Somehow, seats have gotten smaller, especially the clearance for the seat in front of us who travel in steerage. The table trays are often now articulated since a whole tray no longer fits in front of a passenger for any length of time. If you are of any size at all, say goodbye to access to the stuff on the floor in front of you. Don't even think about it because the fishing required to get it is not worth the bruises.
For those of us who pack compulsively, this tighter fit means several different things. Even if it meets all the dimensional guidelines for a carry on, we assume that a wheeled bag that will not fit under the seat in front of us will be taken at the gate (gate checked) for all the smaller planes, i.e. the ones that service Albany. This means that we will go through the ignominious new ritual of carry-on claim lined up in the jetway. For true speed, we pack even lighter and go with some kind of softsided pack that we can carry IN to the cabin and that will fit in the new smaller bins above us. Those wheelies were great for decades, but now it’s time to rethink things for those of us at then end of the flight links.
What we have with us at the seat has changed too. If travelling economy, laptops no longer really fit on that new, smaller fold down table. Certainly not in a way that you can actually get any work done. On a recent international trip with British Airways, I found that watching a movie on a smallish laptop to be quite an effort. I now suggest a long life, medium sized tablet if you want to bring your own entertainment. Give up altogether on getting keyboarded work done.
Since the space beneath our feet is only hypothetical for us bigguns, I suggest (shudder here) something like a fanny pack that the staff will not make you stow at all. Waist pack, belt pack, whatever they are calling it these days, it's that thing you strap to your waist somehow that, if not big at all, doesn't even count as a carry on if you are wearing it. Wear it in front of you and you will have pleasant access to the things you really will use. This is a neat new trick many have noted in the travel wonk blogs. It is occasionally identified as a personal item, so only bring the nice fanny pack and your full sized carry on. In this worn lap bag you will put a very select set of items:
- the previously mentioned tablet or Kindle
- a few pills - always ibuprofen. Consider allergy stuff and pills for both ends of your digestive tract
- some kind of candy, not gum - I suggest jelly beans.
- breath mint or two
- slim battery and short cord for phone unless you have great battery life
- small drink bottle or flask. I use a smallish titanium flask tucked in the bag.
- hefty tissues that could be used as napkin
This lap bag will be stowed in the front pocket of your carry on pack when you are not on the plane. I also suggest wearing an item like a vest (another shudder) or a jacket that carries your billfold and your cell phone. I understand that for some the idea of a travel vest and a fanny pack is an abhorrent statement of classless dad style. But who are you trying to impress anyway? You will not see these people again and you will not lose a seat upgrade if you are spotted with a fanny pack by a gate agent. There are some black travel vests that don’t have obvious pockets that don’t look too bad and some waist packs aren’t laffable. Except to your kids, who will mock everything anyway.
To complete your nerdish look, wear a cap for warmth, diverting the fan blasts, and for pulling down over your eyes for a better snooze.
