Yesterday, you guys gave me some really great advice. I will be calling my hotel in Manila to check on their status tonight. For now, though, I’m moving forward on the assumption that I will be going.

My question today is pillows. On this trip, instead of having a day to recover before my meetings start, I will land after 25 hours of travel, go to the hotel and change, and head straight to the office. Oy. I have requested a business class upgrade, but I haven’t gotten confirmation that I’ve received it yet. Just in case, I want to be super prepared for 14 hours of comfort in coach. I’ve got a travel blanket that I’m happy with (I think–may have to double check that one), earplugs, an eye-mask, and my trusty Tylenol PM, but I’m not totally sure about the pillow. In the past I’ve used a buckwheat pillow and a memory foam pillow, and honestly, neither one has been ideal. So I am interested in hearing from you guys about what types of pillows you have used and how they’ve worked.

Here are the types I’ve seen:

Buckwheat. The U-shape works well for people want to support their head and neck, and plan to sleep upright. I prefer to lean against the side of the plane, which is not what these pillows are made for.

Memory foam. The one I have is made to go around the head rest of the seat. Again, I like to lean against the side of the plane. Has anyone seen one of these that isn’t contoured? Does it even work if it’s not contoured?

Inflatable. I’ve never used one, but they sure do seem cool. Taking up minimal space in your bag but offering super comfort once you blow it up? That sounds awesome. Who has one, and what do you think about it?

Any pillows that I missed? Any suggestions? Hooray, long flights!

In my business traveling time, I have been to places during floods, blizzards, and torrential rain. I’ve dealt with record lows and highs. I’ve also been lucky enough to have beautiful weather a lot of the time. In fact, I am pretty sure I’ve never canceled a trip due to weather concerns. But I’m having a hard time with this one.

Next week, I am scheduled to go to Manila. It’s a tiny bit anxiety-inducing in general due to the 25 hour travel time. But to add to my current stress level, they had a hurricane go through on Tuesday, and forecasts are showing another one moving over the islands on Friday and Saturday. There has been torrential flooding, dozens of deaths, and over a billion dollars in damage.

The Home Warrior is concerned. My family is concerned. I’m also concerned! The company I’m meeting with says business is going on as usual. There hasn’t been much guidance from my travel agent besides “wait and see”.  I have no problem with going–if I didn’t go this time, the trip would be rescheduled for November or December, and I would have to go then. My main issue is concern about a) going all the way there, having my meetings get canceled due to weather, and needing to go again; or b) getting stuck there because flights are canceled.

It seems a little silly to be worrying about this when there is so much destruction and suffering going on there. I hope that the weather gets better for the sake of the Filipinos, certainly more so than for my own sake.

So, Readers, any advice? Have you canceled trips due to weather? Were you glad you did, or did it feel like a waste?

To join or not to join?  For the past five years, I’ve gone back and forth on this issue. All airlines have clubs, and some are certainly better than others. Sure, it’s nice to be able to take advantage of the Admiral’s club, but my layovers are usually very short.  The international clubs are very nice, but I get to use those because of my status anyway. So what’s the big deal? Is it really worth $300-400 or 40k or so points to join for a year?

Then, last week happened. I was in Nashville and finished with my meetings early, around 3pm. I headed to the airport, determined to get on an earlier flight than my scheduled 6:45. When I got there, they were looking for people to take vouchers for a later flight. So I inquired about the next flight. Also oversold. The after that? Yep. So, since I was at the airport three hours early, I took advantage of a free day pass  in the Admiral’s club.

And I have to say: it was wonderful. Comfortable chairs, better wine selection, very helpful staff, free internet, and just a feeling of being away from all of the busy-ness of the airport. Now I am seriously considering joining, but I wanted to find out what others’ experience has been.

So, Readers, what has your experience been? Have you joined your airline’s club? Do you love it? Or was it a waste of money? As always, feel free to share your comments!

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In the last month, I have been inundated with stories about faulty suitcases. And these poor people have all been finding out about their baggage issues not at home, or in the car…..but in the airport or on the airplane where it’s just too late. The two most recent examples: A friend’s daughter was coming home to visit for a week during spring break. She had loaded her essentials into her bag, and was planning on carrying on. She was going through security when….the wheels fell off her suitcase. Like, they both just detached. The thing is, she had another, newer suitcase at home–she had just grabbed this one out of habit.

