I’ve seen bras, panties, men’s shirts, blue jeans and towels all circling the conveyor belts at various times waiting for my bag to be delivered. The towels looked to have hotel monograms on them, so the person who crammed them into their suitcase at their end of their trip had to claim their loot in front of many witnesses (serves them right!). But the owners of the undies and apparel shouldn’t have had to be mortified as their garb was publicly displayed.

What are ways to avert this happening to you?

• Buy quality luggage. You don’t need to spend $500 or more on a bag, but avoid the Complete 4-Piece Set of Luggage for $69.00 that can get ripped open on the first trip. You generally get what you pay for. Read the reviews on the luggage you’re considering before you buy. Especially pay attention to comments about the zippers as well as the wheels.
• Fasten the zippers on your luggage so that they have a significantly less chance of being pulled open. You can use a TSA-approved lock for this or this simple method that hasn’t failed me yet:A simple twist-tie.  I use the ones that come with a box of plastic garbage bags.  I connect the zippers, loop through the twist tie, twist it up a few times and the zippers stay shut.  It’s also a deterrent to someone opening the bag when it will take them time to untwist the thing.  This is a very inexpensive alternative to a TSA-approved lock and it’s easy to carry a few extras in my bag for that time when one comes up missing or becomes unraveled over time.Plastic cable ties or a small metal key ring also do the trick.
• Use a luggage strap that wraps around the entire bag, such as the wide yellow strap shown in this photo on the bag right behind the knicker display.

So before you check your bag on your next trip, check that the zippers are secure. Or you may be the next one to find your checkered undies going ’round and ’round.

In the meantime, I’m waiting for the owner of these undies to make claim. I may be waiting awhile. (And NO, they’re not mine!)

To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com. Watch for my new book, Business Travel Success – How to Reduce Stress, Be More Productive and Travel with Confidence, being published by Morgan James in 2011.

Guest post by a gate agent for a major airline in Orlando

I know that at some point in time, you seasoned travelers take your children with you on your flight. I work for a major airline, and have a few tips that may make your airport experience a little bit easier.

First and foremost, bring snacks on the plane with you for your child. The snacks that you can bring from home will be much healthier than food the airline serves. If there is any kind of delay, due to weather or worse, a mechanical problem with the aircraft, you have some food to satisfy your child. Remember, anything that you purchase once you pass security can be carried onboard the aircraft with you. So pack the grapes, the apples and the peanut butter sandwich, but buy the drinks on the other side of security.

Secondly, if you are using a car seat on the aircraft, it MUST be a full car seat, not a booster seat. The booster seat can’t be used during takeoff or landing, so it is better and safer for the child to sit in a standard car seat. The car seat must be placed in a window seat for safety reasons. If you are checking your car seat at the gate, be certain that it is inside of a bag. These bags are only at the ticket counter, so ask for one before going to the gate. If you have a cover for the seat, that is even better.

If you and your child are not seated together, go to the gate one hour prior to departure and see the gate agent. The gate agents arrive at the gate podium to open up the flight one hour prior to the departure time. They can often page other travelers to switch the seats around to help families with small children. Do not expect them to help you after the flight has started boarding, it is almost impossible to ask anyone to switch their seat at that time.

Mickey Mouse helium balloons will burst in flight. They have to be fully deflated to go on the aircraft with you.

If you won a stuffed Shamu at Sea World, he needs to be checked at the ticket counter, or get a bag for him and he can be checked at the gate. He is too big for the overhead bins on the aircraft!

Families with children under the age of four are often boarded after First Class customers, so be ready to board five minutes after the gate agents starts boarding the aircraft.

I hope these tips help you folks with small children. I work in Orlando and one flight can have up to thirty or more children on it. The more prepared you are the better your flight experience will be with your children.

To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com.

Every trip, whether for business or pleasure, has some memorable moments. Whether it’s sights you’ve seen, people you’ve met, foods you’ve eaten or feelings you’ve experienced, there are memories that make each trip unique. How do you remember them all? Journal them! Get your thoughts down on paper with a journal, use an online journal, or use the simple, yet very memorable, method mentioned in this video.

To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com.

Eating healthy and Travel – Do they go together?  They sure can! Take a look at these easy to pack foods that give you healthy options for snacking in-flight, morning breakfast and hunger attacks.

And if you think a ultra-heavy suitcase is needed to pack all of this, think again!  Take a peek into my actual packed luggage here.

To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com.

First, the luggage I used: For short trips I like my Samsonite 21″ Spinner carry-on. A short trip to me is one that is 7 days and less. This is a longer trip, but I will wear most outfits twice, changing up the clothes for a different look. So with 7 days’ worth of clothing that I will repurpose, this bag works fine.

