What Should You Bring On A Business Trip?
September 3, 2010 by Scott Applebee · Leave a Comment
When packing for a business trip, is your approach “better safe than sorry?”
In order to be prepared for anything the client might ask for, do you pack everything but the kitchen sink? And, if you’re selling kitchen sinks, do you pack them too?
May we suggest the approach frequent business travelers take: “less is more.”
The key to successful business travel is determining what you truly need for the trip, and fitting those essentials into no more than your carry-on bags. Carry-on travel requires minimalism when packing and that should be kept in mind when selecting your luggage. Here are some tips:
- Stay organized with Travelpro business cases that feature an intelligently-designed business organizer in the front pocket. This allows quick access to presentation materials, as well as flash drives, power cords and other electronics.
- Take advantage of the wide variety of Travelpro luggage, like the Crew 8 20” Expandable Wide Body Rollaboard or the ExecutiveFirst Expandable Rolling Computer Brief. Choosing bags like these will enable you to carry on all meeting materials and clothing.
- If you don’t need your laptop, or have a smart phone with sufficient computing capabilities, leave your computer at home.
- Carefully consider each piece of clothing you intend to pack and whether you will truly need it. Remember that you can always wash something or send it to the dry cleaners, rather than taking a single outfit for every day you’ll be gone.
- Pack using the “bundle” method. Wrap clothes around large objects (such as bags of toiletries or pairs of shoes), rather than folding or rolling clothes. The bundle method saves the most space and also prevents wrinkling.
- On long trips and extended stays, take only the essentials with you on the plane and ship everything else to your final destination.
- Select neutral colors so your outfits are easier to match, and will require only one pair of shoes.
Checking and retrieving luggage, paying excess baggage fees, and dragging multiple bags through security checkpoints is expensive and exhausting. You’ll be far more “sorry” than “safe.”
To be at your very best, remember “less is more.” Pack less stuff, and sell more kitchen sinks.
Tips For Traveling With Young Children
September 1, 2010 by Scott Applebee · Leave a Comment
Traveling with young children is no day at the beach. In fact, all too often, it’s a day at the airport.
To minimize stress levels, it’s important to think through what everyone in your family will need during the flight. By anticipating the challenges of navigating them through a busy terminal, frantic security checkpoint and onto a crowded plane, you can plan and pack accordingly.
Here are some tips that every flying family should consider:
- Create A Handy Trip Case: While traveling with young children through the airport, you shouldn’t have to hunt through multiple bags to locate airline confirmations, boarding passes or rental car reservations. Simply tuck a trip case containing all travel documents into your Travelpro rollaboard’s ticket pocket, and relax. Everything you need is now in one place for quick and easy access.
- Ship Ahead: If you need a lot of luggage for your trip, you should consider shipping it instead of carrying it onto the plane or checking it at the counter. Granted, shipping can be pricey. But having to manage multiple bags while watching your kids may make the extra expense a bargain. Keep in mind that using lightweight Travelpro luggage will reduce shipping costs (not to mention overweight charges should you decide to check your bags instead).
- Let Your Kids Carry-On: Have your children pack a backpack that they’re responsible for. By involving them in the planning process, they’ll be less intimidated (and more agreeable) at the airport. You should limit the number and size of items they take, and encourage them to make a list of their belongings which they’ll keep in their backpack.
- Anticipate The Needs Of Younger Children: When traveling with kids two years old and under, you must always be prepared for baby emergencies. You should not only pack diapers, clean clothing and medicine in your luggage, but place them in the outer pockets so they’re readily accessible.
- Pack A Surprise Bag: Bring along a surprise bag containing books, games, dolls and other visually stimulating toys that you can pull out when your children get restless. Engaging your kids will not only make the trip more pleasant for you, but for surrounding passengers, as well.
- Load Up On Apps: Instead of weighing yourself down with a bunch of books, why not load some stories and games onto your iPhone or iPad? There’s a wide array of whimsical and delightfully illustrated online books available for kids.
When traveling with young children, a little planning goes a long way. For once, you won’t need a vacation when you return from vacation.
Ryan Bingham’s Secrets Of The Gate Check
August 30, 2010 by Scott Applebee · Leave a Comment
Ryan Bingham, the 10 million mile frequent flier played by George Clooney in the movie “Up In The Air,” knows a thing or two about efficient air travel.
Ryan’s key to quickly navigating airports: Avoiding gate check delays.
First of all, Bingham recognizes that checking bags adds an average of 35 minutes to each flight (not to mention the $20 – $25 checked bag fee). Therefore, he uses a Travelpro® Rollaboard® carry-on which meets all Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and airline restrictions, and accommodates everything he needs for his business trips.
