Get Out of Town Painlessly for Spring Break
February 2, 2012 by Scott Applebee · Leave a Comment
Peter Shankman had a great blog post this past December about “how to get out of town painlessly” over the holidays. We 
were so inspired by it, we borrowed a few of our favorite ideas, and added a few of our own, on how you can get out of town painlessly over Spring Break. Remember, it’s the destination, not the journey, so you want to make this as easy as you can.
Take the first flight out. Early-morning flights have their ups and downs, of course. The benefits: Lines are shorter, you’ll have to wait less almost everywhere — except the coffee kiosk! — and if your flight is delayed for some reason, there’s a better chance you’ll get rebooked painlessly. The obvious downside: Getting up at the crack of dawn.
Don’t check a bag. It’s always a pain to check baggage, but during these times of heavy travel loads, when there are a lot of novice travelers checking a lot of baggage, now is the time to opt out completely. Consider the cost to check a big bag, possibly even an overweight one. Chances are, that’s far more than the cost of packing everything ahead of time then shipping it to your destination — all the way to your destination. If you FedEx your bag the week before you arrive, it’ll be waiting for you at the hotel after you waltz out of the airport, trying to suppress a smug giggle.
Prepare for TSA. We’ve talked about this before, because it’s one of the hardest parts of any trip: 1) Wear slip-on shoes. 2) Put everything from your pockets into your briefcase. 3) Get travel size toiletries and put them all in a 1 quart bag. 4) Use a checkpoint-friendly briefcase. 5) Pick the shortest looking line.
Consider driving instead. Bet you weren’t expecting that. Many frequent business travelers we know will drive if a trip is less than five hours away. Think of it: you have to drive to the airport, which is 30 – 40 minutes away. You have to get there at least 90 minutes early. Then a 60 minute flight, and another 30 minutes to deplane and get to your transportation. You just spent 3.5 hours getting to your destination, and that doesn’t include any delays. For an extra 90 minutes, you can be in your new destination with your own car, which also saves on car rental and cab fares. You missed the Spring Break crowds, and are riding in your own familiar surroundings.
Meeting New People When Living Abroad
January 31, 2012 by Scott Applebee · Leave a Comment
When you’re well established and have been living somewhere for a while, it’s easy to take your social life for granted. 
People develop habits: happy hours, dinner groups, bowling leagues.
But when you’re taken out of that established life and plunked down somewhere new, you realize just how much time and effort it took to build that social life, and how much you need it.
Luckily, meeting new people and making friends isn’t rocket science, even if it seems like it at first. There are plenty of ways to get to know people in a new place, even in a new country and culture.
If you’re working in an office abroad, never underestimate the power of coworkers — especially if they’re also from the United States. Navigating a new area together can be a great team building exercise, and there’s always strength in numbers. You may have a better chance of linking up with a group of locals if you’re out having fun together, and it’ll be easier to break the ice that way.
If some of your coworkers have been there longer than you, ask them to show you around. Chances are they’ve already done a bit of exploring since they arrived, and they’ve already found some favorite places. Something as simple as hitting a local watering hole after work or grabbing a bite over lunch at a local restaurant can be enough to build the foundation for a great friendship.
If you find yourself in more of a solo situation, here are a few other ideas:
Congregate around sports events. Even if you’re not a big soccer, rugby or cricket fan, these and other team sports can be a huge draw for fun-loving locals abroad. Grab a pint and enjoy the game and the camaraderie.
Use the web. Meetup.com offers a lot of international meetup groups for people with all sorts of interests. Visit international.meetup.com and do a search for the area you’ll be living in, or your activity of choice. Other sites, including Yelp, are beginning to build communities abroad, too. There are plenty of ways to meet like-minded locals online.
Hang out with other expatriates. Expats are other foreigners living abroad, either temporarily or permanently, either from your own country or other parts of the world. But be careful not to isolate yourself too much — though it’s easy to surround yourself with people and new friends who have this shared experience of being from another country, expats can be a pretty insular group. Don’t forget to expand your horizons and meet the locals.
Jump into some good, old-fashioned small talk. If you’re feeling lonely, don’t be afraid to strike up a little conversation with someone nearby, whether it’s a hotel staff member, a concierge clerk, people at a nearby table at a restaurant or even someone on your bus or train to work. You might be surprised how friendly people can be when you reach out to them first.
