Bin-tastic Bombardier

A new airliner which is not a Boeing or a ‘Bus might help ease carry-on conditions for travelers in a few years:

The plane (Bombardier C Series) will also be very comfortable as a passenger. Seats will be in a 2-3 across configuration and each seat will be about a half inch wider than on an Airbus and more than an inch wider than a 737. The overhead bins will be big enough to accommodate roller bags for 90% of the passengers onboard, which is ample room. - Cranky Flier

Update on May 26, 2010 by Frank@OBOW

This begs the question: How does this plane’s bin space compare to current planes? This is hard to say since there are multiple versions and configurations of each common airliner. Which planes pose the most trouble for you as a carry-on traveler? Which airlines?

Be nice or be listed

“Airline passengers who get frustrated and kick a wall, throw a suitcase or make a pithy comment to a screener could find themselves in a little-known Homeland Security database.

The Transportation Security Administration says it is keeping records of people who make its screeners feel threatened as part of an effort to prevent workplace violence.” - USA Today

Update on June 1, 2010 by Frank@OBOW

TSA blog response:

You may have read or heard about a recent article on how fliers might end up in a TSA workplace violence database. The fact is, TSA screens nearly 2 million passengers each day at over 450 airports nationwide. Since we began the workplace violence program in 2007, we’ve screened over a billion air travelers and yet only about 30 passengers are included on this list.

Roughly 30 names out of the more than 1,000,000,000 passengers screened by TSA since 2007 made the cut.

So how did these 30 folks make the list? Two options:

• The police got involved.  In all but one incident, local police officers responded to assist in resolving the incident.

• They got arrested. In the majority of these cases, the individuals involved were arrested or issued summonses by local law enforcement officers for allegedly assaulting a Transportation Security Officer.

In short, to join this select group, a passenger has to commit an egregious act that harms, or threatens to harm, either passengers, airline personnel, or Transportation Security Officers.

Update on June 1, 2010 by Frank@OBOW

Monte’s new nickname: “Old Number 31”

Quirky & crafty Ryanair

The Emerald Isle’s Rynair has figured out how to make a little more green. The carrier, which - to its credit - encourages traveling with carry-on only, limits flyers to only one bag of the typical international size (55x40x20 cm/ 22x16x8 inches at 10 kg/22 pounds).  Since this size of luggage is so difficult to find (not!) Ryanair will now sell you a Samsonite roller designed (so they say) exclusively for Ryanair. Humorous. Check this:

President of Samsonite Europe Fabio Rugarli, said, “Samsonite’s global expertise in producing innovative luggage to suit all travel occasions, made this project with Ryanair an appealing partnership. Our design and technology specialists responded to the brief, creating well-priced, practical and compact luggage to fit the absolute precise measurements of Ryanair’s hand luggage specifications. We know that there is nothing more reassuring than travelling to the airport with the knowledge that your hand luggage will fit into the aircraft cabin.”

*As this Samsonite bag is softsided, if over-packed it may not fit into Ryanair’s baggage sizers and in such cases Ryanair will require it to be carried as checked-in baggage. - link

That’s right, the bulgy soft-sided roller can easily exceed the size limit, thus incurring a checked charge. And how many poor souls will pack it to 25 pounds with the same result? Ryanair is all heart. If they’re going to sell a bag to encourage carry-on, no-fee travel shouldn’t it be about 2/3 of maximum carry-on size, sans wheels to save weight? As it is, they make money on their bogus bag, then they make money when it’s too heavy or too large!

Efficiency not detected either

A team of more than 3,000 “behaviour detection” officers hired to spot terrorists at US airports have failed to catch a single person despite costing the taxpayer $200 million (£140 million) last year. -  telegraph.co.uk

Rolling with KLW

OBOW poster KLW has a nice post on his packing and preparation for an upcoming trek here.

An app for that - jet lag

Teaming up with the Edinburgh Sleep Centre, Virgin Atlantic has released the Jet Lag Fighter; an app that is compatible with both iPhones and iPads.

To fight jet lag using the…well… Fighter, you’ll first need to type in your flight details as well as a few personal details like age, sex, and any history of insomnia (or sleep patterns). The app then does some crunching and spits out a jet lag fighting itinerary with exact times of day to do some basic activities like sleeping and exercising.

It also tells you when to seek out some light or when to avoid it altogether along with a predictor that tells you exactly which day and time your jet lag will be eliminated. - Matadorgoods.com

(itunes address)

Busy Tom Bihn

More updates and enhancements from Tom Bihn. The Western Flyer now has a new front panel design and a choice of backpack straps or nifty rear pockets - one of which functions as an over-the-handle sleeve:

As a non-backpacker, I’m interested. You don’t have to use a rolling bag to take advantage of the handle slot - it comes in handy if your traveling companion is a roller. If my spouse uses her big rolling bag I often end up towing with my strap knotted around the handle! More from the TB blog.

