April 2012:

• Although I hope you never have to travel while injured, here are some tips for making it easier. And yes, these are from my own experience.
• I spent a lot of time prepping for my two week conference, with strategies for packing and being out of the office that long.
• For some, eating at a restaurant is a time to relax and enjoy a meal. For others, it’s stress and anxiety producing. Try these tips to enjoy it more and stress less!

April 2011:

• I finished up the series “Building a Business Travel Wardrobe.”
• We talked about several different options for long-haul flights: t-shirt dress and leggings, yoga pants, and other travel-specific pants.
• A friend experienced a terrible breach in etiquette during a flight: someone clipping their nails. <<shudder>>

April 2010:

• My most important travel items three years ago are still valid today!
• I listed out the top three ways for dealing with the age old question, “Where does my purse go?”
• We discussed our best tips for remembering where you parked your car at the airport.

From Reader M:

On Lufthansa economy out of London Heathrow, I can take one checked suitcase and one carry-on. The rules shown on Lufthansa’s web site mention only the carry-on–nothing about additional item such as a purse or lap top bag. They must, surely, allow such things, but the website doesn’t say, and I can’t get a straight answer out of the customer service agents. What’s your experience?

I have never actually flown Lufthansa, so I did a little research. Here is what I found: for coach passengers, Luftansa only allows one carry-on. It can weigh up to 18 lbs and have the following dimensions: 22in x 16in x 8in/55cm x 40cm x 20cm (length x width x height). I would be prepared to stuff my purse into my carry-on just in case, or travel with a carry-on/notebook case like this one by Kensington.

Readers, what has your experience been with Lufthansa? Did they allow both a carry-on and a personal item, or just one item?

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Business Travel 101 is a series from a couple of years ago about making that first business trip as easy and successful as possible. I’ve re-tooled the series, and now it’s more comprehensive than ever! It covers everything a new business traveler needs to know for that initial trip, including essential tips for packing, security, safety, etiquette, and comfort.

One of the most important items to have for that first business trip is the carry-on. I don’t mean your rollaboard, although that’s certainly critical. Today I’m talking about your personal item. It holds everything you need for your flight, and acts as a purse, briefcase, laptop bag, and entertainment center all in one.

What exactly do I mean by personal item? The guidelines for American Airlines state that the personal bag is anything that can fit under the seat in front of you. It can be a purse, laptop bag, backpack, tote, or a smaller suitcase.  I have traveled with everything from a backpack to a tiny purse to an Eagle Creek packing cube holding my giant tablecloth that I use for events. As long as it fits under that seat, it counts, but technically it should not exceed 36 inches when you add length, width, and height.

For the ladies: In addition to acting as a necessary travel tool, your purse should make you happy when you look at it. Just because we are professional women who travel for business does not mean we need a boring purse or briefcase with no style. There are so many fabulous possibilities out there! You can, and should, love your bag.

What To Look For in a Great Travel Bag

There are several things I look for in my travel bag. Not all of my bags have all of them, but my general guidelines are:

• Size. Has to fit my laptop, and hold all of my carry-on travel items.
• Multiple interior pockets. I think the best interior is divided into two sections, one for a laptop and one for the rest of your stuff. It also needs to have a pocket inside for keys, cell phone, and small items like chapstick.
• Exterior pockets. An exterior pocket on the side of your bag is so helpful for things you don’t want in your hands, but need easy access to, such as your boarding pass.
• Easy to carry. You have to be able to carry your bag on your shoulder or strapped to your suitcase. It would be very difficult to travel with a bag that you had to carry in your hands. I like two straps that are at least an inch wide, which will minimize cutting into your shoulder.
• Sturdy construction. There shouldn’t be any obvious weak spots, or stitching coming loose. Leather is great for travel bags because it is so durable, but fabric bags can work as long as they are strong enough (and easy to clean).
• Rolling or not? Another thing to consider: do you need a rolling briefcase? If your bag gets really heavy or you have back or shoulder issues, this might be the way to go. There are plenty of high quality, attractive options in a variety of price points.

Some great travel bags I have found are this Kenneth Cole Reaction Show Business in Tan, this rolling Samsonite Xenon 2 Spinner Mobile Office, and of course the O.G. from Lo and Sons (pictured above in Royal Blue). I also really like this fun laptop purse from Knomo for a seasonal, less expensive option.

