Tuesday, September 30, 2008

What's the weight of your Bag?

There was a lot of goodwill being tossed around when Air Canada and then Westjet announced they would no longer add fuel surcharges to their tickets.

And there was equal enthusiasm when Air Canada retreated from its initial policy of charging for a second bag that you wanted to check in.

Some people somehow concluded that with the first announcemnt prices would go down. Or that somehow they would get a rebate on tickets already purchased.

Such is not the case; but the move is a good one. Industry associations have asked for this for years. Travel agencies were constantly faced with angry consumers taking out their wrath against the airlines on the agent handling the call.

This announcement is a good one because it means that the price you see advertised will be the price you pay, except for the normal taxes we face in all purchases.

On closer examination of the new policy on baggage charges, it all looks great on the surface and to a great extent really is. But the charges for going overweight on any of your bags is really going to hit your pocketbook. The cost of a third bag has also gone up dramatically so you really need to pack differently than you might have in the past.

This will also hasten the trend that has already been taking place for 3 or 4 years to quality lightweight luggage.

I am often asked what is the best of these. While there are a variety of choices I suggest two alternatives depending on budgets.

For my money the best by far is the Victorinox Werks line. It has been made substantively lighter than earlier models but it has done so without sacrificing quality to any major extent. It still features a ballistic nylon material. It still has a honeycomb frame, ligher than in the past but still strong. And it's features, like all Victorinox products, are all really worthwhile. Finally, its fashion forward design is appreciated by most buyers.

Problems with this line have been almost non-existent and they even have a warranty against common carrier damage. It is a really good buy at the price.

The other line I refer to does not offer the same quality but its price point is dramatically less. It is the Delsey Fusion, the best in their line of reasonably priced light products. The material is an 1800 Polyester blend, much more than most lightweight less expensive baggage, which is either 1200 or 1000 denier. I cannot recommend such low level material considering today's airport carousels.

It has good zippers and wheels. It is expandable even in the carry-on which is unusual. And it really is offered at an extremely attractive price.

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posted by That Travel Guy @ 12:50 PM  |  0 Comments

Sunday, September 14, 2008

How do you Know When You Have Reached Heaven

Once we were off the Noordam, access to a place to work on the computer became more difficult. We had decided to spend a few days in Rome then head out to Tuscany for at least a couple of nights before flying home.

We had feedback from people who had stayed there that the Palazzo Brandano in Tuscany was a quiet peaceful place to stay and was well situated on the hillside of a small town and offered a tremendous view.

We booked a couple of days there and as we were driving into what appeared to be a very small community we wondered at our decision making process asking ourselves if we had done enough questioning.

Near the end of a long, very narrow passageway, not much wider than the car we saw the sign. It was nice enough but was small and not at all ostentatious giving no perception of quality.

We were quickly greeted and our luggage was moved ahead of us to the room we were assigned.

There are only 11 or12 rooms in this Palazzo but they are really striking and all the people were very nice to deal with as you might expect from a small family run property. Interestingly they are not of Italian origin but speak it fluently.

There is a very nice dining room but when the weather is warm everyone seems to prefer the outside with its view and decor of its own.

We had easy access to the tourist cities and prefered to return each night to the Palazzo Brandano for dinner.

I have no hesitancy in following those before us in recommending them to you.

Their website is http://www.palazzobrandano.com/

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posted by That Travel Guy @ 3:35 PM  |  0 Comments

Monday, September 1, 2008

The Days are Disappearing

The cruise is winding down and we will soon be off on a separate follow-up tour of Rome.

We changed our tour to a shorter excursion in Tunisia taking in Carthage and the Sidi Bou Said.

It was hot but the tour guide was exceptional, we really got a lot out of it. The peddlars go at you hard but I bargained down a 150 Euro ask for some plates Rae wanted to 40 Euro. He was not happy but made the deal.

Tomorrow we are back in Italy in Palermo, then on to Solarno which is changed from Naples. They gave an excuse but I suspect it is strictly because of the garbage in the streets and a rat infestation I have heard about.

Because I have been to Pompeii we are going instead to the Amalfi coast. But anyone else going should go to Pompeii for sure.

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posted by That Travel Guy @ 11:30 AM  |  0 Comments