Here is the point that I am trying to make.  Alcohol on flights doesn’t cause problems, its people that drink in access and become roudy and obnoxious that do.  I have been on my share of domestic, charter, and international flights and haven’t seen the serving of alcohol cause any problems.  Now consider the fact that I have been on several spring break flights – flights where you would expect wild college kids to go crazy and overboard with the alcohol…but they didn’t. I am not a huge drinker, and generally don’t drink on shorter domestic flights.  However, when flying longer international flights, I like knocking back a few strong cocktails because it helps me fall asleep, and sleep through the flight.  Now I don’t know about you, but when I sleep, I don’t get annoying, violent, or belligerent.

Mr. Elliot writes that alcohol hightens stressful situations, and that on a plane its harder to ignore or get away from a beligerent drunk.  He also mentions that alcohol at higher altitudes is much more toxic/intoxicating than at ground level.  This is true, however a simple reminder of this for people will likely solve that problem.  Most average people aren’t on the plane to get wasted, especially since getting drunk on a plane is generally a very uncomfortable situation.  I would be ok with limiting the number of drinks that each person can have, although then you run into the problem of weight and tollerance.  I think that flight attendants should act like bar tenders – they should cut people off before they push themselves over the top.

One more thing – even we did stop the serving of alcohol on flights, it wouldn’t solve any of the issues, because the people that do want to be drunk on a plane still will be.  Their are airport bars which serve alcohol, and don’t forget about the duty free shops which sell alcohol for cheap.  Also don’t forget, airlines are struggling as it is, taking away alcohol, one of their revenue sources, is probably not going to help the situation.

I am very interested to get our readers take on this one.  Please reply with your comments.

1. Know The Rules – Double check the carry-on guidelines with your airline.  The size and weight guidelines tend to vary a bit from airline to airline, so be sure to get specifics.  For example, your 35lb. suitcase might fine with one carrier, but will have to be checked with another.  Carriers also have varying linear size limits.  Check out our Travel Center for more tips, guidelines, etc.
2. Know Your Size – Are you planning on domestic travel, international travel, or both?  This is very important, since domestic regulations limit the carry-on bag size to a 22″ bag, whereas the international limit is 20″.  If you plan on using the same suitcase for all your travels, I suggest getting a 20″.  I personally travel with a Crew 7 20″ Rollaboard .
3. Beware of the Liquid Restrictions – In case you didn’t know yet, the TSA has restrictions on liquids.  All liquids must be in 3oz. containers which all need to fit into one clear ziplock bag. You can technically go out and buy mini bottles of shampoo, shaving cream, lotion, toothpaste, etc.  However, my preferred solution is purchasing a TSA approved bottle kit.   This allows you to not only bring your favorite shampoo, lotion, etc with you, but it also will save you money because the mini bottles are grossly marked up.  The Eagle Creek Pack-It Custom Travel Bottle Set is my favorite because it contains squeeze bottles, a pump bottle, a spray bottle and a toothbrush holder all conveniently packed into a custom reusable zipper bag.
4. How to fit everything you need into one bag – when going on longer trips, it becomes harder to fit everything you need into your carry-on, especially if you are traveling to colder climates and packing bulky clothes.  My favorite solution is compression bags.  If you have a few extra large heavy duty ziplock bags handy, you can pack them full, and press the air out of them.   However the ziplocks are prone to tears and they do slowly refill with air, so you need to pack fast.  My suggestion is to spring $20 or so, and buy a set of compression bags (Eagle Creek Pack-It Compressor Set).
5. Check Your Lock – If you are going to lock your luggage, be sure that you are using TSA approved locks.  This can benefit you in several ways.  First, if you bag needs to be searched, you don’t need to fiddle around for the key, every TSA agent has a master key.  Second, if you make the bonehead mistake of forgetting or losing your key, you will be able to have a TSA security agent open it for you – save yourself a trip to the hardware store and $25 on bolt cutters (personal experience).

If this does happen at some point, it will obviously only be for domestic fights, since most international flights are way too long for people to stand through. However, can you imagine flying NYC to LA while standing? I am curious how big of a price difference will there be between traditional seats and standing-room spots, because there is no way that I would pay hundreds of dollars to stand for 4 hours.