And just a week ago, a reader was flying out for a multi-city trip. She got onto the plane, found her seat, and prepared to settle in. She went to push the handle down on her suitcase so she could put it in the overhead bin. Except that it wouldn’t go down. She tried again, and it still wouldn’t go down. Eventually she had to put her suitcase sideways in the bin, with the handle extended. The worst part (in my opinion) was that other passengers, and eventually flight attendants, kept coming by and trying to move her suitcase, and she had to explain over (and over and over) what the situation was. People were not pleased.

My own experience was while I was in college. I studied in Spain during my junior year, and took a giant suitcase full of stuff. (This was long before my personal packing-efficiency movement.) When I got the opportunity to travel around and see the country, I purchased a smaller bag. Two weeks later, I was in a train station trying to get back to Barcelona when the worst thing happened. The zipper burst and my bag exploded. And as a poor college student, I wanted to spend my meager funds on sangria and train fare rather than another new suitcase. So I shoved my clothes back in, taped it up, and went on my way. Oh, the days of college.

My tip: take one minute before leaving your house to check your suitcase. Wheel it around a bit, move the handle up and down, test the zippers. Because if you’re going to have a bag malfunction, it’s way better to have it at home!

Readers, have you ever had a bag malfunction? Tell us about it!

Dry airplane air, late nights, red-eye flights, travel stress…. All of these can wreak havoc with your skin and hair. For me, looking my best helps a ton with confidence when I’m super stressed or busy.  That’s why it’s so important to have the right supplies on hand. With that in mind, here are the things I need the most for grooming while travel.

1. Moisturizer. I use Eminence Organics Caramel Latte Tinted Moisturizer SPF 25. It works amazingly well, plus it’s organic and smells amaaaazing. My skin just drinks it up after a long flight.
2. Mascara. It was hard to pick my favorite cosmetic! I love my Makeup Forever Aqua Cream eyeshadow, but if I had to pick one thing I would pick my mascara,  Lancome Hypnose in Black. It turns my short blond lashes into long, thick, eye-framing lashes that wake me up even more than a Venti Americano.
3. Curling iron. My hair is curly. Mostly. Well, it’s kind of in the middle–there are straight pieces and curly pieces. After years of trial and error, I’ve discovered it’s much easier to curl the straight pieces than straighten the curly pieces. So now my Revlon curling iron is MVP in my suitcase. One time I left it in a rental car trunk and didn’t realize until I was on the plane. I freaked out, and my first stop once I landed was Target to replace it.
4. Shampoo and conditioner. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I can’t use 95% of hotel-provided hair products–my hair is just too sensitive! I pour small amounts of my home products into refillable bottles and bring ‘em with me. Right now I’m using Aveda Be Curly shampoo and conditioner, and I love it.
5. Hydrating mist. For any flight over two hours, I make sure I have my Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist on hand. It refreshes my face, keeps me from getting dried out, and smells nice.
6. Honorable mention: For long-haul flights, I’ve got to have my Korres Pomegranate face wipes on hand. I love being able to get my face clean without using airplane bathroom water, which just feels kind of icky.

Okay Readers, now it’s your turn! What are your top five grooming necessities?

P.S.: I am guest posting on Corporette all week!! Check out the fun clothes I picked out for the morning TPS reports.

Sunday night, my best friend was flying home from Chicago. She and her boyfriend were on the last flight home, as they wanted to enjoy every minute of their weekend getaway. Everything was going great until they got to the airport. They were so busy with a wedding, seeing friends, and visiting favorite places that they did not check in for their Southwest flight ahead of time. Of course, the flight was overbooked. Because they hadn’t checked in, there was a very real possibility of them not getting on the flight. And my friend had an critical meeting with her boss at 8am Monday morning. Talk about stressful!!

The best advice I have to avoid this in the future is to check in early, as soon as you can. With Southwest, checking in early also gives you a better spot in line, so you can get a better seat. With other airlines, you can at least make sure you have a seat, as sometimes when flights are full  you are not assigned a seat. And if you’re not assigned a seat, you have a better chance of being bumped.

Luckily, my friend was able to get on her original flight. But some people are not so lucky, and do in fact get bumped. Readers, do you have any advice for them?

Okay, this is hilarious. Going back to my friends’ story a few weeks ago about fellow passengers joining the mile high club….. I was sent this fabulous article from reader Sylvia. Apparently another couple tried for the same thing, but it got turned into a much bigger deal…..

