Be a Roadrunner at Airport Security

 I get asked all the time if there is a trick or special sauce to get through airport security faster. While some of the process is out of our control, such as length of lines or how many security personnel are on point, there are many things you can do to speed yourself along and mitigate delays:

1) Have your ID and boarding pass out and ready to hand to the TSA agent. If you use your cell phone, take a screen shot of the boarding pass to avoid internet connection disruption.

2) Wear slip-on shoes. Unless you are 12 and under or 75 and over, you have to take your shoes off to go through the screening machines. Wear shoes that don’t require lacing, buckling, or boots that are difficult to get on/off. And on that note, I recommend a pair of socks (sans holes!) for going through screening. Change into your flip-flops or sandals after you’re finished at the checkpoint.

3) Don’t wear a belt. If you must, place it in an easy to get to pocket on your carryon and wait until you clear security before putting it on.

4) Place your liquids in an accessible compartment. There’s enough going on without rooting through your bags trying to find the little baggie.

5) Remove everything from your pockets, including loose change and place in your purse or backpack. Remove bulky jewelry and watches. If you don’t have a purse or backpack, put all loose items in one of the small baskets provided to decrease the likelihood of forgetting something.

6) If you are traveling with a laptop, pull it out and place in a bin. Or purchase a TSA approved carrying case. Otherwise, you’ll have your bag searched. If you don’t have a TSA case, place it in a bin with your shoes if they’ll fit. You’re less likely to walk off and forget it after screening. Laptops and small electronics are the most frequent items left behind at security checkpoints. And, it doesn’t hurt to tape a business card or small ID card with your name and cell to the laptop just in case.

7) If there is a long line, check out other security access points. Many airports have more than one screening area within a terminal. For example, there may be a screening area for gates 1- 15 and another for gates 16 - 30. But, you have access to all 30 after exiting the checkpoint. More than once I’ve seen lengthy lines at one checkpoint and no waiting at another. The TSA doesn’t care which one you use.

8) Get TSA Pre-Check. If you travel more than once or twice a year, this is really worth considering. It’s $85 - $100 for five years, depending on which version you select. TSA Pre-Check allows you to leave your shoes and jacket on, your toiletries and laptop snug in your bag, and a separate line that is usually shorter and definitely speedier!

And after you zip through security, you can relax, sit-back and enjoy a coffee or cocktail and watch everyone else scurry around! Beep beep!

Click here for TSA site.

Is "Tourist" A Dirty Word?

The label “tourist” seems to be getting a bad rap these days. It’s become a condescending, snobby term for “been there, done that” or “I live there, I don’t need to do that”. I know I’ve been guilty of both of these scenarios, especially the second as I’m fortunate enough to live in an area with a HUGE tourist draw – Northern California.

A “tourist” cares nothing about their experience or learning about their destination, but just notching another city or site on their belt (with mandatory selfie posted to social media, of course). But, a “traveler” is more aware, savvy, or discriminating.

Really? Have we all become such global citizens? That would be nice, but I don’t think so.

Unless you are an expat, you are always going to be a tourist when visiting another country or region. And what is wrong with that?

When I visited Egypt a few years ago, one of my top “wish list” items was to ride a camel. Is that something a local would do? Not unless they are a Bedouin. But, there wasn’t a chance in heck I was going to pass up the opportunity. So what if it’s a kitschy “touristy” thing to do? It was still an awesome experience.

Are you going visit Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower at least once? And while there, are you not going to get a picture with the tower in the background? It’s one of the greatest engineering feats of our time. Does that make it an educational experience rather than a tourist destination?

Is hiking the Incan Trail for tourists or travelers? Unless you are a porter or tour guide, it’s doubtful that this would be part of your ordinary life as a Peruvian. Yet, every day hundreds of “tourists” trek the trail and enjoy an experience of a lifetime.

My point is we are tourists and travelers and explorers and adventurers. The joy of travel is to discover new places, understand other cultures and learn about a world outside our back yard.

It’s YOUR experience. Don’t worry about being a tourist. Ride the camel!

Do You Know Where Your Bag Is? Eight Tips to Prevent Lost Luggage!

It's every vacationer's nightmare. The carousel keeps revolving and your bag isn't on it. Sometimes it just happens, but there are ways to reduce the likelihood of you going one way and your bag taking it's own vacation without you.

1) Don’t check it to begin with! OK – this isn’t always feasible. But, it’s worth a careful review of what you are packing: a) do you really need it and b) will it fit into a carry-on? If you are trying to leave room for souvenirs, toss in a collapsible bag for the return trip instead of checking a bag.

