Daily Roundup--April 5, 2012

Surf Air, which will begin flying this summer, will operate a unique air service. For a flat monthly fee, passengers can fly as often as they want, as long as seats are available. The airline will fly single engine eight-passenger turboprops on a loop of smaller regional airports around central California. And because it’s a private service, passengers don’t have to go through screening. They literally  drive to the airport, hand their keys to a valet, take their luggage to the pilots who store it, and go on board. No shoes off, no nude-o-scope, no smurfs.

Malaysia Airlines is upping its no-kids policy on their Airbus A380’s. First it was no babies in first class. Now it’s no kids under 12 in the upper level economy section.

Pay to Carry-On?

Now that Allegiant Air is the second U.S. based carrier to charge for carry-on bags—at least those that go in the overhead compartments—the talk on the internet is whether or not this will be a trend. Can we expect to see this on all airilines?

My initial response: I doubt it.

Let’s look at what’s been going on so far. Two airlines, Spirit and Allegiant Air, charge for carry-ons. Both of these airlines cater to the leisure traveler and especially those who want to buy cheap tickets.

The major airlines, the legacy carriers, rely much more on business customers, those who are willing to fly at the last minute and pay for the privilege. They want to carry on because they don’t want to waste valuable work time at the baggage carousel.  They don’t want to be told they must pay to carry on their bags. Do this and these same customers may jump to another airline.

Most airlines will tell you, customer loyalty can mean the difference between profit and bankruptcy. So if not charging for carry-on bags, or even looking the other way if a carry-on is slightly too big, keeps their most loyal customers loyal, that’s the practice they’ll continue to practice under. Discount airlines, on the other hand, know their customers are buying mostly due to low ticket prices, will keep their prices low and add on as many additional fees as possible.

Daily Roundup--April 2, 2012

Pinnacle Airlines, which operates regional flights for Delta, United and USAir, under the brands Pinnacle and Colgan Airways, has filed for bankruptcy protection. As part of its reorganization, the airline will drop its services for United and USAir and attempt to eliminate additional flights under the Essential Air Service program. The vast majority of Pinnacle’s flights are for Delta.

Airtran was voted the best U.S. airline for for customer service and reliability. Too bad it no longer exists. I’m sure you’re aware it was purchased and incorporated into Southwest Airlines which was rated somewhere in the middle of the survey.

Starting Wednesday, Allegiant Air will be the second U.S. carrier to charge for carry-on luggage.  One small personal item will beallowed but if you want to use the overhead, it will cost you. Allegiant says all details will be on its website sometime Tuesday.

How To Series: Step One--Getting Started

Over the next few weeks, months, or maybe even years, we’re going to publish a series of “How To” articles on onebagging.

These will, we hope, not only help those who wish to enter the realm of one bag travel but also those with more experience to streamline your voyages.

To start, I suggest everyone read the “Intro” to this site located in subheads at the top of this page. This was eloquently written by the founder of this site, Brad Isbell, and concisely states what this site is about.

To make it easy on  you,  here’s a link:

Introduction to One Bag, One World

If you look up onebagging in the dictionary, you won’t find much. You definitely won’t find any definition because there is none. One bagging is described differently by each and every one of us.

For the sake of this website, we will go with the belief of using non-wheeled luggage. I know many of you use wheels, and that is your right and privilege. One bagging is not a law, a rule, or set in stone. You have to decide what it means to you.

However, most of what we discuss will pertain to wheeless bags no larger than standard carry-on size (22 x 14 x 9). That’s doesn’t mean you can’t get something out of this site if you carry your stuff a different way. It just means you have to modify it.

Okay, you’ve read the introduction, you’ve checked out the blog and reader’s forum. Now what? Well, we’re one baggers so it must be buying a bag. Right?

Wrong.

Buying a bag is not your first step, it’s not even your second step.

Your first step is to……

Decide what kind of traveling you’ll be doing.

Is it for business? Pleasure? Urban or Rural? Resort or Adventure? Or perhaps a combination.

Packing for a business trip with lots of high tech equipment is different than packing for a hiking holiday in the Alps. Not only can it affect what you pack but what kind of bag is best for the situation.

You also want to think about the modes of transportation you’ll be using. Are most of your trips via car or are you someone who jets around the world and then hops on mass transit to get to your  hotel or appointment? Are you a train traveler responsible for your own luggage?

