We took a 3½-week trip to northern Vietnam and Indonesia, April 3-28, 2014. The tour was with Overseas Adventure Travel (Cambridge, MA; 800/955-1925), which did a very good job and which we’re happy to recommend.
Our hotel experience, however, brought to mind a persistent question we’ve had for many years. Why is it that hotels offer space for only one suitcase in each room?
Baggage loops, key rings and stickers for phones, tablets and computers — all with unique numbers that help airport officials track them for the owners if they are lost or misplaced — are offered by HomingPIN (based in Stansted, England).
HomingPIN uses the WorldTracer system, in place in more than 2,200 airports worldwide. When the number is input into the system, the owner of the item may be immediately told where their item is and can be assisted in recovering it.
(Part two in a series)
Someone who travels a lot develops a preference for clothing that has certain properties. We asked you to tell us about the apparel you pack and where you bought it. We wanted to know brand names, so shoppers can inquire about them in the mall or look them up online. And we asked you to give us the name of the store or company from which you purchased each item, including, if possible, its contact information (location, phone number or website).
(Part one in a series)
Someone who travels a lot develops a preference for clothing that has certain properties, so we asked you to tell us about the apparel you pack and where you bought it. We wanted to know brand names, so shoppers can inquire about them in the mall or look them up online. And we asked you to give us the name of the store or company from which you purchased each item, including, if possible, its contact information (location, phone number or website).
My husband and I were scheduled to fly Lufthansa on Dec. 9, 2013, from Los Angeles to Frankfurt, with a transit time of about two hours before continuing to Nürnberg. Our flight from Los Angeles ended up being delayed about two hours, so, concerned about the connection and our checked luggage (two small suitcases), during the flight to Frankfurt we talked to a flight attendant.
Her response was, “If the passengers can make it to the connecting flight, so can the luggage.”
The company LuggagePros offers carry-ons on which travelers can have a photograph, such as a picture of a family member’s face, a pet or natural scene (not copyrighted), printed/baked on the front. On the website, travelers can preview how the bag with photo would look.
Bags, each with a lightweight polycarbonate shell, four rotating wheels and a telescoping handle, are available in sizes 22"x13½"x9" ($129.99) and 26"x17"x10" ($169.99). Shipping, in 4-5 days, is free.
I’ve traveled to many countries on several different airlines, always using the same Samsonite roller bag. It held up very well. However, when my husband, Mike, and I returned to Seattle after checking it through from Budapest via Amsterdam on a Delta flight on Sept. 13, 2013, we were surprised to see my suitcase appear on the baggage carousel wrapped in tape.
The outside zipper had been completely broken off, and the pull on the main zipper was gone. The name tag had been torn from the sewn-on leather holder, which was also torn.
After being mugged while traveling in Naples, Italy, in 2011, I was quicky reimbursed by the travel insurance company Travelex (800/228-9792), recouping my stolen/damaged property costs (less depreciation).
However, following a 10-day tour of Greece in May ’13, when United Airlines delivered my luggage to me back in Des Moines four days after my return, Travelex required a copy of the lost/delayed baggage claim filed in Athens and the EXACT wording of the claim resolution (I had to hunt that one down) before reimbursing me.
Dear Globetrotter:
Welcome to the 453rd issue of your monthly foreign-travel magazine, the one YOU help write.
Michael J.E. Burge of Ventura, California, hopes that travelers might end up a little wiser by hearing his tale. Mechanical problems and acts of nature cannot be controlled, but certain decisions might be made differently to make things go a little more smoothly.
In the May 2013 issue, we printed letters written in response to a query from ITN subscriber Kathi Snouffer, who lamented, “Is there anyone else out there who CANNOT brag about going around the world for years taking only a day pack?”