Entirely Bags – Travel & Luggage Blog

Are you one of those passengers who rush the boarding area and try to sneak in with Zone 1 even though you’re Zone 5 just to get space for your carry-ons? If so, here’s some good news for you! Overhead bin space is getting bigger to accommodate more luggage.

CBS News is reporting that several airlines are installing new overhead bins on their planes in an attempt to accommodate more luggage as passengers tend to carry on more in order to avoid checked baggage fees.

Where can you find some of these bigger overhead bins?

United Airlines is replacing bin doors on 152 planes starting in April. The new doors apparently have more of an outward curve than existing bins which allow you to slide your bag in wheels first. The new bins can be found on the airline’s fleet of Airbus A320s and will take capacity from 64 to 106 roll-on bags.

American Airlines older fleet of 737s is undergoing the same type of bin door rehab as United while their new 737s will hold 48 more bags due to larger overhead bins.

Delta Airlines has increased their overhead bin space on their 767s by 23%, but only expect to see that on international routes.

US Airways redid some overhead bins on their 757s in 2008, but nothing was done recently.

Boeing, who is the maker of the new 787 Dreamliner is working hard to ensure that the overhead bin space on the new plane is enough to make all flyers happy. They say their 787-800 will hold 10% more carry-on bags than the 777 which is a larger plane.

If you’re like me, you like to protect your investment in electronic gadgets. Cell phones, laptop computers, tablets – they all take a beating whether from the daily commute, a toddler or fighting your way through an airport.

It pains me to see someone whip out an iPad and see it in all its naked glory. After spending hundreds of dollars on an iPad, the first thing I did was invest in a quality iPad case that would protect the screen during travel, help prevent damage if it was dropped and give it an uber-cool look to attract some attention.

Since the introduction of the iPad in 2010, the device is now as common in the board room as it is in the living room as business people are relying on it more than their trusted laptop computer. With this switch, comes Apple iPad cases that are more like traveling offices than just a cover to protect the screen.

There are several different style of iPad cases available:

• iPad Sleeves – For the casual user, these are great. Like the name implies, and iPad sleeve protects the device during travel but does not protect it during use. Simply slide the iPad into the sleeve when you’re not using it, and slide it out when you are.
• iPad Briefcase – Like the name implies, iPad briefcases are more than just a case for your iPad. These cases generally contain multiple compartments for notebooks, pens, business cards and other accessories.
• iPad Binder Case – Think three-ring notebook meet iPad. These iPad Binder Cases are designed to accommodate three hole punched paper or calendars. Some also allow for storage of small items, but most are designed to be thin.
• iPad Portfolio Case – The iPad Portfolio Case is a similar to a binder style case, but doesn’t have a three-ring binder. These portfolio cases generally have a place to hold your iPad along with a legal or letter size note pad, pen, business cards and other papers.

For the iPad owner who’s looking to read books, play games and surf the web an iPad Sleeve is generally your best bet. For the business person who is a heavy user of their iPad, the binder, briefcase and portfolio style cases are generally their best bet.

The more expensive and feature packed cases are usually made from leather or another strong and durable material that not only protects the iPad, but gives it a stylish, professional look.

It’s a question that has been around as long as the airplane.  Why do the baggage handlers throw suitcases around?

Now I’m sure there are a few “rogue” baggage handlers out there that we’ve all seen in YouTube videos and have caught in the act.  But for the most part, luggage handlers are under an extreme amount of pressure to get your luggage loaded on the right plane in time so the airline make an on-time departure.

Luggage handlers are trained to handle bags in appropriate ways, but as travelers tend to pack more and more into suitcases, weight of those bags keep rising and while it may look like the handler is treating your bag roughly, but he’s actually using the appropriate amount of strength needed to hulk that monster onto the plane.

Today’s suitcases are designed to withstand an awful lot of wear and tear, but there is the occasional “whoops” that happens – either by baggage handling machinery or by humans.  There are few things you can do to make sure that your luggage arrives in one piece and without an headache:

1. Don’t overstuff bags.  The more you cram into a bag, the greater the potential exists for zippers to pop causing articles to come out and causing damage to the luggage.  In this case, it’s not the airline’s fault, it’s yours.

