The Luggage Blog

Travel related news gathered from around the web and brought to you weekly:

- Congress to try and regulate carry on size.

- Southwest will test fees for Internet use, depending on length of flight & type of connection.

- Registered traveler company, Clear, shuts down.

- Fodor’s offers 10 easy tips to becoming a carry on traveler.

Bonus Tiding (because we like you)

- MSN Money talks Airline fee madness.

We found this informative video on The Middle Seat Terminal, a great travel blog from The Wall Street Journal. Sit back, relax and enjoy…but do pay attention for some helpful air travel tips!

Travel related news gathered from around the web and brought to you weekly:

-Southwest Airlines to tweak some of its fees and add fee for children flying solo.

- Fox News offers tips for traveling with a baby…minus the stress.

- T+L Lists Best New Hotels of 2009.

-New passport rules put into effect at U.S borders.

Travel related news gathered from around the web and brought to you weekly:

-The Washington Post rounds up the best travel deals, including the Survivor Package, where the price goes down along with the amenities.  Take away the bed for best deal!

-The TSA’s blog clears up myths about Whole Body Imaging at airports.

-Starting June 1st, Americans returning by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean must have a passport or other secure ID.

-Hanalei Bay on Kauai named nation’s No. 1 beach.

As the first phase of TSA’s Secure Flight is put into place, they will now begin asking passengers to enter their full name – as it appears on the government issued identification they will be traveling with – when making airline reservations.

The fact that this wasn’t enforced previously did surprise us. I know that when I travel next month, I will make a point of double and triple checking that I enter my one year old, hyphenated name - including my middle initial. Do you always use your full name when booking airlines, or do you drop off a middle initial or alter your name in some other way?

With news that the multitude of baggage fees put in place by major airlines over the past year has essentially saved their butts, it looks like we’re going to have to begin packing lighter. The fees aren’t going anywhere, but hopefully you and your family are! So in order to avoid up to $25 per bag, we suggest a move towards carrying on when possible.

Sure, you may be thinking “when possible” applies to weekend trips only, but would you believe some people use a single carry on bag and one personal bag for up to ten days of travel? That may be extreme, but with the right packing habits and the right pieces, one week- one bag can be done. Doug Dymont, author of OneBag.com has been promoting this idea since 1996, long before baggage fees came into play.

Fees aside, carrying on your belongings saves time and eliminates the lost luggage nightmare. The Luggage Blog is here to help. For today, we’ve compiled a quick list of packing tips gathered from here and there… a few from over there too. Stay tuned for carry on luggage suggestions as well!

1.Pack only what you need: This may be difficult, for say, someone who has a bag just for their shoes. But if you’re smart you gave that habit up years ago. This becomes easier when you pack entire outfits- planned in advance - which also makes for less time getting ready and more time to enjoy your trip.

2. Color coordinate: Pick a color scheme for your trip and stick to it. This will eliminate the need for several belts, shoes and handbags.

3. Accessorize: You can essentially wear them same suit if you switch up your tie, cuff links, jewelry or scarf. The same goes for casual gear. A classic, crisp white tee worn under a cardigan by day, can be dressed with with a statement necklace and clutch by night. These small accessories take up far less space than an additional garment would.

4. Use packing cubes: Many travelers swear by Eagle Creek Pack-It cubes. If you’re a generally organized person, they may work for you as well.  Available in several styles and sizes, they maximize space and simplify packing. Great for T-shirts, jeans, underwear or socks, they make rolling up and stashing items a snap.

Think your packing tips are better than ours? Share them with us below!