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Personal Safety & Security When Travelling

By travellikeaflightattendant
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Jan 02, 2018
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Travel Tips

When we travel, jet lag and unfamiliar settings can cause us to unintentionally lower our guard. It’s important to stay aware as situations that are harmless at home can have tragic outcomes when travelling. Use common sense and caution. The following practical safety tips will also help.

Avoid rowdy gatherings and political demonstrations, which can quickly escalate into crushing stampedes or violent confrontations
Beware of overloaded boats, bridges, viewing platforms and stadium stands, especially in underdeveloped countries
Decline offers for unofficial guided bus or taxi tours to out of the way places as they could be a set-up for robbery
On tour buses, sit away from the doors to gain extra time if thieves should rush onboard
In some areas, robbers have also been known to smash windows when vehicles are stopped at red lights. Keep purses and totebags on the floor, not the window seat
Dress inconspicuously, especially where local customs mandate modest dress
Don’t stand on the street to examine maps or guide books – step into a store
If trapped in a hotel room due to political or security issues, close the curtains and stay away from the window. Speak quietly into the phone or send text messages from a cell phone

As flight crews know, taking extra precautions does not translate into paranoia. The old adage “better safe than sorry,” is especially valid when travelling.

For more information on how to enjoy any trip, download my eBook Travel Like a Flight Attendant. It’s filled with money-saving travel tips and advice I learned from my thirty years (and twenty million air miles) as a crew member.

Happy travels!

Does Eyeliner Count as a Liquid on a Plane?

If you use liquid or gel eyeliner, it will be considered as a liquid on a plane.

The list of items currently restricted in carry-on baggage includes hand and body lotion, roll-on or aerosol deodorant, liquid makeup foundation, shampoo and conditioner, lip balms, liquid soaps, shave cream and mascara. You can still pack most liquids in your checked luggage.

Liquid or Gel Eyeliner:

Carry On Bags: Yes (Less than 3.4oz/100 ml allowed)
Checked Bags: Yes

This restriction, in place since the summer of 2006, means that these items must be packed in a container no larger than 100 ml (3.4 oz) or smaller, which then must fit into a 1 litre, (1 quart) 15.24 cm by 22.86 cm (6 in. by 9 in.) or 20 cm by 17.5 cm (8 in. by 7 in.) clear, closed and resealable baggie.

Some airports require the bag to be shown separately to screeners, while others allow them to be left in your carry-on bag.

Other Options for Eyeliner

A tube of eyeliner takes up very little room in your baggie. However, if space is limited, you might want to consider using pencil eyeliner instead.

For more information on how to enjoy any trip, download my eBook Travel Like a Flight Attendant. It’s filled with money-saving travel tips and advice I learned from my thirty years (and twenty million air miles) as a crew member.

Happy travels!

Travel Cheats for Makeup in Cabin Baggage

Follow these packing tips for toiletry bags and cosmetic cases to comply with airport security rules for liquids, gels and aerosols in your hand luggage.

While most liquids of any amount can still be carried in checked luggage, enhanced restrictions for items packed in carry on bags have been in place since the summer of 2006. Until these stringent rules are relaxed or eliminated, follow these tips to safely pack beauty products for air travel.

Liquid Carry on Restrictions for Air Travel

Only items that are liquid, gel or aerosol are restricted for carry on in hand baggage. The list includes roll-on or aerosol deodorant, liquid makeup foundation, shampoo and conditioner, lip balms, liquid soaps, shave cream and mascara.

This means that any restricted item must be packed in a container no larger than 100 ml (3.4 oz) or smaller, which then must fit into a 1 litre, (1 quart) 15.24 cm by 22.86 cm (6 in. by 9 in.) or 20 cm by 17.5 cm (8 in. by 7 in.) clear, closed and resealable baggie.

Make-Up for Travel

If you use liquid make up foundation, transfer it to a small, leak proof travel bottle. Or try a powdered mineral makeup, which is exempt from liquid carry on rules. You will also need a foundation brush to apply the powder. Consider packing a tinted moisturizer, which does double duty for travel beauty.

