Top 10 Travel Tips for 2010

While making your top ten to-do list for 2010, consider this top ten tried and applied travel guide for an improved trip experience.

Pack Light. Consider packing like dieting. Cut out the extra fat. An ideal method is to go for the low-calorie black & white wardrobe where two pairs of solid color pants, two conforming solid hued shirts and two jackets effectively equals six outfits. Don't forget lightweight scarves for color and pizzazz. Although airlines, such as Southwest Airlines, may still allow free bag checks don't be surprised by the $15 to $25 surcharge at the desk at other U.S. air companies. Where as much as possible, such as the winter coat and totes that would not fit into a purse, on your body, in a fanny pack and in your pockets. It you have to surrender your suitcase at the gate for whatever reasons of the day the airline deems fit to serve you, consider that your bag may be in the batch of the first out - possibly included with the strollers and walkers returned on the exit ramp.

Seatguru. Consult such apps and sites at Seatguru.com if you want to get the low-down on where your seat might be located before you leave. The site offers a hefty list of international air carriers and the planes they fly with diagrams of the seat map in each vessel. This information is particularly handy in a phone app when you are changing plans en route and want to make some speedy seating decisions.

Slip-on shoes. It may seem obvious by now to pay attention to show styles before a flight but is simply amazing to see how often this element is overlooked. With security line measures becoming unpredictable again, line delays are inevitable. Don't be among the barefoot runners sprinting to the boarding gate or disheveled travelers trying to find their shoelaces. Slip-ons are also easy to slip off in flight while your feet swell and back on again in time to jump into the 5 inches of aisle space you have between arriving passengers pushing for the door.

iPod. Who knows what you are allowed to have in your lap these days during the last hour of flight. Want to finish that book? Forget it. iPod carriers, however, can listen to audio books, podcasts, music, even watch a movie and keep laps free all the while. Sick of the snoring passenger in the middle seat? Listen to something else. Tired of overhearing the details of the wedding planned by the passenger behind you? Protect your space. Wear earplugs.

Upgrade. You have to use your mileage points at some point, lest they vanish into thin air. There is little value to spending 40,000 hard-won miles for a trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. But a few extra thousand points will get you a first class domestic seat coast to coast or a business class upgrade internationally - a value worth several thousand dollars verses a few hundred.

Premium Seats. Go ahead, treat yourself to premium class seat. On long flights, even a few inches will go a long way. Premium class seats often come with complimentary alcoholic beverages, business class menus (served on plastic, of course), kinder and more attentive service, and other bennies. These extras can be purchased for much less than you think.

Global Entry. For frequent international travelers U.S. Customs provides a fast pass through immigration for those savvy enough to sign up. The $100/five-year rate is worth every dime in time saved and hassles prevented.

Travel Insurance. It can be a sickness, a death, an accident, even a missed or canceled flight. No matter what it is, it will cost you. If you are lucky and have a great travel agent you may get a credit toward your next cruise or next all-inclusive vacation, as long as you take it within the same year. But that is not the same as going now, when you wanted to go and with the people you wanted to be with you in an effort that took literally months of headachy planning. So buy the insurance: Cancel Anytime insurance. Expect good service, quick reimbursement, few questions. Try AccessAmerica (www.accessamerica.com). Hey, it even covers terrorism attacks.

Verandah Room. Sure, you're an active traveler and won't be spending much time in the cabin on your cruise, you say. Or will you? How about reading a book on the chaise right outside your room on the balcony overlooking the Med? Or having a romantic midnight chat with your partner outside the room, wind in your hair, waves lapping, stars bright. What about slipping into an ancient and scenic port as the dawn rises. You watch from your private quarters, sipping coffee, all is quiet, a peak moment. It is simply a different cruise from a verandah and it is the one you will remember fondly.

Pharma. The right pills can make the difference between a miserable flight or trip and one that flowed well from beginning to end. These are not the ones you take to handle your cholesterol or heart. These are the ones your doctor does not tell you about - unless you ask. A knock-out sleeping aid, such as Ambien, on a 15-hour flight from L.A. to Beijing in the back of the plane can mean the difference between getting to China strung-out, punch drunk and angry or arriving rested and ready. Other options, such as a half-dose of Xanax or Klonopin, can help keep things even in difficult and stressful situations without affecting the thinking process. Even Tylonol PM can make a sweet and gentle sleep aid while the body adjusts to the new time zone. And an unsung winner called Provigil by Cephalon, Inc. clears the head, wipes away jetlag and allows international travelers to hit the ground running on arrival.