Air travel used to be a symbol of luxury and comfort. But for most passengers these days, a commercial flight is an exercise in patience and tolerance. Nightmarish stories of ruined vacations, lost baggage and stranded passengers dominated news programs this past winter, and the troubles are likely to continue during the busy summer travel season. Which leaves us wondering – is the thrill of flying really gone?
One thing is for sure – the thrill of finding a cheap flight is soon to join the ranks of eight-track players and $1 gasoline. Savvy web shoppers used to be able to find killer deals with just a little hunting, but soaring fuel costs have put the final nail in that coffin. Now, travelers are being hit with fees for everything from curbside check-in to simple snacks on board. Plus, many airlines are charging travelers who check more than one bag. To avoid multiple-bag fees, many individuals are seeking out new inventions to make packing more compact.
One such invention is the Eagle Creek Pack-It Compression Sac.
This water- and odor-proof plastic sac is great for packing bulky items – like sweaters or pillows – as well as dirty laundry on the way home. A person just stuffs the sac with travel items, zips it shut and rolls it up from one side to the other. During the rolling process, air exits the sac through four one-way air valves – reducing volume by up to 80 percent. The compression sacs come in small, medium, large and extra-large sizes, and can help even the heaviest packers fit what they need in one bag.
Of course, don’t think the airlines would let you off that easy - heavy bags are another problem altogether. If your bag is overweight, be prepared to shell out even more dough, as overweight bags can cost travelers up to $100 extra. Another new gadget that can help save some aggravation at the bag check counter (not to mention the humiliation of dragging clothing and personal items out in the middle of the airport) is the Balanzza.
The Balanzza is a small, compact digital luggage scale that can help travelers pack bags that are the perfect weight for airline travel. With the capacity to register up to 100 pounds (or 44 kilograms), the invention is pretty easy to use provided that travelers don’t mind a little lifting. After affixing the 10-oz. Balanzza to the luggage, the user lifts the bag by the handles and waits for the beep. Then, the bag can be set down and the weight of the bag will be displayed on the device’s LCD screen. If the bag is overweight, the next (and hardest) step is deciding what goes on vacation and what stays at home.
Eagle Creek Compression Sacs can be purchased from a variety of online travel retailers such as letravelstore.com for $20, while the Balanzza is available online from retailers like Amazon.com for around $25.