Tips for Lips

Pack a tube of solid lipstick in your travel make bag, instead of lip balms and gels, which are restricted in hand baggage.

Travel Beauty Tips for Eye Makeup

Tube mascara is considered liquid and restricted but solid cake mascara is fine. A better option is to have your eyelashes professionally dyed before your trip.

Liquid, cream or gel eye shadows are subject to carry on rules. The same applies to liquid eyeliner. Pack powder or cake eyeshadow in your cosmetic case. Or, travel light and comply with airport security by packing make up pencils instead.

Travel Beauty for Nails

Nail polish and polish removers are restricted liquids and awkward to pack. Instead, invest in a salon French manicure or chose pastel shades that don’t show chips like dark polishes do.

How to Pack Perfume in Cabin Baggage

Perfume is liquid and thus restricted in carry on baggage. Pick up a free sample of your favourite scent or one you’d like to try. Each tiny vial holds enough for a few days plus they usually are leak proof. You might fall in love with a new fragrance that you can buy at the Duty Free shop on the way home. But if that’s not the case, rinse out the vial and add your own fragrance. Perfume goes further than eau de cologne or toilet water.

How to Test a Travel Toiletry Bottle

Pressurisation on board a plane can cause bottles to spill their contents everywhere. The best lids on travel toiletries have an extra ring inside, like some water bottles do. One way to tell if a bottle is secure is to fill it, squeeze out some air and put the lid on. Shake or tap it against your hand. If any liquid comes out or the bottle reverts to its original shape, it is not safe for air travel.

More Items Restricted for Air Travel

Visit the US government website for more information on security rules for carry on luggage. The Canadian government and UK government websites also post current rules for cabin baggage.

For more information on waht to pack and how to do it, download my eBook Travel Like a Flight Attendant. It’s filled with money-saving travel tips and advice I learned from my thirty years (and twenty million air miles) as a crew member.

Happy travels!

Can I Carry Nail Varnish or Polish on a Plane?

Is nail polish or nail varnish allowed in hand luggage on board an airplane? The answer is yes, as long as the bottle is under 3.4 oz. or 100ml. Previous US limits were at 3 oz. but have since been updated to reflect a more accurate equivalent to the international standard of 100 ml.

After a 2006 bomb plot discovery, all liquid, gel or aerosol items must be in containers no larger than 3.4 oz or 100ml and fit into a one litre clear, closed and resealable plastic bag, about 20 cm x 20 cm. I’ve dubbed this the security baggie and it must pass though the screening machine separately from your other carry-on luggage.

Use a medium-sized zippered bag; the freezer style is more durable. It’s easy to fit all your sundries once you know that only liquid, gel or aerosol items are considered restricted and
need to be placed in the security baggie. This includes roll-on or aerosol deodorant,
toothpaste, shave cream and mascara.

For more information on what you can carry on board and how to pack it like a pro, download my eBook Travel Like a Flight Attendant. It’s filled with money-saving travel tips and advice I learned from my thirty years (and twenty million air miles) as a crew member.

Happy travels!

When Should I Renew My Passport?

By travellikeaflightattendant
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Jun 06, 2017
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Travel Tips

Did you know that your passport might not be valid for travel, even if it hasn’t yet expired?

Even if your passport is still valid, there’s no guarantee that it will be accepted for travel. Many countries have rules requiring that your passport is valid for at least 3 months after your entry; Israel requires 6 months remaining on your passport. Even if you’re travelling to countries that aren’t as strict, your passport should be valid for your return flight and a bit beyond, as a safety measure.

Check Destination Passport Requirements in Advance

If you arrive at the airport and are denied boarding because your passport validity doesn’t meet the rules of your destination, who can you blame? With various restrictions around travel today, you should always try to be aware of the latest requirements. If you use the services of a travel agency, they should inform you of any quirks in a country’s policies. Still, with so much current information available online, you’d be well advised to research independently and confirm particulars with your agency or airline.