He also complies with the TSA’s “3-1-1″ rule, which allows travelers to carry-on one quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag containing 3.4 ounce (100 ml) bottles of his gels and liquids. Ryan breezes through security by placing the quart-sized bag in the screening bin which airport security X-rays separately.
Bingham packs all metal objects (watch, cell phone, loose change, etc.) in his rollaboard luggage, eliminating his need to handle them at the security checkpoint. Plus, he keeps his computer readily accessible in the convenient laptop compartment.
One way that Ryan could further streamline his trips through security would be to carry on “checkpoint friendly” briefcase.
Travelpro’s checkpoint friendly bags feature a padded sleeve compartment which holds most 17″ laptops. Bingham would simply unzip the back of his computer case, lay it flat on the conveyer, zip up the case once it passed through the X-ray machine, and then, proceed to his gate.
Ryan uses common sense as he minimizes his time in gate check lines:
- He packs light, reducing the amount of luggage he must pass through security.
- He wears “slip on” shoes, avoiding the need to untie and retie his shoe laces.
- He surveys the gate check lines, and avoids getting behind groups likely to take excessive time getting through the checkpoint (mothers traveling with small children, for example).
- Speaking of traveling with small children (which obviously doesn’t apply to Bingham), make sure your young ones are both dressed and packed properly. A few minutes of pre-trip planning can eliminate lengthy checkpoint delays.
If you follow Ryan Bingham’s gate check strategies, you and your rollaboard carry-on luggage will zip through airport security and be “Up In The Air” in no time.
Why Is Lightweight Luggage Important?
August 27, 2010 by Scott Applebee · Leave a Comment
Have you noticed that, as you travel, it often feels like you’re carrying the weight of the world? Before you can “carry on,” you feel like you should be carried off. That’s why lightweight, luggage is so important.
Travelpro has been serving the needs of business travelers and vacationers for decades. We know the importance of creating luggage that reduces not only baggage costs, but user fatigue and airport hassles as well.
Frequent travelers will look hard to find bags, totes and duffels that weigh far less than most luggage. With lightweight luggage, you’re able to pack more belongings without exceeding the airlines’ weight limits for checked bags. Most airlines charge “overweight fees” for luggage weighing 50 pounds or more. Some bags can weigh as much as 10-15 pounds, which doesn’t allow you to pack much.
Lightweight luggage is not only much easier to transport through airports, it is easier to carry on the airplane. In the United States, most airlines allow travelers to carry on bags measuring no more than 45 linear inches in combined length, width, and height.
Travelpro offers many carry-on models that meet these size restrictions, which eliminates the cost of checking your bags at departure, and the headache of retrieving them upon arrival. Plus, their light weight and extra handles make them easier to lift into and out of overhead bins. And, their expandability lets you pack a wide variety of contents.
In addition, Travelpro rollaboards are extremely durable. Any manufacturer can offer a bag that doesn’t weigh much. The challenge is to provide a lightweight bag that stands up to airport baggage handling and crowded conveyer systems worldwide.
So, whether you’re an experienced business traveler, or a parent about to embark on a family vacation, picture carrying your luggage at each stage of the trip:
- To your car or taxi
- To the departure airline counter
- Through the security checkpoint
- Into and out of the overhead bin
- Off the destination conveyor belt
- To your rental car of taxi
- To your hotel room
And remember, you’ll be repeating each and every stage on the way home …
Wouldn’t a little less weight make a world of difference?
Finding The Best Luggage
August 25, 2010 by Scott Applebee · 2 Comments
With the wide range of premium quality luggage available, do you wonder which bag is right for you? It all comes down to your preferences, which are usually based on how often you travel, the type of trips you take and your budget. The first step is to review the styles available.
Roll-Aboards: With models available throughout Travelpro’s collections, rollaboards range from carry-on to larger check-in sizes. Carry-on size bags will fit in the aircraft’s overhead bin and help eliminate the cost of checking your bags at departure, and the headache of retrieving them upon arrival. In the U.S. a carry-on bag must measure no more than 45 linear inches (the sum of the bag’s length, width and height). Larger size bags are great for long/extended trips.
Travelpro’s innovation that revolutionized travel worldwide, wheeled upright luggage allows you to pack for a week without having to carry the weight on your shoulders. Today’s rollaboards, or rolling uprights, feature inline skate wheels and a telescoping handle.
Business & Laptop Cases: If you’re a business traveler, you’ll appreciate the fact that Travelpro’s line of nylon business and laptop cases are lighter and more durable than leather cases. They store and protect laptops, private documents and other business materials.
All Travelpro cases meet carry on size restrictions and many are available in rolling models. Many new cases are also “Checkpoint Friendly,” eliminating the need to remove the laptop from the case as it’s scanned at airport security.