From Jezebel:

The tenth anniversary of 9/11 was an unwise day for an in-flight romantic adventure, as a couple learned. After their frequent trips to the bathroom raised suspicions on a Frontier Airlines flight, the FBI was called to investigate suspicious behavior and two fighter jets took to the skies to monitor the plane. Law enforcement sources told ABC News that the actual reason for the bathroom visits was “making out.”

It does make you wonder–going to the lav frequently makes you look suspicious? What if you just drank a lot of water? Or you’re sick? Or something else? Anyway, the next time you think about joining this particular club, just remember that you could end your day in police custody.

For some reason, I’m always surprised when I learn a new toiletry packing tip. I guess I think I’ve heard so many there cna’t possibly be any more! But they just keep coming. In the past, we’ve talked about using contact lens cases for small amounts of creams and liquids and soaking cotton balls with makeup remover. Here is one more genius space saving tip from Real Simple. Dip a q-tip into your eye shadow and put it in a plastic bag, saving even more room in your makeup bag. They suggest doing this to several q-tips, with concealer or lipstick as well, and keeping them all together. I don’t actually think that would work, as the various types and colors of makeup would rub off on each other. But certainly one q-tip can have a color on each side. This is a great idea for people who don’t use more than two eyeshadow colors most days.

It makes me wonder what great toiletry packing tips are around the corner. You can never save too much space!

Sometimes, especially when I’m gone for long stretches at a time, I feel like I need a little bit of luxury while I’m traveling. It’s tricky, though, because it has to be something that doesn’t take up a lot of room and that can be carried onto a plane. Also, as the Home Warrior and I are saving up money right now, it can’t be too expensive. But what is small, easily carried, affordable, and makes you feel indulgent and fabulous in the midst of layovers and hotel rooms? Here are a few of my favorites:

• High-end toiletries. I can spend an entire two-hour layover in L’Occitane in Terminal D at DFW. Their products smell so good, and a travel size is usually just a few dollars. Smoothing on a cherry-scented moisturizer can make a hotel feel just a bit more spa-like, which makes being away from home a little more fun. Another small thing that lends an indulgent atmosphere: travel candles.
• Soft clothing. Any time I am flying cross-country, I always wear my softest shirts, sweaters, and pants. It may necessitate a quick change once I arrive, but at least I won’t have buttons, zippers, or tight waistbands bothering me while flying for hours.
• Tasty treats. I mentioned last week that I bring Mighty Leaf tea with me on all trips. Another treat I like to have with me sometimes is a Dove Dark. They are small, compact, and high in anti-oxidants. Plus they just take you a little closer to paradise.
• Good meals. When traveling, I like to eat well. Searching out local gems is one of my favorite things about traveling, and can make a routine trip a little more special. I love steak, and I love wine. A nice meal is a fantastic way to close out a busy travel day.

So Readers, what do you think? Do you like to feel a little indulgent on business trips? What are your favorite small treats?

The Home Warrior and I were driving to San Antonio to see his parents a few weeks ago, and were listening to one of my favorite NPR shows, Car Talk. One of the callers, who lived in New York,  said that her significant other (boyfriend? husband? I don’t remember) refused to wear his seat belt while driving in the city. His rationale? He wanted to be able to slide over to the other seat should a car be about to hit him on the driver’s side. Uh, that is possibly the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. First of all, the likelihood of you having the superhero-fast reflexes to move out of the way if a car is coming are nil. Second, the possibility that you’ll get hit in another way (front, back, etc) is just as high as from the driver’s side–and you definitely want your seat belt on if you get hit from those directions! Third, what if you have a passenger?? Luckily the Car Talk guys agreed with me, so I didn’t have to write them a letter. For those of you who would like to listen to it, here is the link.

It was just so insane! Have you ever heard anything like this before? Goodness. Let’s be safe, people!

And to finish off the week with a few random thoughts…..

I love the Old Navy sweater that Lisa from Privilege posted over at Corporette for Frugal Friday. It’s $20, comes in a ton of colors, is nice and long, and is a great budget-friendly travel staple. The comments all say that it holds up pretty well, which makes the $20 seem like a steal.

Finally, ACL Festival starts today and I am SO EXCITED. I have a new favorite–Charles Bradley. Listening to him right now, he does soul in a way that makes you feel it. Very James Brown-esque, in the best possible way. I highly recommend you check him out.