Entries from March 1, 2008 - April 1, 2008
Of course there’s the Brian Eno classic:
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The Transportation Safety Administration’s new interactive web presence promises great things. Can it deliver?
“In TSA’s checkpoint of the future, passengers will approach the security kiosk, carry-on in hand, and put a biometric on the scanner. While the scanning system clears you after it confirms your identity and flight information, the technology in the kiosk will verify that there are no truly dangerous items on you or in your bag. Total elapsed time: about 1.75 seconds. Version Two will add a Teleporter so that you will not need to get on an airplane.
Your grandchildren will love it.”
Somewhere, over the rainbow. Closer to reaity:
“We have some significant changes in store for the checkpoint starting this spring. I would like your thoughts and I hope TSA will earn your support in our common mission. Please take a look at our Checkpoint Evolution micro-site.
TSA has taken a fresh look at our checkpoint operations to see if we can improve security and the passenger experience with what we have today. We took what we know from the intelligence and security communities, we listened to our employees, we learned from passengers (including on this blog), we evaluated readily deployable technology, and have come up with changes that we have begun piloting.”
The TSA blog does look impressive and they claim it has already helped shape their procedures. The new “mcro site” - Checkpoint Evolution - is worth checking out, but a grain of salt might be helpful. The TSA’s use of the term “evolution” seems to assume that they are in the process of adapting and improving. Let’s hope so.
Brad
The new TSA vibe: CALM. Are you ready for the calming checkpoint?
GottaBeMobile has posted a video look at the new Tom Bihn Ristretto cafe/messenger bag which is designed just for small laptops like the Macbook Air, 13-inch Macbook, and Lenovo Thinkpad X300. Since many light travelers are looking at the smallest notebooks this should be a welcome addition to the field. It’s very similar to the TB Cafe bags except it has built-in padding so no need to buy a sleeve. I’ll eventually get around to posting review of the TB large cafe bag which is an excellent day bag/personal item.The New York Times has an interesting story on the regular disregard of carry-on luggage rules - and the fact that it’s getting worse thanks to 3-1-1. Delta Airlines is taking steps to crack down:
The carry-on wars have gotten so out of hand that at least one airline has begun to crack down on rule-breakers. This month Delta Air Lines began requiring that all carry-on items be tagged with a special approval tag before passengers board any international flight.
“We did see a need to better enforce the carry-on allotment for international flights,” said Betsy Talton, a spokeswoman for Delta. “We are looking to make sure there is enough overhead space on international flights.”
Who is to blame for the overhead crunch? The Transportation Security Administration, which performs security screenings of passengers and bags, says it is up to the airlines to enforce the carry-on rules. Airlines, for their part, say their gate agents and flight attendants are responsible for ensuring that passengers don’t abuse the rules. But the rules, as any traveler can attest, are rarely enforced consistently. - NYT
I’ve never gotten on flight where many of the carryons (often rollers that appear to weigh 30 pounds or more) weren’t obviously beyond the stated limits. And inexperienced travelers often aren’t to blame: lots of carryons are disingenuously marketed as being “legal” when in fact they are not.
The aptly named poster High Roller has left the following comment on a couple of older posts where it probably won’t be widely noticed. He makes such well-reasoned points that I thought they deserved wider airing. His position on wheels (obviously the majority position) is only in the minority in a forum like this one. OBOW is for all sorts of light travelers and we’re going wrong if we can’t offer some helpful advice to the wheeling masses, so here goes:
(I had expressed my surprise at the tiny minority of our site’s poll respondents who expressed a preference for wheeled bags)
“I sometimes find the attack on rolling bags a bit annoying too.
Sites pertaining to one bag travel seem to be populated by folks with a tendency away from wheeled luggage. From what I can gather, the majority of those voicing opinions on these sites are men, in reasonably good health, who travel regularly, who travel without children, in mostly casual to semi-formal environments. Thus the majority seem to have different travel requirements than I do.
A quick glance around any US airport shows that the one bag, shoulder bag group is the minority, and wheeled bags are very popular. The reason for this popularity? Are we all gluttons for punishment, or just too stupid to read a blog or two. No. For many travelers, a wheeled bag is actually a better solution.
My favorite argument against the wheeled bag is the cobblestone argument, I would like to see someone post a pic of a stretch of cobblestones inside an airport, or in a hotel, or a cobblestone sidewalk in a business area in the US. If the majority of your travel involves walking in the street in Europe, then maybe a shoulder bag would be the better choice.
In the past 15 years, I can only recall lifting my bag to carry it across a 2 lane cobblestone road once. Is that what the fuss is about? Believe it or not, my bag wheels reasonably well along most cobblestone streets, only those with a very harsh surface are truly prohibitive.