Options for Purses: Read more of this article »

On our recent trip to Cancun, I decided to switch up my personal item. Instead of using my usual work purse on the plane and packing my vacation purse and beach bag, I chose to use the beach bag and fun purse during the actual travel. Makes sense, right? I’m bringing less stuff, which is always the goal, right? Uh, yeah, unless neither of those bags actually close. That’s right, I brought two bags into the airport that didn’t zip, snap, or close in any fashion. (Pictured: my adorable oilcloth beach bag–great for the pool, bad for the plane!)

Before I talk about the issues, let me defend my thinking. Besides the lighter packing, having an easy access bag is very convenient on a plane. Normally you have to lean over (which you may or may not be able to do in a cramped airplane), mess with zippers, and fight with your stuff before you finally find that one item you need. With an open bag, you just eyeball your belongings, stick your hand in, and grab the thing you need. However, I’ve decided that the problems that arise are just not worth the convenience.

How often did this create a problem? Well, first, while going through security, a couple of small things fell out of my purse into the bin. No big deal, I just grabbed the bin and moved out of the way like normal. Then on the plane, I (or Home Warrior) had to constantly monitor the bags to make sure they were reasonably upright so nothing fell out, especially during takeoff and landing (because no one wants their stuff sliding down the plane…..). Then once we arrived in Mexico and were waiting in the customs line, again, we had to constantly monitor the bags to make sure they didn’t fall over. And then going through the final customs line (where they scan all of your luggage), a few small things fell out of my purse again. And this time there wasn’t a bin. Oops. At this point I was worried Home Warrior would never travel with me again! Sorry, Honey!! (And other people in line……)

So the moral of the story is: make sure your bags close in some way before using them for travel. Zipping is the most secure, but snapping is better than nothing. And if your bag has multiple zippers, for example a large compartment and then a smaller side pocket, make sure both are zipped before sending it through the X-ray machines. Not only is this ideal for keeping your items contained during transit, but it’s also more security against thieves.

So next time we travel for vacation, whether it’s flying or in the car, I will make sure my bags close. Or Home Warrior may decide not to come with me…..

Readers, have you ever made a silly travel mistake on vacation?

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Oh dear. TSA is a never ending source of, “Seriously???” moments. In the last year, stories ranging from hilarious to horrifying have appeared, and now the agency famous for its comedy of errors has struck again.

According to CNN, a TSA agent found a, shall we say, “personal item” in the luggage of a traveler. On the “TSA has searched your bag” paper, he wrote the woman a special note: “Get your freak on girl.” OMG. I mean, O. M. G. Can you imagine? It’s hideously inappropriate, offensive, disgusting….. and yet mildly hilarious. While you gasp in horrified laughter, you wonder what kind of idiot could possibly think this would be acceptable. And did he think he wouldn’t get found out? Has he done this before, and just not been caught?

The officer in question is facing dismissal, of course. But when the woman who received the note tweeted the pic to her followers, she said she wanted to raise the issue of what this means in the grander sense of things.

“As much as this is a funny and titillating story, when I put the note on Twitter for what I thought was a relatively limited audience, I was hoping it would open up a bigger conversation about privacy rights (or lack thereof) in post-9/11 America. It unfortunately hasn’t done that, and instead has turned into a media circus,” she said.

I think she raises a valid point. While personally I have had never had a terrible interaction with the TSA (just mildly annoying ones), there are clearly several bad apples that are creating issues for everyone else. Most of the agents are probably doing the best they can, but there seem to be many systemic issues flowing from the top down.

So, Readers, what do you think this says about privacy rights these days? Or is the idea that we have any privacy the biggest joke of all?

(P.S.: Home Warrior had an awesome name suggestion for this post, which was hilarious, but I just couldn’t do it: “Not-so Good Vibrations”. Hah! He is on a roll. Remember “Snakes on a Plane?“)

People email me questions about it. I see Google searches on it. And of course, I see it all the time while traveling. Evidently, there is a lot of confusion about where small carry-ons, or personal items, go. Let me clear it up for you.

There are only two scenarios:

1) You have only one bag, your personal item. In this case, it is perfectly appropriate to put your small carry-on in the overhead bins. If you want to have it closer at hand, put it under the seat in front of you.

