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TravelWiseHome About Shop TSA Packing Liquids Contact Share Should I Check My Bags or Ship Them? Posted in Packing Tips , Travel , Travel Tips on May 11th, 2024 by – Be the first to comment You probably assume that checking your luggage is the cheaper option, even though you’re stuck paying the airline about $25 for the first bag (each way) and $35 for the second, not to mention additional fees for heavy or large items. And sometimes it is. But not always, says Susan Foster, author of Smart Packing for Today’s Traveler (Smart Travel Press, $20, amazon.com ). So before you jet off, it’s worth doing the math. If your baggage is unusually heavy or bulky, shipping may be a better deal—provided that you don’t send your Samsonite overnight or by two-day mail, says Jami Counter, a senior director of Seatguru.com , a travel-resource site. Case in point: UPS can ship a 75-pound box from New York City to Orlando, Florida, for $57. Checking an item that heavy would probably cost between $100 and $175—one way. Get quotes from the two options that you have for shipping: a standard delivery or courier service, such as FedEx or DHL, or a specialty luggage handler—particularly useful for bulky items, like skis—such as Sports Express ( sportsexpress.com ). You should also consider shipping your baggage if you want to hit the ground running at your destination (which means skipping the luggage carousel), or if you want to be assured that those bags will be waiting for you when you arrive, says Peter Greenberg, a travel editor for CBS News. Shipping is an especially good idea if you have a connecting flight, which increases the risk that your bags will be misplaced,” says Greenberg. And delivery services offer far more bells and whistles than air carriers, says Counter, such as superior insurance, better tracking, and, best of all, picking up your luggage at your home. No schlepping! Article by Vera Gibbons, Real Simple Bottled Water – Do you know the actual source? Posted in Daily Use , Recreation , Water Bottles on May 10th, 2024 by – Be the first to comment Bottled Water Services comprise a billion dollar industry today which is growing annually. However, there are multiple researches and studies done, questioning the purity claims” of bottled water. The big question has always been: Is bottled water cleaner and healthier than tap water? We all know that most of the companies that supply distilled water use city water as their source, which is far from being healthy. Popular companies like Dasani”, Aquafina” and Nestle” are also included in this list. (Reference: www.msnbc.com ) Why is distilled water unhealthy? There are many reasons. Few are mentioned below 1. The oxidation of water is harmful for human body. 2. It results in improper pH balances and ionization. 3. The ‘plastic’ in which they are packed releases chemicals that are leached into water. How is Planet Earth affected? Environmental institutions are struggling to cut down the consumption of fossil fuels. This effort is directly affected by the use of ‘Bottled water’ as ‘Virgin Petroleum.’ Virgin petroleum is the source for manufacturing plastic bottles for bottled water. This means that the more bottles we use, the more virgin petroleum is consumed. This fact is true for other beverages and drinks that are packaged in plastic containers. According to a study of the Oregon State University, it takes about 273 billion liters of water a year, worldwide, just to make empty bottles” – Valuable water is being wasted for manufacturing bottles which again is wasted after use! – It’s about time to think. Some facts on Bottled water from the Internet: People tout bottled water as this pure substance that’s trickling from clear mountain springs when, in fact, that may not be the case ,” said Assemblywoman Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro, author of one of the bills. The Food and Drug Administration needs to tighten its regulations on bottled water after a four-year study by the NRDC found that of 103 brands surveyed, one- third contained levels of contamination. The NRDC found the contents of one bottle, labeled Spring Water,” actually came from an industrial parking lot next to a hazardous waste site. By the end of this year, bottled water will have moved past milk, coffee and beer to become the second most popular beverage behind soft drinks, according to the Beverage Marketing Corp. Do you want to stop participating in destroying Planet Earth? Well, you can. Go Green! There are multiple water filtering systems that can be used as an alternative. Tap water does have impurities and contaminants, but filtering them is a healthier option than choosing Bottled Water”. Once you filter your tap water, avoid using plastic bottles. There are many stainless steel water bottles that are in the market with great quality. One of them is the Klean Kanteen Classic – Klean Kanteen™, the 27oz stainless steel water bottle is made of 100% recyclable, 18/8, food-grade, stainless steel so it doesn’t need a special lining like aluminum bottles. It’s completely BPA-free and won’t leach toxins or funky flavors into your water, juice, smoothie or drink of choice. Plus weighing in at only 6 ounces, this durable, reusable, BPA free stainless steel water bottle is designed to last for years. Be sure to check out the special savings through June 7th on all of our Klean Kanteen products, including the Wine Carafe . All with free shipping! BottleWise is committed to manufacturing high-quality bags that make life easier for the discriminating culinary traveler and is founded by Amy Dias ( adias@bottlewise.com ) Wine Gadgets Galore Posted in Daily Use , Packing Liquids , Recreation , Travel , Wine Gadgets on May 10th, 2024 by – 10 Comments Check out all these cool wine gadgets reviewed and featured on NBC NY – Behind the Burner. You can also win any of these items…especially the BottleWise Duo! One key item left out on the BottleWise Duo is that you use it to transport wine when you fly! No Breaks! No Leaks! No Worries! Watch segment of must have wine products. Shipping Wine? Think Again! Posted in 3-1-1 Liquids Bans , Packing Liquids , Shipping Wine , Travel , TSA Regulations on May 9th, 2024 by – 16 Comments Heard the rumors lately? I’ve been hearing through the grape vine (no pun intended!) various concerns about wine transportation in air travel. These are mostly due to the new regulations of various airlines and the TSA (Transportation Security Administration). These regulations can lead to hassles and delays for both leisure and business travelers. Some organizations need specialty wine at conferences for whatever reason and need wine shipped to these conference locations. So these businesses have to create an entire plan just to ship wine! Below are a few points that may be helpful if you’re caught in this situation: What is your state law? There are three major categories that any wine lover should consider before shipping wine to or from their travel location. Make sure you are aware of your state’s law before you book your next wine trip or plan to send a wine gift. 1. Reciprocal states: Reciprocity requires the legislative cooperation of other states to recognize a two-way shipment privilege. This means that only wineries in another reciprocal state can ship into the reciprocal states: Iowa and New Mexico. 2. States wine can be shipped to on a limited basis: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming 3. States where wine shipping from direct to consumer is prohibited: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania,...