Without knowing this, the rest is meaningless.

Your assignment is to spend some time thinking about your future trips and categorizing them. Once this is done, you’ll be ready for the next step: Deciding what to take.

See you there. 

Daily Roundup--March 27, 2012

Spain’s Iberia Airlines has launched a new discount airline, Iberia Express. And because of that, Iberia’s Pilots will strike every Monday and Friday between April 9 and July 20. They claim the new airline is a threat to their jobs and current work conditions.

And speaking of strikes, ground handlers at Frankfurt, Munich, Dusseldorf and Cologne, walked off their jobs today for a few hours forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights. They have an ongoing pay dispute with their employers. These wildcat strikes have been going on for awhile and the union promises more in the near future.

More national parks are banning the sale of disposable water bottles.

It’s not just the passengers who sometimes have a bad day at 30,000 feet.

Bag Thefts Are Skyrocketing

Quite often, I get a lecture from a traveler, as to why they always check a bag even if it’s small enough to be carried onto the plane.

“Why should I lug that bag through the airport especially if my airline offers free checking?” they ask. “After all, I’ve never had a problem.”

Yet.

This news story shocked me as to the magnitude of the problem of baggage theft. And it’s not just going on at one airport.

JFK gets upwards of 200 bag thefts a day.

 Perhaps we should change the slogan from “Keep calm and carry-on” to “Out of sight, out of luck.”

 I’ll continue to pack light and carry on.

Daily Roundup--March 26, 2012

TSA is being taken to the carpet by Congress in hearings underway in Washington, D.C.

Delta is offering a new economy fare class. Once ticketed there are no changes, refunds or pre-selected seats.

Delta is expanding and renovating its hub at New York’s Laguardia Airport.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has trained a number of dogs to sniff out contraband food  from arriving international passengers. These “passive alert dogs” sit when they smell something they’re trained to react to. Why can’t TSA do the same thing with dogs only teach them to alert to explosives? Then, we wouldn’t be forced to go through advanced radiation emitting machines or groped. 

How To......

I realize that of the thousands of people that come to this site every day, some are newcomers trying to learn about one bagging, others are here trying to get better at it, and some well, they pack so light you’d think they’re vacationing on the Isle of Levant.

I thought, why not start a series of “tutorials” on how to be a one bagger. I’ll break it down into individual subjects, write the main article, and then invite all of you to add your own tips and tricks.

And if there’s a topic you want me to cover, let me know.

Here are some of the topics I plan to include:

—How to choose a bag

—how to pack

—what to pack

—toiletries, liquids and related items

—how to do laundry

Any other ideas?

Convertible Bags

Here’s a list of convertible bags, available in the USA, from lightest to heaviest and their dimensions. If I’ve left a bag out, especially if you live outside the USA and know of a bag available in your area of the world, let me know. Sorry, you’ll have to do your own metric conversion.

For our definition, a convertible bag is one with hideaway backpack straps and its size conforms to most airline carry-on limits.

Name of Bag                              Weight                   Dimensions (inches)

Campmor Essential Carry On   1lb 12 oz                 21 x 13 x 9

Golite Convertible                     2 lbs.                       21 x 14 x 7

Goodhope Conv.                       2 lbs.                       18 x 12 x 6.5

L.L. Bean Quickload                   2 lbs  2oz                21.75 x 14 x 9

REI Overnighter                         2 lbs  3oz               18 x 12.5 x 7

Osprey Porter 46                       2 lbs, 7 oz                22 x 14 x 9

Tom Bihn Western Flyer             2 lbs  8oz                18 x 12 x 7

Eagle Creek Adv. Weekender       2 lb  9 oz                  20 x 13 x 8

Caribee Sky Master                    2 lbs  10oz              21.25 x 13 x 7

Tom Bihn Aeronaut                     2 lbs  12oz              22 x 14 x 9

Patagonia MLC                           2 lbs   15oz             20.5 x 13.5 x 7

Rick Steves Convertible              3 lbs                        21 x 14 x 9

Timbuk 2 Wingman                      3 lbs  4oz               21.5 x 14.2 x 6.9

Tom Bihn Tri-Star                         3 lbs  7oz               19 x 13 x 8

MEI Voyageur                              3 lbs  8oz               22 x 14 x 9

Tough Traveler Tri-Zip                  3 lbs  8oz              20 x 13 x 9

Ebags Etech                                 3 lbs  10oz            22 x 14 x 9

Ebags Motherlode TLS                 3 lbs  11oz.           22 x 14 x 9

MEI Exec. Overnighter                  3 lbs  12oz.           22 x 14 x 9

Red Oxx Air Boss **                     3 lbs  14oz            21 x 13 x 8

Pacsafe Metrosafe 400                4 lbs                      18.5 x 12.6 x 6.7

