Checked Bag Economics/Multi-charger/Airline Fines
Nomadico issue #27
A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your friends can subscribe and join you.
Checking or Not Checking, a More Fluid Question
This week I flew from Mexico City to Bangkok on Air Emirates (excellent) and a few days later, from Bangkok to Phuket on Air Asia (not too bad). These very different airlines had one thing in common: a 7kg limit for carry-on cabin baggage. For the first one, I checked 23kg for free, on the second, the fee for checking a bag was about the same as adding more weight to a carry-on…but came in a bundle with a seat selection and a meal. The yes/no to bag checking answer is getting more complicated.
Multi-Charger for Your Gadgets
One advantage of checking a bag is that you have more room for tech gadgets, like maybe a portable keyboard, a laptop stand, and a multi-charger cord. On my current trip I brought my travel extension cord/charger with multiple outlets and remembered how handy it was, especially in a country where the outlets require an adaptor. Plug one of these in with one adapter and then all your other cords and gadgets recharge at the same base. The ones without surge protection are less than $20. Spend a bit more for safety in blackout areas.
Malaysia’s Possible Digital Nomad Draw
Many digital nomad programs announced so far are either gleams in a politician’s eye or something rushed out without having clear guidelines in place. The latter seems to be the case in Malaysia, where some writers were invited in to see how tech-advanced and digital-nomad-friendly the nation is, but they left with as many questions as answers.
U.S. Airlines Get Fined for Bad Behavior
The U.S. airlines got a free ride under the past administration, when many rules holding them accountable got ignored or flaunted. That ended this week when the Department of Transportation handed out $7.25 million in fines on top of demands to pay back passengers whose flights got cancelled or significantly delayed. The worst offenders? Frontier, Air India, TAP Portugal, Aeromexico, El Al and Avianca.