While the cup holder attachment for the rollaboard caught my eye, I would worry when tilting and pulling along, the cup could leak (which I guess all depends on how good the cup seal is and also taking precaution to make sure the opening for drinking (or straw) is on the "uphill side" during a pull. I would not be comfortable leaving a phone there for even a second or two without my eye on it constantly.
The seat-tray phone holder also seems interesting.
I haven't tried that phone mount but I got one last year recommended on the Travel Tips by Laurie website. It's this phone flap and I actually use it by my bedside as a phone prop. It's very handy but is a little heavy so I did not take it last Fall when I was on a quest to get to the lowest carry on weight I could achieve. This one will hold either my phone or my iPad Mini. The phone mount would probably make the phone be too far away for my old eyes....
I'd looked at that Away bag last summer as well but quickly crossed it off my list as it's over 8 pounds empty.
AirTags, yes, I have and use although I've never had to depend on them to find my bag.
Someone on the "what did you get for Christmas" thread got the TwelveSouth Airfly gadget. I think someone else tried them out this past summer as well.
I agree with you about the drink caddy. I'd never put my phone in there going thru an airport. Yikes.
And no, I cannot believe I just went thru the entire list. I do not need another thing....lolol! Well, except for a bag insert for my new tote bag, hahaha!!
Nope, nothing useful on that list.
The Cadence Capsules are especially useless. Really bulky for containers that only hold ½ oz., and how many things do you want to dip out instead of a squeeze bottle?
All the American Airlines planes I have been on in the last year have a nifty seatback thing that can hold a phone or a tablet conveniently and securely.
Yeah, mostly useless (sometimes silly) things, not much worth carrying. So many very heavy bags!
Everyone has different priorities, but the only items that seem reasonable to me are the scale (for weighing your bag/carry-on...I've traveled with one of these for years; saves you from discovering at check-in on the way home that your bag is too heavy). Any MAYBE the AirTags (that seems to be a religious disagreement, like the need for an IDP...).
Cup-holder for your wheelie bag? Come on...
You know what they didn't include that you may really want or need: a dash-mount for your cell phone. Planning to drive around Europe? Planning to use Google maps? Yeah, I thought you were. Don't forget to bring a way to mount your phone on the car's dashboard in the driver's view, because your travel partner is going to quickly get really tired of holding it where you can see it while you drive, and you're not going to be able to balance it up there without it disappearing the first time you turn or hit the slightest bump. In a pinch you can make something somewhat functional out of duct tape (been there, done that) but it's very ugly and may leave sticky goo on your phone and the car's dash. Not pretty.
Thanks -- good to know about the AA planes. We have not traveled in (I think it has been) 4+ years, and we hope to begin traveling again later this year...realizing in some ways we will be like "complete newbies," as we are guessing much has changed from our (giggle/wink) historical frequent flying days. We will try not to sound too much like Gomer Pyle with all the "shazam-worthy" changes we will likely notice, or groan too much about the changes that we find "#%#@% worthy." We did renew our Global Entry as our "toss of hope into the universe" last summer. I do not anticipate buying any new gadgets unless something is really, really compelling. Our old gear/packing methods were well tested, and worked great.
Closer to if/when we do fly again, I will likely start a thread to get posted on "changes that might surprise you."
Ditto what LizinPA said. On my long haul flights this past year, I have been seeing the ins-seat holder for a phone. And the capsules might be useful but I have been using contact lens cases instead - which are separated into 2 containers, making them more flexible in packing. I still love my Eagle Creek compression packing cubes, and don’t need a lot of bags. What I don’t have is a luggage scale - that might be useful here at home but I wouldn’t waste space taking it with me.
Edit* David is right about the cell phone mount for a rental car! I have both remembered and forgotten mine - and I was definitely happier the times I remembered!
@TexasTravelmom - You can easily weigh your bags at home. The luggage scale is for flights between destinations, and for the return flight. It's easy to pick up souvenirs and other things while on your trip, the weight of those adds up. Getting that "sorry, it's too heavy" surprise at check-in is not fun.
David, good input re: a device to hold a phone while driving.
This household has learned that one of the secrets to an almost 50-year marriage is to avoid renting a car, especially when it requires driving on the "other side" of the road from what we are used to. Yep, it is very costly to hire local drivers (when trains, etc. are not easily available), but some things are worth it in the "avoid turning a dream trip into a nightmare" and "keep a marriage happy" departments. But, we realize that may be "just us." Every partnership has different dynamics and every person is different.
But, great advice you offer for those who do drive.
Quick funny story: One time (it was in the Brandywine Valley, my spouse who prides himself on reading a map, and has even from time-to-time in our home state insisted on using just a satellite image of roads/landmarks to find something (oh, the side stories I could tell on how that worked...uh...did not)....but anyway, he made a major wrong turn. His reaction (as he showed signs of frustrations) was: "they moved the road!!!" My calm reply was: "Yes, honey and all the huge trees and historical houses that lined the road."
I got the Twelve South AirFly thing last year at this time - it works as advertised and has also allowed me to use my old ipod with my wireless earbuds on my walks ! It costs a lot less now than when I bought it !
P.s. David, great idea on bringing something to hold your phone if driving and need it as a GPS.
And I definitely took my luggage scales with me to Glasgow in October because one of the whole reasons for the trip was shopping and ordering UK things I can no longer get as easily in France since Brexit - I paid for extra luggage on the way back on purpose, but I did not want to find at the airport on my way home that I was overweight and needed to pay
I use the Air Tags and they work great. I have also used them for shipping items home.
We do have a phone holder that we use exclusively for travel. That way we don't need to bring ours from our vehicles.
I ordered that Periologics Universal In-Flight Phone Mount and sent it back. Too heavy, bulky, yet somehow also flimsy.
David, well, so far I mostly limit my weight by limiting my suitcase (and shopping) but I can see it would be easy to tip the scales a bit too far coming home!
Maggie, we have a similar story from when my husband was traveling with another professor (in charge of the China portion of the trip) and a group of students. The professor was leading the group on a wild goose chase looking for a famous large national monument. At some point, his sincere comment was “They have moved it since I was here!”
