Today I’m sharing Part 3 of my travel contribution to Sally Cronin’s Travel Column on her blog. Smorgasbord Invitation. This post was written during the return trip from Arizona. Enjoy!
Smorgasbord Posts from Your Archives – Flight Manifesto with D.G. Kaye…Debby Gies
Time for the third of Debby Gies, D.G. Kaye’s travel posts. I would love to be a fly on the wall when she is traveling. Apart from her usual finesse with the check-in and carry on bags, there is the matter of the toxic passengers and glares over protective masks.. You don’t mess with Debby that is for sure.. As to the bathroom facilities…..aghhhhhhhh.
Some of you may have read my book, Have Bags, Will Travel (see details below), and could consider this post as a little side chapter to that book. And for those who haven’t, you will find a detailed accounting of my flight home from Phoenix, Arizona.
My usual bag of tricks worked in preparation for airport packing strategy 101:
Hub had limited me to three bags between us instead of the allowable four. Although I’m not sure why he was so adamant because I became the lifter and schlepper of all bags. We were each allowed one carry on bag and one personal item. Said personal item for me is my purse, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t put whatever I needed in it, mainly another purse. I’d also brought with an extra folding bag for another carry on we may have needed for our return. Hey, it was regulation size and after all, hubby doesn’t carry a purse so surely he was allowed another ‘personal’ carry on item.
Each suitcase is allowed up to 50 pounds weight. I had purchased my new trusted mini scale to weigh the bags before setting off to airport to avoid unpleasant surprises once the bags were ‘officially’ weighed. As it turns out, each of my three bags came in weighing 49.5 pounds. What a miracle. And thank goodness I brought that extra carry on, for a good 10-15 pounds weight of gifts I’d purchased.
I also had with me a huge plastic shopping bag with handles. This baby I use to put the extra carry bag inside along with coats, cowgirl hat, water bottles and any incidentals that wouldn’t fit my purse, just until I got to the boarding gate to avoid having to carry all that extra stuff. I know that big plastic bag would be a huge flag to boarding attendants, so for boarding purposes, the carry on comes out, the coats and hat get put on, and all other incidentals get thrown in wherever they may fit. Smaller purse had already been neatly tucked into bigger purse (okay, maybe it was a tote bag, disguised as a purse), where all other items that didn’t fit the smaller purse went : sunglasses, phone, kindle, notebook, water bottle, jewelry roll, make-up pouch, two masks, and some other crap. Smooth boarding!
Once on the plane, the hackers and sneezers begin their symphony of song. . . continue reading
DGKayewriter.com 
You look like so much fun to travel with, Deb. You make all those nasty travel problems look easy.
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Lol, thanks Jacqui, it’s only easy after been there, done that – live and learn. 🙂
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Airport Packing Strategy 101… Bet you could make some good money teaching a course like this 🙂 I swear, Deb, I learn something new every time I reread one of your posts! ❤️
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Tinaa, you keep giving me good ideas! Just think, when we finally get together you’ll be an expert traveler LOL 🙂 ❤
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Maybe it should be “Fear and Loathing Traveling”? I’m glad our experiences traveling aren’t as yucky as yours, but you do make it all seem funny even as it’s most annoying! LOL
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Lollll John, I couldn’t steal Hunter Thompson’s book title! 🙂 🙂
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You do know your way around the airport and airlines rules and regulations. As former airline employee I love your professionalism and organisation. Well done ❤
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Wow, thank you so much Christoph. Well I think you may enjoy my new column then coming soon at Sally’s blog. 🙂 ❤
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Oh, I wish I had the nerve to sit there with a mask on!
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I used to think that too Stevie, but when you come home with a cold or worse, a brutal flu a few times already, it’s become a no brainer for us. Just not worth getting sick over, and so many people travel in winter with cold and flus it’s unbelievable. 🙂
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Hi Debby – efficiency is bliss obviously – well done … I too hate being disorganised … I’m going on over … if not today, tomorrow – love the colours … cheers Hilary
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Thank you so much Hilary. Sounds like we are both prepared people 🙂
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I’m the queen of being able to stuff a lot in bags, and prepare for disassemblies as well. I left a longer comment on Sally’s blog.
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Lol, thanks Liesbet, I’ll run over there. 🙂
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Fabulous, Debby. I always enjoy your travel stories.
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