Nails. Before or During a Trip?

After multiple manicures ruined by the wear and tear of a typical trip (packing-airport-unpacking-hotel-packing-airport-unpacking), I decided to ask friends if they get their mani/pedis done before or during a trip. The overwhelming response was before, here's why:

Mani/Pedi - Before or During a Trip?

• Hillary - Hot destination= before trip. i always run to the water before the salon
• Heather - Going to the desert this week & did nails myself because i'm spending all my money at saks "off fifth"
• Lynnal - Both, a little pampering is always good for ya
• Heather - Before, that way you are able to hit the town, and not waste any time on getting ready to hit the town
• Karen - Before, so you show up Fabulous! And then you can pamper yourself in other ways on your trip
• Nicole - I get it done right before I go. That way my nails are nice from the moment I start my trip, and then I don't have to worry about finding a good place to go wherever I am
• Lauren - I think before. When I'm on a trip, I don't want to have to search for a good place (I'm picky about nail places- want it to be clean, nice, etc.) You want to relax and not have to do any work, so going to your regular place at home and getting it over with before a trip makes more sense to me! But a massage...that's another story.
• Christina - Get a pedi before the trip and then bring your polish to do your own mani once you get there. My toes are always fine in transit, but my finger nails always get broken or nail polish chips while travelling and lugging around my suitcase. There's nothing worse than a big chip in your hot pink nail polish for a whole trip. The other option is to get your mani/pedi in a color that you own – so you can bring the bottle for any touch ups while you are away. I prefer my usual nail place as I know what I’m going to get, whereas you are at the mercy of random strangers when you are away!
• Mel - Before! You don't know where their foreign tools have been or if they're sterile!
• Bec - Before! At a place you know and trust. You don't want to be looking for a place when you get there. Besides, you should look your best when you board the plane, maybe you'll get upgraded ;-)
• Buff - Before a trip is the only time I get a mani/pedi. If you can't afford Louis Vitton luggage, than you may as well have nice toes. ha ha!
• Maria - Before.
• Laura - Before a trip for sure. There's nothing better than starting a vacation off on the right foot....being perfectly groomed!
• Karla - Before. A pedi before you hit the beach somewhere sunny is a must! You don't want to waste time in paradise stuck inside a salon.
• Robyn - Always before ...don't want to waste the holiday on that stuff!
• Nicole - Hate pedi's. I do my own pedi's cause I do a good job and have all the fancy tools at home. Haha. Saves me the foot fungus scare also.
• Nicole - If I am traveling to a warm destination I have a pedicure before the trip. A pedicure (french or other) will last an entire 2 - 3 week trip. A manicure is not a priority for me, but on a recent trip to Maui I sought a nail place because my french manicure was chipping. After investigating nail salon options I ended up back at the Fairmont's resort salon, had a nail polish removal, file, and polish change with an amazing woman who gave me travel tips, etc...
• Erin - Depends where I am going. Hot-don't want to waste beach time. Cold and cozy-love a spa experience.
• Jen - Both.

Before & During To avoid compromising my newly-painted nails in transit, here's what I usually do: a) if I get a mani/pedi pre-trip, I bring the polish with me for touch-ups b) if I don't have time to get my nails done before, or don't want to risk ruining them enroute, I bring nail polish with me and do an impromptu 'painting session' at my destination c) if I don't do A or B above, I'll go to a recommended spa or nail place at my destination

Tips

• Bring polish, either for touch-ups or DIY nails at your destination
• Travel can wreak havoc on your mani, be careful with your hands, especially when handling your luggage
• Don't always trust nail places abroad, every country---even area---has different standards of cleanliness
• If you get a mani/pedi while traveling, make sure the nail salon is professional, the tools have been sanitized and the foot bath, etc...is sterile

Pressed for Time? Why not consider getting your nails done at the airport?

• Vancouver (yvr) - absolute spa has 5 locations in the domestic and US terminals at the Vancouver Int'l Airport. Polish change is $30, manicure from $55, pedicure from $75.
• Seattle (sea) - butter LONDON, famous for its non-toxic polish has opened a nail bar at the Seattle Int'l Airport. More details here. Polish and cuticle treatment $15, spa pedi $40.

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[photo credit: Fing'rs]

Light as a Feather

[trip style = packing light]

Light luggage is so hot right now.

Seriously though, not only has luggage become more feather-like for ease and simplicity, but also in response to the continuous shrinkage of airline weight allowance.

Sub-O-G One line of luggage leaving all others in the dust is International Traveller's Sub-0-G rolling suitcases--the world's lightest suitcases.  Their smallest 21" upright carry-on (20.5" x 14.4" x 7.6") weighs a mere 4.84lbs, compared to 8-12lbs for most other "light" suitcases!  This size fits in most airlines' overhead bins and allows 20lbs of packing weight if you adhere to the 25lb carry-on weight restriction observed by most airlines.  The cost isn't heavy either, I saw the carry-on sized bag on sale for $69 Canadian dollars in Vancouver.  On the web the price varies.

