RA travel tips | Arthritis Information

 

Well I'm sitting in a hotel in Denver...my seventh business trip this year thinking what a pain traveling with RA can be and thought a thread on travel trips might be helpful.  I learned something new on  this  trip  that I thought I'd pass along.  Most airlines offer online check-in and  you can print your own boarding pass 24 hrs before the flight to save  some time at the airport.  I discovered that when  you check-in online on United (and maybe others) they offer last minute upgrades  at really cheap  prices if the flight is not too full.  For the trip  home tomorrow I upgraded to  economy plus with a lot more  leg room for (on a  0 ticket) and they were offering a first class upgrade for only 0...very tempting!  I also travel on Southwest a lot and if you check-in online 24 hrs before the flight  you can lock in a boarding  pass in the low A series and guarantee  yourself a good seat.  I hate sitting in the middle...it's really important to me to be able to stand up and move around so I always get an aisle seat.

I travel quite a bit for business as well.  If I have advance warning that I'm going to travel, and the trip is more than a couple days, I usually send my suitcase (with clothes, toiletries, misc office supplies) to the hotel a few days ahead of time via FedEx or UPS.  I can confirm that it got delivered, I don't have to deal with it at the airport, and I can fit the rest of my necessities (computer, meds, purse) into my laptop backpack.  For the return trip, I ship the suitcase back home.

Hey JasmineRain, Jasmine:  please--more info on how you ship your bags.  I have heard of people doing that and it sounds great.  I would love to hear more about it.  I do travel a lot--some business and some leisure and the luggage is a pain.   I would love to be able to waltz off the plane and not worry about collecting my suitcase.  What has been the appro. cost? Well, last time my boys and I flew to Minnesota, we packed all of our clothes into a big box, sealed it up with packing tape and sent it 3 days ahead of time to my sister's house for about .  The box was an old humidifier box that my sister had sent us the summer before, packed with clothes that my nephew had outgrown.  We only had to take our electronics (computers and video games) and a few essentials (meds, toothbrushes, etc) on the plane.  All that fit into a small carryon suitcase and my computer backpack.  For the return trip, we piled all the clothes back into the box, sealed it back up, and sent it back home.

You can either send your stuff in a box, or just send your suitcase.  FedEx can handle either one.  Personally, I prefer just sending the box.  You'll save a few pounds on postage.  You can pack your clothes in large plastic bags before putting them in the box if you feel they need extra protection.  I pack conditioner, deodorant and toothpaste inside a sturdy plastic bag and throw that in the box too (I just use the hotel soap and shampoo).  Make sure you put a roll of packing tape in the box, so you can seal it back up again for the return trip.  Call ahead to the hotel to know your package is coming.  They'll often just bring it up to your room for you when you check in.

I only carry the essentials on the plane: electronics (computer, portable printer, NintendoDS), meds, and my purse.  I can usually cram everything except my purse into my work backpack.  I have two chargers for my computer, so I can spare one for the few days it takes to ship a package.  I also have spare chargers for my DS and my phone, and my printer uses the same charger as my laptop.  I also pack any USB/network/etc cables into the clothing box... I think I have enough cables to circle the Earth twice.  I can spare a couple of them for a few days.

that's a great point about not having to pack the suitcase.  once i'm at my destination, my friend can handle the box.  We're renting a car, so that should make things easier as well.  Great idea!!!  Last vacation to Texas went pretty smoothly with the exception of the luggage.  I had 2 bags and it was too much for me.  i tried to handle it myself and ended up crying.  people stared like i was a freak.

Another thing... in all my years of sending and receiving packages, I have yet to have FedEx lose one.  UPS was a day late once on a Christmas package delivery, but then again I shouldn't have waited until December 20 to order.

I pretty much stopped taking anything that had to be checked after the airlines misplaced my bag on a business trip. I got it later the same day, but it was enough to change my approach.

Travel as light as possible. It's really amazing how little you really need. The only thing I hate post 9/11 is that you usually have to forgo those neat little multi-tools.

If it wasn't for the computer/printer, I could pack for a week using just my backpack. Thanks for the shipping info.  I might look into it.  I hate dealing with the big suitcase.
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