Archive for December, 2008
Marking Your Baggage
As you read last week, sometimes you lose your baggage at the airport. While this isn’t the horrible event that some people make it out to be, it’s still not a lot of fun. However, there are a few tricks you can do to make it easier to identify your luggage. This not only makes it easy to tell airport officials what your luggage looks like if it’s lost but it also makes it easy to identify your luggage when you’re picking it up at baggage claim.
The first way of easily finding your luggage amid all the other bags and suitcases on the conveyor belts is to buy luggage that is very distinctive. Brightly coloured bags or bags with unique patterns are generally very easy to spot. The only downside to this is that these bags may not be unique—others may decide that they like the same bright colours or designs. Suddenly, your unique luggage is beside three other suitcases that look just like it.
You can always pay a little bit extra and get monogrammed luggage. These suitcases and bags have your initials or even your name on them. This makes it easier to find them, true, but it can also give others important information about you. It’s never a good idea to let strangers know your full name, especially in this age of identity theft. While most places will require more than just your name, some don’t check ID as closely as they should.
Instead of putting your name or initials on your luggage, then, go for something a little different. One example of this is to buy brightly colored shoelaces and tie them around the handle of your luggage. You can also wrap colored electrical tape on the handle or even take fabric paint and paint a design or stripes on the suitcase itself. This makes it very easy to identify your luggage and, in the event of lost luggage, makes it easier for airline personnel to find it, too.
Dealing with Lost Baggage
It’s every traveller’s nightmare—the airline, bus line, or train loses your baggage. While it doesn’t happen as often as it seems, if you travel a lot, chances are at some point you will have to deal with lost baggage. There are several things you should do after discovering that you made it to your destination but your luggage did not.
First, of course, is to find an airline associate and report your luggage lost. They will do everything they can to find your luggage, but if they can’t locate it right away, they should have some paperwork for you to fill out. You’ll need to be able to describe your bags, which is one of the reasons why it’s a good idea to have some unique identifying mark on your luggage. You will also need to list the contents of your luggage, the city you departed from, and any transfers you made between there and your destination. Also be sure they know how to contact you so you can pick up your luggage once it’s found.
If it’s not possible to get your luggage returned to you right away, don’t panic. Chances are, your baggage will eventually reach you. In the meantime, there are a few things you can do. Most hotels will provide common toiletries (toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, etc.) if you request them and explain your circumstances. If they don’t, the hotel gift shop or a nearby store should have what you need.
If it turns out you won’t get your luggage for a day or two (which does sometimes happen), you may have to purchase some clothing to wear. If you’re on a holiday and aren’t too concerned with your clothing, you can purchase cheap items from any nearby clothing shop. However, if your business clothing or nice outfits are missing, you may be in a bit of a bind. The best advice in this case is to look on the bright side and consider it a chance to purchase a nice, new outfit.
Losing your luggage can be very stressful, but it’s generally not the end of the world. Just stay calm and deal with the situation as best you can.
Las Vegas Travel Guide
Las Vegas, the adult’s playground. You cannot talk about this wonderful place without mentioning the many casinos and wonderful attractions that it has to offer. However if you are looking for something to do that doesn’t involve you frittering away your hard earned cash, there are plenty of things that could catch your eye.
There is the Centaur Art Galleries for people looking to involve a little bit of culture into their trip and for those that want life to be a little bit more exciting, there’s always Ultrazone Laser Adventure or the MGM Grand Spa. Las Vegas Mini Grand Prix can be used to excite even the biggest kids in your group and for those that just want to relax you could always take a look at the Guinness Book of Records Museum.
Las Vegas offers everything you could want in a holiday from magic shows to theatre to gambling and comedy, with each casino decoratively adorned and themed with their own appeals for different tourists. With a wide range of casinos, entertainment and hotels in Las Vegas there is bound to something here for everybody!
Of course, those that are looking for a little bit of night life will not be disappointed either with a diverse variety of bars and clubs to be taken advantage of. Among the most popular you will find the Luxor which boasts a massive celebrity fan base and LAX also. For those that are not so celebrity focused however, Rumjungle is an amazing nightclub with an indoor waterfall and Mandalay Bay hosts a rather impressive and extensive rum bar.
These clubs are also famous for their fine cuisine as well as their exotic nightlife but can be at the more expensive range of the budget, so for those that are looking to eat without forfeiting their gambling money, there is always the Oyster Bar at Penazzi, Harrah’s where you can eat for just $10, and Maggiano’s at the Fashion Show Mall is another place where you can eat for cheap.
Any holidaymaker travelling to Las Vegas will realise that despite its reputation for being the gambling capital of the world, there are hundreds of other activities to excite and amuse that are suitable for the whole family.