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Tech Tools For Staying In Touch When Traveling Abroad
January 26, 2012 by Karen Amin · Leave a Comment
It’s hard to be apart from loved ones when you’re away for any length of time, but when you’re traveling for business, it’s 
also essential to keep in touch with your colleagues and clients — being in a foreign country isn’t an excuse for not staying in touch anymore.
Even in recent years, your only options were either buying international phone cards and relying on land lines and pay phones to check in every so often. But the more technology advances, the easier it is to stay in touch.
If your cell phone has a SIM card, you can purchase an international calling plan and swap out your domestic SIM card for an international one, which will enable you to make calls normally from your cell phone. If your cell service provider offers good international plans, this can be a great option. The same goes for texting and data plans.
Better still: Many devices, including iPads and smart phones like iPhones and Androids, have certain apps that operate best over a wifi connection. If you can get yourself to an area that has a good wireless signal and connect to that, you’ll be able to use many of the services you’re used to — including e-mail — with almost no changes and at minimal cost.
That note on wifi brings up a great option for international calling and meeting: Skype.
Skype operates on smart phones, tablets and computers, so you have a lot of access options. What’s more, you can make both voice calls and do video chats through Skype, so you can even go face-to-face with family, friends and colleagues if need be, without ever incurring international calling rates.
One last option if you’re traveling light: Internet cafes. These are everywhere throughout Europe and all over the world. For a small fee, you can connect to the Internet briefly — while enjoying a cup of coffee or a snack — and check up on your e-mail, Facebook, Twitter accounts without worrying about whether your own technology is compatible with what’s available abroad. For the cost of a SIM card and your phone calls, you may even be able to cover your communications with nothing but Internet cafes.
How to Have Safe Travels Overseas
January 24, 2012 by Karen Amin · Leave a Comment
We asked a few people around the Travelpro office about their top tips for safety while traveling overseas. Many of our people travel frequently for business, and our own Scott Applebee used to take extended business trips to Italy when he was in another position, so we have many voices of experience to give us some tips.
When you’re traveling to any foreign country, safety is serious business — even if you’re one of those business travelers who’s at the airport twice a week and bounces around the country on a regular basis. As soon as you hop the pond, as Dorothy said, you’re not in Kansas anymore. So here are our top five tips for staying safe while you’re abroad:
Image via Wikipedia
- Be smart about your money. If you use an ATM and are dealing with unfamiliar currency, head to the bathroom when you leave the kiosk and sort out your bills privately.
- Don’t take rides with strangers. When you leave the airport, don’t just hop into any car with a guy who says he can take you downtown. (This may sound obvious, but being in a new place can be disorienting!) Take a taxi from an airport-sanctioned taxi stand, an official hotel shuttle or some other legitimate form of transportation. And arrive during the day, if possible, just for extra safety.
- Keep your wits about you. It’s easy to get lost when you’re in another country, especially in old, grid less cities like Paris (again, speaking from staff experience). But resist the temptation to pull out a huge map and gawk at street signs. Looking like a tourist is just asking for trouble.
- Inform someone back home. Make sure at least one person knows where you plan to be, for the most part. They should have all your flight information, where your hotel is, the names of anyone you’re traveling with and any side trips or big stops you’re planning. They should also have copies of all your important documents, including your passport, and access to your credit card providers’ phone numbers and your account numbers (so you can call them if your cards are ever stolen).
- Be multilingual. If you’ve traveling to a country whose population primarily speaks a different language, make an effort to learn at least a few important phrases that you can use if you need help — or just want to seem in the know. Having some understanding of the local language and culture will automatically boost your chances of safety and success on your trip.
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Packing Tips for a Business Trip
January 19, 2012 by Scott Applebee · Leave a Comment
No matter how often you travel, there’s something about packing that’s always a little more stressful than it ought to be. And there’s always that nagging feeling of forgetting something…
So get into the habit of packing only the bare necessities; you won’t have as many things to forget if you do. Very rarely will anyone remember what pants you were wearing on the first day if you wear them on the third day, and chances are, you won’t be lounging around in your suit after your presentation or big meeting. Just something to consider…
Here are a few guidelines for the size of your luggage, depending on how long you’ll be traveling:
- 18 to 20 inch for two to three day trip.