When to Renew Your Passport.

I always renewed my passport 7 months before the expiry date, which allowed for delays. As a crew member, I received priority treatment, but in most places, paying an extra fee will expedite the process.

Although passport requirements may make your 10 year passport technically valid for only 9 1/2 years, better safe than sorry is a good rule to follow when travelling and dealing with passport renewal.

Happy travels!

Remembering the Marriott Hotel WTC on 9/11

Like many flight attendants and pilots, the place where I spent my layovers in any city became my second home. In the mid-90s, almost 20 years into my flying career, I was lucky enough to have layovers in New York City near the World Trade Center. It actually seemed that the Vista Hotel, which eventually became the Marriott, was part of the World Trade Center. It was wedged so closely between the towers, I felt I could reach out and grab a coffee from the office workers in the building outside my hotel window.

My first layover in New York City was in 1991 and I had close to 20 more in 1995 and ‘96, all of them at the WTC. My last layover at the Marriott World Trade Center, or as it was immortalized in film, The 9/11 Hotel, was in March 2000.

I’m almost embarrassed to say it was the only part of New York City I felt I knew well. It’s easy to get lazy when you’re working all day at altitude and the area around the Marriott provided enough entertainment that I didn’t venture any further. There were great delis and restaurants close by, plus fabulous shopping at Century 21. And of course, the incredible twin towers of the World Trade Center. Regardless of how many times I stood outside and gazed upwards, two things would happen: First, I’d be struck by their incredible height and architectural majesty. And second, I’d be struck by the helpfulness of busy office workers, more than one of whom would always stop to ask me if I was lost. So much for the urban myth of rude New Yorkers.

After 9/11, I felt particularly bereft, having lost not only members of my greater aviation family but a place that had felt very much like home. Watching TV, and seeing my “office,” a Boeing 767, flying into the twin towers was a shock that still reverberates.

I remember where I was when I first heard the news – driving to an appointment shortly after nine in the morning. As the radio broadcast that a small aircraft had accidentally flown into one of the World Trade Center towers in New York City, I looked through the windshield of my car to the sky above. It was a perfect September day in Toronto – clear blue sky dotted with a few fluffy clouds. I supposed that the weather in NYC was not much different. As I recalled the New York skyline that I was familiar with, I couldn’t imagine any airplane “accidentally” hitting one of these giant structures. A few hours later, we all knew it had been no accident. As the days wore on, I thought a lot about the Marriott Hotel and the people who worked both there and in the World Trade Center.

Though many tales have been told about 9/11, you might find it almost uplifting to revisit that day through the film about the Marriott Hotel WTC .

For information on travel safety and security, download my eBook Travel Like a Flight Attendant. It’s filled with money-saving travel tips and advice I learned from my thirty years (and twenty million air miles) as a crew member.

Arrest or Detention in a Foreign Country

By travellikeaflightattendant
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Jun 05, 2017
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Travel Tips

What should you do if you’re arrested or detained in a foreign country? The first decisions you make are crucial so try to seek legal advice quickly.

Quirks of travel can inadvertently land you in some dodgy situations.When I was an active crewmember, I could always count on my employer to get me out of legal jams away from home. Of course, I had an obligation to act responsibly but knowing that a colleague or head office had my back was reassuring.

Laws & procedures dealing with body searches or searches of personal belongings vary from country to country. While you must usually submit to customs or immigration searches, if they go beyond reasonable expectations for safety or security or are associated with arrest and detention, you should seek legal advice from a local lawyer or Canadian consular officials.

Vienna Convention for Travellers

Signatory countries, (currently 173), to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations are obligated to permit an arrested or detained foreign citizen to contact and communicate with consular officials from their country of citizenship. If you have been arrested or detained, signatory countries are also obligated to inform you of your right to contact said consular officials, assist you in making contact with consular officials if you request and ensure that consular officials are able to maintain regular contact or indirect contract with you as needed.

Though the convention states that these obligations should be carried out “without delay,” interpretation of this standard varies by country, so you should try to ensure that it is done promptly.