I absolutely love the spinner wheels, not only for navigating easily through the airport and up and down escalators, but for navigating into a ladies’ room stall in the airport.

I placed all my business attire in the top outside pocket inside a space-saving plastic bag, enough clothes for my nine days of business meetings. I wore khaki’s on the plane and these will be my weekend wear. My blouse and cami worn for traveling will be washed out in the hotel sink and worn on a business day.

Here is the space-saving bag that holds all my business clothes for the two weeks:

Here’s all that I’ll be unpacking:

Open the zipper-lock sealed bag and whoosh — in goes the air! Here I have laid out all of the clothes (3 slacks, 7 tops, 2 cardigans) that were smooched into the plastic bag.

There are a few wrinkles in the tan slacks, but that’s it. Hanging everything up will shake out the lines. For any remaining wrinkles, I’ll hang the item in the bathroom while I’m taking a shower and the steam then takes care of them. (Occasionally I need to iron – maybe only once or twice a year.)

This already looks like a lot to fit into a carry-on, doesn’t it? But this is far from all that’s in my bag.

Let’s unpack the other items:

• Workout pants
• 2 t-shirts
• Socks
• Nightgown
• Robe
• 3 pairs of shoes
• Makeup bag
• Bag of liquid toiletries
• Shaker cup for mixing up protein shakes
• Vanilla and chocolate whey powder
• Nuts: Almonds, brazil nuts and macadamia
• Apricots
• Protein bars
• Instant oatmeal
• Vitamin supplements
• Scarf
• Bras, panties, pantyhose, slippers and hairbrush (not shown)

Phew! That’s a lot in a carry-on bag for a 14 day trip!

It’s easy to pack this way when you plan on mixing and matching a few outfits, are ok with wearing slacks twice (I will toss them in the hotel’s washer and dryer mid-trip so I can get a third wearing or send them out for dry-cleaning) and can wash out blouses and tops in your bathroom sink. Though believe me, it hasn’t always been easy for me to be this efficient. Someday I’ll show you the bag I used to use – named the “Double Heavy”!

When returning home, I have room for souvenirs as there is an expandable zipper on the outside pocket. And I’ll be consuming my protein shakes for my breakfast; along with snacking on nuts and apricots, so that will give me extra room when I pack to go home.

So now you’ve taken a peek into what’s in my bag. Actually, more than a peek – you’ve seen darn near everything!

To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com.

Do you ever do this? Is your suitcase left at the front door? Or does it make it all the way into your bedroom before stalling? Do you grab an empty suitcase for your next trip because your first suitcase still isn’t emptied?

If you’re an Unpacking Procrastinator too, here are some tips both you and I can follow:

Start by taking your bag right to the laundry room. Empty out all the clothes that can be washed. Put them in the laundry basket and if you can, get them straight into the washing machine. Put the dry cleaning immediately in your car so you can drop it off at the cleaners on your next trek of errands. This empties out a good portion of your bag.

This is better than placing your luggage on your bed for emptying, just in case a bed bug or two snuck into your bag.

Now let’s tackle what’s remaining in your bag:

• Clothes you never wore: Even with all your pre-planning, there is usually an item or two that went unworn. If they were safely away from your dirty clothes in packing cubes or space bags, then put these clothes away; otherwise they’re part of the laundry too.
• Shoes: It’s easy to get them back in your closet, so just do it. Put them back in their boxes or get them on the shoe rack. If they are permanent travel shoes, like my extra pair of sneakers, then they stay in your luggage (yes, permission granted to leave these in your bag!).
• Jewelry: Add your pieces back into your jewelry box, placing the like colors together for easy packing on your next trip. Read Tangle Free Jewelry Tips for ideas on how to keep your jewelry unraveled so it’s easy to put away!
• Toiletries: If you have a travel-double of all your toiletries, then this bag stays in your suitcase. Otherwise, get your toiletries put away in the bathroom. Then when you’re on that next trek of errands, go buy an extra of everything and keep a permanent travel toiletry bag. (It’ll be one less thing to pack and unpack and this too has permission to remain in your luggage.)
• Receipts: Have all business receipts in one envelope; all personal receipts in another. Put them on your desk for entering later to your expense report or financial software. If already entered, then file the envelopes in the proper file drawer or scan them.
• Passport, international adapters, foreign money, and maps: Have small stacking drawers that hold your travel-related items. Keep each foreign currency in a separate labeled envelope. Container Store has great options for this. This makes for easy packing and unpacking.
• Souvenirs: If the item is a gift for someone, have an area in the house where all future gifts are placed. I have one shelf that holds the items I pick up in my travels and then it’s easy to find them when I need them. Then find a place for your own souvenirs. I’ve had to put a ban on buying coffee mugs. I have collected beautiful mugs from cities around the world, but the kitchen cabinet is full. So only buy souvenirs you have a place for.
• Ticket stubs, brochures and other mementos of your trip: For the sake of unpacking, pitch what you don’t want and put the rest in a large envelope and label with the date and locations. I tend to collect a lot of brochures when I first arrive somewhere, then look at them later and wonder why I ever picked them up to begin with. Later you can scan then or add them to an album.