Red Oxx Sky Train                         4 lbs                     20 x 13 x 9

Qwstion Weekender                    4 lbs 3oz               19.7 x 13 x 7.87

Eddie Bauer Travex                       ???????                21 x 12 x 9

**— The Red Oxx Air Boss does not have backpack straps but due to its popularity among one bag travelers I’m  including it in this list.

Non-USA Bags

Cabin Max                            1.2 KG          55 x 40 x 29 cm      (UK)

Black Wolf Skedaddle            1.34 kg          52 x 35 x 27 cm      (Aus./NZ only)

Tatonka Flightcase                1.65               55 x 32 x 20  ccm        (UK)

Kathmandu Axis Pack             700g                    25 L                 (Aus./NZ/UK only)

Lowe Alping TT Carry-On          ?                 55 x 35 x 20 cm          (UK)

Daily Roundup--March 23, 2012

A wildcat strike by Air Canada ground workers in Toronto and Montreal is over although dozens of flights have been affected. The strike is part of the ongoing tension between the airline, its workers and the Canadian government.

Israel and the EU have entered into an Open Skies agreement that will be phased in gradually through 2017. The agreement allows any EU carrier that wishes to may fly to Israel and Israeli carriers to fly anywhere in the EU. Israel will also adopt the EU’s regulatory requirements and standards.

United Airlines is pulling out of Oakland in early June. Currently, the airline only flies one route from that Bay area airport:  OAK-DEN. United will  continue operating a hub at nearby SFO.

Last October, Italy’s famed Cinque Terre, located on the northwest coastline, and one of the most beautiful and crowded areas of the country, was hit by terrible rains and flooding. Two of the five towns, Vernazza and Monterosso, were devastated by flooding. Many homes and business were either severely damaged or destroyed. Through hard work and diligence, the area has been cleaned up and is ready for tourists.

Daily Roundup--March 22, 2012

More people visited the United States last year  than any other year in history. And they spent more.  62 million people and $130 billion in case you were interested. Considering we make foreigners practically jump through hoops to get here, that’s an impressive number. Can you guess where most of the people are from?  Canada, Mexico and Britain.

The Czech government announced they will rename Prague’s airport in honor of former President and playwright Vaclev Havel.  Now if the Yotel people ever decide to open one of their micro-hotels at that airport, they could call it Havel’s Hovel. (Do I hear groaning?)

The Portugeuse are the latest to strike shutting down trains, ports and most public transit.

Have you ever flown on a plane with a broken toilet? I have, and it is something of an inconvenience. But that’s nothing compared to the ordeal the passengers of a recent United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Shanghai had to endure. What was supposed to be a 13 hour flight turned into an additional two day layover in Alaska.

Daily Roundup--March 20, 2012

Pending FAA approval, Little Rock is renaming its airport the “Bill and Hilary Clinton National Airport.”The three letter airport code, LIT, will not change.

The National Park Service is increasing noise restrictions on sightseeing flights over the Grand Canyon. The new rules would limit the number of flights, hours and routes allowed. The air tour operaters say it will hurt their business and the environmentalists say the new rules are not strict enough.

TSA Pre, the expedited airport screening program, has started at Washington’s Reagan National and Chicago’s O’hare airports.

The future doesn’t look good for India’s Kingfisher Airlines. Not only is India threatening to take away their operating license, but the airline itself announced it will stop all international flights next month.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. If you’ve never visited the naiton’s capital during this time of year, and walked the Tidal Basin, put it on your bucket list. It’s beautiful. And give yourself time. You’ll not only want to enjoy the stroll but visit the Memorials dedicated to Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Martin Luther King. 

Just In Time for St. Patrick's Day

Top of the morning to ya……almost everyone headed to Dublin is looking to parch their thirst with a good pint. And Dublin has no shortage of pubs. But which one to choose?

