Search Results for: blog travel gadget bag tracker

Summer Travel Tidbits—In Search of Slopes, Surf and Suitcase Rebates

SKI/SURF And here I thought the Big Island of Hawaii was the only place in the United States where you could surf and ski in the same afternoon. Travelers to Kellogg, Idaho know better. Last weekend visitors to the city’s newest addition—-the Silver Rapids Indoor Waterpark–had the rare opportunity to ski and surf when the end of the ski season (June 1st) overlapped with the opening of surf season (May 30th). Okay, it’s not quite as natural as the ski and surf option Hawaii offers, but Idaho’s version was big enough to make headlines in that neck of the woods. … Continue reading →

Travel Insanity—Airline Charges for One Checked Bag

Not an extra bag. Not an extra carry-on. I’m talking about one single checked bag. American Airlines just announced it plans to start charging $15 for passengers to check in a single suitcase. INSANITY! Oh, and did I mention it also plans to cut flights and lay off thousands of workers too? The nation’s largest carrier blames the moves on record-high fuel prices. INSANITY! They are serious folks. Beginning June 15th—as in three weeks from now—if you are flying American you will be charged $15 for the first suitcase you check in and $25 for the second piece of luggage … Continue reading →

Affordable Last-Minute Travel Gifts

You can’t afford to give your cousin the $300 22-inch rolling carry-on he wants and you certainly don’t have $250 to drop on the bubble gum pink travel case your son’s latest girlfriend wants for Christmas. So what do you get for the frequent flyers and riders in your life when you are low on cash and short on time? Here are a few ideas: If you can’t afford new luggage get the next best thing—new luggage tags. The Luggage Retriever ($40) clips on to the bag of your choice and emits an electronic beep when activated by a key-chain-like … Continue reading →

Last-Minute Gifts for Those Fighting the “Black Bag War”

A couple of years ago I wrote a blog entitled “Black Bag War.” It was an ode to the millions of airline passengers forced to huddle around luggage carousels and decipher which of the hundreds of rotating black suitcases rightfully belonged to them. In the 20 months or so since I wrote that piece luggage manufacturers have expanded their color palettes and now offer a wide variety of products in funky styles and colors. Now you can buy a wardrobe of luggage to fit your particular lifestyle and mix and match as needed. What’s more, if you are still searching … Continue reading →

More Gift Ideas For Frequent Travelers

Have you wrapped up the perfect gift for the frequent flyer in your life? Have you even found the perfect gift for the weary traveler in your life? If you answered no to the latter question then you are in luck—-there’s still time to find great presents for all those frequent travelers on your list. This is a continuation of the gift options I listed in a previous blog. Airline Gift Certificates. You might not be able to afford to buy your favorite flyer a round-trip ticket to Hawaii, but you can help contribute to one via a gift certificate. … Continue reading →

Gift Ideas For Frequent Travelers

Forget about the goofy tie and the poinsettia set in a terra cotta pot. If you have frequent travelers on your holiday gift list you need to be thinking about function at 35,000 feet, or at least behind the wheel of a car. This blog was actually inspired by an item I saw on sale at Target this week—-a road emergency kit. This one retails for just $25 and includes the basics. However, if you have the time and inclination you could get even more creative and tailor the contents specifically for your special traveler. Simply get a sturdy duffel … Continue reading →

Your Bag Could Be Next

Just in time for the holiday crush the U.S. Department of Transportation released new figures revealing how many weary travelers were forced to deal with missing bag syndrome last year. According to the new report, U.S. carriers misplaced an average of 6.73 bags for every 1,000 customers in 2006, up from 6.64 bags per thousand the previous year. That’s more than four million bags that went missing last year in the U.S. alone. And more bad news—while the majority of the bags were reunited with their owners within 48 hours, thousands of pieces of luggage were permanently lost. Is your … Continue reading →

Product Review: A Kitchen Gadget Request

I’ve done my share of product reviews in various blog categories from the cotton candy maker to the super chamois, the bag tracker to the pasta express, mopping shoes to bug zappers. I especially love reviewing kitchen gadgets. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—I love anything that claims it will make life easier. And, it would seem as though I am not alone. Judging by reader comments there are many people out there who share my love of handy-dandy products. A few months ago I got a comment from Jaime who asked if I had ever heard … Continue reading →

Travelers Learn A Lesson From A Hollywood Star–Keep Your Eyes On Your Bags

If you missed the news flash allow me to fill you in: Actress Lindsay Lohan has been reunited with her carry-on bag. Yes, Scotland Yard has been notified (literary) and they have called off the search. According to news reports, the 20-year-old actress whose tear-stained face was plastered inside of London’s Evening Standard newspaper Friday can smile once again. British police said they had recovered a handbag that went missing from the star’s luggage cart at London’s Heathrow Airport. Hours after Lohan realized the orange Hermes bag (which contained cash, Lohan’s passport, asthma medication, and jewelry worth an estimated $1 … Continue reading →

Travel Gadget For Kids–The Review

Regular readers of my blogs know that I am a mother of a toddler, someone who travels quite a bit, and a self-professed “sucker for new products.” So when I see a new product that says it is made “especially for the traveling toddler,” I figure the manufacturer is speaking directly to me. Such is the case with the “Seat Chiller.” The “Seat Chiller” is exactly that—a product specifically designed to “chill” your child’s car seat on a hot day. Okay, so I live in Wisconsin, where you can count on one hand the number of days that the mercury … Continue reading →