Don’t have time to do this unpacking, you say? How much time do you spend tripping over the bag saying “yeah, I’ve gotta get this bag emptied out?” How much time to you spend looking for all over for something only to find it in your luggage? If you just get the bag emptied out once you return home (or the morning after for late-night arrivals), then time won’t be wasted on these senseless things.

For more on unpacking, including a sneaky way one husband got his wife to unpack her bag, read How Do You Unpack Your Suitcase?

To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com.

Want to lessen your packing time? Here’s a smart way to arrange your closet that will significantly cut down on the time spent selecting which clothes and jewelry to bring along. Add your tips for smart packing advice in the comment section below.

To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com.

It’s spring cleaning time! Have your cleaned your luggage, laptop tote and other travel gear?

When you start opening the windows on a warm spring day and pulling out your lighter weight colorful clothes, do you also think about readying your travel gear for spring? I’ve got a white leather laptop tote that I can’t wait to use, and that means putting away the darker colored tote I’ve carried all winter. Since my laptop tote must match my luggage, I am also switching out my suitcase and putting away the brown tweed bag for now. Since I’m changing out all my bags, it’s a great time to also be cleaning out my toiletry kit and containers of liquids.

Hmmm, you’re thinking, you’ve really never spring-cleaned your travel gear, have you?

Now’s the time to start!

Many travelers use different travel gear for summer and winter traveling which makes a spring cleaning of your travel items a little easier to plan for. Choosing a day before an upcoming trip is ideal to switch out travel gear, clean, and store it for the next season.

The most popular travel items that need spring cleaning are laptop bags, equipment bags, rollaboard suitcases, garment bags, and toiletry cases. All of these should be cleaned out at least once per season with the proper chemicals and or refreshing agents. The cleaning, however, should not be limited to the interior or outer shell of the luggage. Bottles, equipment bags, accessories, and waterproof containers should also be properly cleaned. This means disposing of lotions, shampoo, conditioner, and other liquids to replace them with fresh liquids.

When it comes to the cleaning method there are many versions of what the best way is and what chemicals can be used. A concern for many travelers is the residue that chemicals leave behind and if that residue can be detected by TSA. You don’t want to add any extra trigger to what may put you or your bag through an extended search. The bottom line is that there are currently no regulations on cleaning agents or the residue that they may leave behind.

All-purpose cleaners and disinfectants are still the best method for cleaning both the interior and exterior of luggage and travel containers. Eco-friendly products are on the market, by companies such as Seventh Generation, but you may prefer to stick to the old standby’s that you know will work the first time every time. If you are especially concerned about products that are on the market, including Eco-friendly products, then a mixture of one part vinegar to two parts water can be used as an all-purpose spray for all luggage and travel gear.

Steps for spring cleaning your luggage gear:

Storage of luggage is also part of spring cleaning. Some luggage and gear may not be necessary for seasonal travel. For luggage many travelers have found that products such as DampRid work wonders to maintain the interior integrity of luggage. In fact many products similar to Damp Rid come in closet or pouch style containers. Placing a pouch in each piece of luggage before storing them away is a quick and easy way of maintaining the spring cleaning freshness. Another added touch that many women use in storing spring cleaned luggage is a dryer sheet. Placing a dryer sheet in luggage and garment bags keeps a fresh scent and fresh cleaned appearance to the luggage even after months of storage.

Regardless of the spring cleaning or storage method used the overall result is the same. It should be noted that chemicals should not be allowed to sit on the fabric or in the interior of the gear. This can cause damage to the luggage that can be costly and irreversible. All liquids used for cleaning should be wiped off with a lint free soft cloth and the travel gear should be allowed to dry completely. Storage should be in a climate controlled environment within the home or a climate controlled storage facility. If these tips are followed then luggage and travel gear should last for many travel seasons to come.

To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com.

Would you like a tip that could reduce the size of your bag of liquids when you travel?

Carol Margolis shows her favorite tip for getting maximum days out of a small bottle of hair conditioner.

To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com.

Several cool products were selected for your perusal.

SCOTTEVEST – Love this Coat for Travel!
Travelpro’s New Walkabout Lite 4
5 Products from the Travel Goods Show
More Cool Products from the Travel Goods Show
Lo & Sons Bags at the Travel Goods Show

Let me know which products interest you. I’ll stock them at Smart Women Travelers or help you find a retailer who has them.

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To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com.