The Art of Carry-On Travel

[trip style = packing light]

Do you want to become someone who - casually saunters on the plane avec purse and stylish carry-on - walks off the plane and by-passes the luggage area - heads right to the cab/car area - is sipping a mojito poolside within 1-hour of landing

Although travelling solely with a carry-on is can be challenging given the space challenges, adapting is possible!  With a little forward thinking, carry-on travel can be learned!

Case in Point Although this is an extreme example, my husband travelled to China for one month with a carry-on sized suitcase and a small backpack. The size of his bags did not limit him--it seemed he wore different outfits all the time. He might be mad if he knew I said he wore outfits... A less extreme example is when we only took carry-ons with us to sip wines in Napa. I was pleasantly surprised when we were able to stylishly and efficiently pack for 6 full days. Bonus of staying at a nice hotel, they gave us the items we weren't able to bring at the time: razors, tweezers, extra toothpaste, etc...

Packing light - documents (including passport) - book/mags - ipod - phone - pashmina - attire geared at your destination's weather (check the weather report before you leave) - minimal shoes - mini toiletries (toothpaste/brush, deodorant, comb, hair stuff, face wash, meds, make-up) * your hotel should be able to provide: shampoos, soaps, hair dryer, cotton balls, q-tips, toothpaste, razors, slippers, etc...

Strategies Pashmina/big scarf - wear it as a blanket on the on the plane, as a scarf and as a Grecian-style bathing suit cover-up.

Go monochromatic - choose a colour-theme for your outfits, then only bring pants/tops/skirts/jackets that match each other.  Same goes for shoes.

Semi-packed and ready to go - keep the items that you like to travel with in your carry-on at all times, that way, when you leave for your next trip, you'll have most items ready to go.

Get organized - make lists for the items you'd need for a weekend trip, tropical getaway etc... half the time we spend packing is just DECIDING what to wear. This will also help if you decide to take a spontaneous trip!

Choose clothes that will 'double in the program' - if space is at a minimum (and I assume it is) bring clothing that will play double duty, like a top you can wear to the pool (as bathing suit cover-up)or with jeans, or shoes that can go from day to night.

Pack an extra bag - consider packing a flat, easily-foldable bag (like a longchamp handbag/le pliage) that can be used a) as a make-shift pool or beach bag, b) as a large purse, or c) as an overflow bag should the malls get the best of you.

How to Book a VERY Last-Min Tropical Getaway

[trip style = sun + beach]

The notion of dropping everything and weekending somewhere sunny, hot and breezy is romantic, spontaneous and fabulous. But, it doesn't have to just be a notion. You don’t have to be a full-fledged, first-class, jet-setter to enjoy a sejour in the tropics. If you choose the right season and a destination you know well, you too can jet-set like the rest of ‘em.

Here’s how

• a few weeks prior start to think about where you might want to go
• week of
  • check your potential destination’s weather report
  • survey flight fares, hotel prices, car rental rates
• day before
  • do a final check of your plane, hotel and car options, if all looks well...
  • book!
  • pack light (refer to our packing list)
• upon arrival
  • ask the concierge to make restaurant reservations at your fave spots
  • hit the beach/pool

Helpful Hints

• Try to focus your tropical jet-setting to low season so you can get the availability and prices you want
• It helps if you’ve been to the destination before so you
  • know what airlines, hotels and car rental co’s are your best bets
  • know what to expect
  • know how to hit the ground running
  • know what restaurants you want to book
• Travel with a carry-on. If you are going somewhere hot all you really need is your bathing suit, cover-up, a dress or two, toiletries, sunscreen (buy at destination), sunglasses and hat.
• Passport, local currency or US dollars are also helpful to have on-hand.

Myths

• Last minute travel is always expensive
• Jet-setting is only for the uber wealthy
• There is never availability last minute
• Too complicated

Booking a last-minute extended weekend getaway also happens to be one of the items on my travel bucketlist and last weekend, I did it!

Gifting your Air Miles this Chrismas

Christmas is a time of giving. One easy and rewarding way to give is by donating your airmiles to those in need. What only takes a few seconds, allows a worthy individual to care for others or get the care they need.

This Christmas, why not consider helping others and offloading those airmiles  you'll never use.