2) You have two bags, a suitcase of some sort and a personal item. If you have two bags, put your larger one in the overhead bins (preferably as close to your seat as possible, with wheels facing the correct way) and your smaller one under the seat in front of you. Please do not put both of your bags in the overhead bins, as it takes up space that passengers getting on later will need. The only time this is appropriate is if you are in the bulkhead seats.

One place the personal item never goes is under your seat, or behind your legs. This may be more comfortable for you, but it means the person behind you loses out on space for their small bag or legs. Please be considerate!And the best way to know where all of your luggage goes is to listen to the flight attendants as you are boarding. They will tell you everything you need to know, especially if you don’t fly often.

Recently, my friend L wrote me an email about the search for a great travel tote.

I was wondering if you had any suggestions for a large tote to use when traveling. I’m looking for something that can do double duty: hold a laptop, small purse, make-up, book for when I travel for work, but also serve as a quasi overnight bag for when I fly for fun (holding a small purse, book, make-up, toiletries, maybe a few pieces of clothing).

The most recommended option I’ve found is the Vera Bradley Miller Bag. While I love VB items, I’m not sure there’s a “professional” pattern I can use when traveling for work—should this even be an issue? One friend swears by her Longchamp tote, but the lack of structure (it pretty much crumples up if there’s nothing in it, not idea for a laptop) and the price tag makes me wary.

So let’s see if I can figure this out. You need a professional-looking, structured bag that will work for business travel as your personal item, but also work as a fun trip overnight bag. And it needs to be affordable. We can do this!!

I turned to my trusty favorite, eBags, in search of the perfect bag. I may have gone just a teensy bit overboard, but I swear it’s not my fault. Great bags that fit the criteria just kept leaping out at me! Before I knew it I had a list of more than ten bags that I had to trim. Oh bags, how I love thee.

I had some criteria, in addition to what’s listed above.

Size. Obviously, this is important. A big bag is great, but it can’t be so big that it overwhelms you. And what’s the point of a personal item if it won’t fit under the seat in front of you while flying?

Material. I like purses a lot. I like luggage okay. I do not want my purses to look like luggage. Therefor, finding a great purse for travel that works like a piece of luggage but doesn’t look like one is key. It also doesn’t feel super professional to walk into the office carrying your Samsonite!

Pockets. Pockets are very important! Inside and out, and internal compartments are great too.

Balance. The best purse is one you can sit on top of your rollaboard to simplify walking through the airport. Unfortunately, that’s something that you can’t really judge by seeing a bag; you have to use it to know how well it balances.

Straps. Two straps are better, and if there is an extra long one, even better.

If you’ve been around Road Warriorette for any length of time, you may have noticed that I like color. If I have an option, I will always go for the colors over black or brown. But I get that people like neutrals too, so I have tried to show a variety.

The very practical yet classically lovely Bellino Stefan Satchel is a more traditional duffel bag. It’s size ensures it will hold whatever you need it to, and it’s shape will allow it to fit under the seat in front of you. It is also well priced, and will be perfect for when you need a conservative bag.

Bric’s Metro Shopper is a more modern take. While there aren’t any obvious external pockets, the inside has several compartments. It is also very roomy, has a zip top, and will also work when a conservative look is needed.

Although we are looking more for  structured bags, I felt I had to mention this Tumi Just In Case Shopper. It folds up into a tiny pouch, but will open up to hold an amazing amount of stuff. Specifically designed to sit on top of a rollaboard, it has a strap across the back to hold it in place. Plus it comes in some fun colors.

These two bags from Piel are lovely large purses. They both has plenty of exterior pockets, roomy interiors, and a come in a variety of colors. The Laptop Tote is a little smaller, but has a specific compartment for your computer. The Large Business Tote will hold more items but lacks a laptop compartment.

The JJ Cole Technique Bag is my favorite. I love the retro shape, the lining, and the fun colors. It has double straps, plenty of room, and multiple exterior pockets. Definitely the bag for you if you’re looking to make a statement!

Okay, okay. Just for fun, here is a completely unsuitable but completely fabulous bag from Latico. Swoon!

Readers, do you have a favorite travel bag? What characteristics do you look for?