- 22-inch for something slightly longer, up to five days.
- Anything beyond that, you’ll probably be stuck checking a larger suitcase.
(We’ve discussed other packing tips in the past where some people have been able to manage getting seven days’ worth of clothes into a 20 inch carry-on, but these are good guidelines to start with.)
Wear your heaviest clothes on the plane if you can. Often, that’s your suit and dress shoes. Not only can those items get wrinkled, scuffed, or otherwise damaged in your carry-on luggage — we recommend shoe bags if you must pack them — but they also take up a considerable amount of space, especially footwear.
Not to mention, wearing your business finest to the airport could prove lucky…you never know who you might meet at your gate. Never underestimate the power of on-the-go networking.
Don’t overlook garment bags: Back in December, Peter Kessler, “the voice of golf” and regular business traveler, raved about Travelpro’s Platinum 7 Suiter on his blog. A well-made garment bag with all your shirts, jackets and pants inside will leave your most important clothes kink-free for a big day in the boardroom or presentation room.
If your clothes still need a refresh, you have several in-room options: First, check your closet for an iron, which comes standard with almost every room. You can also shower with your clothes: Hang them in the bathroom while you enjoy a nice, hot one. You can press out small wrinkles with your hands after the steam does its work. Or, if you have the time and wherewithal for it, many hotels also offer dry cleaning and pressing services. Leave them with your housekeeping staff before you leave for the day, and you’ll have them back in no time.
Clothes aren’t the only thing to consider, of course. How about toiletries?
If you’ll be carrying on, size is obviously a concern. Often it’s better not to worry about packing precisely 3 ounces of each of your favorite toiletries. Instead, just use what your hotel provides for your showers. And if you forgot something, many hotels have plenty of supplies behind the front desk in case of emergency, whether it’s a toothbrush, toothpaste, razor or some other essential. This is especially useful if you took a red-eye or arrived late after a long-delayed flight. Even if the provisions are just tiding you over, they’ll ease your stress and get your trip off on a better foot.
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Airlines Urged to Lighten Up on Baggage Fees
January 17, 2012 by Scott Applebee · Leave a Comment
Who says there’s no good news in the papers anymore? In late November, the L.A. Times did a story on politicians goingto bat for passengers rights by tackling that hassle of the highest order: baggage fees.
Mary Landrieu, a Democratic senator from Louisiana, introduced proposed legislation just before Thanksgiving that would allow airline passengers — by law — to check one suitcase, gratis, per flight. That allowance is only one part of a larger proposal that would keep carry-on baggage free and guarantee travelers access to water and bathrooms throughout their flights.
If you do choose to check your bags, most airlines charge $25 (or more!) for your first bag and additional charges for second and third bags.
But what if you want to avoid those fees? Carrying bags on is a real source of stress for air travelers. Let’s start at the security line. Those used to checking bags — and therefore not accustomed to TSA restrictions on liquids and other items — can cause real hold-ups in line. (It’s stressful for everyone around, too.)
In the Times article, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said that carry-on bags increase screening costs nationwide by $260 million a year.
If you thought that TSA line was long and slow, wait until you actually start boarding. Passengers now have to be ready to fight tooth and nail for a coveted spot in an overhead bin for their Rollaboards or business briefcases. That jockeying for bin space — and the inevitable scramble to gate check a bag (for free, by the way) when the last passengers to board can’t find space — not only slows down the boarding and deplaning process, but it’s also fostering animosity among already-stressed travelers who have to share a very small space for the next few hours. This has also made flight attendants’ jobs understandably more challenging as they attempt to keep customer’s happy and ensure that the doors of the overflowing overhead bins are closed and secure.
Most airplanes are built with a huge area underneath for storing luggage and other items. As fewer people check bags to avoid checked-bag fees, that space is going largely unused. Meanwhile, people are fighting for on board bag space and hoping they’ll find a place for their feet afterward. The system as it stands now is counterproductive — and it should change.
