I travel with a whole stack of electrical cords, plugs and outlets.

I have stored them all together in a little box. They got all tangled up and the box is thicker than I want for my hand luggage.

 I then stored them in 3 little bags which fit into my small pockets of my laptop bag- I then forget what is in which bag!

How do you store your cords, plugs and adaptors?

I need something which protects, is light, 2.5cm thick (can be 60cm wide), not too expensive, is easy to access stuff from my laptop bag whilst at an airport or on a plane. What do you use?

Any advice gratefully received.

My List:

• 2 Apple American adaptors (one for Iphone and one for computer)
• 2 Apple Australian adaptors (one for Iphone and one for computer)
• 2 retractable Cords  to connect computer to iphone (in case I lose one)
• cord and transformer for computer
• plug for iphone (sometimes useful not to plug into computer)
• cord to connect data projector to Apple
• cord to connect internet cable to computer
• USB dongle/stick
• sim cards for Australia, NZ, Uk, and USA
• ear phones
• back up drive and cord

I flew two international sectors today from Brazil to Miami to Toronto My first flight left almost three hours late getting in 91 minutes before my second flight was due to leave. My long layover has vanished. 


Even though I was transiting from Brazil to Toronto, the US requires transit passengers to clear immigration and customs and then  come through security again.  I have blogged about not checking luggage in. Today’s experience vindicated my decision!


Arrivals

• 1859h: Plane touches down at Miami International airport (right)
• 1907h:  Plane reaches gate- I am off quickly with no shoving
• 1911h:  Four minutes run/walk from gate to people mover to immigration hall. I arrive at the stop as it pulls in. The MIA people mover runs at 3 to 15 minute intervals. The guy next to me told me that he waited for 20 minutes once
• 1916h:  Passport control hall is handling multiple arriving flights. I join shortest line
• 1921h:  People behind me are also on an 830pm fight and are also nervous
• 1923h:  Realise reason for my short line is that I have chosen slowest immigration agent.  Switch lines to one moving twice the speed
• 1927:  I ask the three people in front of me in this new line, who’re from Spain if they have  a connecting flight (which they don’t). They allow me to go in front of them so I’m  2nd in line. The woman in front of me makes it clear she won’t support queue jumping 
• 1928h: the agent in the line I was is really slow. He still  has 3 more people to process before the spot I was in
• The young woman in front of me goes forward. Oh no! She has a complicated immigration issue. Letters are produced from an envelope, visas are scrutinised and the clock keeps ticking
• 1933h: Agent finally deals with the woman after flirting with her too
• 1934:  As I am in transit, the agent immediately does my fingerprints and photograph but cannot tell me the fastest way to the new gate. He points to the exit.
• 1935: exit is blocked by an Italian group that are choosing this area to gather together.  Oblivious to the stressed looks of other passengers (including mine) they saunter chatting away down the narrow corridor to baggage collection and customs.
• 1938: the customs hall is bedlam. Indeed multiple flights have arrived simultaneously and there are lines everywhere cutting into and over each other to collect bags and get through customs. Bags are piling up. Its madness with no order in its chaos.  Tempers are becoming frayed and Happy vacation moods evaporating everywhere. I follow a determined couple who push through the crowds
• 1949h: I am thankful that I have no baggage to check as I cruise past a 120 strong person line waiting to check in bags for onward flights.

Disney

I firmly believe that the US customs department should hand over custom s control to Disney. They would make waiting fun and work to develop innovative queuing systems.  Cartoon characters could entertain the people whilst giving friendly and fun warnings and messages about smuggling and smoking!

Departure Gates

• 1954h: In the disaster that is Miami Airport,  clear signage for  the escalators up to departures was  invisible. I found a  lift (elevator) with only an elderly man waiting. When the lift arrived, however,  two families  and a nun also arrived and piled in! 
• I was at the back of the lift and had to wait for people to get off it and into another corridor full of slow people
• The line for security screening was very long so I asked the  guard if there was a priority line. She directed me to go on a 2 minut e walk which got me to a gate with almost no one there
• 1956h: Of the eight people in line, five were a group traveling together. Having ascertained their flight was at 2145h (945pm), they gave permission to go in front of them
• 1959h:The agent checking my passport in the way out sad”how did you like the USA Mr Cowling“ I saudí “I was only here for five minutes!”
• I zapped through security: belt off, shoes off, computer out, toiletries out. The woman  -in front of me said “you myst know what you are doing to go through security so quickly. - 90 flghts a year madam! 
• 2001H Another People mover ride. This involves a 33 second wait and a 45 second ride.  I am ten gates away. Of course it is at the far end of the concourse!
• 2004: As I pass the Shops, I wondered if i had time to buy a drink. Guess not, In retrospect I wish I had got a drink because I felt very thirsty on the pla
• 2006: I arrive at Gate 21 just as they announce boarding, l Am the fifth on the plane  and wheel my own luggage on board
• 1832h Doors close 
• 2039h we are delayed
• 2051h take off

I made the flight. If i had had to collect and then check in a bag, I would not have made it.

Vive travelling with hand luggage only!  

I dont check my luggage in for a number of reasons- one of which is avoiding having it damaged by the airlines.
Yesterday, a gentleman was trying to get what was a very heavy and large bag into the aeroplane locker near me.
It went in with a very loud bang.
When I was getting off the plane, I discovered that he must have been shoving his bag in top of mine. It was so heavy it distorted my bag and broke the handle off.

Thank you fellow passenger!

Bag handle without bag

Its getting to travel season for many. My eyes boggle at the amount of luggage, people take with them. Its hard work, its nerve wracking sometimes and if you are over your weight limit, its expensive.

I travel with two bags.  One is on wheels  and is designed to be checked if I have to. My aim is not to check anything in because:

• its faster at check in- no luggage means a check in at home and straight to the gate (time saved 15-60mins). I fly about 90 times a year- time saved is between 22 and 54 hours!). Of course staying at home would save me more time!
• faster at the other end-baggage takes 10 to 90 minutes to reappear at the other end. I am already sightseeing by the time some people are hauling their luggage off the carousel
• easier-luggage that you will use as carry on only, means you can usually carry it up stairs yourself
• its less likely to be lost- lost luggage can take 2 hours to 2 weeks to get back to you
• many airlines in the USA and other countries now charge for check in luggage. Not having any reduces that concern
• other airlines (eg Air NZ, Virgin Blue and Tiger) offer reduced fares if you travel with no check in (its a cleverer way of charging for luggage!)

The other bag is officially my “personal item” (in this case a computer bag). It clips to the first for easy carrying.

I aim for each bag to weigh under eight kilos (17 pounds) before i leave my house. Why eight kilos/17 pounds? Most airlines in the world have a limit on their carry on luggage. For some its as little as 5kg and for some its as much as 10kg. For most it is 7kg (15lbs) . I figure that If I am only just over, they will probably let me through. In the USA I have yet to meet an airline that has checked the weight of hand luggage! (confession: I have been known to have had my smaller bag weigh more than my bigger bag!)

They also have a maximum sized bag you can carry on. My bigger bag usually meets the requirements  being 51cm (20″)  x 33cm (12″)  x 21cm (8″).  Different airlines have different requirements, so check your carrier!

Tomorrow I will talk about reducing your load!