Your rights in a foreign country

Your right to contact consular officials is independent of your right to retain a local lawyer. In some instances, countries initially restrict arrested or detained persons to making one contact call. If so, you should contact consular officials first and have them arrange a lawyer. If you do contact a lawyer first, instruct the lawyer to contact consular officials on your behalf.

How will consular services help?

At your request, consular services can

Gather information about your case and urge authorities to process without undue delay.
Provide a list of local lawyers who have expertise in your type of case, speak your language and have represented Canadians in the past.
Provide you with information about Legal Aid in the country detaining you if you cannot afford a lawyer.
Facilitate communications between you and your lawyer.
Contact your family or friends to ask them to send you money and or let them know how they can help you.
Arrange for the purchase of necessary food, essential clothing, medical treatment and other items or services not available through the prison system at your expense and if permitted.
Provide you with general information about the country detaining you and its justice system and take steps to ensure that you receive equitable treatment are not penalized for being a foreigner.
Deliver mail and provide permitted reading material of postal services are unavailable.
Convey messages to you if postal or telephone services are unavailable.
Attempt to locate any missing personal property.

What consular services will not do

Consular assistance will not provide legal service, post bail, pay fines or legal fees, or recommend a specific lawyer.

Consular Contact Information

If you are arrested or detained while in a foreign country, you are entitled to urgent assistance from the Canadian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate responsible for that country. You can call the Consular Affairs Bureau in Ottawa at 1-613 -996-8885. These calls are free and services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in the United States, call 1-800-267-6788. You should make every effort to obtain access to consular services and a lawyer before making any statement to foreign authorities.

Happy travels!

How I Got My First Oscar

Hollywood, California — I’m holding my first Oscar and I’m uncharacteristically speechless. The little gold man is heavier than he looks, but part of that sensation may be the short wire that secures him to the podium. I smile radiantly, my partner Rick snaps two photos and I replace the statuette, ready for the next person in line to take his turn.

It’s pre-Academy Award week in Hollywood and the town is buzzing with construction crews and security guards. I’ve already tripped over Jay Leno and Sly Stallone, or at least their stars, on the Walk of Fame along Hollywood Blvd.

Now I’m trying to reach Mann’s Chinese Theatre to gawk at celebrity handprints, footprints and autographs captured in the cement courtyard. Traffic cones, fencing and temporary metal bleachers block the sidewalk. We lean over the railing to see Kevin Spacey’s star buried under a thick coil of electrical cables and a crushed Starbucks coffee cup.

Mike, a tall, gregarious writer/editor is making a few extra bucks as an Oscar security guard. We tell him we’re visiting from Toronto, and he dishes some L.A. observations with a smile. Work here is unpredictable and changeable. Strikes are a common occurrence. Everyone is very insecure. And yet even unknown actors can earn over $750 a day, plus residuals. Mike says he’s looking for a real job, perhaps in software sales, outside of the Hollywood circus.

He casually directs us to his buddies, who run tours of stars’ homes if we’re into that sort of thing, but we’re not. He points out some celebrity look-alikes ready to pose for a picture with us, if we’re into that sort of thing. We’re not. When he mentions we can have our photo taken with a real Oscar, my pulse finally quickens.

Four flights of stairs bring us to the top of the Hollywood and Highland Center. In the distance, the iconic HOLLYWOOD sign hovers over a smoggy green hilltop. Erected in 1923, the whitewashed 45 foot tall letters originally spelled Hollywoodland and advertised a new housing suburb. Ironically, this historic site is now threatened by real estate development. L.A. Councillors and residents are outraged but may lose their battle to keep the view unobstructed. I take a few photos and hope the Hollywood sign gets its own Hollywood ending.

After a 15 minute wait in line, we are allowed to enter a darkened foyer. It’s taken almost four weeks to produce this year’s fifty Oscar statuettes. Sans engraving, they are exhibited inside several glass cases. A display shows how they are created. The base casting of the pewter-like alloy Britannium is electroplated with subsequent layers of copper to prevent corrosion and nickel to improve adhesion. Silver provides additional corrosion resistance as well as a shiny foundation for the 24K gold plating. A top coat of lacquer preserves the finish.