Totes: Smaller bags which are ideal for outings and overnight trips, also make an excellent companion piece for longer trips. Travelpro Totes are available in several styles, some with shoulder straps and some in rolling models.
Duffels: These durable, soft-sided bags provide both capacity and convenience on long trips. They are available in rolling or non-rolling styles and in carry-on or check-through sizes.
Garment Bags: Considered portable closets, Travelpro garment bags are popular with travelers who want to keep their suits, dresses, and other clothing wrinkle-free. Garment bags are available in both rolling and non-rolling versions, and in carry-on and check-through sizes.
Whatever your travel plans, whatever your luggage needs, Travelpro has the bag to suit you. You can check out our website, or use Travelpro’s Retailer Locator to find a retailer near you.
Top Five Features Of A Business Backpack
August 24, 2010 by Scott Applebee · Leave a Comment
When I say “business person,” what comes to mind? Probably someone carrying a briefcase.
You think of a briefcase because most business people carry a briefcase (a Travelpro Rollaboard Computer Brief, hopefully).
But a growing number of professionals are discovering the advantages of business backpacks. And not just young people, but savvy business travelers of all ages. They’re easier to carry, you can wear them to leave your hands free, and if you wear both straps, the weight is distributed evenly.
So, what five features do business people look for in a backpack?
- Generous Capacity: Travelpro business backpacks provide more storage space than comparable briefcases. Therefore, you can carry additional meeting materials or a change of clothes should your trip be extended.
- Convenient Laptop Storage: Travelpro business backpacks come with a padded compartment that accommodates up to a 17″ laptop, while protecting it and enabling you to retrieve it quickly. Our Crew 8 model is “checkpoint friendly,” because its laptop compartment opens like a door so the backpack can pass through security with the computer still inside.
Imagine breezing through a checkpoint by simply opening the compartment, laying the backpack flat on the conveyer, closing the compartment once it’s passed through the X-ray machine, and proceeding to your gate. Talk about convenience!
- Accessible Business Organizer: Travelpro backpacks feature a convenient business organizer and file storage, a ticket pocket that provides quick access to a wallet, passport, keys, and airline tickets, as well as a clever iPod port. Most of our bags also have a side-zippered water bottle pocket to keep you not only organized, but hydrated.
- Lightweight, Durable Construction: The Travelpro Crew 8 Business Backpack measures 8.5” W by 13” L by 17.5” H (well within airline size restrictions), and weighs only 3.3 pounds. It’s made of 1050D Micro Ballistic nylon fabric and has a padded back that absorbs moisture, provides cushion, and can take serious wear and tear.
- Ergonomic Construction – Travelpro backpacks offer wide, neoprene shoulder straps that comfortably distribute the weight between your shoulders. All models feature high-tensile-strength zipper pulls that ensure effortless opening and closing. Plus, the Crew 8 comes with our patent-pending Quick Loop that attaches the backpack to your rollaboard luggage.
Not all backpackers are nature lovers headed to the great outdoors. Many are business people headed to great success.
Travelpro Platinum® 6 28” Expandable Rollaboard® Suiter
August 20, 2010 by Karen Parmar · Leave a Comment
When you need a bag that gives your mind a true vacation, the Travelpro Platinum® 6 26” Expandable Rollaboard® Suiter is there for you. Easy to stroll and carry, the 28” Rollaboard will also give your arms and back a rest with its removable, polyurethane bonded, sealed bearing wheels.
This Travelpro Platinum® 6 28” Expandable Rollaboard® Suiter is 12.5″ W by 20.5″ L by 28″ H. Conveniently in burgundy, black, and blue, you can pick the color that suits your style.
The cool thing about this Rollaboard is it comes with a new flat folding Add-a-Bag attachment system, a mesh clothing retention system, and a I-Beam geometry extension handle system. There’s no reason to torture yourself when you travel when there are all these additions as well as 2.5” expansion capability on the main body.
The Travelpro Platinum® 6 28” Expandable Rollaboard® Suiter commonly retails for $469.99. Use Travelpro’s Retailer Locator at to find the closest Travelpro retailer to you.
Top Five Features Of An Adventure Traveler’s Bag
August 19, 2010 by Scott Applebee · 1 Comment
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. What Jack needs is an adventure and Travelpro luggage for the trip. So, what five features should Jack look for in his adventure travel bag?
- Lightweight Construction: Jack needs lightweight luggage that he can carry on the plane, avoiding expensive “check-in” fees and lengthy bag retrieval delays. Travelpro’s rollaboards weigh as little as 8 lbs and will ensure that Jack can pack all the gear and clothing he will need for his adventure.
