posted by Vacation Home Rentals on Jan 24

Most of us would agree that the most annoying thing could happen to us in any airport is to have our hand-carry luggage rejected to be bought into the cabin while boarding because it didn’t meet the regulation of the airline.

Sometimes too, we are told that some of the stuff we have in our hand-carry luggage are not allowed onboard the plane; we either have to get rid of these items or again, have our luggage checked in.

Before we lose our temper and get irked by these kinds of inconveniences, it is a good idea (and it is wise too) to check with our specific airline regarding their carry-on luggage policy, including items that are allowed inside the plane.

Hand-carry Luggage Guides
related article: Carry On Luggage Dimensions

There are some guidelines that we need to follow in order for our hand-carry luggage to be allowed aboard the plane, which might be different from one airline to another. Generally speaking, the usual size of a carry-on luggage is about 22x14x9 inches. Anything that exceed this measurement should already be checked in.

It’s not surprising that some luggage stores may insist that the sizes of their hand-carry bags are the exact dimensions that airlines have specified. While this may be true (or may be not true), it is a good idea to measure the bags ourself, just to be sure that we are buying a right-sized hand-carry bag, instead being told later that they are too big for carrying on the airplane.

The other thing that we have to consider is the shape of our hand-carry luggage. Unfortunately, ven if we have the appropriate total size of the allowable carry-on luggage which is forty-five inches, if it’s shaped is too irregular, it may still need to be checked in the compartment of the plane.

Finally, we have to check with our airlines on the items that are allowed to be carried on the plane; and the items that we can still carry onboard without being added as part of our hand-carry luggage. These items include jackets, child seats, and umbrellas, among other things.

Packing Carry-On Luggage

So okay, we got the right airline carry-on luggage size down to a T; we have checked that it is just the right shape to fit into the compartment inside the plane; and we have also checked all the items that we are allowed to pack inside our hand-carry bag.

The next thing that we need to trick is how to pack the back in such a way that we will not exceed the allowable weight of carry-on bags as directed by our airline. And again, this may differ from airline to airline, and also different on domestic and international routes.

We have to remember that when we are packing, we can’t just stuff inside the bag whatever we want, haphazardly. Being organized with our packing will not only ensure that all items will still be in good condition once we land; it will likewise eliminate the possibility of it being checked in for exceeding the allowable weight.

Finally, we should take care not to put anything in the outer pockets of the bag as this will cause the bag to be bulky; hence, it might not easily slip through the checking counter for hand-carry bags.

you might also want to read this article: Airline Seat Pitch

posted by Vacation Home Rentals on Nov 5

Maybe you are planning a romantic weekend, or possibly, you are going on a long business trip. Perhaps you are flying off on your Honeymoon or maybe you’ve rented a gorgeous chalet in the snow? Wherever you are jet-setting off to – make sure that you pack your adult toys well to avoid any embarrassing (and possibly very public) situations.

So, how do you pack adult toys? Firstly, remove the batteries. Even though you may think that your vibrator is difficult to turn on, a little shift in the contents of your luggage could easily knock the control to the ON position. You really don’t want to have to explain what is vibrating in your luggage to security personnel or customs officers. Dildos are less of a problem in this respect as they are usually made of silicone / jelly / rubber and have no metal or mechanical parts.

Place your dildos, bullets, penis-rings, vibrators or whatever else you’ve packed – in clear plastic baggies. Airport personnel routinely go through luggage so if you’re chosen at random for a luggage inspection, you’ll be glad your toys are zip-locked away. Customs staff wear plastic gloves, but you really don’t want their gloves, which have been touching everyone else’s personal items, to touch your intimate toys too. Do the employees and yourself a favour by putting each item in a clear plastic zip baggie to keep everything hygienic.

Always place your vibrators in your checked luggage. This just removes you from a potentially tricky situation a little bit. If you bring a vibrator in your carry-on luggage, well, you are just asking for an embarrassing situation to occur.

Bear in mind also that vibrators are not allowed in certain countries – especially if they are shaped like a phallus. If you take one in your checked luggage – you may have to go through the red channel and declare it – and it may be confiscated. One such country where ‘obscene items’ are illegal is Thailand. There, you might get away with importing a traditional slimline vibrator and pass it off as a ‘massager’ for your bad back – however, if your vibe is penis-shaped, expect that it will be confiscated!

In the USA, Texan customs officers will not be sympathetic if you have a suitcase full of vibes – to own more than three such ‘marital aids’ is currently illegal in that state. So do a quick Google check of what the laws are in the state or country you are travelling to.