I move from this hushed shrine into a corridor where exuberant fans and screaming paparazzi compete for my attention. It’s actually a film loop that simulates the red carpet experience but I pause to bask in the adulation. Rick urges me onward. The long line to hold a real Oscar awaits us.

We pass the time reading lists of this year’s nominees. The family of five ahead of us pushes their stroller and hyper-active child at a snail’s pace. Some people are photographed in groups, others singly but at least the line is moving. A photographer will take pictures of you with your camera if you’re alone or don’t trust your companion to adequately capture your moment of faux fame.

As we edge closer, I notice some people actually kissing the Oscar. Not an L.A. style “air kiss,” but a real, full-lipped wet smack. What I don’t see is anyone wiping Oscar down after this show of passion.

My moment in the spotlight finally arrives. I take off my jacket and drop my handbag. If ever I deserved an Academy Award for outstanding performance, it’s now. I fearlessly grasp the sticky statuette with gusto. Smile. Flash. Smile. Flash.

Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my hand wash.

This story originally appeared in the Globe & Mail but was subsequently re-edited.

Happy travels!

Dildo, Newfoundland Travel Tale

In a province known for wacky monikers like Tickle Cove, Witless Bay and Come by Chance, one place still manages to stand out. Dildo. I had purposely avoided Dildo, not wanting to be another curious tourist stopping by simply because of the name. But as the sun sank lower in the sky, my husband Rick and I began to run out of options.

It’s our last full day in Newfoundland after a 10-day tour. We’re heading back to St. John’s from Bonavista, a 300-kilometre drive. The highways are empty, so we cruise at a leisurely pace, hoping to spend the night outside of the city. But travelling on the fly has its downside. We discover that much of the better accommodation is seasonal, and this is late October – the season is about to end.

Each successive town brings another disappointment, as Rick asks around for suggestions and I dial furiously on my cellphone. “Don’t drive at night,” we are warned. “You’ll hit a moose.”

Moose be damned, I am holding out for four-star lodgings. Unfortunately, the only promising stop on the map is Dildo. Our guide book shows several highly rated establishments that are open year-round, including a four-and-a-half star bed and breakfast overlooking Trinity Bay. My call nets only an answering machine, but we venture in anyway.

Dildo is a small community of about 1,200 people, some 15 kilometres off the Trans-Canada Highway. Fishing and whaling initially attracted settlers, though today the main industry is tourism and heritage preservation. The Dildo Interpretation Centre is well-known for its fine collection of Beothuk Indian and Dorset Inuit artifacts excavated from an island in the mouth of the harbour.

Boat tours to see the archeological digs are also available. We catch an exhilarating whiff of fresh sea air as we enter town, and pull into our bed and breakfast at the same time as the owner.

The Inn By The Bay, built in 1888, is one of two establishments run by the same proprietor. It is right across the road from the ocean, while further up the hill sits George House Heritage B&B, with an art gallery and boutique. Close by is Dildo’s Kountry Kravins ‘n’ Krafts, a coffee shop that also offers local souvenirs.

The inn is welcoming, decorated in a palette of muted earth tones and furnished with tasteful antiques. There is also the odd curiosity thrown in, like a stuffed baby seal. Our room is stylishly elegant, with nary a doily in sight. An overstuffed club chair from the 1940s provides a comfortable spot to relax and the queen bed is dressed in a plush, down-filled duvet. Now assured of a fabulous place to sleep, we go to watch the sun set.

The harbour is sheltered and picturesque. Gentle waves lap against a pebbly beach. Clusters of frame houses perch on the dusky hillside. Half a dozen pricey fishing boats are moored at the docks and beside them, a couple of fishermen sit on a wooden bench, smoking. One of them reminds me of the Skipper from Gilligan’s Island. We stop and chat about real estate, the fishing industry, the weather… just about everything but the town’s name.