- Quality & Durability: One of the keys to successful adventuring is luggage survival. Luckily for Jack, Travelpro luggage is manufactured with strong honeycomb frames, and durable, easy-to-clean, nylon fabric reinforced with a water resistant coating. Double reinforced handles and straps along with sealed bearing wheels enhance durability. Plus, features like corner protection, kick plates and back skid guards, all add years of service to each bag’s life.
- Intelligent Design: Jack will need a lot of provisions for his adventure, and must be able to access them quickly. He’ll require large front pockets for maps and guidebooks, an intelligent pocket for electronic gear, an easily accessible ticket pocket and a convenient water bottle pocket. Plus, he’ll appreciate packing innovations like built-in suiters (to keep his Indiana Jones wardrobe wrinkle-free) which reduce the number of bags he’ll need, again saving him time and effort.
- Efficient Ergonomics: Jack can’t afford to waste energy wrestling bags into overhead storage bins. Fortunately, Travelpro rollaboards feature multiple carry handles for easy lifting, plus extension handles which enhance maneuverability and adjust to Jack’s height.
- Range of Choice: When planning his adventure, Jack’s sure to consider a wide range of travel bag options. Travelpro offers multiple carry-ons, totes, duffels, garment bags and backpacks. Numerous expandable models are available in case Jack needs to bring back more then he took. And, most feature a quick-loop strap for combining bags to simplify transport through airports.
And when his adventure finally ends, Jack can return to the workplace armed with his Travelpro ExecutiveFirst Deluxe Computer Brief.
A dull boy? Not anymore.
Travelpro Platinum® 6 26” Expandable Rollaboard® Suiter
August 18, 2010 by Karen Parmar · Leave a Comment
For a Grade-A travel bag that will carry everything you need, take a Travelpro Platinum® 6 26” Expandable Rollaboard® Suiter for all your wardrobe necessities. The Rollaboard has a mesh clothing retention system and an additional 2.5” expansion capability to fit all your essentials.
The Travelpro Platinum® 6 26” Expandable Rollaboard® Suiter is 12″ W by 18.5″ L by 26″ H. The 26” Expandable Rollaboard® Suiter has a fully lined interior with H2O Guard protective coating and Duratex® Ballistic Nylon with Teflon® coating to keep your bag looking great.
The included removable, folding suiter sleeve, and polyurethane bonded sealed bearing wheels are all thrown in to make traveling as un-demanding as possible. To make it almost leisure, Travelpro Platinum® 6 26” Expandable Rollaboard® Suiter has a Integrated 4 Point expansion stability system, a bottom handle grip with TPR comfort grip, high polished chrome accents, self-retracting ID card holder and an I-Beam geometry extension handle system.
The Travelpro Platinum® 6 26” Expandable Rollaboard® Suiter commonly retails for $429.99. Use Travelpro’s Retailer Locator at to find the closest Travelpro retailer to you.
How To Pack for International Travel
August 17, 2010 by Scott Applebee · 1 Comment
You’ve updated your passport, booked your flights and hotels, and researched the sights you plan to see. Your overseas trip is drawing near!
Packing is probably the last thing on your mind.
Do yourself a favor, and plan this process too. You’ll save time, money and many headaches by following some basic guidelines.
Review the Transportation Security Administration’s website (www.tsa.gov) for a current list of goods allowed and not allowed in checked and carry-on luggage. There’s nothing more frustrating than having to turn over banned belongings to airport personnel.
You’ll need to account for voltage differences in order to avoid damaging any electrical items you bring. Dual voltage (110/125v) and (220/250v) appliances require an adapter plug, while non-dual voltage items require a converter or transformer. Research the voltage requirements for each country you plan to visit, and buy any adaptors, converters or transformers you need from Austin House.
The best way to streamline international travel is to check in a larger bag and carry on a smaller bag. Be sure to pack essential items (toiletries, medications and a change of clothing) in your carry-on, in case your checked bag is lost or delayed.
To avoid excessive wrinkling, roll your clothes tightly instead of folding them into squares. Better yet, use a Travelpro® Rollaboard® that features a built-in suiter or garment sleeve, in which you can place dresses and suits. When you arrive at the hotel, immediately hang all clothing in the closet.
Don’t pack more clothing than you need and be sure to take clothes that mix and match, so you have a variety of outfits. This will reduce the weight of your luggage (avoiding overweight bag fees), and help you conserve space for the souvenirs everyone at home is expecting.
If your travel will involve frequent moves from one hotel to another, pack only the true necessities. Personal items can be purchased on-site, minimizing the amount of belongings you must transport.
Now that you’ve taken the time to pack properly, you’re in for the time of your life. Bon Voyage!