How it works

• login to your airline of choice's website [or directly go to donation links below]
• navigate to donate air miles webpage
• give

Sample of airlines with online air miles giving

• aircanada
• alaska
• continental
• delta

According to miledonor.com: "American Airlines, Continental Airlines and Northwest Airlines allow earned mileage to be donated in any amount. Frontier Airlines, Midwest Airlines and United Airlines allow donations of a minimum 1,000 miles; Air Canada requires a 2,500-mile minimum and Delta Air Lines and US Airways allow donations of at least 5,000 miles."

Also don't forget that individual organizations like make-a-wish also accept miles directly.

Finally, in most cases donated airmiles are not tax deductible because they are recognized as a gift or an award.

Going Away? Packing and To Do List

Whenever I go away, I always re-write the same lists over and over again. The insanity has to stop. Without further ado, I'm immortalizing my packing and pre-trip "to do" list, so both you and I can refer to it prior to taking off. Do

• record "away" voice mail
• write "away" email notification
• arrange snail mail pick-up
• prepare any documentation back-ups you may need like flight and hotel confirmation numbers
• travel insurance
• get or change money

Bring

• passport
• 1 - 2 print outs of your passport
• trip documentation or itinerary
• money*
• money belt
• books/mags
• smartphone
• iPod or like device
• camera
• earphones [and dual-pronged converter] for plane
• power converters for international travel
• chargers [camera, phone, laptop, etc...]
• ziplocks [always seem to come in handy]
• small umbrella
• hand sanitizer or wipes
• toiletries
• any meds you think you might need** [pepto, cold &flu , tylenol, gravol]
• sunscreen
• bug repellent
• sunglasses
• hat
• bathing suit
• pashmina or scarf for everything including the plane's ever-changing temperatures
• clothes
• shoes

*No matter where you're traveling, having a little of the local currency on-hand is always smart.

**I was in Africa earlier this year and came down with a bad cold enroute. The last thing I wanted to do after just landing and traveling through multiple time zones, was take a taxi to a local store. I broke down and purchased drugs akin to Tylenol Cold & Flu at the hotel's store.  Twenty painful usd later, they were in my possession. Turns out all I needed was sleep because I was better within two days.

How to Travel Free

Although the notion of travelling for free does seem sketchy, it is completely possible. All it takes is knowledge and forethought. Whether you travel once or ten times per year, there are ways to be strategic about your travel spending.

If you are serious about reaping the benefits of travel, there are 3 main ways to start accumulating points, miles and dollars toward travel.

1) Get a Travel Credit Card Getting a travel credit card was one of the best decisions my husband and I ever made. Rather than get a credit card with points toward a GM vehicle or cash back, every time we spend money on our card our travel points go up. Our Travel Rewards Card has no black-out periods, an online booking portal and if you book your travel via expedia or the like, you can apply your points/cash to your purchase.

Strategy: Rather than using a combo of cash, debit and credit for your purchases, if you and/or your significant other can responsibly use your [joint] credit card, the points will accumulate much faster. Another way to collect points quickly is to make business purchases or charity donations on your card. Both regular and one-time payments add up, so if you are disciplined, using a credit card for the majority of your purchases can get you one step closer...to Paris!

If you don't already have a travel credit card, inquire through your financial institution. Many of the popular travel credit cards offer similar benefits.

2) Join an Airline Loyalty Program As mentioned in Friday's post, making a point of choosing one Airline loyalty program can be advantageous. Since most airlines are part of larger syndicates, you can reap the benefits of multiple carriers through programs like One World or Star Alliance. Try to find flights with one of the carriers within your preferred airline's alliance to amass points every time you fly.  This will allow you fly to the Seychelles sooner than you thought.

Little-known Fact: You can redeem more than just flights with airlines miles. Many airlines have a host or travel and non travel-related products to which you can apply your points.

3) Join a Hotel Loyalty Program Choosing to be an Intercontinental Ambassador or Starwood Preferred Guest has its benefits, and this too can put you on the path to free getaways. When planning your trips, seek your hotel group's properties, in other words, if the price is right, try to give your them first right of refusal.  Often joining programs such as these will give you the inside track on new property openings and discounted prices, so it pays to be loyal and in-the-know.

Read your program's fine-print: Some hotel loyalty programs offer more than just free stays. Between complimentary dinners at their restaurants, additional points towards a partner airline's miles and in some cases, free use of golf clubs, it is important to familiarize yourself with your program's opportunities so you can effectively reap the rewards.