It’s not that anyone seems to be shy about using it; there is also South Dildo, Dildo Pond and Dildo Island. The name may have had its origins in the Spanish port of Bilbao, or it may come from the Portuguese, or the native Indians. But no one really knows and no one really cares. I’m sure the locals have heard it all. A while back, a proposal to change the town’s name was strongly voted down.

We meander along the shore, admiring the final pink and orange efforts of the setting sun. Later on, we’ll savour a home-cooked meal at a nearby diner. I’ll enjoy a delicious macaroni and cheese casserole while Rick tucks into a hot turkey sandwich. But right now, as the sun sets over Trinity Bay, the moon is rising over Dildo. And the next time we hear the word, we’ll think of this pretty fishing village instead of, well, the other thing.

This article and illustration was featured in the Globe and Mail.

Happy travels!

Visit Goldfinger’s Modernist House at Two Willow Road, London

It’s worth a visit to Hampstead Heath to see U.K. architect Erno Goldfinger’s striking and controversial 1939 design.

Situated at 2 Willow Road in London, this house was the first Modernist structure acquired by the National Trust.

Although the building it replaced was a dilapidated ruin, local council and residents fiercely opposed its construction. Author Ian Fleming, a Hampstead Heath neighbour, disliked the plans for 2 Willow Road so much he named a Bond villain after the avant-guarde architect. But Goldfinger’s creation has an enduring appeal.

Goldfinger and Contemporary Architecture

Goldfinger was born in Budapest in 1902 and studied architecture at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. He supported contemporary ideals but favoured structural rationalism – that is, wood must look like wood, steel like steel – over Le Corbusier’s white box approach.

Even so, Goldfinger tempered his plan by covering the concrete at in red brick and painting the metal windows white in order to maintain harmony with the surrounding Georgian houses.

Inside 2 Willow Road

Visitors enter this former family home through a small, dim foyer. An initally intimidating spiral staircase demonstrates Goldfinger’s attention to ergonomic detail. The treads are wide enough where needed and the risers are shorter than expected, making the climb easy.

The reason Goldfinger designed a tiny entry is evident once the main floor is reached. A wall of north facing windows captures light from the heath across the street all day and combined with the higher ceiling, creates a dramatic contrast.

Modernist Designs and Materials

The living room, dining room and Goldfinger’s office are all on this level. A series of folding and sliding doors allows them to become one large area for entertaining. These rooms are masculine and imposing, like the man himself. Walls are covered in oak or mahogany-veneered plywood or painted in colours from the palettes of artist friends like Max Ernst and Marcel Duchamp, whose works are displayed here.

Ingenious built-ins preserve the sense of pure volume in this space and the furniture, designed mainly by the architect himself, has an industrial edge.

The all-white master bedroom is on the top floor. Small windows create an intimate feel though the room is bare except for a low futon bed, a chair and a bank of bookcases. Capacious storage is hidden behind a wall of doors.

Goldfinger and His Plans for 1, 2 and 3 Willow Road

Along with charts marking the heights of the Goldfinger children as they grew, the upstairs nursery now contains models and floor plans of 1, 2 and 3 Willow Road. This historic house is sandwiched between two smaller terraced residences the architect built in order to fund the entire project. One was initially sold while the other was first rented and later sold.

National Trust Legacy of Goldfinger

Goldfinger died in 1987 and his wife Ursula stayed in the house until her death in 1991. The National Trust acquired the house in 1994 when the Goldfinger children left it to them via the Treasury, in lieu of paying inheritance tax. Most of the contents, including tea bags and Christmas pudding, were in the bequest. Magazines and drafting tools are lying about and it seems as though the family might return at any moment.

Since 2 Willow Road was opened to the public in 1996, acceptance and admiration of Goldfinger’s work has grown. The building that was once reviled is now a modernist jewel in the National Trust’s crown. Joint tickets are available with nearby 17th-century Fenton House.

Happy travels!