Looking for some help staying organized while traveling?  Try the new Eagle Creek Pack It System.  These products fit in almost any suitcase, and provide wrinkle-free organization.  Shop the entire selection of Eagle Creek travel products at Luggage Pros!

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However, I will be hopping a couple of planes to get to my much-anticipated vacation.  So, I’ll pack my American Tourister Luggage and fly to Atlanta’s airport for a layover and then on to Nassau.  That’s over 2,300 travel miles, not including the shuttle I’ll be taking to and from the airport.  Since this isn’t the greenest way to travel, I wanted to do something that would offset the emissions I will be contributing to.

The company Tera Pass provides a website where you can look up different travel situations and it will calculate your carbon emissions.  You can then buy “offsets.”  Your purchase is verified to reduce the same amount of emissions that your trip will output.  This money goes to fund carbon reduction projects.  There are 3 types of projects that Tera Pass funds: farm power, landfill gas capture and wind energy.

Let’s calculate my trip via plane:  (I’m not sure of the make/model of my shuttle, so I’ll have to calculate those emission when I return)

• Minneapolis airport to Atlanta airport: 906 miles = 353 lbs carbon emissions

• Atlanta airport to Nassau: 730 miles = 328 lbs carbon emissions

• Return flight miles: 1,636 miles = 681 carbon emissions

Total emissions for my flight are 1,362 lbs and 3,272 miles.  To purchase a standard 2,000 lb emission offset = only $11.90!  I am taking my husband with me on this trip, so to pay for both of our offsets would still only be $24.

Tera Pass also allows you to calculate your emissions for your commute every day to work, as well as your wedding carbon footprint!  So, the next time you’re taking a trip or just driving to work, know you’ve got the option to offset those carbon emissions.

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The Titan X2 4-Wheel Flash has a four wheel system that makes travel a joy, while the daring, high gloss colors allow freedom of expression for travelers of all ages.  The bold design and sophisticated carbon finish make the Titan X2 4-wheel Special Edition Carbon a perfect choice for business or leisure travel.   Wheels rotate 360 degrees, making navigation of crowded airports and small aisles an easy task.  Titan offers German-manufactured polycarbonate luggage engineered for lightness, strength and durability.

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The May 2009 issue highlighted four different laptop bags that each serve a unique purpose. Of the four that were highlighted, my two favorites are the Nuo Tech and Travelon bags.  Nuo Tech also makes messenger bags and totes, but the real stars are the laptop bags which were designed by Project Runway winner, Chloe Dao.  Nuo Tech describes the bags as “a unique play on colors, geometry and shapes to create fashion forward designs without any boundaries.”  Even though I don’t fall in the target demographic for the bags (they are geared toward female consumers), I still think the collection has some of the coolest designs on the market.

As for Travelon, well, if you’ve ever read my bio at LuggagePros.com you know I love Travelon’s Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Bags.  Not sure about everyone else, but I can think of a lot better ways to spend my time than in a security checkpoint cattle call at the airport, so if there’s a product that can help me get through quicker I’m going to use it.  For those that aren’t familiar with the term ‘checkpoint friendly’, it means that when using one of these products you don’t have to take your laptop out of your bag and put it into its own tray.  Rather, your laptop and case are viewed in a single, unobstructed image by the TSA screener allowing you breeze through airport security.  Pretty cool stuff.

If these bags don’t do it for you, don’t worry, check out our site for hundreds of other options that might meet your specific needs and personal taste.

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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.

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"To tip or not to tip"

To tip or not to tip, that is the question.  Or better yet, how much to tip.  Whether you are travel frequently or seldom, for business or for pleasure, or any combination of the above, you have probably had this dilemma.  This becomes a problem especially when traveling internationally.  In the U.S. we are pretty much used to the commonplace 10% – 15% minimum gratuity, however in other countries this can vary up or down.  And what about those dreaded doormen, porters and maids?  In this post I will give you some pointers that  I have gathered from my travels.

• When arriving to a new destination, make a quick detour to the airport info kiosk and ask about tipping practices/customs in the area.  Otherwise make a quick stop at the hotel concierge and ask the same question (don’t forget to tip him/her as well)
• Have a separate stash of “gratuity money” available in small local denominations.  This way you don’t have to worry about getting change back (some waiters tend to “forget” to bring it back), or about not having enough money for a tip.
• Whenever tipping, its best to err on the side of generosity – think about it, these people are preparing your food, cleaning your room, and ferrying you around from place to place…all things you want done well, and generally you get what you pay for.
• Most countries outside of the U.S. include a service charge in your bill, but its still a good idea to give at least 5% over the top.
• In most Asian countries, Japan and China in particular, gratuities are not common place.  In bigger cities its a good policy to leave 5% – 10% more, but otherwise they generally include a service charge and don’t expect to get anything on top of that.
• If you are ever traveling in a country with a corrupt government/social system, try to avoid paying bribe “gratuities” if you can.  If you are forced to bribe your way out of a bad situation do so, but otherwise just walk/drive away.

These are just some general guidelines for you, but as mentioned above its a good idea to ask the locals when you arrive, because every place is a bit different.  Check back next week, for a more detailed region-by-region synopsis of tipping policies.

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Also, if you trust Rick’s travel advice, then checkout his line of travel gear.

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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?

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Due to the recession, and in turn the decreased demand for both business and leisure travel, online travel agencies have seen decreasing sales and profits.  It seems as though the removal of booking fees will remain a mainstay, at least into the foreseeable future.

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