Verdict - To Buy or Not to Buy I love the World's Lightest Sub-O-G line of suitcases, yet the feather-like nature of the bag comes with pros and cons. The 21" carry-on suitcase (referenced and shown above) is light and fairly enduring for self-use. Would I check this bag? No. Even though the bag is made using a fiberglass structure, aircraft material and durable nylon; I would not trust it with most airlines' checked baggage handling procedures--or lack thereof.

All in all, I love the concept and innovation and would recommend the 21" upright bag for carry-on use, but would not recommend the 24" or 28" upright suitcases because the sizes are not carry-on friendly and would have to be put under the plane. For now, I will stick with my hard-shell suitcase anytime I check a bag.

Travel Trend :: Carry-On Changes Coming?

[trip style = packing light]

Recently, Spirit Airlines, a sizable US-based discount carrier announced plans to charge people up to $45 for carry-ons. Needless to say, a large public outcry ensued in similar proportions to RyanAir's announcement to charge for toilet use.  Channeling my inner grandma: what has our world come to?

The Future of Travel Based on the left pic, is this how Spirit wants us to travel, avec multiple accoutrements hanging from every limb and buried in every pocket?  [More pics below.]

Making Good on Bad Promise? Multiple US-lawmakers have jumped on the lobbying bandwagon trying to stop Spirit from making good on their bad promise to charge for carry-ons and set an unfortunate precedent.  I was almost convinced that the Government would overthrow the idea, yet yesterday morning Spirit Airlines's CEO was on the Today Show defending it, noting that the costs would be off-set by the airline lowering ticket prices.

Like a Fart in Church... Matt Lauer was kind and complimentary to Spirit's CEO, but noted "you had to know this idea would go over like a fart in church."  In response to Spirit's defense of their proposed carry-on bag fees, Senator Schumer discussed the bigger issue which he predicts will be all airlines following suit.  In support of his point, he referenced Spirit as the pioneers in charging for checked baggage--well, we all know how that turned out...$25, $30, $40, $50 dollars later.

Driving Home the Point Although I understand Spirit Airlines' faster-out-of-the-gate motivation in leading the fee-for-carry-on bags, I'm not a fan. Fees never go backwards and airlines will always seek new profit centres. To drive home this point, I've taken the liberty to personally illustrate how people might start showing up at the airport for Spirit flights. Items on my person: hat, comb (attached to hat), toothbrush (in my hair), lipstick (in my hair), undergarments, t-shirt, sweater, jacket, jeans, shorts, two belts, shoes, flip flops, iPod, clear toiletries case, bathing suit, book, umbrella, bracelet, watch & camera.

Choosing the Best Type of Carry-On

[trip style = packing light]

With airlines continuing to raise prices for checked baggage and carry-on allowances getting more scant, traveling with the right type of carry-on can increase your packing space and provide an extra dose of peace of mind.

Except from recent trip home from Palm Springs Front Desk Agent: "May I see your Carry-on (measures it). I'm sorry mam, this is too large" Me: "But it's within your luggage requirements and I used the same bag to get here with no issue." Front Desk Agent: "It is a quarter-inch too long in height" Me: "Yet it slides perfectly into the overhead bin" (straight in vs sideways) Front Desk Agent: "We have an faa agent on our flight today and he is measuring every bag"

To make a long story short, I ended up being allowed to bring my bag on the plane even though it was a quarter-inch too long, but the other people beside me weren't so lucky (and they too brought the same bag on the inbound flight with no issue). As I expected, my bag slid perfectly into the over-seat bin. Strangely,  I never saw an FAA agent on or near our flight, maybe he/she was in plain clothes?

Had the front desk agent not provided a mini amount of grace, I would have had to pay $35 to check my bag. I fly with a carry-on for convenience, so giving up that convenience coupled with the extra $35 that I would not want to spend for an extra quarter inch made me re-think the type of carry-on I'll use when traveling on this airline again.

Why does type of carry-on matter? If an airline ever has any suspicion on your bag's size, it will be tested in either the carry-on 'cage' (as I like to call it) or with a good, old-fashioned measuring tape. And if your bag's wheels stick out slightly preventing it from passing the measurement test, too bad. From now on, if my carry-on does not 100% fit the airline's baggage requirements--even by a quarter inch--I will always travel with a flexible bag (like my preferred Longchamp Le Pliage) so it can be moulded and punched into place if selected for a sizing test. This will allow me to a) maintain the convenience of carry-on travel b) pack to the fullest knowing that if required, the bag could be forced into the airline's carry-on configuration c) travel with confidence.

Tips - know your airline's baggage sizing requirements, and be able to quote them if your bag is in question - if you think there's any grey area between your measurement and the airline's measurement of your bag, bring a smaller size - always favor bags in darker colors, they stand out less and seldom attract a 'random measurement' - when buying a carry-on, look for long and lean vs short and wide. wider bags 'appear' bigger - in all this talk about sizing, don't forget about weight, some airline's max carry-on weight is now 25 pounds - most airlines allow a max carry-on size of 45" total, OR 22" x 14" x 9"