All it does is let you answer the usual questions for entering the US in the app, but then they let you use a separate queue that currently has far fewer people in it.
I like it! Same concept could also be done with a small shoe box lid, if I decide easier to trash before flying home. Just got tired of knocking things off the nightstand in unfamiliar surroundings.
Husband uses something like this when he travels. Uses it to stash keys, wallet & random things from his pockets so they don’t accidentally walk away.
I like your improvised option. If you look up “folding travel tray” you’ll find may choices that can be flattened for packing.
ETA - I see cbreeze also had a similar suggestion.
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Here’s my list:
A good, lightweight, spinner carry on
Compression packing cubes
Backpack that slips on to the carry on bag
Portable charger
Noise cancelling ear pods
TSA Pre-Check with facial recognition
MPC for international travel
Lounge access
Flying First Class/Club
Having a driver for to/from the airport
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Son has a similar matzah holder! Ours is ceramic.
I have this souvenir tray, which I never thought of taking on vacation but it’s an interesting thought.
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Has anyone found a good, easy to use clothes line/drying kind of thing for travel?
I have a few travel fold up hangers. Super handy. Fold very small and cheap. Lots of companies make them.
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Oh it definitely does. Came back from Europe once and the line without it at customs was about 150 people. We were 5th in line with the MPC
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I like this one from Rick Steves: Travel Clothesline - Portable Clothesline – Rick Steves Europe I find that bringing a pair of them is better than just one. I usually hook the 2 lines together for one longer line. Also I’ve cut 1ft strips of velcro straps https://www.amazon.com/Double-Sided-Self-Gripping-Reusable-Multi-Purpose-Fasteners/dp/B0CH8K8VWC/ref=sr_1_3 , 2 for each clothesline. The RS comes with small ones but I’ve found that having a longer length lets me wrap it around many things you’ll find attached to the wall in a hotel room.
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Being flexible—I’m willing to wash clothes at some point during the trip, if that makes it easier and means we don’t have to have as many clothes that are so heavy. I also don’t really worry about whether I re-wear the same clothes multiple times.
Packing in layers is essential, especially as I tend to run cold and the places we go are often cold to me (anything under 75 is cold or even colder if we are below 70). Wearing wool is really great—breathes and doesn’t smell! I wear a wool tank top, a mid-weight wool base layer and then a collared long-sleeve shirt. Sometimes I wear a vest and/or jacket as well.
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Hotel Hack - Use the ironing board for other purposes.
I saw on Facebok a tip to use the ironing board as a laptop desk when a room is tight on space. At one small hotel roon in London, my husband used it as a luggage rack for his suitcase (a small carry-on size).
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I made my own elastic clothesline, similar to the one that Rick Steve’s sells. I have a LOT of elastic from when I was making fabric masks. I used that to make the clothesline. I made a slip knot and then continued on, like a line of single crochet. When I deemed it long enough, I cut it. I attached Velcro to both ends. I bring it along when I go on longer trips and may want to wash a few garments. It packs to practically nothing and doesn’t need clothespins. You stick the ends of your garments in the line and they stay just fine. I generally hang it over the bathtub or somewhere convenient in the bathroom. The velcro at the ends means I can fasten it easily to whatever is handy.
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Oh, I also print out EVERYTHING and take screenshots or photos of all the documents—things about hotel, air, car, any other transit, lodging, meals, etc. I also take a photo of all our current Rx and our updated vaccination list. I keep that in important photos on my phone.
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I have flown many, many miles. My whole travel life is organized about making my traveling easier, so it is a bit hard to know what are the best bits.
- Small GaN chargers (Momax currently, Anker previously)
- Good VPN
- Lounge access from flying (e.g., Emerald on OneWorld) and cards (Amex Plat, Chase Sapphire) – I particularly like some of the first class lounges (BA, Cathay, JAL, etc.)
- First/business/extra legroom seats whenever possible;
- Global Entry/Nexxus; I had something similar for the UK for years;
- If I am returning to the same city regularly, I will leave a couple of suits and shirts at the hotel I stay when there and have them clean/press for my return.
- Apple AirPod Pro (2, I think) and on many trips JBL One Tour M3 – both good for noise cancellation and video calls with attachment for airplane infotainment
- Lightweight spinner (I have Away larger carryon with soft pocket – they don’t make it anymore).
- Compression socks (my favorite are Sonoran)
- Slip-on shoes (where possible Skechers slip-in shoes) with a lot of sponginess.
- The right-size bag for all of my travel tech (current one)
- Backpack or briefcase that fits over the handle of my rolling cart
- Extra collar stays in a zipper pouch in my carry-on
- MacBook Air and iPad
- Apps: Apple Pay/Google Pay (so that I can pay easily and safely all over the world), Tripit Pro lets me know about flight delays quickly usually, Waymo, Uber, Lyft all on early pages on phone, Airline apps, Flight Stats, Flight Aware, Flighty, Rome to Rio, Seat Guru, Kayak, Hotel apps, Restaurant apps (Michelin Guide, Open Table, Resy), Car rental apps, Parking apps plus ParkWhiz/SpotHero, TripAdvisor, GasBuddy,
- Several garment sleeves that can be carried outside the carryon but attached to the handle and that can go inside the suitcase if needed (AA is a stickler about this while most European/Asian airlines let me carry the garment bag through and then unfold/hang it up as soon as I board.
- Compression bags (good but not essential)
- EDIT: Forgot that I bring my Stanley Trigger Action Coffee Cup. Keeps coffee hot for hours and does not spill if knocked over. This way I take my Flat White or Latte with me to meetings and on the plane (avoiding bad plane coffee, at least for short flights). Sized for Starbucks Grande. Better at both keeping drinks hot and not spilling than Contigo, which I also have. They discontinued it. There are knockoffs available. I bought a couple. Not as good but still work. I think the best alternative is Contigo Luxe, which is supposed to be better at leak prevention. I have two Stanleys and two knockoff Stanleys so I don’t need to experiment. Note: need a briefcase or backpack with an external pocket for coffee cup.
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What’s your favorite lightweight spinner carry on? I recently switched to a Travelpro Maxlite 5 compact carry-on spinner. When empty, it’s only 5.1 lb! And I love the way it turns.
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That’s what I have!
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Aside from the Travelpro spinner carry on bag, my next #1 favorite thing that makes travel easier is a Bento Bag by Nomad Lane. I splurged on this a few years ago. This bag is SO GREAT! It…
- holds 24L of stuff
- weighs <3 lb empty
- has compartments for everything
- I’ve been able to travel on 4-day trips with just this bag and a purse.
- fits easily under the seat in front of you on an airplane
Between this bag and the Travelpro spinner luggage, I can travel for a whole week with just carry on stuff and not have to check any luggage. And everything is easy to get to, is organized, etc.
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I am tempted by spinner luggage. They look so easy breezy in the airport. But after watching a visiting friend struggle with hers on a tough stretch of sidewalk in Denver, I am less interested. Certainly on Europe cobblestones I’ve been thankful to have my two wheel carry-on (bigger than most, but it seems to fit in overheads).
My spinner can be tipped and wheeled like a two wheeler, and did fine when I was in Europe on cobblestones.
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