Another #Money Saving Tip for #Travelers from @SDDT! Take it with you!

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COMMENTARY | COLUMNISTS | PHIL BAKER Avoiding those baggage fees By PHIL BAKER, Daily Transcript Technology Correspondent Monday, March 19, 2012 Article Comments This past week, the Travel Goods Association held its annual industry event at which participants showcased new travel products and an anniversary was celebrated. Twenty-five years ago, Travelpro added a telescoping handle and two roller-skate wheels to a suitcase to create the first rollaboard luggage that’s been a huge boon to travelers ever since. (In case you wondered, the invention of wheeled luggage occurred in 1970 when US Luggage attached four wheels to the bottom of its suitcases.) Among the many gadgets and new luggage at the show, two products stood out. One is an unusual article of clothing and the other is a suitcase, but they both have something in common. Each provides a solution for making travel less of a hassle, particularly when it comes to carrying stuff onto planes. Ever since airlines discovered they could turn losses into profits by charging us for checked luggage, we’ve all been challenged to see just how much we can bring aboard and save those fees. Of course, at the same time, the airlines have been working hard to find new ways to gouge us. Spirit Airlines is now charging $20 to $30 for bringing aboard a carry-on bag, and British Airways is charging $90 for a business class passenger to select a seat prior to check-in.   Scottevest’s Transformer Jacket Scottevest is known for making jackets and other clothes that have a huge number of pockets designed to hold just about everything, a godsend for techies who like to travel with their gadgets. This year the company has come up with what I think is its best jacket yet, the Transformer. The softly lined jacket can be transformed into a vest nearly instantly, even while you’re wearing it. Unlike other jackets with removable sleeves that are held in place with zippers, the Transformer’s sleeves attach to the jacket using magnets. That makes adding or removing a snap (or in this case a click, click, click) and gives you a vest with the same storage capacity. And what do you do after removing the sleeves? Stuff it into the pocket designed just for them. It’s the latest model in a constantly evolving line of products for men and women, and it's popular with frequent travelers and the tech community. The 20 pockets, each uniquely sized, are designed to accommodate specific items. There’s a clear pocket for a smartphone that you can use without removing, and pockets for business cards, glasses, a camera and extra memory, travel documents, keys, and a water bottle. There are pockets for a USB drive, a pen and loose change. Lastly, there’s a pocket specifically made to hold an iPad. Surprisingly, even when the pockets are full — yes I have enough gadgets to do that — the weight is well-distributed, and the jacket hangs neatly. It can hold almost the entire contents of a briefcase, allowing you to effectively break the two-bag limit that airlines impose. The Transformer is available in three colors for $160 at scottevest.com.