2. Don’t put breakable items in your suitcase.  That bottle of wine left from the cruise? Don’t pack it in your suitcase unless you want it to be broken and spilled all over your white dress.  Once bags are in the luggage compartment, they are stacked on top of each other and yours may end up on the bottom.  Save yourself a headache and carry on breakables and check things that aren’t.

3. Buy quality luggage.  Yes, it may seem like common sense, but there is a lot of poor quality luggage floating around out there that people buy but makes them very unhappy as it gets damaged on the first leg of their trip.  Suitcases are designed to protect what’s inside from the roughness of travel.  Spend the extra money to buy quality luggage from a company with a good reputation for quality goods and comes with a warranty.

A little common sense goes a long way to making sure your trip begins and ends with your luggage all in one piece.

Image from http://www.cruisejunkie.com

You’re ready to embark on what you hope is going to be a few blissful days at sea on a floating resort.  You board your luxury cruise ship and patiently await delivery of your luggage.

As you look out over your balcony and you see a slick of oil and crates of suitcases covered in the black, slippery goo.

Your heart sinks as you hope your luggage isn’t one of those ill fated suitcases lined up to be cleaned or discarded.

This isn’t a made-up story, this is what happened to passengers on the Carnival Elation on February 16, 2012 as it was docked in New Orleans, LA.

While Carnival worked it’s magic to either replace vacationer’s luggage or salvage it, passengers began to worry about whether their garments inside would be wearable during the multi-day cruise.  Fortunately, the suitcases were the only thing ruined during this misfortunate and extremely rare incident.  But it does get you thinking!

The outer shell of luggage is designed to protect what is inside, and in this case, the damaged luggage did its job.  But you can’t always rely on luck!  What happened if that luggage landed in the drink soaking not only the bag, but the contents.  This got me thinking about those bags you see advertised on late night television – you know what I’m talking about, Space Bags!

You pack your clothes neatly into the plastic zipper bags and suck out the extra air with a vacuum cleaner, compressing the clothes making them easier to fit in your suitcase.  Besides making extra room, you’re also keeping them high and dry in case disaster strikes.

It’s a neat idea and one I never thought of until I saw the story of the oil spill at the cruise port.  I just wonder if any of those cruisers used the Space Bag!

Remember the television commercial in the 1970′s with the gorilla throwing luggage around?

I knew you did!

That famous commercial for American Tourister was designed to show just how durable their luggage was.  So durable in fact, that a gorilla throwing the suitcase around did no harm.  Now giving that same suitcase to an airport baggage handler?  Oh, we won’t go there!

The gorilla in the commercial for American Tourister luggage wasn’t really a gorilla, just a well paid actor who donned the gorilla suit and did his best to toss stomp, throw, drag and try to damage the hard-shell suitcase that was the luggage of choice for travelers at the time.

Since then, the Samsonite corporation bought American Tourister and has recently brought back the gorilla into the advertising.  Once again you can see the gorilla – not sure if it’s real or an actor this time – doing the same thing he did in the 70′s.

I remember my parents having a set of American Tourister luggage.  That really hard, heavy luggage that you laugh at today when you see someone bringing it on a plane.  So retro, but isn’t retro back in style now?

Did you have a set of American Tourister luggage?  Share your stories with us!

Road warriors, here’s something you may want to consider for your iPad.  I ran across this gem while looking for a new case for my well worn leather case that has seen better days.  I had no idea there was a case with a built-in USB keyboard, until now!

It’s called the rooCASE Aluminum Bluetooth Keyboard Case for iPad 2 and what’s great about this gem is not the cool, sleek look but the built in keyboard that makes typing on your iPad a breeze. I’m sure you’ll agree with me that typing long emails or taking notes during a meeting can be difficult with the on-screen keyboard the iPad has. This solves the problem and brings added functionality to the iPad.