If you ask me, air travel is uncomfortable enough as it is, and I am a below average sized person.  Making people stand in a cramped “seat” isn’t going to make that situation any better.  I am curious to know, how many of you would willingly buy a standing-room-only seat and at what kind of discount, compared to a regular seat?

This post isn’t as much about the new proposed regulation, but it is really me voicing my displeasure at the fact that the government is spending time and taxpayer dollars to regulate something that doesn’t really need regulating. I mean the rules are simple enough, if the item doesn’t fit under the seat or in the overhead bin, it needs to be checked…no need for House Resolution 2870.

• Pack smart – try to make it so that your luggage does not get searched by separating all your bulky plastic and/or electronic things.  Separate these items with clothes so that they don’t get clustered together in an undestinguishable and suspicious image on the x-ray monitor.  In case your bag does get searched, pack in a way that makes it easier for the TSA security people to unpack/repack your bag. Rolling your clothes works well.
• Don’t forget the not-so-new carry-on liquid law.  No more than 3.4oz bottles that all have to fit into one ziplock bag.  It can get spendy buying mini-bottles of all your favorite personal hygiene liquids, so buying a TSA approved bottle kit is the way to go.
• If you are bringing a laptop, get a TSA checkpoint friendly bag.  These bags have a separate compartment for only the laptop which lets you leave your laptop and accessories in the laptop bag when going through the checkpoint.
• Mind what you wear – try to avoid jewelry and belts if possible, especially belts with large metal buckles.  I am actually notorious for forgetting about those, setting off the metal detectors, and then acting like a fool searching through my pockets trying to figure out what could be setting it off.  Sandals or slip on shoes are the best – try to avoid shoelaces.
• Make sure you have your ID and boarding pass out.  Yes this is the most obvious and most basic, but you would be surprised – or maybe you wouldn’t – by the number of people that seem to be amazed when they are asked for their ID and boarding pass.  At that point, said people begin hectically searching their bags and pockets.  Please have these out in advance…it will benefit you, and everyone behind you as well.

If you have any other specific tips for getting through the security checkpoints faster, please post them here.

• Like in Tulsa, as was mentioned in one of my previous posts, Salt Lake City Airport is also implementing the full-body scanners at their security checkpoints.  This is part of an ongoing test that the TSA will be conducting to see how effective the scanners are, and how travelers respond to them.
• In Cleveland, like in a few other airports around the country, construction has begun on a free parking lot, for people picking up arriving passengers. These so-called “cell-phone lots” are a response to the post-9/11 policy prohibiting drivers from waiting around the arrivals area. Here, drivers will be able to park and wait for the call from their friends or family stating that their flight has landed.
• In Atlanta, a lawsuit, by a local gun group, to allow firearms on the premises of one of the busiest airports in the nation, has been defeated. I generally try to stay unbiased, but why would you need/want to bring a gun to the airport?
• In Minneapolis, a local TV investigation has uncovered a security loophole. The investigation, by KSTP, found many airport employees going through security checkpoints unscreened. They would walk through without their bags being checked, without having to take off their shoes, etc. Why is the average airport employee trusted more than the average airline passenger?

If you have any thoughts on these topics, or know of other stories like this, feel free to post them here.

Here is what I had in my carry-on:

• 1 pair of dress pants
• 4 pairs of jeans
• 5 t-shirts
• 2 long sleeve t-shirts
• 2 sweaters
• 6 under shirts
• 6 pairs of underwear
• 6 pairs of socks
• 2 dress shirts
• 1 sport coat
• 1 formal vest
• 2 belts
• 2 ties
• 1 pair of dress shoes

Mind you, that all of the above fit in there without expanding the suitcase.  Also, lets not forget that my backpack was mostly empty.  The only stuff that that I had in there was:

• iPod
• personal hygiene stuff (toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, shaving stuff, etc.)
• digital camera
• cell phone charger
• iPod charger

As you can see, if I wanted to I could have fit much more both into the suitcase and into the backpack, had i needed/wanted to.  This was all packed using basic space saving tips like rolling t-shirts and underwear, and stuffing socks into shoes, etc.  As you can see, I easily had enough packed to last me a whole week.  Also, lets not forget that if you really want to economize packing space then you can use packing aids, such as these Eagle Creek Compressor Envelopes.

Click here to see our vast selection of carry-on bags.

Click here to see our vast selection of packing aids.