TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis doling out the travel tips at SFO for CNN (Image: CNN)
If you who have been reading my books, columns and blogs for years, you may already know that I worked with CNN on and off for about 10 years starting in 1995. Those were great (and grueling) years, and they came to an end when I moved to California in 2005. But every now and then, CNN sends its cameras west to capture even more of my travel advice.
For a recent segment, producers asked if I could come up with a handful of tips for the the millions of summer travelers expected to hit the skies this summer. So I dug deep into the TravelSkills blog and came up with these pearls (listed below). Watch the video to see how we turned these blog posts or subjects into international television segments!
1> Invest good luggage! Who wants to be stuck on a trip with a broken bag? Not me! For this segment, I relied on this popular TravelSkills post about my favorite small luggage shop in San Francisco. How to choose the best carry on bag
2> Hang, wrap and roll to avoid wrinkles. I’ve been hanging my travel clothes on hangers, wrapping them in plastic dry cleaning bags and rolling them up to pack in my suitcase since a fellow traveler (my boss!) taught me this trick in 1987. If you don’t pack like this, you should! Works like a charm.
This is what happens when someone says “direct” when they mean nonstop! (Image: CNN)
3> Know the difference between a direct and a non stop flight! I’ve been ranting about this for years, but my rants don’t ever seem to do much good. So many experts and even airlines say “direct” when they mean nonstop and I feel like giving up the ghost. Nonetheless, here’s one of our most popular TravelSkills posts ever on the subject: Direct or nonstop flight? You tell me!
4&5> Sign up for TSA PreCheck and Global Entry! This is a business travel no brainer. We have written about both line busters too may times to include all links, but here’s the latest, most popular one: Is TSA PreCheck too expensive?
6> Don’t ask for a free upgrade! They don’t exist anymore. Instead, I suggest that travelers ask how much an upgrade might cost. In many cases, you might be surprised. Right?
7> Scan the contents of your wallet and your passport and email it to yourself before departing on a long trip! That way, it’s a lot easier to recover if they are lost or stolen.
Do these sound like good tips to you? Aside from telling them to sign up for the TravelSkills.com blog 🙂 … How would you advise a novice business traveler? Please leave your comments below!
NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights
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You’re right. Investing in a good and durable luggage is a must most especially if you are a frequent traveller. Hang, wrap and roll – this is the new lesson lately from youtube video, very practical. Your tips will save and help lot’s of traveler. It’s great, you were able to think about this.
Looking forward to trying out the hang, wrap and roll!