Finally, don’t travel with your favourite or with your top of the range expensive toy. It is best that you take along an inexpensive alternative or buy something completely new especially for the trip. At sites like LoveTheRabbit.com you’ll find many Sex and the City vibrator articles, information, raves and reviews and links to stores that stock them.

This way, if your luggage is lost, or your strap-on dildo confiscated or if your vibe breaks in transit – you will not have lost your favourite ‘friend’ or your most expensive toy. Bon voyage!

posted by Vacation Home Rentals on May 19

Even public transport operators who already use passenger surveys may not fully appreciate the multiple benefits that surveys can bring. Surveys are not only an efficient method for conducting market research that will help towards identifying any passenger dissatisfaction, they are also the perfect tool for measuring the effects of any improvements and can simultaneously help promote new initiatives to the customers using the service.

 

Establishing a Starting Point

When embarking on any change management programme it is always good practice to establish a base line before any changes are made. This baseline survey can serve four purposes, it will:-

  • allow the proper targeting of investment
  • allow measurement of the effect of change
  • assist in the moral of those implementing change
  • ensure that new issues are kept separate from the original plan and budget

 

Targeting Investment

There are many areas of any public transport system that can cause passenger dissatisfaction all of which need to be monitored to ensure that the service being provided meets, and where possible, exceeds, performance level targets.

Issues that can be of concern to passenger include:-

  • safety and security
  • punctuality
  • fares and ticket types
  • capacity and overcrowding
  • quality and design of vehicle
  • cleanliness
  • facilities at stations and terminals
  • facilities for passengers with disabilities

Often limited resources and budgets means that investment needs to be carefully planned and properly targeted.

Operators can use passenger surveys to identify the issues that are of most concern to their customers. By analyzing passenger feedback operators can confirm that their improvement and investment plans are in tune with the passenger demands and concerns. Issues can be classified into low and high priority, as well as short and long term plans.

It may take many years for capital investment to take effect such as the building of new terminals, runways, laying new track or upgrading air traffic control or rail signalling equipment. However, the initial survey may identify some high profile areas where a solution to the raised problems can be implemented almost immediately.

 

Measuring Change

From having established a comprehensive programme from an initial survey the objectives for running periodic surveys are twofold.

One objective will be to ensure that the changes and initiatives that are implemented have been effective in addressing passenger issues. A second objective will be to promote and advertise the initiatives that have been implemented and also inform and educate passengers of ongoing improvements and future plans.

Passengers need to know that their concerns have been understood but once that they know that the operators are taking steps to address their problems then they can become more tolerant towards the outstanding problems.

 

Keeping Moral

Those implementing change can often develop a siege mentality. Passengers may be slow to appreciate any improvements as it can take time for the changes that are made to have a positive effect.

By monitoring passenger opinion and measuring the results against earlier surveys a successful change programme should see passenger issues change over time, some issues that were problems will no longer be raised.

Passengers can be slow to appreciate any progress and can be very negative demoralising those who are working hard to implementing change. It is vital that a team implementing change can see clearly the effects of their efforts.

 

Identifying New and Old

In any long term change management programme issues can change over time. Priorities can change instantly so that due to an event what may have been important, is no longer important and what wasn’t an issue, suddenly becomes an issue.

Having a survey that will act as a baseline will make sure that any passengers concerns can be documented chronologically. Passengers are an evolving group, individual travel arrangements change, fashion changes, life styles develop along with technology. Monthly surveys will ensure that any changes in passenger attitudes are monitored.

 

Online Surveys Make It Easy

Online surveys can reach a broad cross section of any travelling public. They are quick to design and implement and they provide feedback in a format that is ready for detailed analysis. Because online surveys are low cost and flexible it is practical to publish multiple surveys aimed at specific groups such as the disabled passenger, the business traveller and single parents travelling with children.

Passenger surveys will collect important market research intelligence and provide a platform to allow the operators to promote and advertise their commitment to achieving high levels of passenger satisfaction.

Passengers benefit by having an effective channel to raise issues and through periodic surveys will begin to appreciate that the operator is continually investing and improving the service. The following are links to samples of Passenger Surveys

Sample Passenger Survey for an Airline Carrier: Airline Passenger Survey

Passenger Survey for a Train Operator: Train Operator Passenger Survey

Sample Passenger Survey for a Bus Operator: Bus Operator Passenger Survey

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