Top 3 Luggage

Best Rolling Luggage:

Briggs & Riley Transcend 20 Carry On Upright

This Briggs & Riley bag is made with water-resistant material and is very durable. Additionally, it's fiberglass frame offers flexible, light weight support, and ease of mobility. There is also a zip around expansion which adds three more inches of packing depth. This bag also comes with a lifetime warranty.

Best Budget Wheeled Bag:

Delsey Helium Fusion 21 Carry-On

This Delsey bag is good for those who do not travel frequently. This ten pound bag has a zip around expansion which can add up to two and a half inches of packing. The Delsey bag offers ease mobility, is very durable, and has a lifetime warranty.

Best Carry-On Backpack:

Rick Steves Convertible Carry-On

This bag by icon Rick Steves is only three and half pounds, but has a lot of room for all your belongings. This bag has a clip-in security pouch so you can keep your valuables safe and secure. This bag is meant for frequent travelers or those travelers who want to live out of their bag for a month or so.

Pre-Packing = Less Stress

When it comes to packing for a trip, there tend to be two different groups of people. Those who are packed and ready to go weeks before their departure, and then those who are scrambling to get their bags packed at the last moment. Recently, CNN.com ran an article regarding tips on how one can prepare for their next trip.

A Week Before

• Air out your luggage before you pack

• Stock up on storage bags

• Make sure you have little containers that comply with the 3-1-1  rule

Three Days Before

• Get all your technological devices ready. Make sure you have extra batteries, memory cards, charges, etc. 

• Make sure all your medication is up to date, and fill any necessary perceptions

• Make photocopies of important documents such as passports, visa, itineraries, etc.

• Give a friend or relative your itinerary

One Day Before

• Record the contents of your suitcase and take a picture. This way you'll have a record of what your bringing with you, in case your luggage gets lost.

Luggage Scale to the Rescue!

Since airlines have started to charge a fee to check a second bag- some even charge for checking one bag- passengers have been trying to find ways to keep the number of bags they bring on a trip to a minimum. Some travelers are accomplishing this by trying to turn two suitcases into one; by either packing less or by overpacking their one suitcase. The problem with over packing one's suitcase is that it might result in the suitcase being too heavy. Airlines charge extra money for suitcases that exceed a certain amount of weight; the best way to combat this is to weigh your luggage before heading to the airport. This way, you can be sure that you will not have to pay a fee for your luggage being over the limit. 

The best device to weigh ones luggage, is to use a luggage scale. A luggage scale is a simple gadget that can be used at home, at a hotel, or anywhere one needs to weigh their luggage. The luggage scale pictured above works by hooking the luggage handle to the device and then hold the device up to read how much your luggage weighs. This little device could save you money; it will tell you if your luggage is too heavy or not and because of it's size, it can easily be taken with you. 

Following are how much airlines charge if your luggage is over the weight limit:

• American Airlines~  50-70 lbs: $50 per bag; 71-100 lbs: $100 per bag; 101+; not accepted

• Continental Airlines~ 50-70 lbs: $50 per bag; 71+ lbs: not accepted

• Delta~ 51-70 lbs: $80 per bag; 71-100 lbs: $150 per bag; 101+; not accepted

• Jet Blue~ 51-70 lbs: $50 per bag; 71-99 lbs: $100 per bag; 99+: not accepted

• NWA~ 51-70 lbs: $50 per bag; 71+: not accepted

• Southwest~ 51-70 lbs: $25 per bag; 71-100 lbs: $50 per bag; 101+: shipped as Air Cargo (if classified as a Known Shipper as defined by the TSA)

• US Airways~ 50lbs or less: $15 for first bag, $25 for second bag, $100 for three-nine bags; 51-70lbs: $65, $75, or $150; 71-100 lbs: $115, $125, $200; 101+: not accepted

NWA Lets You Pre-Pay Luggage Fees

Northwest Airlines has currently announced that passengers will be able to pre-pay for their luggage when they check in for their U.S. domestic flights online. Passengers can choose how many bags they want to check in, and pre-pay for them, using their credit card, which will not be charged until their tickets are printed out at at the airport's self-service kiosks; at this point the passengers can make changes to the amount of luggage that they will be checking. NWA is hoping that this will speed up the check-in process and make traveling easier for their passengers. 

Starting this past May NWA started charging passengers $25 for checking in a second bag. Next month NWA will start to charge a $15 fee for checking in one piece of luggage; both of these fees will be able to be paid online twenty four hours prior to departure. 

"Carry-On Cops" To Examine Your Carry-On Luggage

According to Good Morning America, some airlines have started to hire "Carry-On Cops". These cops responsibilities are to check and make sure travelers' carry-on bags are not bulky and to prevent travelers from sneaking extra bags onto the planes. Since more and more airlines have started to charge a fee to check bags, more and more travelers are trying to find ways to avoid checking their bags. Some travelers are accomplishing this by over stuffing their carry-on bags, or using a carry-on bag that is too large. This is not fair to those travelers who have paid the extra money to check their bags or to the ones who have made sure their carry on bag is the appropriate size. 