The rooCASE iPad case features the built-in Bluetooth keyboard, a rechargeable battery, a stand that allows the iPad to be used vertically or horizontally, and has 17 special function keys that can be programmed for music control, volume control, search, homepage and more. Because it has an aluminum case, it’s great for traveling and tough enough to protect your iPad. The only downfall – it’s only available for the iPad 2, so if you want one, it may be time to upgrade!

Have you seen the new ABC TV show, PanAm?

In the new Sunday night series, the airline of the past is brought back in all its glory complete with the PanAm uniforms and the famous PanAm bag.

The PanAm bag was carried by stewardesses and often given as gifts to frequent flyers.  It was a symbol of style, the jet age and the glory days of travel, when people would get dressed up to board one of the Clippers and travel from New York to Los Angeles or to a more exotic destination on the other side of the globe.

If you’re a fan of the TV show, or a fan of everything nostalgic, you can get your hands on your very own PanAm bag!  While not an original, these bags will definately attract attention and cause heads to turn as you’re walking down the concourse to your gate.

The PanAm bag comes in the classic style carried by PanAm flight attendants worldwide as well as some new bags to hold today’s modern conveniences like laptop computers.  Plus, there are plenty of accessories like Passport holders, cufflinks and even model Clippers.

Check out the official PanAm website for the whole lineup of great bags and accessories at http://www.panam.com.

It’s happened to all of us one time or another.

We arrive at our destination and head down to the baggage claim area.  As the carousel goes around and around everyone’s luggage arrived except yours.

Airlines have gotten much better with baggage handling over the years, but there’s always someone who’s bag or bags get put on the wrong plane and are in Mexico, while you’re in Maine.

Missing a job interview or a wedding because of lost luggage can be devistating. If you’re flying somewhere so important that you can’t be without what’s in your luggage for a day while the airline tries to deliver it to you, why not ship what you need ahead of time to the hotel you’re staying at?  A few extra dollars spent on having important articles shipped three-day, second-day or next day air “just in case” may make a big difference.

Now don’t let me scare you!

Like I said, airlines have come a long way with systems that are designed to keep your bags with you, but like anything there are points of failure.  If what’s in that bag is important – don’t take the chance.  Ship it ahead.

What kind of laptop bag to you carry around with you?

Are you a minimalist who throws his/her computer in a sleeve and off to the office you go?  Or are you one who carries the entire office with you?

Whatever type of laptop bag you use, their intention is the same – to protect your valuable computer from damage.  And here you thought these briefcases were designed to carry everything but the kitchen sink!

Traveling salesmen of old used briefcases and satchels to carry product samples, order forms, catalogs and other essential paperwork to do their job.  As the electronic age took over and computers came into play, the briefcase was redesigned to accomodate less paper and more electronic equipment.

Today’s laptop bags have plenty of storage for your laptop computer and all its accessories such as pointers, cables, power supplies and all the other necessities that allow road warriors to do their jobs from just about anywhere.

When choosing a bag for your laptop, make sure it’s large enough to accomodate your computer and has just the right amount of space for everything you carry.  You don’t want to be caught short by finding the perfect bag only to get it home and find out your computer doesn’t fit.

Frequent flyers covet their airline status not so much for the free class upgrades, but to be one of the first people to get on the airplane in order to get a spot in the overhead bin for their carry-on luggage.

If you’re a jetsetter, you know what I’m talking about!

As airliners become more and more crowded and extra rows get squeezed in, overhead bin space is as precious as water in the Sahara.

Airlines generally restrict the number of carry-on bags you can take with you, forcing your remaining luggage to either be gate checked or checked when you arrive at the airport.  Sometimes, depending on the aircraft, even the smallest bag may have to be gate checked due to very limited overhead space.

No matter if you’re traveling for business or pleasure, carrying on or checking, you always want to make sure that your luggage is clearly marked with your name on an outside tag and that it’s zipped up and secure.  It also doesn’t hurt to throw a piece of paper or some business cards inside the luggage in case your outside ID tag gets ripped off.  Never leave laptop computers or anything that is breakable inside your checked baggage, save that for the overhead bin – if you can score some space.