Travel Bits: October 2017

Packing light for a short budget trip with a Low Cost Carrier.......

Low Cost Carriers or LCC (a.k.a. Budget Airlines) offer a cost effective way to travel. While my personal preference is always to travel with a full-service airline due to a myriad of reasons, there were times when flying with a LCC became a necessity due to the travel location. This can be because only LCCs provide flights to the destination due to its low travelers' turnover or that the price differential for a ticket to fly to that location between a full-service airline and a LCC was just too great, such that opting to fly budget was the only sensible choice.

However, flying budget has its cons. The key ones being the really no-frills part. If one is to start adding the small frills such as check-in baggage, more hand-carry luggages, seat choices and some simple onboard food and drinks, then the cost for the so-called budget air ticket begins to escalate quickly. At times, the final price one has to pay after adding all these frills may actually cost more to fly "budget" than with a full-service airline.

I am due to fly with a LCC for my trip to Ipoh in 2 days time. And because I am keeping the cost of my return air tickets to its true meaning of being "budget", I had not added in the frills of a check-in baggage or more hand-carry luggages when I purchased my air tickets about a month ago. I am thus restricted to two small hand-carry luggages with a combined permitted weight of 10kg. 

Now, I have to figure out how to work within the weight limitations permitted for the fare I paid. My Apple MacBook and its power adaptor will probably take up about 2kg of my overall weight budget. I have no choice but to bring my MacBook whenever I travel because I need to work wherever I am and its only through constant working that I get paid! So the MacBook and its power adaptor are must-bring items for me. Throw in another 2kg for my mobile phone, phone charger, battery pack, haversack and a small sling bag (for my travel documents and cash) and I am left with just 6kg.

Clothing becomes the only item that I can cut-down on. Thus, I will go easy on clothing with just lightweight bermudas, shorts and a few t-shirts. It helps tremendously that Ipoh's climate all year round is warm and humid and light clothing means lower weight. Jeans and jackets are out and not needed for this trip so that saves me a lot on weight. 

Also not going along with me on this trip is my DSLR Camera. The combined weight of the DSLR Camera, its lens and battery charger are not light and they will definitely burst my hand-carry weight budget. I will have to depend on my iPhone 7 Plus to provide me with my travel pictures for the trip.

And that might leave me with maybe just enough room for a small book....... That said, I am all set and ready to visit Ipoh once again for its awesome food.

The city at night, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia (2016)

My favourite Ipoh Hor Fun (rice noodle soup), Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia (2016)

Did anyone realise that I had not mentioned anything about bringing along any underwear for the trip? ;-)