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Travelpro Announces its Celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Invention of the Rollaboard
January 10, 2012 by Scott Applebee · Leave a Comment
A Modern Luggage Innovation that Changed the Way we Travel
(Boca Raton, Fla. – Jan. 9, 2012)—Travelpro will celebrate its 25th Anniversary of the invention of Rollaboard luggage throughout 2012 with an array of promotions, dynamic new product introductions, special events and media co-ops.
It all started when Robert Plath, a pilot for Northwest Airlines, changed the physical orientation of luggage from horizontal to vertical, added large wheels and an extension handle; hence, inventing the Rollaboard, an entirely new way to transport personal belongings while traveling.
“When Travelpro founder, Robert Path, invented the original Rollaboard in his garage in 1987, he not only changed the way people traveled but his new invention helped energize the entire travel goods industry,” said Scott Applebee, Vice President of Marketing for Travelpro. “The Rollaboard also led to the creation of the company, Travelpro, which immediately became an industry leader due to his powerful innovation.”
Plath founded Travelpro and began providing Rollaboard luggage to airline flight crews and pilots. The idea was so universally successful with the airline crews, Travelpro launched the product commercially through retail stores in the early 90’s and has been changing the way consumers travel ever since.
In 1994, Travelpro was ranked as one of the fastest growing private companies by Inc. Magazine. Recently, Inc. Magazine listed Plath’s Rollaboard invention as one of the top innovations in modern history. In November 2011, in a Discovery Channel program entitled, “What’s America Worth?” the invention was highlighted as one of the leading examples of how innovation adds value to a country’s net worth. Numerous awards have followed including winning the 2009 and 2010 Leading Edge Award from Executive Travel Magazine for “The Best Carry-on Case.” Its luggage also had a co-starring role in the multi-Oscar nominated film “Up in the Air”, starring George Clooney.
Today, Travelpro has continued to grow its reputation of innovation and style as one of the leading luggage brands worldwide. Travelpro luggage is now used by over 80 airlines globally and is sold commercially throughout the world.
Travelpro manufactures numerous luggage collections including Platinum 7, Crew™ 8, FlightPro LITE, Walkabout Lite 4, Maxlite 2 Rollaboards and Spinners, Executive Pro™ and Tpro Bold ™. These collections represent the best of the best for innovation, quality and value. Additionally, Travelpro purchased the well-respected Atlantic Luggage and Austin House to fortify its brand presence in the Luggage and Travel Accessories industry.
For more information about Travelpro, please visit the Travelpro website for a complete list of the latest products and retail locations. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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Winter Packing Tips
December 27, 2011 by Scott Applebee · 1 Comment
Whether you’re heading out on a ski trip, jetting off to see relatives up north, squeezing in some last-minute chilly business travel, or pursuing any other cold-weather activities during a trip this holiday season, you’ll need to pack for the frosty weather.
When you’re staring into your closet and trying to decide what to pack for the cold — all while taking into consideration what will actually fit into your luggage! — it can be a bit daunting. But don’t despair. Here are some tips that should make your frigid travels much less shivery.
Image via Wikipedia
Consider where you’re headed.
If you’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors — like on the ski slopes or at an ice-skating rink — of course you’ll need to bring along several pairs of insulated socks, a warm coat, toasty boots, a warm hat, gloves, and so on. But if your exposure to cold weather will mostly be the brief times between the car and the mall or on the short trips from one family member’s house to another, you may want to save yourself some space and hassle by leaving your heaviest, most cumbersome coats and boots behind.
Bring along thin layers.
One of the most essential principles of clothing yourself for cold weather is wearing plenty of thin layers. Bring along lightweight shirts to layer under sweaters and thin jackets. Don’t forget tights, leggings, thermal underwear, or leg warmers. Pack some garments made of fleece for a toasty option that will resist wrinkling. Also consider toting along items made from Thinsulate and Gore-Tex.
Get creative.
Ladies, bring along a pashmina shawl that can also serve as a blanket on the plane, a wrap or a shawl, as well as a scarf. Pashmina shawls are available in a wide variety of prints, colors, and designs and are quite fashionable in addition to their practicality.
Envision how you can layer your individual clothing items differently so you can re-wear each piece multiple times. Mix and match colors, and have fun with your look!