There’s now a website for just that reason. Publin.ie let’s thirsty travelers search for pubs by various means as well as rate them.

 There will soon be apps available for both apple and android.

 Just thinking about a perfectly poured glass of Guinness makes me feel warm all over.

Daily Roundup--March 14, 2012

U.S. Airways is gobbling up internet domain names that might be useful should they merge with American Airlines.

TSA will start testing a new program that will allow travelers over the age of 75 to leave their shoes and light jackets on while going through airport security. The test will be at four airports: Chicago O’hare, Denver, Orlando and Portland  (Oregon).

Orlando’s Sanford Airport, a secondary airport north of the city, wants to get rid of the TSA and hire private screeners. There are 16 other airports that want to do the same and are waiting for TSA approval.

Gear Review: Qmadix 3-in-1 Retractable Charger

As most regular readers here know, I’m always looking for new items that will make my travels lighter and easier. Recently, I got rid of most of my charging cables and replaced them with retractable ones. Less mess, less tangling and less confusion at the xray machines. (I’m convinced airport security people don’t like wires.)

But I was looking for something more. And that’s when I found the Qmadix 3-in-1 Retractable USB Cord. It takes the place of three of my individual cords.

One side is a standard USB plug for use either in a computer or wall charger. On the other end are three different plugs, a mini-USB, a micro-USB, and one for an Iphone or Ipod. 

It weighs 0.8 oz, measure 5 1/2 inches and extends to about 30 inches.

I like it but there is one caveat. While I have no problem charging devices with the Qmadix via a USB Wall charger, charging via computer is intermittent. I have no problem with my netbook but can’t get it to work with my laptop. If you rely on a computer to charge your smaller devices, be warned.

Price is all over the place. It retails for $25. I paid $10 including shipping from a third party on Amazon. The price has now gone up from that same supplier to $11.50 including shipping.

 

Dressing Properly in First Class

The next time you want an upgrade to first class, remember it’s important to dress properly. Although it’s not necessary to dress in formal wear like these two:

Yes, these two were flying first class yesterday on a Delta flight from San Antonio to Atlanta. They are residents of Sea World.

Daily Roundup--March 8, 2012

The FAA is predicting that the number of airline passengers will double in the next 20 years. You think the overhead bins are crowded now!!!!!

This Saturday is Passport Day. You can show up at your local passport agency with photos, applications and money and not need an appointment.

Earlier today, Air Canada threatened to lock out their pilots next Monday, the day the aviators called a strike. However, the Canadian government has stepped in and said no to the lockout and strike and is sending both sides to a federal tribunal.

Here’s what one writer thinks are the Ten Best Travel Inventions Of All Time. Do you agree?

Can TSA's New Xray Scanners Be Beaten?

I understand that it’s important to protect our skies from people meant to do us harm. But occasionally, I question the tactics the TSA uses to get this job done.

One of my biggest problems, and not just mine, is the use of different types of xray machines that can see under our clothing. Not only is this an invasion of my privacy but I often question just how good a job they do. Sure, the TSA is now concerned that someone might take a non-metallic explosive on board, but are these new machines really the answer? How about bomb sniffing dogs or trace detection machines—both of which work extremely well without invading our privacy—in addition to the good old metal detector? 

I wonder if these machines are being used for political reasons such as the fact that the lobbying firm owned by Michael Chertoff, former head of Homeland Security, represents the main manufacturer of the xray machines or the fact that some members of Congress are stockholders.

Either way, perhaps the video on this website will answer my main question: can the xray machines be beaten?

I understand that protecting our skies from terrorists is a tough job. And I thank those who are dedicated to doing that. But instead of buying products from the company with the biggest check book, how about listening to the real experts and follow their advice. We, as honest American citizens, will thank you for it.

Bigger Bins

Lately, almost all the news coming out about airlines has been, well, bad for us and good for them. But now, the airlines are actually doing something for us passengers. Especially those of us who are strict carry-on fliers. Many of our favorite airlines are replacing their overhead bins with newer versions that will hold more bags. Yeah.

 Bigger Bins

Goodbye Continental

On Saturday, March 3, at approximately 12:35 p.m. Central time, Continental flight #6 from Tokyo’s Narita Airport will land in Houston. If will be the last Continental flight to land. From now on, they will be United flights.

Only four U.S. legacy carriers left.