Vintage Luggage Labels From Around the World

by Justin Glow on

This post at Metafilter tipped me off to an incredible Flickr set of 761 vintage luggage labels from around the world. These labels, while rarely used for practical reasons anymore, were once slapped on the sides of suitcases to make it easier to connect the luggage with the hotel at the point of destination. With enough travel, a piece of luggage would be covered with these stickers and kept as a sort of trophy – like immigration stamps in passports – showing off all the exotic locations its owner has visited over time.

Today the art of stylishly connecting a piece of luggage with its destination has been all but lost, only to be replaced with aesthetically-disappointing strips of barcoded paper. While functional, they sure aren’t pretty to look at. So get your fix at this Flickr gallery – maybe print a few out and slap them on your suitcase. Just don’t blame me if your bag ends up in Scotland.

Dance of the Flight Attendant

by Justin Glow on

I don’t really know what to say about this little web comic by Jen Wang titled “dance of the flight attendant,” other than the fact that it puts a smile on my face. Having flown 14 times in the past 30 days, I came to understand – with uncomfortable precision – the safety demonstration given before every flight. Never again would I wonder where exactly my floatation device was located in the unlikely event of a water landing – not that such a landing is anticipated, of course. I can rest at ease now that I know the exact order in which the dangling oxygen mask should be placed over the mouths – mine first, of course, then the mouth of the child sitting next to me. The exits (as noted by the direction my two fingers are pointing) are located throughout the plane: two at the front, two at the wings, and two in the rear.

“My favorite part about flying,” the comic goes, “is the in-flight safety demo given right before takeoff. A ritual performed multiple times a day by multiple people, its everyday habituality gives the performance a detached, overlyrehearsed sort of quality.”

Does anyone (besides me, naturally) pay attention to these demonstrations any more? Anyway, check out the comic, and if anyone can translate the text in the last frame, do so in the comments!

Inflight iPod Charger

by Neil Woodburn on

Having finally purchased my first iPod, I’ve come to know the joys of listening to my own music selection while flying. I’ve also come to know the horror of running out of battery juice while doing so.

Unfortunately, planes aren’t like coffee shops; you can’t just find a plug and steal energy. There has been speculation that airlines will install a means for charging up your personal electronic devices in the future but none have done so yet.

Fortunately, there is an alternative.

Inflight Power sells a nifty little device that plugs directly into the armrest headphone jack and siphons off energy. It takes 3-5 minutes to produce about a minute of charge, so it ain’t exactly a power horse. And, forget about powering up your laptop; the device only supports smaller, handheld devices that can benefit from such a small charge.

It’s still pretty nifty, nonetheless, and something to keep handy when your iPod starts to wind down somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean.

Price: $35-$50

GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of January 7

by Adrienne Wilson on

Mic check 1,2, 3… Gadling readers do you here me? It’s Friday recap time so check it out!

5. New Blogger Joins Gadling Team:
New travel bloggers seem to be popping up every week here on Gadling and we can’t tell you how happy we are to have Dia Draper share her own travel tales and finds. Go on over and see what she has to say about herself, where she’s been and wish her a warm welcome.

4. Thinking Cold Thoughts for 2007:
Ever seen an entire car or tree frozen under a sheet of ice? Even if you probably have I promise you it couldn’t have been worse than this unless you where there in Switzerland when it happened. Have no clue what I’m talking about? Go see for yourself.

3. Postcards from Antigua Part 3: The Jolly Beach Resort:
Isn’t Neil the lucky one? In part 3 of his Antigua travels he reveals what’s going down around the Jolly Beach Resort and provides us with photos from the very sheets in his bedroom to the view of the resort.

2. World’s Most Aggressive “Queue Jumpers”:
Here is a piece Iva found that really moved me personally. The Brits call them “Queue Jumpers” and the rest of us usually refer to them as “line cutters” or those that cut while others patiently wait their turn in line. Find out which airports the world’s most aggressive line cutters are hiding out and prepare for a queue jumping brawl during your travels.

1.Gadling Podcast: Mike Marriner of Roadtrip Nation:
For those that wish there were more Podcasts here on Gadling, let me say I wish there were too. Maybe one a day in the future? For now Erik brings you Mike Marriner of Roadtrip Nation. Listen in now and look out for more.

Anti-whoopee Cushion

by Neil Woodburn on

Planes, like elevators, are extremely bad places to succumb to bouts of flatulence.

One normally has little control over when such attacks occur, but as we all know, if you happen to find yourself in an enclosed environment at the time, a bad situation can immediately become much worse.

So, what to do?

Since frequent trips to the lavatory are not always possible, there remains only one option for many squirming passengers; allow nature to take its course. If such an action is performed carefully, blame will inevitably fall on someone else. Even the slightest of mistakes, however, will promptly make you the most hated person on the flight.

Thanks to the miracle of modern science, flatulent passengers can now confidently board a plane without the fear and embarrassment which has plagued them in the past.

GasBgon is a nifty little cushion which promises to not only absorb the airborne byproduct of such a medical condition, but to actually muffle the sound as well. It’s sort of an anti-whoopee cushion, if you will.

What a fantastic invention! You can indulge to your heart’s content with only a silly-ass grin to reveal what you’re up to. My only question: why can’t they make an entire pair of pants out of this miraculous material?