And if you’re running short on luggage space, wear your bulkiest items onto the plane. You’ll always be able to take off a layer or two once you’ve boarded if you get too warm. Travelpro® Rollaboards have extra large front pockets that are ideal for storing hats, scarves and sweaters.
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Finding the Best Seats on the Airplane
December 22, 2011 by Scott Applebee · Leave a Comment
These days, as flights are more crowded and more in demand, it’s hard enough just to score yourself a seat at an affordable price, let alone a great seat. It’s especially worse if you’re on a tight budget. So how can you avoid the bummer experience of being trapped with no legroom next to the lavatory and get one of the better seats instead?
First off, plan ahead. The more time in advance you book your flight, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to nab one of the nicer seats on the airplane, simply because more seats are available earlier. And while booking, seek out the seat you want, if possible, and choose it from the get-go. This will save you a lot of hassle and discomfort later.
If you book online, you can use the airline’s seat selector. Or if you book on a third-party site like Orbitz or PriceLine, log into the airline website and use the same seat selection process.
SeatGuru.com is also a powerful tool to use during the flight-planning process. Check out this site to get details on everything from seat maps to in-flight amenities to detailed ratings of individual seats on planes. The site uses helpful color-coded diagrams and incredible depth of detail in its descriptions. You can even submit your own comments on particular seats or airplanes, if you’d like.
Pick a seat near the very front of the plane to get on and off your flights more quickly. This is great if you’ve got a tight connection to make, or you simply want to get home or to your hotel as quickly as possible.
Tall passengers may want to choose seats in the bulkhead or exit-row seats. These seats typically have much more generous legroom than those on other parts of the plane. Take advantage of this if possible.
If you do, however, find yourself without your desired seat on the day of the flight, you may get lucky and land a better seat if you just ask airline employees nicely. This won’t, however, work for flights that are packed to the brim. (Hint: If there are standby passengers, count yourself lucky that you have a seat at all.) And for flights that have plenty of empty seats, it never hurts to ask if you can change seats. If possible, the folks with your airline will often accommodate you.
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Why Do Airlines Pad Their Flight Times?
December 20, 2011 by Karen Amin · Leave a Comment
Have you ever wondered why it takes so long to get anywhere when flying these days? And have you been curious whether airlines are just trying to make themselves look better with more “on-time” flights by padding their schedules? It can be pretty easy to take a cynical stance on padded flight times and more time-consuming travel, especially with all the other hoops to jump through when traveling by air. But maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to assume airlines are padding their flight times without legitimate cause.
The general consensus among many experts seems to be that airlines actually pad flight times for no reason other than to plan for the worst-case scenario. So many variables come into play when it comes to air travel: congested airports, air-traffic control delays, unpredictable inclement weather, unfavorable headwinds, crucial last-minute maintenance tasks, and much more.
Today’s more heavily congested airports can up the wait time for flights. With the oft-crowded airports of today, it often takes travelers a long time to make it through security and to one gate from another. Consider, too, that travelers have different levels of experience navigating their way through airports, which can also add to necessary travel time.
Also think of how the huge number of planes arriving and departing influence travel time. It makes a lot of sense — the greater the number of planes heading into the air, the more time it will take for air-traffic control to organize the incoming and outgoing flights. On the runways, it’s the same principle as rush hour vs. off-peak times on your local roads: high-volume traffic can create bottlenecks and logjams that leave people waiting and waiting.
Bad weather and headwinds also contribute to padding of flight times. As soon as thunderstorms, fog, snow, or other bad weather situations enter the equation, flights times can become very uncertain. Unfavorable headwinds, too, can slow down planes significantly.
Flight times are also padded to allow for any necessary maintenance work.
Airlines tend to pad their flight times a bit to help compensate for any of these uncertainties, which can actually be a great thing for travelers. There’s a bit of a built-in buffer to help customers arrive in time to make connecting flights or to touch down on time at their final destination.
So that’s that: With the skies heavily saturated with air travel and abounding unknowns thrown into the mix, it simply takes longer now to get from Point A to Point B. And just think — without those padded flight times, it’d be far more common to find yourself at the airport in a crowd of disgruntled travelers who expected to arrive at their destination much, much sooner. So maybe they’re not such a bad thing after all.
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