Hey readers! Got a question or something you want to discuss this weekend?  Here’s the perfect opportunity!  Whether you want to share an interesting travel story, a packing tip, an etiquette tip, or anything else going on in the business travel world, comment here and we’ll have a discussion.

Travel tip of the week:

• This week’s tip is for all the less frequent fliers that are heading to the airport this week. One of the best ways to keep things moving at airport security is for everyone to be ready to go once they get to the front of the line. So make sure you have your boarding pass and ID ready to show the TSA officer before it’s your turn. Also, make sure your pockets are empty before you get to the x-ray machine. Finally, make sure anything you need to take out of your bag–whether it’s your laptop or liquids bag–is near the top and easy to remove.

Week in review:

• On my trip last week I sat in row 8 but had to put my bag back on row 17. See my tips for dealing with this situation when you have a tight connection. Etiquette when your bag is behind you.
• I love, love, love houndstooth. I have all kinds of things in that print—a sweater, shoes, a purse, and I used to have a fabulous houndstooth coat. It’s a classic pattern, and in black and white, like this All-Season Rolling Laptop Case, goes with everything in your closet. Travel bag of the week: All-Season Houndstooth Rolling Laptop Case.
• There are so many things to remember before heading out on a business trip. Here is a checklist for what to do before leaving the office. Checklist for leaving the office before a business trip.
• One of the confusing aspects of international travel can be how to plug your US electronics into foreign outlets. @LadyLightTravel answers this tricky question! What do you need to plug US electronics into European outlets?
• Packing for a business trip can be hard, especially the first few times. Here are a few tips to get you on your way to a well packed bag. Top 3 Business Travel Packing Tips.

Here are travel news stories that caught my eye this week:

• No way I’m flying backwards. Bye-Bye, Rows? New Airplane Design Has You Sitting in a Circle.  via @YahooTravel
• Not again! Guests fined for leaving review of ‘filthy, dirty rotten’ hotel on TripAdvisor. via @CNNTravel
• Yikes! What are these people thinking?!?!? TSA Shares Weirdest Items Confiscated From JFK Airport. via @NBCNewsTravel
• Continues to look good for airline investors. Wish I could say the same for paying passengers. Why airfare keeps rising despite lower oil prices. via @FoxNewsTravel
• Pretty wild story. Uber’s plot to spy on reporter is latest controversy. via @USATodayTravel
• Some of these are pretty bad. Airline Don’ts: Never Get ‘Passenger Shamed’ Again. via @YahooTravel

Comments of the week:

• This week I wrote a post about checklists for leaving the office before a business trip. @Kelly is our comment of the week and said “ Check and recheck visa requirements. Make sure you’re in order and have hard copies of electronic visa confirmation. Pay attention to business vs. tourist visa requirements. Often business visas aren’t as easy to secure and have different requirements than a tourist visa. I don’t recommend faking it (Colombia comes to mind as a learning experience)
  2. work out alternate travel plans in advance in case of irregular ops. I always have a backup plan that will still get me to my destination in time for my first meeting. I’ve used it more than i’d like to admit.
  3. notify credit card companies of countries you’re visiting. Most notifications can be made online now.
  4. determine how you will get local currency. If using a local atm – determine where one is located in airport. Figure out in advance how much local currency you request through atm (many currencies have a bunch of zeros and it gets confusing how much to request in the fog of jetlag) (Turkish lira comes to mind along with Japanese yen from personal experience)
  5. Notify your cell phone provider. Check online in advance to determine how to call a local call and a home based number. (In some countries you need to add a combination of 0’s and 1’s.
  6. Confirm and plan for any dress code requirements in advance (get someone to explain business attire in this country, is it ok for women to be in pant suit, head covering needed, do i need a gift for a host?”    

Readers, chime in with what’s on your mind! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Be sure to check out my page with products I recommend for travel!

Be sure to also check out my page on the best carry-on luggage brands!

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