With these new cops at airports one would hope that their traveling experience would improve. The truth of the matter may be different. Now when going to the airport one will have to check their bag, get through security, and have another officer check their carry on bag to make sure it is not too bulky. It is understandable that airlines (as well as passengers) are tired of having the overhead bins over stuffed, but will having a "Carry-On Cop" solve the problem, or will it just create new ones? 

American Airlines will charge passengers $15, at the gate, if their carry on is discovered to be too large. Whereas U.S. Airways will not charge you extra money. With U.S. Airways not charging their passengers, what is going to stop travelers from bringing the bags that they intended to check and having them get checked for free at the gate?

Each airline has different rules when it comes to the size requirement for their carry on. For United, American Airlines, and Delta the limit is 45 linear inches. For U.S. Airways and Continental the limit is 51 linear inches. To figure out the linear inches for your bag use the following formula: height + width + depth

Travelers Start Your Luggage.....

Today, Live Luggage will be unveiling the first power assisted suitcase to the world. This new suitcase has been in design and development for several years. This new suitcase is power assisted meaning that the suitcase will not move on its own, but will help aid the user in the movement of their suitcase. This means there there will no longer be that struggle to lift or move your luggage if it is too heavy. 

Some of the features of this new suitcase are:

• Has a rechargeable battery with an average life of 2 hours

• The weight of the suitcase is 24 pounds (10.9 Kg), which leaves room for about 26 pounds of clothes (for an allotted weight of 50 pounds)

• Equipped with an anti-gravity handle, which puts 85% of the weight of the suitcase over the wheels

• Has a TSA approved combination lock

• Is equipped with Live Luggage's unique ID, which can help locate the suitcase in the event of loss

• A three-point adjustable handle

According to the press release, "the tilt switch/sensors only power the wheels at certain angles- between the slopes of 15% and 35%." This means, that for a slope that is less than 15%, there will be no power to the wheels. This also means that if the suitcase is accidentally dropped, power to the wheels will stop preventing the suitcase from further falling down the incline. 

Tips For Packing

Given the new fees that are being implemented by a select number of airlines, one does not want to over pack their bags. Packing for a trip can be stressful. There are some things that you can do before your trip that can make the experience of packing less hectic.



The best way to start packing is to make a list of items you will need to take with you. When writing your list, take into account the activities and or events that you will be attending. It is also a good idea to check what the weather will be like at your destination so you can plan accordingly. If you are traveling internationally, make sure you know the local traditions and culture and what types of clothing styles are considered taboo.

Before actually packing your suitcase, double-check your list to make sure you have everything. Also, see if you can eliminate an item or two. It is best to pack layers and items that can be used for more than one occasion. After selecting your clothes, double-checking your list, and eliminating an item or two, you can think about packing your toiletries. It is best to make a list for these items, as well.

The easiest way to pack toiletries would be in a toiletry kit. Remember, you do not need to pack your big bottles of shampoo or lotion. Many of the products you would need to bring with you can be bought at a trial/travel size. In case you forget to pack your toothpaste or toothbrush, you can always run to the drug store or to the hotel’s gift shop.

For your return trip, remember to take into account that you will probably be bringing back more items that you departed with. You should follow the same steps as you did when you first packed; that list you initially made will come in handy. You can use that list to determine if you have lost any of your items during your trip.

When packing for your return trip, do not take your dirty clothes and ball them up. This will take up more room. Fold them as you would your clean clothes. To keep your clean clothes separate from your dirty clothes put tissue paper or regular paper between them. This way you will know which clothes are dirty and which are clean and still have enough room for the extra clothes or souvenirs that were bought.

Charging for Second Bag

Recently numerous airlines have started to charge passengers if they want to check a second bag. Before, airlines would allow you to check two bags per-person and only charge extra if you needed to check a third. That is not the case anymore for Continental, Delta, Northwest, United and US Airways. The aforementioned airlines are now starting to charge $25 to check a second bag.


For most ‘casual’ travelers, this may not pose any inconvenience whatsoever; but what about a business traveler or a traveler who has to carry many samples or a one-of-a-kind item with them? Should they have to pay these new fees? Some airlines are exempting those who fly first class or passengers who participate in their miles program (usually only preferred members) from having to pay the extra fee.

So for those of you who do not meet the requirements that exempt you from this fee, what should you do? Some suggestions could be to try and pack lighter, if possible, or to try other methods of getting your goods to your destination. One could pay FedEx or UPS to ship their luggage to their destination, but this could end up costing more.

I went onto the UPS site to get a guesstimate for how much it would cost to ship luggage that weighed 51 pounds with the dimensions of 27 x 18 x 10 inches from Boston to San Francisco. If I sent off my luggage the day before I needed it, it would cost me $292 ($584 roundtrip). This price would include an extra charge for me to ship my package to a UPS center. In order to save myself some money I could send off my luggage five days before I plan on reaching my destination. If I choose this option, it would cost $59 ($118 roundtrip), which would also include the cost of shipping it to a UPS center.

Since there doesn’t seem to be a better option (if you have one I would love to hear it) I guess we will just have to drag our feet and pay the fee.