Kudos to Skooba
I'm a geek. And I travel quite a bit, sometimes by plane. Unfortunately, as anyone who has ever picked me up at the airport can attest to, I'm not so good at the packing thing. I struggle with the carry-on thing, too, particularly since I end up traveling with at least one laptop, a TENS Unit, a digital camera . . . you get the idea.
Last March I got fed up with the whole security thing and I picked up a new briefcase. I'd seen a review in one of the online magazines, and I impulse-purchased a Skooba / RoadWired Checkthrough Laptop Messenger Bag. For those of you I haven't shown it off to, it's a butterfly style computer briefcase, with top access to the laptop compartment, equipped with a second zipper that opens the entire bag flat so the computer can be security scanned while still in the bag. It's even a practical briefcase design, with enough compartments for useful stuff without being unwieldy.
At any rate, during the prep time for our trip to Vienna last weekend, the shoulder strap failed. The clip on one side refused to hold, and slipped off every time the briefcase was off my shoulder. Definitely annoying.
Upon my return to the States, I went out to the ebags website to see if there was anything that could be done. Seeking customer service, I found the live chat. A gentleman named Samuel was very helpful, suggesting I get in touch with Skooba directly and providing me with the contact info. I called Skooba the next morning and they agreed to replace the strap free of charge. It arrived today!
Kudos to ebags, Samuel the support guy, and especially Skooba!!
The current solution to my traveling system is behind the cut.
I've finally settled on a system that seems to work for me. The Skooba messenger bag paired with a ebags 16" (tiny) rolling bag (actually another laptop bag) that the messanger bag sits on comfortably while I roll it through the airport. The Skooba bag goes under the seat with laptop, spare batteries, headset [noise reducing], book to read and glasses. Spare books, computer power brick, camera, additional paperwork and anything too valuable to check goes into the rolling bag which is placed in the overhead bin. Us short folks often have to climb on the seats to access the bins during flights, or ask for help, so I try to avoid it whenever possible.
So far this seems to be working. Now I just have to find a way around the giant checked bag . . .
Last March I got fed up with the whole security thing and I picked up a new briefcase. I'd seen a review in one of the online magazines, and I impulse-purchased a Skooba / RoadWired Checkthrough Laptop Messenger Bag. For those of you I haven't shown it off to, it's a butterfly style computer briefcase, with top access to the laptop compartment, equipped with a second zipper that opens the entire bag flat so the computer can be security scanned while still in the bag. It's even a practical briefcase design, with enough compartments for useful stuff without being unwieldy.
At any rate, during the prep time for our trip to Vienna last weekend, the shoulder strap failed. The clip on one side refused to hold, and slipped off every time the briefcase was off my shoulder. Definitely annoying.
Upon my return to the States, I went out to the ebags website to see if there was anything that could be done. Seeking customer service, I found the live chat. A gentleman named Samuel was very helpful, suggesting I get in touch with Skooba directly and providing me with the contact info. I called Skooba the next morning and they agreed to replace the strap free of charge. It arrived today!
Kudos to ebags, Samuel the support guy, and especially Skooba!!
The current solution to my traveling system is behind the cut.
I've finally settled on a system that seems to work for me. The Skooba messenger bag paired with a ebags 16" (tiny) rolling bag (actually another laptop bag) that the messanger bag sits on comfortably while I roll it through the airport. The Skooba bag goes under the seat with laptop, spare batteries, headset [noise reducing], book to read and glasses. Spare books, computer power brick, camera, additional paperwork and anything too valuable to check goes into the rolling bag which is placed in the overhead bin. Us short folks often have to climb on the seats to access the bins during flights, or ask for help, so I try to avoid it whenever possible.
So far this seems to be working. Now I just have to find a way around the giant checked bag . . .