Flight Wisdom

The New York Times offered some advice recently on coping with the TSA liquid and gel ban. As they put it…
SINCE the Transportation Security Administration began cracking down on liquids, gels and aerosols in carry-on luggage last summer, travelers determined not to check their bags have been haunting the trial-size aisles at Wal-Mart, trolling for [...]

Master Lock, the world’s largest maker of padlocks, issued a press release last week. Since it introduced them in 2004, sales of its Travel Sentry-approved locks have jumped 50 percent annually. As they put it…
Increased security threats and recent, well-publicized reports of baggage pilferage at airports have fueled growing demand for locks that let air [...]

USA Today has a good article on some new products coming out in response to TSA carry-on restrictions. Manufacturers are seeking to profit off of the rules in the best example of market demand spurring innovation.
We recommend you have a look at the article, but here is our summary.

02Hide.com offers a line of [...]

Under a rule issued by the US Department of Transportation, baggage liability limitations will soon rise to $3000 per passenger from the current limit of $2800 effective February 28. It applies to any flight using large aircraft and only commuter air carriers are exempt.
Airlines could pay an additional $2.6 million per year as a result [...]

In a press release today, American Express offered some tips for those who want to protect themselves from lost luggage.

 Tag your Bags - Many people forget to put their name and contact info on a tag outside the bag. Even more forget to add it inside. You can also leave a copy of your itinerary [...]

We were honored when Jeff Hoyt commented on our post directing people to his podcasts. We hope he continues to entertain us with podcasts relevant to our subject matter(we’ve already referred to him twice).
He inquired about the Knee Defender, a device designed to stop the seatback in front of you from reclining. It retails on [...]

In a recent post, Staying in Touch In Flight, we commented on the loss of Boeing Connexion.
As Airwise news reports here, part of the problem was that the Boeing equipment, which was satellite based, was large, heavy, and expensive. Aircell, which purchased part of Verizon Airfone’s bandwidth, plans to start service by the end of [...]

Today we introduce the first of our travel gear recommendations. Look for an extended review and other reviews on our website in the near future. The Lapinator is a portable insulated laptop desk that prevents the heat of the laptop from hurting your legs. A hot laptop can run for hours on this and not [...]

Boeing announced today it would be shutting down Boeing Connexion, its In-Flight Internet service available on some long-range service. Unfortunately, Boeing could not find a buyer for the division, which only has ten customers: Lufthansa, Singapore, SAS, El Al, All Nippon, Japan Airlines, Asiana, China Air, Etihad Airways and Korean Air with a total of [...]

Blaptops.com offers these tips for how to protect yourself if you are required to check your laptop.
In addition to their tips, there are special padded slipcases, as suggested by Roadgladiator.com.
But in the end, remember that the Montreal Convention, which replaced the earlier Warsaw convention, limits the liability of airlines for damaged luggage. Also, airlines will [...]