What's with these Swedish airports? Tuesday, a 78-year-old woman laid down on a baggage belt at Stockholm-Arlanda Airport and was swept down a luggage chute before anyone could stop her.
Thinking the ride was part of check-in procedures, the woman, who was on the way to Germany, quickly surfaced at the airport's baggage handling center, where she was helped back to the terminal by staff.
She escaped unharmed--and even managed to catch her flight!
Software glitches at JFK on Wednesday caused monumental baggage hassles for passengers, as workers sorted luggage by hand and suitcases didn't make it on flights leaving Terminal 8. American Airlines was even telling passengers they could elect to take a later flight if their baggage couldn't be found.
Flier Mike Howell had the punch line everyone was thinking:
If they do charge people 15 dollars per bag, they should get it right.
American says many of the flights were international--routes on which the baggage fee isn't charged--but they're having trouble making that message stick. Maybe AA could post it to the airline's blog?
The last hi-tech suitcase we looked at can follow you, but we're still waiting to see a live version. What we have seen in real life is the Live Luggage electric-powered suitcase, and after hearing what a UK Times reporter had to say after taking this case on holidays, we've decided to stick with what we've got.
This motor-powered suitcase has quite a few drawbacks, starting from the fact that when it's empty, it already weighs 25 pounds, so you're going to have to pack super light. It's hard to get up and down stairs--and we also think it's ugly. Sure, when you're pulling it on a flat surface the motor makes it really easy, but since the British version costs £700 (almost $1,400) we're really not thinking it's worth it.
Visions of epic travel don't generally include a hand-me-down pea green hard case. And besides, with some airlines now charging for checked luggage, finding a overhead bin-sized bag is key.
Swiss company Freitag has an elegant solution to the travel bag dilemma. The F37 Renegade bag is part of a collection of luggage that's made out of colorful recycled truck tarps, seat belts and inner tubes. The Renegade is industrial-grade tough, waterproof, meets most size regulations for carry on luggage and even has handles on the bottom to easily get it in and out of the overhead bin.
The coolest feature on the Renegade, though, is its ability to zip apart into two separate bags. The top piece can be used as a day pack and the large bottom compartment can stay back at the hotel.
Since Freitag uses a random collection of truck tarps for the outer skin of the bag, no two are alike; you'll never have to worry about getting this bag mixed up with someone else's. And thanks to its construction from reclaimed materials, the F37 is also a winner from a sustainability perspective.
The ol' "I'll just hide in your suitcase" routine will no longer be an acceptable airport joke: A Swedish comedy troupe was able to check a dwarf at Stockholm's Bromma Airport, scaring the bananas out of check-in agents when the cargo escaped.
The troupe was filming a stunt for a show on Sweden's Kanal 5 in which an extra-heavy suitcase was brought into the airport and checked. Staff were "shocked and humiliated" but have decided not to press charges--but it's probably best not to hum "I'm Gonna Mail Myself To You" anywhere in Sweden for the next few months. (Checking your baby is also not endorsed by Jaunted.)
One thing we still don't know: Whether the dwarf hopped out to pay checked-bag fees on himself.
You can now add United to the list of airlines that charge passengers to check a single piece of baggage on domestic flights. The carrier announced that they'll begin hitting travelers with a $15 fee to bring even one piece of checked luggage on board. The fee matches American Airlines' controversial baggage charge, which was the first of it's kind when it debuted three weeks ago.
United is already well-established as a pioneer when it comes to finding new fees. According to Reuters, they were the "first legacy carrier to implement a $25 fee to check a second bag." Airlines have been going fee crazy of late because, they say, it's the only way they can survive rising fuel costs.
The $15 first bag fee isn't the only charge that United cooked up for their customers. The airline also raised the fees charged for overweight bags and luggage requiring special handling by $25-50 depending on the item. It undoubtedly won't be long before other major carriers follow suit.
Yesterday, we were a little miffed by the packing tips of One Bag that came off as a bit sexist. (Asking ladies to pack one ugly pair of shoes and to use a bathing suit tankini top under suits? As if! Should men wear their speedos as an alternative to briefs at a big meeting?)
Thus we were spurred to create our list of packing tips for the ladies. We travel quite a bit and we never check a bag. These are some of the little things we do to make sure all our stuff fits into one stylish green Kipling carry-on suitcase.
Since we're now living in the age where having extra baggage can cost you a pretty penny, we've decided to revisit an old site called One Bag which offers tips on how to pack light. The site is extremely in-depth--we didn't know you could write so much about one bag!--and there's a lot of text. Truthfully, it's almost too much text to get through.
What we did find useful was the section on bundle wrapping, above, a technique that allows you to minimize the creases in your clothes and maximize the space in your carry-on. Also, the wardrobe packing list is pretty helpful though there are some tips that will have the fashion police chasing you down the jetbridge:
Several companies make pants with zip-off or roll-up legs (which convert them to shorts, capris, etc.)
The packing list won't make any fans with women, either. How could it possibly recommend that ladies bring just one pair of lace-up shoes for business meetings, daytime walks and hiking. We're not sure such a shoe even exists.
And don't even get us started on using our bathing suit tankini top as a body suit under a skirt or jacket. We'd rather pay the checked bag charge!
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