Travel Newsletter - October 2005
Weighing In On Checked Baggage...
Changes In Latitude Travel Store has always advocated packing and traveling light, but now it is really paying off.
Most travelers already know that airlines usually allow only two free checked bags per ticket with any extra bags being
charged a fee. In an effort to increase revenue and cover rising fuel costs, airlines are tightening their checked
baggage policies, decreasing the weight limit on checked bags and increasing the fees for overweight or extra bags.
While you might have been able to get away with extra size or weight in the past, closer attention is being paid to
baggage size and weight. Bag weight has been reduced to 50 pounds per bag by most domestic carriers, with overweight
bags being charged an increasing fee for increasing weight. Many airlines are just refusing oversized items or extra
heavy bags. For example, Northwest excess weight charges are $25 for a checked bag weighing from 51 – 71 pounds and
$50 from 71 – 100 pounds. Each extra bag or an oversized bag/item will cost you $80. (These charges are for
one-way and would be charged again on the return trip.) Bags over 100 pounds or too big are not accepted and would
have to be shipped to their destination.
Policies and fees vary by airline, so it is always a good idea to check with your specific airline if you are planning to
travel with extra baggage or unusally sized items. But here are a few tips and ideas to help you out with your
baggage:
• Pack lighter. We all take more than we need, and traveling lighter is easier and more enjoyable.
• Weigh your bags before leaving home so there won’t be any surprises at check-in. Move items between bags as needed
to stay under the 50-pound weight limit. Your two checked bags together can’t be 100 pounds, each bag must be 50
pounds or less to avoid charges.
• Don’t pack too close to the 50 pound bag limit. We all pick up a few souvenirs on our trip and you still have
the return flight to get back home.
• If you are a good planner, pack your bags ahead of time and ship them to your destination. No lugging bags
around. No waiting at the luggage carousels. How enjoyable would your trip be not worrying about anything
more than your carry-on?
Internet Travel Resources
With increasing airline security restictions and increasing baggage fees, many people see future travel without luggage.
Travelers will pack their bags ahead of time and ship them to their destination. You can use FedEx or UPS, of course,
but there are already companies that specialize in shipping travelers’ luggage. Two of these startups are Virtual
Bellhop (
www.virtualbellhop.com; 1-877-BELLHOP) and Luggage Express
(
www.866shipbags.com; 1-866-SHIPBAGS). Either by phone or the Internet,
request a quote for the items being shipped and how quickly you want them shipped. If you accept the quote, the
items will be picked up at your door and shipped to your destination. The service may not be worthwhile on all
trips, but for trips when extra baggage is required, the airlines will be charging you extra anyway. You may as well
travel luggage-free!
Upcoming Travel Programs
Visit our
Travel Programs web page for the latest information on upcoming
Traveler’s Tuesdays Programs.
Tuesday, October 11th (7:00pm) -
China!
Many of us are familiar with the Yin-Yang symbol which is characteristically Chinese. When traveling in China,
one almost necessarily encounters these complimentary extremes. Visions of hordes of people in congested streets
give way to wild scenery. Images of people dressed plainly are replaced with exotic cultures with brilliant
costumes. The austerity of communism is contrasted with avaricious capitalists. Share an evening of pictures,
stories, and conversation with
Jim & June Patterson as they share their experiences in this alluring, enigmatic
country. An excellent insight into China's must-see sights.
Tuesday, October 18th (7:00pm) -
Argentina & Patagonia
Wayne Bernhardson, author of
Moon Handbook's Guide to Argentina, Buenos Aires & Patagonia will show slides
and discuss travel in Argentina. We'll visit Buenos Aires, the cosmopolitan gateway to the country, as well as the
highlights, such as wildlife watching in the subtropical northeastern wetlands of Ibera and Iquazu Falls, the mountains
& deserts of the Andean northwest, the high Andes & wine country of Mendoza. Hiking, rafting, kayaking, mountain
biking, wildlife watching & horseback riding are all possible in this diverse country.
Tuesday, October 25th -
No Show
Monday, October 31st (7:00pm) -
Paddling In Greece
Warm water, colorful villages, castles built by the crusaders, history around every corner, the freshest sea food and
fun paddling.... sounds pretty nice, eh? Lena Conlan, from
Crossing Latitudes, will show pictures from her
sea kayaking expeditions to Greece. Come and enjoy great stories of her adventures. Greece is a fantastic
place to visit. So, come on! The food is delicious and the sights are beautiful!
Tuesday, November 8th (7:00pm) -
New Zealand
Come see the beauty of New Zealand through the lens of Jill & Don's month long adventure of camping in caravan parks
throughout beautiful and unspoiled New Zealand! Camping is a wonderful way to see the country and meet the
people. The campsites all have shared kitchens (a great way to meet people!), laundry facilities, showers, irons,
and some even have internet services. New Zealand is a wonderful country, but the beauty of this trip is where &
how they found to sleep! Ahhh! Come join us!
Suggested Reading
“Three Moons In Vietnam: A Haphazard Journey By Boat And Bicycle” by Maria Coffey, 1997, published
by Abacus Press. This book may be a bit hard to find, but worth your search. The author and her husband
explored the Vietnamese coast from the mighty Mekong Delta all the way to Halong Bay, by taking advantage of many modes
of travel from leaky fishing boat, to tiny sampan, to rickety bicycle. They experienced the culture and landscape
of Vietnam up close. Both humor and historical information are added to the stories as the author describes their
adventures.
Just For Fun
While preparing for our trip to Bhutan this month, we began to work on some deeper thoughts in order to try and reach
the lighter side of “Enlightenment"...
“Accept misfortune as a blessing. Do not wish for perfect health or a life without problems. There would be
nothing to talk about!”
“To find Enlightenment, look within. Deep inside you are 10,000 flowers. Each flower blossoms 10,000 times.
Each blossom has 10,000 petals. If that is really true, finding a specialist might be a better idea.”
“Be here now. Be somewhere else later. Is that really so deep or complicated?”
“Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Forget that and Enlightenment will be the
least of your problems.”
“If there is no self, whose arthritis is this?”
“Wherever you go, there you are. A philosophy checked baggage does not seem to live by.”
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"Since life is short and the world is wide, the sooner you start exploring it the better. Soon
enough the time will come when you are too tired to move farther than the terrace of the
best hotel. Go now.
”
- Simon Raven
Happy Travels!
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