TWO HORIZ. POCKETS INSTEAD OF THREE + BOTTLE POCKET

Update on May 19, 2010 by Frank@OBOW

Imagine my surprise when I received an e-mail from an editor of Women’s World magazine a few months ago. The queston: Which carry-on bag? Given the need to downsize to avoid gate checks and stuffed overhead bins, I recommended the Western Flyer. Check it (and other picks)  in the latest issue at a supermarket checkout near you. Here’s an image of some of the content:

Human Swiss army knife

He’s French and goes by “Eric the fool.” Nothing that follows could surprise you. Here’s what his jacket holds:

Quoth le fou:

“The weight is 15 kg of clothes, including 12 kg of objects : it seems heavy but actually I do not feel it when walking (I walk a lot) because it is placed all around the body and there are not many “forces” (physics law…) (except if I must climb many stairs), and also I’m used to this (maybe a little muscled now…).

Apart from friends, family, colleagues (and now TV viewers…), nobody knows that I carry all this, I mean that in the street or in public transportation, nobody notices me, hopefully ! (I’m not a clown and I have no time to waste on explanations for people in the street, I prefer to do this once for all : websites are made for this !).

The count of 1300 items can be verified on my site since I provide Excel (.xls) lists. My aim is not to tell all the world about my life, but if I tell some things, at least I don’t want to be considered as a liar… The average weight is very small (about 10 grams), simply because there are many small things that weight nearly nothing (like paperclips, pins, cards, sheets of paper, wires, elastic bands, handkerchiefs and so on) but such items are not here only to increase the count, there is only what’s necessary.” - Eric’s website, which has lists and lots more info

Update on May 16, 2010 by Frank@OBOW

Most of Eric’s site info dates back to 2003 or 2004. Who knows if he’s still fooling around in this wa? Maybe the burden became too great.

Fallows on TSA & NYC

The absence of attacks shows that his measures have “worked”; and a new attack shows that inspections must go  further still. A politician who wants to limit the inspections can never be proven “right.” An absence of attacks means that nothing has gone wrong — yet. Any future attack would always and forever be that politician’s “fault.” Given that asymmetry of risks, what public figure will ever be able to talk about paring back the TSA? - The Atlantic

Handle-friendly Co-Pilot

Tom Bihn’s new personal-size bag now has added functionality:

Tom has updated the design of the Co-Pilot, a new personal carry-on sized travel bag made available for pre-order last month and scheduled to ship in June. The back pocket of the Co-Pilot now features a zip-open (and shut) pocket designed to allow you to slip the bag over the handle of rolling luggage, as seen in the photo below. When not being used in that way, the pocket can be zipped shut for magazines, newspapers, maps, etc. The interior of this pocket is lined with our Dyneema/nylon rip-stop fabric. All Co-Pilots - even those pre-ordered on the very first day - will have the new pocket for rolling luggage handles. - TB blog

OBOW’s first look at the Co-Pilot may be found here.

TSA's got the 311

3-1-1 gone? 

Not so. While we continue to aggressively work to find a way to relax the 3-1-1 requirements, we know liquid explosives still pose a threat to aviation security. This remains a top priority and TSA is partnering with vendors to find a solution that effectively screens liquids. - TSA blog

And you can take that to your failed Icelandic or Greek bank.

More on 3-1-1 fade

For the greatest volume of information from the greatest number of hardcore travelers, turn to FlyerTalk. This I did for feedback on the alleged relaxation ( albeit de facto, unofficial, and inconsistent) of the 3-1-1 liquid rules. I learned that the facts of the MSNBC story referenced below are largely borne out by recent experience. I also learned/was reminded that the FT boards are sometimes rendered almost useless by needless sniping and bitterness. Thank goodness for kinder, gentler OBOWers!

To be honest, enforcement of 3-1-1 has always been spotty. I’ve seen lots of stuff go through and lots go into the trashcan. It is enough to make us rule followers feel like suckers. Still, I’m not feeling lucky. I’ll keeping bagging by rule.

3-1-1 fading away?

Here’s a story from MSNBC that suggests this is so:

The Transportation Security Administration’s unpopular restrictions on liquids, gels and aerosols in carry-on luggage — better known as the 3-1-1 rule — are history.

Passengers say the TSA has all but stopped screening their baggage for liquids. They say transportation security officers no longer ask them to remove lotions, shampoos and even water bottles from their luggage, and overlook all manner of liquids packed in their carry-ons during screening.

