September’s Mobal Members Travel Tips

1. Keep your luggage safe in a car

Our bags have been stolen twice from inside locked rental cars. Now we travel with a bicycle cable and lock. If we absolutely must leave our suitcases in the car, I hook them together by the handles and attach the whole thing to the frame of the seat or a secure item in the trunk. Even if the thieves manage to get into our car, the cable will make it very difficult for them to make off with the luggage.

Fran Montiazeri, Staten Island, N.Y.

2. Consider bringing your bike on a cruise

We decided to take along our own bikes on our last Caribbean cruise. It was a little crowded in the cabin, so we asked the steward if we could store them down the gall with the wheelchairs. We were last off the ship when we docked in the Bermuda, but in less than 5 minutes we were far away from the busy port, enjoying a beautiful, deserted snorkeling beach.

Farrah Moore, The Villages, Fla.

3. Pack a few hooks

I find that hotel bathrooms rarely have enough hangers and hooks for clothes and wet towels, so I always bring a few snap-lock suction hooks. (They work better than regular suction hooks because they’re more secure and therefore hold heavier items.) It’s always nice to have a place to hang a bathrobe.

Erica Murphy, Atlanta, Ga.

4. Water-bottle holsters are good for holding more than water

I own several Water Bottle Totes by Outdoor Research. With their Velco-like straps, I can fasten them anywhere to my belt, camera strap, airplane seat etc. In addition to holding water, I’ve used them at various times to carry binoculars, snacks, umbrella, fan, flashlight, sunglasses, windbreaker and a rain poncho.

Ellen Parks, Mechanicville, Va.

5. Book separately to earn bonus miles

We’ve noticed that when booking a flight for our family under one reservation, some airlines will only credit the 1,500 bonus miles to the person whose name the reservation is under. This is regardless of whether the other family members have mileage accounts. To avoid this, make separate reservation for each family member, and then pick seats together.

Ed Pearce, Dexter, Mich.

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