Planning to Travel This Year? Don’t Leave Home Without These Five Items.

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With the world thrown into crisis as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the aviation industry continues to struggle as a result of suppressed traveler demand. A recent report by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) paints a grim picture with the report stating that collectively, the airlines, airports and air navigation service providers have lost almost half a trillion dollars in 2020. With demand contracting to 2003 levels (with a 60% reduction in international passenger traffic), industry analysts (depending on who you ask) don’t expect demand to recover to 2019 levels until 2024-2026 at the earliest. To put it bluntly, It’s been a tough year for travel but there is hope on the horizon.

In recent weeks, there have been a number of articles released discussing the pent up demand for leisure travel. This can be largely attributed to pandemic fatigue as we head into the second year of the pandemic, people are simply tired of the mandatory stay at home orders. Personally, my belief is that we won’t begin to see any material return to international travel until late 2021 and into early 2022 as more vaccinations are rolled out and people’s individual comfort levels return.

While we may not be traveling as much (personally I’ve flown once in the last 15 months), there’s no reason why we can’t begin to at least plan for our future travels. Outside some of the mandatory items (passport, money, hand sanitizer etc.), here are five things I never leave home without.

Away Luggage

Away Luggage has been a staple in my home for the last several years – which is why I own three pieces and have nothing but positives to say about their various offerings. When I was travelling quite a bit for work and for pleasure (remember those days?), I was always looking for a reliable carry-on and definitely found that and so much more. Their suitcases have a number of features but for the sake of our article, here are the main ones:

Photos provided courtesy of Away.

• Hard Polycarbonate outer shell (designed to hold up against even the toughest of elements)
• Four 360 degree spinning wheels
• Rechargeable ejectable battery to help with charging mobile devices* (This has saved me more than one occasion)
• TSA-approved combination lock
• Laundry bag (that’s right no more stealing the hotel laundry bags!)

In addition to the above, the suitcases all feature a lifetime warranty that covers damage to functional elements of the suitcase (such as wheels, shell, zippers etc.). Mine have been battle tested and have travelled with me just under 50,000 miles. I’m happy to report that I have no complaints outside of a few scratches on the outer shell. Additionally, there is a 100 day trial and if for any reason you don’t like it, you can return it – what do you have to lose?

Bose Headphones

From Singapore, to Hong Kong, to Santorini (and everywhere else in between), my Bose Headphones have been there every step of the way. With it’s noise cancelling capabilities, this helps to drown out the noise and allow you to focus on your favourite shows and music. Personally, I own the Quiet Comfort 35 II and swear by them. You won’t be disappointed.

Travel Insurance

While not necessarily a tangible item, travel insurance is definitely helpful, especially in these challenging and uncertain times. While definitely not a necessity, it would definitely provide additional peace of mind to wary travellers. Additionally, there’s COVID-19 insurance to help cover unexpected costs such as flight changes, hospital visits, quarantine hotel stays and so much more. For those of us in the Caribbean (and other locations that experience Hurricanes), I typically use travel insurance during the Hurricane season. The additional cost is usually negligible (ranges between 4-10% of the total cost of the trip) and provides you with peace of mind.

iPad

Photo provided courtesy of Pexel.

My iPad mini is the perfect sidekick for my travels. With its more than adequate 7.9 inch screen size and its light weight, once I’m on the airplane, my iPad is out helping me to pass the time. This is especially helpful as some airlines are moving toward the removal of inflight entertainment in favour of wifi-based entertainment (i.e. bringing your own device and connecting to the Wifi enabled on the aircraft to access movies and shows). Pro tip, the night before you travel, ensure that you download your favourite shows or movie on Netflix. This is a great back up in the event that you don’t like anything being offered by the airline.

Travel Power Adapter

Last but certainly not least, a universal power adapter. This has saved me on more than one occasion (most recently on a trip to London a few years back) and something that I never take out of my bag (mainly due to my inability to pack adequately). With the ability to charge multiple USB charging ports in over 150 countries (based on their advertising – I haven’t tried it out in 150 countries), it has definitely proven its worth.