From December 17 through December 19
2001, travelers from all over the country were invited to email the experts at
Fodor`s with their top travel concerns for the upcoming holiday season.  As
email after email poured in, a theme emerged.  America`s number one travel
concern is carry-on luggage—and with good reason. 
The travelers who wrote
in posed some very unusual scenarios that challenged even Fodor`s seasoned
experts.
 
For instance, one traveler wanted to know the best way to take three
pounds of frozen barbecue on a cross-country flight.  The answer: There is no
restriction on food in carry-on luggage.  Packing the barbecue in transparent
plastic bags will aid in the security inspection, and as long as you are not
carrying anything like barbecue forks or knives, you should have no problem
with the security check.  However, you may want to consider putting the
barbecue in your checked luggage: the cargo hold on most planes, though
pressurized, is still on the cold side.
 
Another traveler who was a recreational skydiver asked if Fodor`s had any
special tips for carrying on a skydiving parachute.  The answer: The rule is
that you may carry on one piece of luggage and one so-called “personal” item
like a laptop computer bag, purse, or briefcase.  If your parachute meets
carry-on luggage requirements, then that could be your one piece of carry-on
baggage and you could still bring another small bag.  The metal fasteners on
the parachute may delay you at security checks as well, and there`s a chance
the security people may require you to unpack the parachute.
 
Fodor`s experts answered questions about caviar, strollers, Christmas
ornaments, artwork, live animals, wrapped presents, and much more.  But no
matter what kind of items travelers want to carry on, there are two things to
keep in mind: the item cannot exceed the size limitations and nothing can be
carried on that could be used as a weapon.  Of course, for any truly unusual
item (say, an elephant), it`s always best to check with your airline carrier
beforehand.

 
Fodor`s Travel Publications, the world`s largest English-language travel
information publisher, offers more than 440 guides to destinations worldwide.
Fodor`s Travel Publications is a unit of Fodors LLC, a subsidiary of Random
House, Inc., and its parent company Bertelsmann AG, one of the world`s largest
media companies.  For more information about Fodor`s, visit our Web site at

www.fodors.com.

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