What are things you do when you travel that you are surprised others do not do?
Apr 13, 2018, 8:25 pm
#91
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,417
(4) Along those lines, I often carry a three-to-one power outlet splitter like this:
Costs $6. When travelling int'l I only have to carry one power adapter and can plug in 3 devices. When travelling anywhere with US-compatible plugs it solves the problem of when you are at the gate and there's only one outlet and it's already been claimed -- no one minds unplugging their laptop for 2s to let you plug this in and then more people can share.
Costs $6. When travelling int'l I only have to carry one power adapter and can plug in 3 devices. When travelling anywhere with US-compatible plugs it solves the problem of when you are at the gate and there's only one outlet and it's already been claimed -- no one minds unplugging their laptop for 2s to let you plug this in and then more people can share.
Apr 14, 2018, 1:26 pm
#92
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,922
(4) Along those lines, I often carry a three-to-one power outlet splitter like this:
Costs $6. When travelling int'l I only have to carry one power adapter and can plug in 3 devices. When travelling anywhere with US-compatible plugs it solves the problem of when you are at the gate and there's only one outlet and it's already been claimed -- no one minds unplugging their laptop for 2s to let you plug this in and then more people can share.
Costs $6. When travelling int'l I only have to carry one power adapter and can plug in 3 devices. When travelling anywhere with US-compatible plugs it solves the problem of when you are at the gate and there's only one outlet and it's already been claimed -- no one minds unplugging their laptop for 2s to let you plug this in and then more people can share.
Apr 14, 2018, 5:00 pm
#93
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: WN A+ CP, UA 1MM/*A Gold, Mar LT Tit, IHG Plat, HH Dia
Posts: 6,286
For me it's always been easy enough to pack and check suitcases with what I need but my sisters with young children have found that shipping a box of clothes (and other stuff) ahead to the destination is a winner. With little kids in tow it's so much easier to manage the act of travel without multiple extra pieces of luggage to worry about. And for my sisters who don't have frequent flyer status like I do, the cost of shipping a box of clothes is cheaper than airline bag fees.
Apr 15, 2018, 6:30 am
#94
Join Date: Jun 2013
Programs: DL Plat, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat, Hertz Prez Circle, National Exec
Posts: 1,357
They're essentially paying somebody to deal with the hassle of a bag for them. Which is totally fine. Though I will admit that when you take that back to the first post in the thread where they wonder why they are surprised others don't do that it becomes a little weird because then it basically boils down to "Why isn't everyone else in a position in life where they have a concierge that will take care of things for them, that surprises me". No crap. Most people don't have concierges. OP has a pretty specific use case and doing what works for them but I don't know how they'd be surprised that isn't the norm.
Apr 15, 2018, 10:38 pm
#95
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: NSW, Australia
Programs: Qantas, Velocity
Posts: 16
i learnd this one the hard way at LAX last month. Another passenger and I were both needing to go before the flight, but didn’t want to miss boarding (I’d been earlier, but I was drinking a lot of water). We both planned to go once we’d found our seats. No such luck. The toilets were locked.
Apr 17, 2018, 5:40 am
#98
Join Date: Nov 2011
Programs: AA
Posts: 377
I'm surprised that people with smartphones get to destinations and don't use a GPS-enabled map. They get the lay of the land with paper maps picked up from the tourist information kiosk and find out where they are standing by asking passersby.
Apr 17, 2018, 8:06 am
#99
Join Date: Jun 2013
Programs: DL Plat, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat, Hertz Prez Circle, National Exec
Posts: 1,357
Plus looking at a map on your phone doesn't scream "TOURIST" like having a paper map out and trying to orient yourself.
Apr 17, 2018, 12:48 pm
#100
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Boulder
Programs: AA Plat, CX Silver
Posts: 2,361
Local maps can often be more useful than vanilla Google Maps. They better identify the landmarks and destinations of interest to tourists.
Apr 17, 2018, 1:01 pm
#101
Join Date: Nov 2011
Programs: AA
Posts: 377
Regarding showing attractions: before my last trip, I made a simple Google map in each city with color-coded pins on the attractions I wanted to see, potential places to eat, and my hotel. Made the time at the destination that much more enjoyable and valuable. One thing a paper map gives you (and this helps replicate) is spacial context.
Last edited by backprop; Apr 17, 2018 at 1:14 pm
Apr 17, 2018, 5:28 pm
#102
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: WN A+ CP, UA 1MM/*A Gold, Mar LT Tit, IHG Plat, HH Dia
Posts: 6,286
I think for this one a lot of people assume that First/Biz is, like 3-4x the price of coach. In the past that was true. But today I occasionally see First/Biz priced at 1.5x coach. At that level it's a quality/price ratio I'll definitely consider.
Apr 17, 2018, 6:07 pm
#103
Join Date: Nov 2011
Programs: AA
Posts: 377
I've had traveling companions that create pretty ambitious lists of things they want to see and do, but then don't formulate a basic plan of how to see them efficiently. This is especially true as it relates to opening hours. For example, if most of the sights on the list close by 17:00, but one is open until 22:00, it's probably a good idea to make that one the last of the day rather than the first (all other things being equal).
Apr 17, 2018, 6:50 pm
#104
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Boulder
Programs: AA Plat, CX Silver
Posts: 2,361
Right. And they're generally not helpful to figure out where on the map you are currently standing, nor to indicate which direction you are facing, nor to help determine the best route (walking or transit) to get to your next location. I didn't say that I was surprised that people have a printed map (I always do), just that they attempt to navigate using it.
Regarding showing attractions: before my last trip, I made a simple Google map in each city with color-coded pins on the attractions I wanted to see, potential places to eat, and my hotel. Made the time at the destination that much more enjoyable and valuable. One thing a paper map gives you (and this helps replicate) is spacial context.
Regarding showing attractions: before my last trip, I made a simple Google map in each city with color-coded pins on the attractions I wanted to see, potential places to eat, and my hotel. Made the time at the destination that much more enjoyable and valuable. One thing a paper map gives you (and this helps replicate) is spacial context.
Apr 17, 2018, 8:52 pm
#105
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Sydney Australia
Programs: No programs & No Points!!!
Posts: 14,222
Gloabal roaming at $500 a minute would stop me.