Search Results for: blog protecting your luggage

Why You Shouldn’t Have Your Film Go Through Airport X-Ray Machines

In my previous blog I reminded you of the TSA’s rule, which prohibits travelers from packing unused rolls of film in checked luggage. The airport’s sophisticated, high intensity x-ray machines used to screen checked bags have been proven to destroy unused rolls of film. However, the TSA maintains film (both used and unused) can safely be screened in x-ray machines used for carry-on bags. But camera experts disagree. They recommend travelers have all their film hand inspected by airport security personnel. TSA agents are schooled to inform passengers that the x-rays used to screen carry-on bags will not damage or … Continue reading →

Rules to Remember Before Taking Your Camera on an Airplane

Yesterday I blogged about how a TSA agent spared me from destroying unused rolls of films I inadvertently packed in my checked in luggage during a recent trip. Today I thought it would be helpful to review the rules airlines have in place in regards to flying with photo equipment. Here’s what you need to know before you take your camera on your next flight: YES. You can take your camera on the airplane, though I would recommend packing it in your carry-on bag rather than in your checked suitcase given the number of bags the airlines’ loses each year. … Continue reading →

Why You Should Never Pack Unused Film in Your Suitcase

It’s a lesson I almost found out the hard way. Yes, the rule is posted in bold letters on the security placards to the right of the airline’s check-in desks, but I don’t typically travel with film (you might not either if you shoot with a digital camera). However, during my most recent trip home to Hawaii I brought along my favorite camera and had a few spare rolls of film packed in my suitcase. That’s a major no-no, according to the TSA agent who was in the process of lifting my checked bag onto the x-ray machine when she … Continue reading →

Airline Luggage Wars—-Can It Get Any Worse?

I’ve had my share of luggage horror stories (many of which I’ve shared on this site), but now I am bracing for what could prove to be a cataclysmic move by the airline industry in regards to checked bags. As if the price of airfare wasn’t enough to force you to vacation in your own backyard airlines are about to take another shot at your wallet via your luggage. Recently, United Airlines announced that it would be making a major (and alarming) change in its checked baggage policy. Instead of being able to check in two bags for free, as … Continue reading →

Protecting Your Luggage

In previous blogs I’ve written about the horror of experiencing lost luggage (it’s been a record year for lost bags), but I have neglected to detail what recourse you have should an airline misplace your baggage. As I noted above, 2007 has been a terrible year for baggage handling across the board. According to travel experts, more than 3.5 million travelers suffered luggage problems in just the first 9 months of the year. Bags were lost, damaged, temporarily misplaced, and in some cases the contents of some pieces of luggage were stolen by airport employees. Making matter worse is the … Continue reading →

Hotels Stealing a Priceless Commodity

Not your Louis Vuitton luggage, your precious tech toys or the treasured stuffed souvenirs you spent three hours trying to win during your trip to the amusement park.  Some hotels are taking something far more valuable from unsuspecting guests–their health. According to a new study, if you are spending the night in a nonsmoking room at a hotel with a partial smoking ban, you are not fully protected from harmful exposure to so-called “third-hand” smoke.  Researchers at San Diego State University discovered that tobacco pollution can easily congregate on surfaces in both smoking and nonsmoking hotel rooms. “Our findings demonstrate … Continue reading →

Save Big By Traveling Smart

Believe it or not there are ways you can save on a dream vacation without having to sit in a plane’s cargo hold or sleep in a roach-infested motel. One way is to learn the importance of timing. Deciding when to book a trip is critical when you are traveling on a budget. For example, you will be hard pressed to find cheap airfare to Hawaii during the winter holidays; however, if you are able to vacation in early fall or late spring, you can save up to 50% on airfare to the “Aloha State.” Fall is one of the … Continue reading →

Hotel Sticker Shock

Earlier this year, my family took a pre-spring break trip to a popular water park hotel just north of Chicago. We chose a standard room that slept four and included passes to the massive indoor water park. For $119 per night, I thought it was a steal. Unfortunately, by the time taxes and resort fees were added on, the bill for our two-night stay ballooned to more than $300, not including meals or parking. Resort fees can really take a bite out of your vacation budget, regardless of whether you book a summer stay or one in the dead of … Continue reading →

Bag ID

Whether you are jetting off to Burlingame, California, to visit the world’s largest Pez dispenser or you’re planning a family trip to the Paris Texas Eiffel Tower in Paris, Texas (it measures nearly 65 feet tall and has a cowboy hat on top), you’ll want to avoid luggage loss. These days airport baggage carousels are known as “black holes” since they accommodate a prolific amount of identical-looking dark-colored suitcases. So how can you avoid grabbing the wrong bag, or worse, having some other traveler walk away with the personal belongings you have tucked away in your black luggage? Here are … Continue reading →

Travel and Germaphobes

Traveling’s tough for germaphobes. In addition to protecting themselves from bacteria found in airport bathrooms, the airplane’s tray tables and seat pockets, they have to contend with dirty luggage. Fortunately, studies show that checked bags that are exposed to grease, mud, and a host of other foreign slime won’t likely make you sick. Of course, there is always the possibility that E.coli might take up residence on the bottom of your bag, so it’s always a good idea to formulate a post-trip cleaning plan sooner rather than later, especially if you are a germaphobe. Health experts suggest that upon landing … Continue reading →