoying the interesting countryside. As in most of Europe, the train is a very efficient way to travel shorter distances. To board the train, we took our luggage down an escalator (no elevator in sight) and stowed our bags in a small rack at the end of our train car. I did not see a porter in either station we used. I wanted to give a copy of my book to the American couple in the Barcelona station with four huge suitcases plus carry-on’s plus shopping bags – a too-common “how not to travel in Europe” sight.

 

Madrid also has a “hop-on, hop-off” tourist bus, which we used for our city overview. We were so impressed with the overwhelming green of Madrid – the city is surrounded by arid land but has planted thousands of trees along streets and parkways that made walking an added pleasure. Comfortable walking shoes were a necessity to see the extraordinary art museums of Madrid – some of the best in the world.

 

As the business center and capitol of Spain, Madrid is a dressed-up, coat and tie big city. Be prepared to see very fashionably dressed locals. Casual clothes are fine to visit tourist sights, but to blend with our hosts we dressed up for lunch with a business friend and several elegant dinners.

 

To return to the US, my husband and I flew from Madrid to Paris where I headed back to the US, and he flew on to Frankfurt and then home. We both still had our small personal carry-on bags and both checked suitcases still zipped but –true confessions – I had to use my expansion zipper. Shopping always does me in! Which leads me to the next point:

 

 

For many reasons my husband and I both flew on two different tickets, one for our international flights and a separate ticket for within Europe. As I checked in for my flight from Paris to Barcelona, the Air France ticket agent noted my bag weight of 16 kg (1kilo = 2.2 pounds) and told me the maximum weight allowed for travel within Europe is 20 kg, and the overweight fee is 12 euros per kilo over 20 kg. (1 euro = $1.38). That means that each kilo over 20 costs $16.56!

 

There are two ways to avoid this fee: 1. Pack light and ship things home if you shop; 2. Purchase all of your travel within Europe on one international ticket, not separate tickets as we used.

 

 

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) began a program called Secure Flight on May 15, 2009. Basically, this program asks passengers to enter their name – as it appears on the government issued identification they will be traveling with – when making airline reservations.  If you missed my discussion about this program in the previous “Tips for Travelers”, full details are in this TSA press release:

 

 

My local Portland, Oregon news picked up the story when our airport TSA officers questioned travelers whose name on their boarding pass did not exactly match the name on their identification. These passengers had no clue about Secure Flight and all expressed the same sentiment: “I gave the airline the information they asked for. There was no line/space for my middle name!” I had the same response to an online air travel reservation made on May 5 – the airlines need to revise their reservation forms to accommodate these new TSA requirements and do so SOON!

 

Your heads-up: make sure as you are booking a reservation using names that match as closely as possible. TSA states in the above release “In the near future, small differences between the passenger's ID and the passenger's reservation information, such as the use of a middle initial instead of a full middle name or no middle name/initial at all, will not be an issue for passengers. Over time, passengers should strive to obtain consistency between the name on their government issued ID and the travel information they use for booking flights.”

 

By August 15, 2009, TSA will require your gender and date of birth (oh no, no more faking my age!) to appear on every reservation. Let’s hope airlines add space for that information too.

 

 

The morning after I returned from Europe the front page of my newspaper featured a story about airline baggage handlers apprehended for stealing hundreds of items out of checked luggage over a period of two years and selling them on eBay. Items stolen included expensive laptops, digital cameras, video cameras, designer handbags and jewelry. What were these people thinking???

 

Don’t pack anything you can’t afford to lose into a checked suitcase. If you must travel with valuables, pack them in a carry-on bag and keep them with you at all times.

 

And to safeguard what you have packed into a checked bag, lock it! TSA-approved locks keep out thieves yet allow security screeners access with a universal key. They are widely available at travel and luggage stores, even at Target. Here is a link to locks offered by Magellan’s:

 

 

 

Dove invited me to contribute some packing tips for their Facebook page, and you can read them by typing “Dove Visibly Smooth” into the Facebook search box, enter the pages and read on the Wall or Notes tabs.

 

While there, you can also enter the Travel-themed sweepstakes on Dove’s Facebook page this week, which offers:

 

---A $125 Travel Gift card

---A Copy of my book "Smart Packing For Today's Traveler"

---A Luxurious Dove Spa Robe

---A Sample of Dove Visibly Smooth anti-perspirant/deodorant

 

This is an interesting new product which the manufacturer describes as: “Dove Visibly Smooth minimizes the appearance of hair when used over time and conditions underarm skin, all while providing the odor and wetness protection you'd expect from a Dove deodorant!”

 

I’ve been using Dove Visibly Smooth since I returned from Europe. Not enough time has passed for me to notice a change in underarm hair, but my skin likes the product, it is an excellent deodorant, and it does not leave white marks on dark clothing. I look forward to not wasting my precious travel time shaving!

 

Click this link to print a nifty coupon for $2.00 off the purchase of this new product.

 

 

 

 

Smart Packing has its own page on Facebook as well. Please log in and become a fan to get updates as they are posted.

 

 

 

As always, I invite you to share this newsletter with friends, family and colleagues by forwarding this message or they may sign up for Tips for Travelers at smartpacking.com. I personally respond to every question and welcome your e-mails and comments.

 

The book, Smart Packing for Today's Traveler, and the DVD, It’s a Suitcase, Not Your Closet, are available in bookstores, travel and luggage retailers online, in catalogs, and in shops, and from our website; click here to buy:

 

 

Pack smart and travel easy!

 

Susan Foster, Author, Packing Expert, Speaker, Spokesperson

Smart Travel Press
PO Box 25514

Portland, OR 97298-0514

503.452.9384 fax 503.452.7558

 

Smart Packing for Today‘s Traveler, Third Edition, the most complete guide for what to take and how to pack

“Smart Packing – It’s a Suitcase, Not Your Closet!” DVD - pack for a week or more in one carry-on bag

© Susan Foster, Smart Travel Press 2009