Lifestyle: Easier Air Travel

With all the fuss about air travel with liquids I have returned to checking my luggage even on short flights. It's going to ruin my leather hand luggage but trying to fit my toiletries into a small polyethylene bag in order to get them through security is too much of a pain.

That's what makes the firm of Barclay Crocker of Silver Lake, New Hampshire so interesting. In true entrepreneurial style, Barclay Crocker is helping travelers with its "Easy Travel Kit." Call by 2PM with your credit card handy and $19.95 gets a week's worth of toiletries delivered overnight to any address served by US Express Mail® Overnight Service. So carry-on becomes practical again.

The supplies represent a very respectable value so long as the shoe wipes are disposed of before they get near a pair of leather shoes.

• Old Spice 4-Blade High Endurance Razor (1)


• Gillette Foamy Regular Shaving Cream


• Barclay Crocker Aftershave Balm "Washed Suede"2 oz


• Crest Cavity Protection Toothpaste


• Colgate Toothbrush - Soft


• Scope Mouthwash Original Mint


• Wisdom Floss


• Borotalco Deluxe Italian Bath Bar 100g


• Barclay Crocker 2 in 1 Conditioning Shampoo "Washed Suede" 2 oz


• Old Spice Antiperspirant / Deodorant


• E.A.R Classic Plus Ear Plugs


• Shoe Shine Wipes (2)

Another promising improvement, though it won't help with the liquids in the luggage problem, is the biometric Clear card that promises to fast-track us through airport security for $99.95 a year and a one-time fee of $28. It's a good idea, though so far the system is running in just a few major airports, principally San Francisco and JFK.

Air Travel Dress

A friend sent me a copy of the United Airlines dress code for companion travel (companions are the domestic partners, children and other relatives of airline staff), and I was glad to see that they have one. Like many codes, it's actually a specification of what companions should not wear and offers no suggestions beyond those prohibitions.

In the First and Business Class cabins, unacceptable items include:

• jeans or denim in any color
  
• athletic or tennis shoes
  
• hiking or military style boots
  
• shorts
  
• baseball caps

This in addition to the usual stuff like sweat clothes and beach clothing. Travel would be considerably more pleasant if they could make revenue passengers observe the same rules!

But the guidelines did give me a basis for comparison as I packed my beat-up bags for France. I'm travelling relatively light this trip and the only items that UAL would frown on in the cabin are my workout clothes and a bathing suit (were I to wear them in flight).

For two weeks I'm taking half as much clothing as I would for a business trip of the same duration: two suits, an odd jacket, a safariana, one pair of dress shoes, some Norwegian lace-ups, several pair of linen trousers and supporting clothes in a 26" suitcase that hopefully won't weigh fifty pounds (22.68 kilograms) including the clothes steamer. Though the bag is looking rather full, and the tailored clothing isn't in yet. And then there's the bag of electronics. I was not designed for backpacking.

On board, I'll be the guy wearing chinos, a polo, slip-on shoes, and a jacket with a polka dot neckerchief. Fortunately, nothing in the UAL dress code prohibits neckerchiefs.

Packing for Business Travel

When you travel a lot on business, having the essentials ready to roll saves loads of time and aggravation.

It starts with your luggage. Frequent travelers may need both a roll-aboard bag for overnight trips and larger, rigid sided cases for weeks on the road (I take a case for each week of a long trip).

There are many good luggage makers, among them Mulholland Brothers of San Francisco which made mine. They use a tough canvas for their bags that's light, durable (leather luggage doesn't survive long as checked baggage) and distinctive. Whichever maker you choose, look for trolley style construction so you can roll the bag, and a color other than black so you can identify it on the luggage carousel.

Pre-packing everything but your clothes helps minimize the liklihood that you'll arrive at your destination minus some necessity. Your bag should contain a stocked toiletry kit with a spare set of contact lenses if you wear them, a dirty laundry bag, exercise shoes and clothes, a sewing kit with spare shoelaces, a travel alarm, a manicure set, collar stays for your shirts (and some silk knots if you wear cuff links), a portable steamer and a travel umbrella.

Luggage for your luggage is a relatively recent invention that makes sense if your clothes tend to shift and wrinkle in transit. Folders like the pictured one from Eagle Creek are designed to stack half a dozen shirts, trousers, sweaters, or pajamas and hold them in place.

The next time you're going to have to rise early and head for the airport, pre-pack the staples you'll need to look and feel your best. It'll help you enjoy the trip.