Summer Travel Season is Here!

With the coming of June brings the end of school and the beginning of the Summer Travel Season.  Are you ready for the summer travel season?  We have some ideas for you to minimize the time you spend in the Airport and maximize the time you spend Enjoying Your Vacation.

Pack Smart!  Airlines are tightening their restrictions on weight and quantity of baggage that you are allowed to take with you.  Many airlines now limit luggage to one carry-on and two checked pieces; after that, expect to pay $80 or more for each extra bag. And all checked luggage must meet strict weight and size limits.  Overweight charges can range from $25-$100 per bag.  Check your airline’s website for rules and restrictions with regards to luggage before you travel.

• Never Pay Overweight Charges Again!  We found a great item at the Travel Goods Show in Las Vegas earlier this year, The Balanzza Digital Luggage Scale.  This was probably the best item that we have found so far for travel.  It is lightweight, easy to use and will save you money!
  
• The Balanzza Digital Luggage Scale is easy to use, just attach to your bag, turn it on, pick your bag up, wait for the beep, and look at the easy to read digital display to know your luggage weight!  Take it with you to weigh your bag after you have gone souvenir shopping so you will know if you need to leave any clothes behind to make room for your treasures.  This is one item that we will not travel without!

Organize your trip!  You can travel without being planned and organized, but we don’t recommend it.  Remember that you will be standing in longer lines at the ticket counter, security checks, and baggage claim this summer so be prepared.  Here are some ideas to make your wait in these lines minimal, your trips easier, and you a happier traveler because that really is the point, isn’t it?

• Have Technology, Will Travel  We are in the computer age, right?  So act like it!  Utilize electronic ticketing when available and electronic check in kiosks.  I know, we all love to get the human touch, but if I can do the same for myself and spend a little extra time with the nice folks at the gate rather than the grumpy ones at the ticket counter dealing with all of the impatiently waiting customers, I am a happy traveler.
  Timing is Everything  If you can, travel early in the day.  There is usually less traffic, fewer crowds, and the airport employees are more fresh and ready for the start of the day, even if you aren’t.

• Keep it together.  Keep your important documents, including your ID, Passport (if necessary), Ticket, Boarding Pass, Immunization Record (if necessary), VISA (if necessary), and any other documentation in one place using a Retractable ID Holder which clips to your clothes and holds all of your papers in one easy to access place. 

• Make your trip through the scanner easy, fast and pain free.  I was traveling with my family on vacation last year and left my wallet, cell phone, and keys at the end of the conveyor belt at the security scanner!  Fortunately, the Good Samaritan behind me in line saw what I had done and saved me by calling me back to gather my belongings.  What would have happened if she had not been there… I don’t even want to think of it.  That is why I now have the Speed Pass Luggage Tag.  It attaches to my carry on bag like a standard luggage tag, but it has a fold out pouch that holds my wallet, keys, change, etc while my bag goes through the scanner.  Then I only have to remember to grab my bag and everything is together until I reach my gate to board the plane and put everything back in my pockets.  What a Lifesaver!  Slip on shoes are also nice to have for security scans!

• Is that my Black Rolling Suitcase?  Do you know how many black rolling suitcases there are in the world?  I would guess about a Billion!  This may be a little high, but not too much, I have 5 of them myself!  I have seen Duct Tape used to distinguish them (not recommended unless that is stylish where you come from), Plastic Ribbon (like at a crime scene, also not recommended), and all manner of creative works of art.  If you are like me, you want to be able to recognize your bag at a glance but don’t want to be the peak of Duct Tape fashion.  There are a multitude of different Luggage Accessories that you can use to stand out in the crowd without getting the whispers of “Did you see that bag?” and “I didn’t know you could do that with Duct Tape.”  We recommend trying some Luggage Handle wraps that add style and comfort to your bag, check out our selection at Tall Giraffe Traders.

• The most important is always last  Be sure to be patient and courteous with everyone you encounter while traveling.  A little courtesy can go a long way towards making a pleasant experience for everyone involved.  Don’t let some small bump in the road ruin your whole trip, there are more important things to worry about.

Traveling is supposed to be fun, right?  You have worked hard so that you can go on your trip; Remember to have Fun!