Check that

I just talked to a co-worker who will be sitting at home today instead of flying because checked bags (and his own tardiness) cost him a seat on a plane. It seems that you must check bags at least 30 minutes before departure (how should I know?) and he arrived at the counter 25 minutes before. I know, that’s insane by any measure, but he had a 6 AM flight from a small airport and was obviously living in the good old days for air travel. It didn’t work.

A wee protest

Skirting the issue:

A loosely organized effort dubbed National Opt-Out Day plans to use flyers, T-shirts and, in one case, a Scottish kilt to highlight what some call unnecessarily intrusive security screenings. Others feared holdups: More than 40 million people plan to travel over the Thanksgiving holiday, according to AAA, with just more than 1.6 million flying — a 3.5 percent increase in fliers from last year…

Robert Shofkom wasn’t too worried about delayed flights, maybe just strong breezes.

The 43-year-old from Georgetown, Texas, said he planned for weeks to wear a traditional kilt — sans skivvies — to display his outrage over body scanners and aggressive pat-downs while catching his Wednesday flight out of Austin.

Favorite travel apps

Nothing saves more weight that ditching that laptop in favor of a handheld device. Here are a few of my favorite travel apps for iPhone/Touch/iPad — good ways to put those iTunes gift cards to work.

The first two are all about a good night’s sleep. Some light travelers are also light in the wallet and, as such, may not be able to afford the quietest of accommodations. Naturespace and White Noise are apps that provide soothing background noise that make getting to sleep and staying there easier. You can use earbuds for best effect, but if comfort or safety concerns cause you to shun earbuds in bed, both apps play at a high volume on the iPhone or Touch’s built-in speaker with surprising, three-dimensional audio. Sleep timers mean they don’t have to play all night. The free/lite version of either is terrific; upgrades are available. Naturespace seems to be Apple-only. White Noise has a version for nearly every mobile platform.

My other fave is London Tube Deluxe. It’s hard to imagine more value for 99 cents if you’re headed to the town on the Thames. Great for Touch, even better for the iPhone.

Other obvious picks are Skype and a variety of guidebook and language apps. What are your most apptastic essentials?

(Brad)

Update on November 23, 2010 by Frank@OBOW

The noise apps are also helpful when you’re trying to sleep on a plane…

How to detect bedbugs

Bedbugs are here and the problem is growing at an alarming rate. Here’s a video about how to inspect your hotel room for the little creatures. Please excuse the product commercial at the end.

How To Detect Bed Bugs

(Frank II)

Lonely Planet's guide to traveling with only hand luggage

Lonely Planet hand luggage

What do you think?

(Frank II)

Travel gift wish

With Black Friday just days away, and the holiday season upon us, I thought it might be fun to talk about travel gifts.

Keeping in mind the principles of “one bag travel,” if there was one item you’d like that would make your travels easier or lighter, what would it be?

(Frank II)

The OPEC bag is back.....sort of.

The famed OPEC bag (Outdoor Products Essential Carry On), known by many as the “Campmor” bag, is back. Only this time, it really is the Campmor bag as it carries the Campmor logo. I believe it’s exclusive to Campmor.

Kudos to Monte for finding ths.

Campmor Essential Carry-On

It looks like it’s the same specs as the old bag.

(Frank II)

Bodyscanner makers spent millions on lobbying

Are you surprised? They spent millions on lobbying, hired the best connected people, and today we’re treated like sheep.

Bodyscanner makers spent millions on lobbying

(Frank II)

Travel psychology, coping strategies

OBOW reader Guy Winch writes at Psychology Today:

Tensions are always high over peak travel times and I doubt there will be much holiday joy emanating from security lines this year, regardless of their screening methods. We tend to be much less annoyed in such situations if we anticipate them in advance. Therefore, be prepared for long lines at check-in, security and even boarding and prepare children as well, so they too can adjust their expectations accordingly. At best you’ll all be pleasantly surprised. - PT’s Squeaky Wheel blog (How to complain the right way)

Preparation and management of expectations are among the reasons OBOW often focuses (to the irritation of some) on the security follies. Our reporting bad news (negativity?) is not meant to encourage disrespectful behavior or anger. A good attitude is especially helpful in bad times. Get mad when you read about the latest outrage, maybe — but leave the anger at home. 

Uniform approach

We all know that the secret to light travel is not the right bag. The secret is the right amount and kind of clothes and tech gear. Developing your own travel uniform is one way to simplify and minimize. For a middle-aged guy it might be traveling with two identical pairs of khakis and two travel oxfords, plus underwear (possibly including undershirts that double as t-shirts) and a jacket. Add a scarf, tie, swimsuit or pair of shorts and you have a sub 12-pound outfit that will take you around the world, and through most climates — provided you do a little laundry every other night. The key to the uniform is that each piece work with every other piece. Exciting? No. Efficient? Yes. Surprises? Few. Please share your uniform suggestions.

(Brad)

We need a laugh....

Courtesy of the good people at Saturday Night Live..

SNL Video

(Frank II)

He took the words right out of my mouth.....

TSA Terrifies, Too

(Frank II)

A holiday message from Pistole

TSA Administrator John Pistole Issues Holiday Travel Message to the Public

Press Release

November 20, 2010

WASHINGTON – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator John S. Pistole today issued a message to the public with tips for air travel this holiday season. The message is posted on TSA’s website at www.tsa.gov and also appears on TSA’s YouTube page. The message is also being made available to airports nationwide to play during the busy holiday travel period to ensure passengers are prepared when coming through security checkpoints.