It is certainly possible to travel well with one bag with a roller. Even the godfather of it all, over at onebag.com reports using an external cart when his bag is heavy.
If your bag is regularly heavy due to business or personal requirements, go with the roller. The downsides to a roller are that the inclusion of the rolling apparatus causes a decrease in the capacity of the bag and an increase in weight, and that the presence of the wheels externally can make it a bit more difficult and a bit more messy to handle when getting it into or out of luggage bins. The huge upside is that you don’t have to carry it everywhere, and in the majority of travel situations you can roll.
All of the other proposed downsides to rolling bags: damage to hotel stairs, noisy wheels, injuring other people in the airport, inability to roll up a ladder, or over cobblestones, are pretty weak arguments.
A well chosen rolling bag can weigh about 3-4lbs more than a comparable bag without wheels, and will hold about one pair of shoes less (actually about 1.5 shoes, but bringing half a shoe has yet to prove useful for me— maybe it would help me find more cobblestones…).
Consider that if your bag is heavy, the alternatives are: 1) a carried bag without an external cart (i.e. lug it around), 2) a carried bag with an external cart (the onebag.com solution), and 3) a rolling bag. I’m not going to suffer carrying a bag too heavy to handle, so my options are 2 and 3. Taking an external cart negates the weight and capacity advantages of a carried bag. So if your bag is rarely heavy, perhaps 2 is the option for you. If your bag is regularly heavy— perhaps due to medical supplies or a company issued laptop & projector setup, or other heavy burden (try stuffing a 8lb, 17 inch laptop and 4lb projector in your Air Boss), then the roller is the way to go.
My rule of thumb is that if the bag weighs much more than 10% of the bodyweight of the carrier, then the extra 3-4lbs for a well chosen roller will probably be worth the tradeoff.
Knowing that a rolling bag is my better option, I try to use the information on these sites to maximize my own solution— and do my best not to be annoyed by those who are not seeking a solution, but seeking rather to criticize others for using a wheeled bag.”
The 10% weight rule is a good one. I hate to carry a bag that’s much over 15 pounds - that comports with your 10% rule. And my sympathies to anyone who travels with a mega-laptop and projector. I have found one way that using a shoulder bag helps my family (my wife anyway). She’s a teacher who leads trips to Europe. Going with one shoulder bag means I can carry (or roll) her bag, freeing her up completely to shepherd 40 kids and chaperones through Heathrow. Chivalry is not dead, and sometimes it carries a shoulder bag :)
The Heathrow story is just too compelling to drop. LHR is simply the focus of evil in the modern travel world, and it’s the best conceivable argument for NEVER checking a bag:
Last night, hundreds of passengers were forced to sleep at the terminal after waiting for their luggage for up to six hours.
By 4am queues of hundreds had formed, with airport officials handing out boxes of blankets, sleeping bags and bottled water.
Tempers boiled over and some passengers were close to tears when they were told 75 flights had been cancelled today - some for the second time in 24 hours.
By noon, the situation had become so bad that the union representing BA staff was forced to issue a statement asking angry passengers not to abuse or attack staff. - thisislondon.co.uk
Where’s the UN High Commissioner for Refugees when you need him? This is astounding. The story quoted above has some classic lines: “national disgrace and a national humiliation,” “forced to stuff her wedding dress into her hand luggage,” “one of the worst days in history,” “I am embarrassed as hell to be a British citizen.”
The failed baggage-handling system has 10 miles of conveyor and 140 computers to make it work. Parking spaces may have been the ultimate problem. The fiasco started when much of the baggage-handling staff were late for work because the new terminal didn’t allow for enough employee parking.
It all got worse: 15 of 16 elevators weren’t working. With classic British understatement, one official said, “It was disappointing that the opening day was marred by operational difficulties.”
More from Bloomberg
UPDATE - latest news here
British Airways vaunted Terminal 5 (recently opened by the Queen) was supposed to alleviate some of the chaos and congestion that is London’s Heathrow. Well, it didn’t work. The terminal crashed Thursday and today, or at least its incredibly complex subterranean luggage handling system did. Twenty percent of BA’s flights were canceled and guess what - no checked luggage, If you flew ouf of 5 it was carry-on only. Share this story with your friends who think you’re a ridiculous travel geek/luggage freak!
Some excerpts from RTTNews:
News release from Northwest Airlines:
EAGAN, Minn. – (March 28, 2008) – Northwest Airlines (NYSE: NWA) today announced changes to its luggage policies for coach class customers traveling within North America.
For coach class travel on or after May 5, 2008, Northwest Airlines is matching several other U.S. network carriers and implementing a $25 charge for the customer’s second checked bag. The fee is applied each way. Coach class customers may continue to check one piece of luggage free of charge.
Other changes include an increase from $80 to $100 for three or more checked bags, and an increase from $25 to $50 for overweight bags greater than 50 pounds.
