Strategies for minimizing baggage fees Airlines are making billions (that is a big B) in baggage fees. Here are some ways to avoid these charges: - Pack light so you only need a carry-on. (See our packing tips below)
- Become an Elite frequent flyer of one or more airlines. Elite frequent flyers (Gold or higher on AA, Silver on Delta) get 2 bags free.
- Most airlines charge $25 for the first bag and $35 for the second. Keep in mind, this is per person, so if you have three bags and your traveling companion has one, then you will save at least $65 by giving that third bag to your friend.
- Take an airline-sponsored credit card that waives first bag fee. Watch out, though, these cards generally come with an annual fee, so make sure it's worth it.
- Fly an airline that does not charge for bags.
- Oversize bags: Standard fees apply to bags up to 50 pounds and smaller than 62 linear inches. Fees can vary from $50 to $200 for overweight and oversize bags. Consider investing in a hand-held scale (like this one for $20.00) to keep a close eye on weight. That 51st pound could cost you $200.
- Carry suits with you on a hanger. Often, airlines will not count them as a third carry-on and will hang them for you in an onboard closet.
11 packing tips from Protravel
- Roll, don't fold, your clothes so save space and prevent creasing.
- Buy travel-size items of your favorite products. (Click here for a good source for these.)
- Put liquids in an outside pocket of your suitcase, so they're easy to take out for security screening.
- Compress: Use air-compressing packing bags (such as EagleCreek) that squeeze air out of clothes, giving you more room in the suitcase.
- Put heavier items at the bottom of your bag for easier rolling and less wrinkles
- Critical items should go in your carry-on: prescription medicine, passport, extra glasses, money, etc. plus one extra outfit
- If traveling with a companion, consider putting a couple of day's clothing in each other's bags, in case one of them gets lost
- Pack an empty reusable water bottle that you can fill up after the security checkpoint; saves money and better for the environment
- Email yourself scans of important documents: itineraries, hotel confirmations, prescriptions and passports so you will have a copy of everything on your smartphone/document cloud.
- Use only TSA-approved luggage locks so they will not have to be cut for inspections
- Consider a luggage tracking device such as TrackDot
The in-flight passenger technological revolution
The acceleration of Wi-Fi installations on board aircraft around the world, combined with the large number of passengers carrying one or more digital devices, is creating a momentum that sees many of today's inflight innovations focusing on digital developments, including storage and charging of digital devices, USB ports, smart trays, and more. Read the full article here
Frequent-flier rewards go way beyond flights
You've racked up plenty of frequent-flier miles, and now you're ready to cash them in. Free flights are the most important loyalty program perk to a majority of fliers. But instead of a free flight, how about using them to snag a free iPad, or tickets to the Daytime Emmy Awards, or even a chance to spend time in a flight simulator?
It's been 32 years since American Airlines launched the world's first frequent-flier loyalty program, and with the programs now ubiquitous throughout the industry, tens of millions of travelers have the formula down cold: earn miles or points on every trip, and when you have enough built up, redeem them for a free flight. Now, airlines are increasingly offering their frequent fliers alternatives to a free trip, from one-of-a-kind experiences that travelers can bid on using miles instead of cash through online auctions, to club memberships and upscale electronics or the ability to use miles for smaller perks, such as downloading music or paying your credit card's annual fee.
O'Hare offers quicker trip through customs
Traveling light now has definite rewards for international travelers at O'Hare International Airport. ORD has speeded up customs processing for international visitors arriving at Terminal 5 with only carry-on luggage and proper documentation. The new"1-Stop" program provides informational signs leading to the passport control area. There, travelers without checked baggage enter designated lanes for customs processing, stop at a customs booth, and then move to an "express corridor" that bypasses the baggage claim and customs exit control inspection areas.
Airlines getting to know you
In the past year, airlines such as Emirates, British Airways, Iberia, KLM and EVA Air have equipped their cabin crew with tablets allowing them to see previous trips that a passenger has taken with the carrier and--based on this--know their food, wine and seating preferences, or any issues a customer had during their previous travels. One of the largest initiatives in this area comes from British Airways, which has provided 2,000 senior cabin crew across its long and short-haul network with an iPad featuring several apps that allow flight attendants to store and receive relevant passenger details in real-time, such as itineraries, meal preferences and other data with the aim of offering its passengers a more tailored in-flight service.
OUR WORLD
UNESCO's World Heritage list expands CNN--Nineteen new sites have been added to the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage list, the top honor for monuments, buildings, sites or natural features "of outstanding universal value." The UNESCO World Heritage List features 981 sites from 160 countries that are part of the World Heritage Convention. Here's the full list of 19 sites recently granted UNESCO World Heritage status:
1. Xinjiang Tianshan (China)
2. Mount Etna (Italy)
3. El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve (Mexico)
4. Namib Sand Sea (Namibia)
5. Tajik National Park (Tajikistan)
6. Red Bay Basque Whaling Station (Canada)
7. Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces (China; above)
8. Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong (North Korea)
9. Levuka Historical Port Town (Fiji)
10. Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe (Germany)
11. Hill Forts of Rajashtan (India)
12. Golestan Palace (Iran)
13. Medici Villas and Gardens in Tuscany (Italy)
14. Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration (Japan)
15. Historic Centre of Agadez (Niger)
16. Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region (Poland / Ukraine)
17. University of Coimbra -- Alta and Sofia (Portugal)
18. Al Zubarah Archaeological Site (Qatar)
19. Ancient City of Tauric Chersonese and its Chora (Ukraine)
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