Here is a transcript of the video/message:

“Hello, I’m TSA Administrator John Pistole. As you travel this holiday season I want to remind you that TSA’s mission is to ensure the safety of you the traveling public and we are committed to doing so efficiently, courteously and professionally. 

I’d like to offer a few tips and some important information we’d like you to know before you go through security. Remember our 3 simple steps to security: Have your ID out, coats & shoes off and laptop and liquids and gels less than 3 ounces out and ready. 

As you enter the checkpoint you will be directed to pass through either a walk through metal detector or, at some airports, an Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) unit. 

If you are directed to pass through an AIT, you may opt out. If you choose to opt out, you will receive a thorough pat-down by someone of the same gender. If you alarm either the metal detector or the AIT, you will also receive a thorough pat-down by someone of the same gender. 

In either case where a pat-down is required, you have important options that we want you to be aware of: you have the option to request that the pat-down be conducted in a private room and you have the option to have that pat-down witnessed by a person of your choice. 

We very much appreciate your involvement, cooperation and assistance in ensuring the safety of you, the traveling public. If you have questions about these procedures, the technology used by TSA, or our efforts to ensure your safety, please do not hesitate to ask for one of our supervisors or visit TSA.gov.   

Thank you and remember that at TSA, your safety is our priority.”

To view the video from Mr. Pistole on YouTube, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fpOALc2RbI.

To learn more about traveling this holiday season, visit www.tsa.gov.

Update on November 20, 2010 by Frank@OBOW

PRES FEELS TRAVELERS’ PAIN…THEORETICALLY:

President Barack Obama has asked security officials whether there’s a less intrusive way to screen U.S. airline passengers than the pat-downs and body scans causing a holiday-season uproar. 

For now, they’ve told him there isn’t one, the president said Saturday in response to a question at the NATO summit in Lisbon. 

“I understand people’s frustrations,” Obama said, while acknowledging that he’s never had to undergo the stepped-up screening methods. - AP via CBS

Bill Clinton was a much better empathizer. What would Bush have been called - the Empathicator?

(Brad)

Update on November 20, 2010 by Frank@OBOW

And three Senators discover what we’ve reported at least twice: Scanners don’t have to strip you to show suspicious items.

(Brad)

Will you find this under your tree this year?

You can buy it here

And while you’re at it, how about a nice OBOW T-shirt for that special traveler in your life. It not only makes a great present but also helps to support this site.

(Frank II)

So, granny, whatcha makin?

It seems the so called bomb found in Namibia the other day being loaded on a flight to Germany and causing Germany to set out an imminent terror warning, wasn’t exactly what it seemed to be.

Turns out, it was a testing device made to look like a bomb but is completely harmless. The devices are manufactured by a small California shop. It’s owner says his grandmother helped.

The big question is how did the device get from a small California town to Namibia?  Let’s just say there are a bunch of Namibians and Germans who aren’t very happy.

Phony Bomb

(Frank II)

Update on November 20, 2010 by Frank@OBOW

This story just keeps getting better and better….now, it seems, the head of airport security in Namibia has been arrested and admitted to planting the dummy device.

Airport Security Chief plants dummy bomb

(Frank II)

Flying like a turkey

One of the best travel writers, Scott McCartney of the Wall Street Journal, offers this excellent preview of Thanksgiving travel:

The fear is that Thanksgiving travelers—many of them students, families and older people who fly once or twice a year—will be unfamiliar with TSA procedures and slow to get through checkpoints. Full-body scanners require removal of wallets, belts, jewelry and everything inside pockets.

“With people getting partially molested at checkpoints, all that is going to be a real shock for them,” said Greg Wells, senior vice president of operations at Southwest Airlines. “TSA will create an issue for us. It’s going to slow things down.”

Southwest will have employees with walkie-talkies at checkpoints to hold airplane departures if passengers are stuck in long lines. - WSJ.com’s Middle Seat

Kudos to Southwest for planning ahead. Here’s hoping all your holiday flights are more graceful than a turkey.

American Airlines introduces happy hour

Starting next month, American Airlines will offer its new “5@5” happy hour promotion on all North American flights departing between 5 PM and 5:59 pm.  All alcoholic drinks will be $5.

AA Happy Hour

(Frank II)

My TSA news blurbs on Twitter

In the interest of not overdoing it on the TSA news stories I’ll begin posting many of them on my Twitter feed only (see the right sidebar just below the orange feed button). You can go to the stories from that panel even if you aren’t on Twitter. Links to all regular OBOW blog posts appear there by default as well.

(Brad)

Gifts for light travelers

Gift-giving time is rapidly approaching and some who visit OBOW may be looking for can’t-miss gift ideas for that strange, light traveling person in their life. OBOW readers, please share your travel item wish lists - or even those of your light traveling spouse - so that others may benefit.

I have two simple suggestions. The metal-free belt from Bison Designs is just terrific. It can be left on through the metal detector and can be discreetly loosened on those long plane rides. I wear mine about four days a week and couldn’t live without it. Another easy idea is the shoulder strap upgrade. You can find the comfort king, the Tom Bihn Absolute Strap, here along with lots of other geeky, high-quality travel accessories. A cheaper, similar version by the company that makes the Absolute is available here. 

Don’t forget wool - the smart and dumb kinds. Premium lightweight wool undies are something many would like to try and winter is a great time to start. This type of personal item is probably best handled with a gift certificate. 

Share your bright ideas…

(Brad)

I guess I'll have to start ordering coffee

Anyone visiting a coffeehouse in Holland learns very quickly that besides coffee, there is usually a separate menu offering varying types of cannabis.

Now, the new Dutch government wants to ban the sale of pot to tourists. I have to wonder how this might affect tourism.

Dutch To Ban Sale of Pot to Tourists

(Frank II)