These policies also apply to Northwest Airlink customers flying on Mesaba, Pinnacle or Compass Airlines.
Northwest Airlines’ Silver, Gold and Platinum WorldPerks® Elite customers, SkyTeam Elite customers and passengers booked in full fare classes (Y or B) may still check two bags free of charge. Customers booked in first class can continue to check up to three bags free of charge.
Rumor is that American Airlines may implement a similar policy.The day isn’t far away when airlines will be charging for all checked luggage, not just the second piece.
“You’ll never meet a traveler who, after five trips, brags, “Every year I pack heavier.” The measure of a good traveler is how light he or she travels. You can’t travel heavy, happy, and cheap. Pick two.” - from Newsday
Some highlights:
- “Whether you’re traveling for three weeks or three months, you pack exactly the same.”
- “Pack for the best scenario — not the worst. You can buy yourself out of any little jams as you go.”
- “The bulk of your luggage is clothing. Minimize by bringing less and washing more often. Every few nights you’ll spend 10 minutes doing a little wash.”
“Even as airlines hike their luggage fees, they are losing more bags than ever before. That’s a double whammy you can avoid by packing smarter and buying better carry-on bags. If you don’t want to spring for the custom-made stuff from artisans like Myron Glaser, you’ll find capacious carry-ons from the better commercial suppliers. And when you must travel with lots of luggage, ship with Fed Ex, U.P.S., or the special services rather than paying for the privilege of using the inefficient airline system.”- from air travel guru Joe Brancatelli - Portfolio.com
I’ve previously reviewed the ExOfficio Air Strip Lite shirt and it’s a winner. It’s pricey so look for a sale. I’m less impressed with ExOfficio’s vaunted travel underwear. The men’s boxer variety - at least in my case - came oversized; they were the blousiest, largest mediums I’ve ever seen. This led to a good deal of bunching and discomfort. The fabric had more of the tacky, polyester feel when sweaty than I expected. My old Terramar Visaendurance briefs were much more comfortable and more odor-resistant. Alas, a far-sighted sock fairy made off with them and they’re no longer available. This looks like the replacement though: Terramar Underwear Boxer Briefs - with EC2 and 4-Way Stretch (For Men).Brad
I’m still looking for a really good pair of quick-dry pants for travel. Polyester and microfiber leave something to be desired - and often leave something to be smelled too. Orvis has new pants in a nylon canvas fabric that might be the answer. I’m beginning to think that tropical-weight wool pants, which can be worn a few times at least without getting funky, are the best three-season solution. Just hang up and air out the wool slacks and they’re usually good for another day.
Brad
OBOW reader Sam (see comment below) gives a strong recommendation for the REI Adventures Pants. They look good to me. Unlike a lot people I can’t bear the zip-off leg, heavy cargo look. I’m too old I guess…
Brad
OBOW has a reader in need of a carry-on garment bag recommendations. I used to travel almost exclusively with a garment bag but it has been years since I’ve used one. Can anyone recommend a good one? I like the looks of the Victorinox Travel Luggage Porter Garment Bag - Tri-Fold. (Siera Trading Post has it for under $90 at the moment) 
Our “whaddaya carry” poll results are in: OBOW readers heavily prefer convertible backpack/shoulder bags and traditional shoulder bags to other types of luggage. As of today with 124 respondents, 47% go convertible, 29% shoulder their load, and 17% roll. Duffel bags and straight backpacks brought up the rear. I’m a little surprised rolling cases were not more popular. There’s a certain bias against them among the light travel crowd, but it’s not entirely deserved. They don’t work best for my type of travel, but it would be silly to say no intelligent traveler should use them.
Our new poll asks “What brand of carry-on luggage do you use?” You may vote for multiple brands, but - unlike our first poll - you may only vote once. Not everyone’s brand will be found among the 19 choices so just vote OTHER if yours isn’t there…
Peter Hitchens is my favorite reactionary. And he travels in the good old USA now and again - and reacts:
“One of these days I will turn up for a flight clad only in my swimming trunks, having sent all my possessions on ahead.
I can think of no other way of speeding up the ridiculous, humiliating procedure we endure at airports. But would I be arrested for making fun of the War on Terror?
Every time I fly, I am compelled to take more and more of my clothes off – first the jacket, then the belt, then the shoes, next, no doubt, the shirt, before long, I expect, the trousers.
Why not the lot? I believe they have a machine at Heathrow that allows “security” staff to see through your clothes.
You cannot even complain. At the humorously named George Bush Airport in Houston, Texas, last week, I was hectored – as I shuffled, shoeless and beltless, towards a metal detector – by loudspeaker announcements warning me that I could be arrested for making jokes about security.” - The Daily Mail
