The Luggage Blog

The holidays are a joyous time of year. It’s a time of year where families unite to enjoy a wonderful feast filled with turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce. It’s a time of year where your grandfather falls asleep before and after dinner. These times can produce a ton of wonderful memories, or if you travel, they can also produce nightmares. I would like to share with you the top ten tips for Thanksgiving travel this year. So for all you holiday flyers out there, get you pencils ready and take some notes.

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Jackson Hole, WY

Area Profile
Teton Village, Wyo., and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort rise from a great “hole” or basin 12 miles northwest of the town of Jackson. Skiers and riders do their things on 2,500 acres of in-bound terrain and taunt the mountain’s 4,139-foot vertical (the greatest continuous rise in the U.S.) There are two mountains: Apres Vous and Rendezvous. and an open backcountry gate system giving skiers and free-heelers access to more than 3,000 additional acres of high-country magic. There are 111 named trails and many other unnamed routes known to skiers who have skied here for years. Twelve lift systems serve the mountains and snowboarding is allowed on 100 percent of their terrain.

Lodging Profile
The Jackson Hole Valley has over 10,000 units available for guest accomodations - everything from backcountry yurts to luxury hotels. The Four Seasons Resort in Jackson Hole is a favorite, boasting 125 rooms, 40 unit Residence Club, and 17 slope-side penthouse suites. The Crystal Springs Lodge is also new and has 18 condos available. Ski in/ski out lodges and condo units are available at the base of the ski area: luxury properties to a backpacker hostel. Full range of accomodations in Teton Village. Additional accomodations available the town of Jackson located ten miles away.

Services Profile
Restaurants, lounges within walking distance, many of both in Jackson. Ski shop, boutique, specialty, drug, liquor, cleaners and post office at area. Clinic at area, St. John’s Hospital, 12 miles. Kids Ranch for ages 2 months-5 years. Ski and snowboard school for ages 6 and over. Ski and cross country rental and repair available at slope and in Jackson. Ski classes offered for racing, cross country, powder, Junior and children, steep camps, women’s camps and snowboard camps. New this year: the new Bridger Restaurant atop the Bridger Gondola (Elevation 9,095’), will open Christmas 2006. It will have incredible valley views of Jackson Hole and the famed on-mountain Corbet’s Couloir to the south.

Area Recreation Profile
Climbing, mountaineering, biking, kayaking, rafting, paragliding, fishing, sightseeing, tram rides, hiking, horseback riding, and concert with various musical genres.

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Here’s some helpful tips that we recommend one to take before or while travelling abroad in order to have a safe enjoyable trip.  Some of these steps might seem like common sense but you never know and it can’t hurt to familarize yourself with these precautions before you take that trip to a foreign land that you are not used to.

Health

• Look up any illnesses of the country you are traveling to and make sure you’ve taken any necessary precautions
• Make sure you keep any medications you need in your personal bag, rather than checking them
• Find out if there are restrictions on any medical supplies you plan to bring and get a note from your doctor if necessary and always check with your airline to be sure
• Bring empty bottles of water to the airport than you can fill after you pass through security to avoid dehydration on a long flight
• Whenever possible stretch during long trips and before hauling heavy luggage

Theft

• Don’t let your luggage out of sight or ask anyone you don’t know to watch it for you. This may seem like a no-brainer, but plenty of people do it!
• Use concealed money holders
• Don’t leave magazines with your name and address on a plane because you never know who may be phishing for information
• If you’re going on a long trip don’t forget to secure your home
• Keep important documents on you, rather than in the overhead compartment. Passports are a common stolen item overseas
• Like anywhere else, always stay alert
• If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is
• In case you are robbed, keep a small amount of traveler’s checks on your person or make sure you can access your bank account or you have someone who can send you cash [Read more →]
  
  

Packing to Avoid Airline Fees & Stress

• Pre-Packing Tips
  
• Packing tips for guys
• When packing for two seasons, how can I avoid airline baggage fees?

Frequent Fliers

• Signs That You Travel Too Much
• What it’s like to be a Flight Attendant

Airport Security

• New TSA Uniforms cost taxpayers $12 million
• Congress questions why TSA agents are no longer screened
• US Develops Mind Reading Airport Screening Device

Photo by Andrew Currie

When you pick up your baggage from the airlines, you are usually tired and grateful to be at your destination. Most people don’t look over their bags to make sure they’re OK. Then, when they go to unpack they find something missing or torn. Unfortunately the airlines loathe taking responsibility for what they do to your bags, even though we have all watched the handlers toss our bags around and wonder why they don’t all spill open on the tarmac.

The most important thing about putting in a claim for a damaged bag is to know the game before you need to know it. The airlines will spout policy to you, if you accept that you will get nowhere. Remember, you do have the right to say, “No, that is not acceptable.”

Know what to expect:

• All airlines expect that you file a claim while you are still at the airport (no matter what time of day or night it is).
• There is not always someone available to take your claim at the airport.
• Most airlines allow up to 24 hours to file a claim, but you often are required to come into the airport.
• International travelers usually have 7 days to file a claim.
• Know your airline’s policy! US Airways, for example only allows 4 hours to file a claim.

The “customer service” agent is not always helpful in these matters. With the financial state of the airlines these days their policies have gotten stricter. Therefore it can be [Read more →]

Nothing’s worse than forgetting the memory stick for your camera… except maybe forgetting your passport! CNN posted a really helpful checklist of things to do before you start packing.  Our favorite tip:

Record the contents of your suitcase
Take pictures of your clothes, shoes, and jewelry, which will serve as documentation if your bag is lost or stolen. Download the shots onto your home computer, just in case.

Check out CNN’s entire list and make your trip go a lot smoother.

More great packing tips:

• Packing Tips from the Pros
• How to Get it All in One Carry On
• Free Downloadble Packing List
• Packing Tips for 1 Bag Trips (video)