Decades of Travel Wisdom/TripIt App/Carry-on Limits

Nomadico

Decades of Travel Wisdom/TripIt App/Carry-on Limits

Nomadico issue #145

A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.

50+ Years of Travel Wisdom

Welcome to the many new subscribers after Nomadico co-founder Kevin Kelly mentioned us at the end of this collection of tips gleaned from 50+ years of travel. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite, but here’s a sample: “In 53 years of traveling with all kinds of people, I’ve seen absolutely no correlation between where you eat and whether you have intestinal problems, so to maximize the enjoyment of local foods, my rule of thumb is to eat wherever healthy-looking locals eat.” (And hey, he was a backpacker in the 1970s!)

Travel Plans in One Place

Someone asked me recently which travel apps would be a nightmare to give up on my phone and I had two: Google Maps and TripIt. Uses for the first are obvious, but TripIt is my second brain when I’m on the move, with transportation tickets, lodging reservations, and advance museum ticket times all saved in one place. As soon as the confirmation hits my e-mail box, it gets automatically forwarded to the app so I don’t have to do anything. I’ve been on the free plan for 12 years, but if you pay $49 a year for Pro you get some extra perks like alerts when a better seat opens up or when the flight price drops.

A Complete Guide to Carry-on Luggage Restrictions

While we’ve now standardized our travel tech around Bluetooth and USB-C, the airlines have gone the other way with luggage and splintered off in multiple directions. Not only are the fees a convoluted mess, but so are the answers to the simple question, “How big can my carry-on bag be?” In the USA you’re usually safe with 45 linear inches (22 X 14 X 9) but some allow a tad more. For European or Asian that could be too large though and you’ll also have to check it or pay extra if it weighs too much. EasyJet only allows the equivalent of 100 linear centimeters (39.6 linear inches) and for Air China your carry-on can only weigh 5 kilograms (11 pounds). Afar has done the research and published the most comprehensive rundown I’ve ever seen.

Is It Less Safe to Fly Now?

I’ve always been that guy pulling out stats to show how safe flying is compared to getting in a car, but since the administration change in the USA on January 20, I’m feeling a lot less confident. After 16 years with no deadly commercial airline crashes in the USA, we’ve had a whole series of them in just a few weeks, including 67 people dead in D.C. and 10 in Alaska. Those tragedies would inspire most leaders to increase the safety budget and manpower, but instead we’re seeing headlines like “Hundreds of FAA employees fired by Trump administration weeks after midair DC collision.” Full article here.

02/27/25

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Frontier Will Take Your Free Luggage Instead

In a canny marketing move from an airline that has been a lot more attuned to customer sentiment than most, Frontier is taking advantage of Southwest’s backing off its long-running “Bags Fly Free” tagline by offering a free checked bag promotion. It won’t last, but they announced “a free checked bag for flights departing May 28 through August 18 when travelers use promo code FREEBAG.” See more about this and their other opportunistic changes here.

A Downgrade for United Credit Cards

Speaking of airlines, United just raised the annual fee of its most popular Chase credit card by more than half, from $99 to $150, and you’ll have to jump through an almost comical number of hoops to make up the difference with the new perks they’re touting. I still think it’s worth keeping if you fly with them more than three times a year because you get a free checked bag on all flights (not just domestic ones) and two lounge passes each year when you renew. Plus if you don’t have it already, $150 up front for 80,000 miles after meeting the spending requirement is a sweet intro offer. Otherwise, you might want to put this on your “replace list.”

Discount Stores for Electronics Basics

I spend most of my time in Mexico or abroad, so when I’m back in the USA I’m like a Soviet defector walking around gaping at the rampant consumerism all around me. The plus side of all that obsessive shopping is the staggering amount of choice and competition, which certainly keeps prices low for commodity items. I’m reminded of that when I need anything basic and electronic, like a charger, an adapter plug, or a pair of earbuds for the plane ride when I’ve lost one or both. If you lose something while traveling in the USA, just head to 5 Below or a dollar store and you’ll be out the door just a few bucks lighter. This also applies to reading glasses, cheap sunglasses, water bottles, travel mugs, soft coolers, and other items cranked out by the millions.