2) Use a sturdy ID tag. Label with your name and a phone number where you can be reached during your trip (cell phone is great if you are bringing it with you). Paper tags are easily torn off or ripped apart.

3) Place a card or note inside your luggage with your name and phone number. If the outside tag is lost or damaged, the airline can contact you to reunite you with your bag.

4) Let your luggage stand out in the crowd. Choose a color other than black, wrap with a bright luggage strap, use a unique, easily identifiable tag. The vast majority of bags that are “stolen” aren’t actually stolen. They’re mistakenly grabbed by the wrong traveler because they all look alike!

5) Avoid short layovers when booking your flights. If you’re running through the airport trying to make a tight connection, what chance do your bags have to make the connection?

6) Double check the claim tag when you hand your bag to the agent. Mistakes happen and sometimes luggage gets tagged with the wrong label.

7) Count your bags before you leave the airport. Remember the story from Cheaper By the Dozen, where they left a child behind? Well, don’t let one of your bags get left revolving on the carousel waiting for you. This is especially common with groups - one or two people go to get currency exchanged, another few head for the bathroom, someone else “babysits” the bags or hands them over to a skycap while a few members are collecting them from the carousel and placing them on the pile. Next thing you know, everyone is headed out the door assuming their bag is in the pile. Oooops.

8) If the last bag sign arrives and your bag didn’t, head straight for the airline’s luggage counter. Worse case is the bag is lost and you need to file a claim. But, there’s also a possibility that your bag took an earlier flight and is waiting for YOU. Or, perhaps it is coming in later. Regardless, you do not want to leave the airport without either the bag or a claim filed.

These tips will go a long way to preventing lost luggage. I’ll address steps to take if a bag DOES go astray in a future article.

Do you have any additional suggestions or tips for avoiding lost bags? I’d love to hear them.

Travel Style Part 3 - Custom Itineraries

Custom itineraries are wonderful for small to medium (10 – 100) groups with a shared interest or passion. Unlike pre-packaged tours, the itinerary is designed to your group’s specifications and only your group’s members participate in the experiences. You aren’t a piece of a larger group.

Are you a gourmet or wine club? Maybe you’d like to visit Tuscany and include cooking and pasta making or wine tasting and blending in the vineyards as part of your experience. How about learning to make parmigiana and the best time to press olives?

Is your group a hiking club? Want to hike the Incan trail when you go to Machu Picchu? Or scale Kilimanjaro while in Tanzania?

Are you in charge of fundraising for the local symphony? Maybe a tour of Austria that includes performances of the Vienna Philharmonic, the Vienna Boys Choir, and the Salzburg Philharmonic with a visit to Mozart’s home would appeal to your donors.

Is your family wanting to return to their roots for bonding and shared history? How about a trip to the church where many of your ancestors married and were buried?

I’m sure you get the idea. Virtually any destination or adventure can be customized for your group. It does take an extraordinary amount of planning to detail out the experiences, itineraries, transportation, etc. with the interests and size of the group. But, you have an expert (me) to help you out!

Where would you like to go and what would you like to do with your favorite group of travelers?

Travel Style Part 2 - River Cruising

River cruising is ideal for families and friends or social clubs with shared interests. It is easy for groups to separate during the day for activities and tours that appeal individually, but meet up again later for dinner or evening relaxation to share stories of the day. Or, you can go on your own, private excursion exclusive to your group.

River cruising has some of the advantages of larger ship cruising such as moving from one location to another without unpacking, but the ships are smaller and can go to villages and cities a large vessel would never make. Riverboats dock right in town. No tendering or long road trips to get to the main city. Step off the ship and you’re off and exploring immediately. You’ll be able to explore off-the-beaten-path destinations, participate in authentic experiences, and have more free time to check out local cafes, markets, and sites.

Most riverboats hold 150-160 guests, and can handle group sizes from 10 to a full ship charter. No lines getting on/off the ship. One seating for meals; no waiting to dine. On-board entertainment includes local performers, artists, lecturers, culinary lessons, and wine and beer tastings. There are special interest cruises with added focus for art, history, food, and holidays of various regions throughout the world.

River cruising is best known for the rivers and canals of Europe – Danube, Rhine, Seine to name a few. But, the convenience combined with the ability to immerse culturally in destinations has broadened river cruising’s appeal to other regions of the world. Indochina, the Amazon, Africa, Russia, China all have well-established river cruise offerings.

Is river cruising the style best suited for your group? Give me a call, I’d love to help you choose.