“I was never asked about the liquids in my bag or asked to remove them,” says Doris Casamento, a retiree from Naples, Fla., who recently flew from Miami to Rome. “My husband had a bottle of water from the hotel he forgot was in his carry-on and it was never confiscated. The water was in a shallow shoulder-bag bulging practically in plain sight.” - MSNBC/Christopher Elliot

Whether this is the result of blessed restraint, screener fatigue, mission creep, or serendipitous laxity, who knows? Be sure that the “discretion” mentioned by the TSA official can never be counted on when you’d most like to have it. We’ve heard several times before that this easing would come. But I’ll bet if this policy could talk, one day soon it will say, “Reports of my death were greatly exxagerated.”

Update on May 10, 2010 by Frank@OBOW

Thanks to Super Monte for the tip on this one.

UK luggage allowance guide

Here’s a list of airline luggage allowances for carriers operating out of the UK. Irritatingly, it doesn’t always give dimensions for carry-ons but has all the weights. And since it’s from a newspaper we can assume it’s up-to-date.

You knew this was going to happen

Do strip search scanners really enhance security? Maybe. Do they facilitate locker room humor and offer infinite opportunity for embarrasment and coarse jokes? Definitely.

An airport security guard allegedly battered a colleague who ridiculed him about the size of his manhood after he walked through a hi-tech body scanner.

Miami-Dade Police say Rolando Negrin snapped because he ‘couldn’t take the jokes anymore’.

During a training session at Miami International Airport, Negrin’s co-workers had noticed his private parts as he walked through a new ‘whole body image’ machine. - Daily Mail

Don’t worry, I’m sure only employees are subjected to this type of scrutiny — never passengers. See the police report here.

Time for a new term?

Maximum underseat size…MUSS? If this trend continues — maybe so. Expect only one thing in air travel: inconsistency. That’s what you get with business models that are borderline profitable at best operating in an environment  of (mis)regulation and reactionary security policy. Traveling light used to equal simple. No more.

Maybe a new category of light travelers will be necessary. You used to be a one bagger, soon you may be an underseat bagger. Share your cabin baggage hassles here.

Euro liquidity

The European Union will end current restrictions on liquids in air passengers’ hand luggage by April 2013 in an overhaul of aviation security, the EU’s executive said on Thursday.

European airports will have to install new technology capable of detecting liquid explosives as a result of the move.- Reuters via Globe & Mail

I’m filing this in the “Don’t hold your breath” category. This depends on the assumption that the proper (very expensive) scanners will be in place across Europe in time — doubtful in my opinion. One unfortunate incident and everything changes. We all know that.

To hood or not to hood

A comment on the Aqua0 raincoat review post decried the garment's lack of a hood. In my experience a hood is fine on the trail or in very familiar territory. In a strange place or a very intense urban area it's a hassle at least, if not an outright hazard due to the limiting of peripheral vision. Therefore, the smart money (what little I have) is on the hat. For eyeglass wearers the brim keeps the windows a good bit clearer too.

Aqua0 coat - dry and (reasonably) classy

REAL WORLD, REAL RAIN

The Aqua0 travel trench coat seems to do exactly what it was designed to do - keep you dry, weigh very little, and look a lot better with a business suit or sport coat than most lightweight raincoats would. The below-the-knee length is great. It’s just blousy enough at the bottom to keep your trousers dry almost all the way to the cuffs in a moderate rain shower. I was in a steady drizzle with the Aqua0 for about 15 minutes and only my shoes got really wet. With its polyester fabric the Aqua0 will never be mistaken for a Burberry but looks reasonably good. The coat comes folded in a separate storage pouch that’s about 10x14 inches. The folding creases linger, but I’m not sure who’ll care in the midst of deluge. The coat weighs about 11 ounces  - more than a waist-length performance-style raincoat, but well worth it if you’re a business traveler who goes carry-on only. The Aqua0 is also useful as a just-in-case for the car or briefcase.

The Aqua0 is vented across the back with mesh lining above the vent and two velcro patches to close the overlapping vent more or less tightly. I used the Aqua0 on a 65-degree spring day with a nylon travel shirt and cotton undershirt underneath. It was more comfortable than I expected and it did keep me completely dry. It’s probably a good three-season coat in most climates. It would surely get a little warm and sticky above 70-75 degrees F. It seems ideal for climates like England and Scotland where it’s ususally cool, rains a lot, and often rains sideways. I could have used it in London a couple of winters ago. Being windproof, it would make a warm winter alternative with only a little light layering. And the length means you can sit without getting wet.

The coat has two handwarmer-type pockets and no interior pockets. The pockets are not vented so they might tend to hold water in a real downpout. There are no interior pockets.

Color choices are khaki and black for men’s and women’s - plus red, yellow, and blue for women’s only.

The Aqua0 is $69.99 and is made in China.

Update on April 24, 2010 by Frank@OBOW

OBOW Forum thread about the Aqua0 here.

JakPak shelter clothing

With all the comments about the JakPak I thought it wise to post a graphic and a link.

CLICK TO VISIT JAKPAK.COM

A large weighs just over three pounds.