What travel innovation are you most thankful for?

Frequent flier miles.

wheels on luggage

Just the internet in general, for researching just about anything relating to travel.

Digital cameras!

Ditto - Wheels on luggage

Being able to print boarding pass at home.

Wheeled luggage. I remember how awful it was to carry my luggage in the early 1970s.

For day to day "travel" the GPS.

Cells phones to stay connected with aged (very) parents.

The iPod.

1. Wheeled luggage
2. My Tom-Tom
3. Internet to research travel, book air travel, hotel reservations, etc.

Planes which LAND SAFELY at the destination.

I have to second Google Maps. Especially if you travel in the US (it's worked for me overseas too).

I can honestly say it's changed my life in terms of US road trips and negotiating in and around major cities.

Whenever I get into a rental car, especially in NY, what do I see? A printout of a Google Map.

Shoes

The Wheel.

After that, the Pocket PC: cell phone, PDA, GPS, music, video, reading, travel data, internet terminal, computer in one package.

Without doubt the FFMiles and the internet that give me the possibility to do my own research about different places.
It is so nice to have the possibility to choose your flight, the times that is most convenient to you, the shortest route and most of all the choice of seats, which in my case are Isle seats.

Agree with all of the above and to me the most important

Wheeled bags
Cell Phone that works anywhere in the world (thanks T-Mobile)
Frequent Flier Miles (thanks American)
Digital Camera
Internet for research
FODOR'S
Trip Advisor

The airplane

EZ Pass.

And I don't drive.

Growing up on Long Island, too many childhood memories of sitting in tollbooth lines at a bridge on the way to a holiday dinner with the relatives.

Love Google Earth.

In addition to what's already been mentioned, I'll add:

On-line schedules for trains, boats, and cable cars in Switzerland (and elsewhere).

Definitely the airplane.

- passenger conveyor/travelator
(without these i would miss half of my flights/connections)
- online booking/seat allocation

div

The airplane for sure, but after that, I've gotta go with wheeled luggage.

I agree with printing my boarding pass ahead of time - great invention!

Being able to pick my own seat on a plane after I purchase a ticket online.

Disposable underwater cameras - AWESOME for Maui trips.

1.Luggage with wheels

2 Internet,of course, for travel info.

I forgot to add Ambien and Cialis.

1) Internet
2) Rollaboard luggage
3) Digital camera
4) Stored value transport ticket/card, (eg Oyster in London, Metrocard in NYC) so I no longer have to carry exact change/cash to board a bus or subway
5) ATM machines, esp in countries that don't use US$
6) GPS
7) FF miles

The most important boon to travelers is the internet.

Not only can I find bargains that were once known only to TA's, I can obtain advice from dozens, if not hundreds, of people who are more knowledgeable on any given subject than any one TA could ever be.

Hooray for Fodor's.(1)

The next most useful innovation is luggage with wheels.



(1) That was an unsolicited endorsement. However, I will not be offended if you choose to use it and pay me royalties.

Bird - what's the point of adding Ambien and Cialis to something. Wouldn't you sleep through the fun?

cold - I get to sleep through the fun for 36 hours. My wife is very demanding.

Skype. Love the ability to both see my kids and talk to them in real time, for free, when they don't accompany us.

taitai

Fodors
Jet airplanes
FF miles
Hotel miles
Internet for everything
wheeled luggage
ipods for travel
books on cd
travel clothes that you can order right off the internet. You can be in a full safari gear in two days or less!

As others have said:
on-line booking and check in
rolling luggage
cell phone

iPod/MP3 players (instead of bulky cassette or CD players)

Also, mass transit to airports and rail stations.

Hi,

That airplane plus flight crew does come in handy.

Wheeled luggage.

Internet.

Of course Fodor's.

Karin ps, I do love Google Earth

DH says his backpack.

All of the above, plus, in connection to the FF miles, upgrades to business class.

div - I've never heard of a travelator before. Is this like a transporter?

Who knew---referring to everyone's mention of luggage with wheels.

Any additions this morning?

E tickets

Audio tour guides.

Credit cards.

Portable, battery operated, rechargeable Oxygen Concentrators. For several months now, my DH has had to use oxygen at home and we would not be able to leave the house without the POC. I am so thankful this year that we can continue to travel as we always have - albeit with one more piece of luggage . I feel so sorry for those who in the past were confined to their homes.

Thanks for asking, Katie.

Katie, for what it's worth, having luggage on wheels makes it possible for many people who might not otherwise have been able to travel much to deal with airports, train stations, etc. It's one thing to have to lift a suitcase from floor to chair or up a few steps, it's another to scamper down long platforms or corridors carrying that suitcase.

I know that rolling bags have put most skycaps and porters out of business, but there were still people who hesitated to deal with travel because they couldn't deal with luggage, who didn't use the porters or went places where there were none.

For the rest of us, it changed how we dealt with carryon vs. checked baggage in the nick of time -- given the drastic changes due to security.

The ATM.
Do you remember carrying travelers checks/ Finding a bank/getting in the correct line/paying a fee/dealing with language barriers/ shopping for the best exchange rates?

ATM's and digital cameras are my top picks. GPS is another good one.

My favorites-

Definitely wheeled luggage as a flight crew person!Do you know how horrible it was to walk with a suitcase,purse and extra totebag full of your crew book,safety equipment,etc. the length of ORD,ATL,JFK,etc. in the past-its a wonder my arms are not down to my ankles!!!!

However,all of my favorite travel sites(Fodors is number one) on the internet have helped me take some wonderful vacations in the past 15 years without the need to stay up till 3 or 4am to CALL a hotel for a vacancy.I might actually have a clean house and be organized if I wasn't on this site all of the time?

Atm's-couldn't work overseas everyweek without them!Always need some money for a nice glass of red wine and pasta in Italy or jewelry in Dubai?

GPS overseas-great for traveling in places like Germany and the Netherlands where you cannot understand place names fast enough when driving?Saves on divorces as the husband cannot "blame" you for poor map reading.....

International flying-still wonder how the big birds stay up in the sky so long especially when I look out over the ocean.Also, the ability to see what a big and wonderful world it is!

Author: ira
Date: 11/20/2008, 05:36 pm

The most important boon to travelers is the internet.

Not only can I find bargains that were once known only to TA's, I can obtain advice from dozens, if not hundreds, of people who are more knowledgeable on any given subject than any one TA could ever be.

Plus:
email
maps.google.com
google.com/gmm
VoIP (Skype, Yahoo Voice, etc.)
Train, plane, public transit schedules
Maps
Guides
History
Music
Movies
Weather
Ebooks

airplanes

I thought Katie meant something specifically for travel, so I never would have thought of the internet from that question. While I think luggage fits the bill, and while I agree the internet has made travel so much easier, it didn't come to mind as a travel innovation as that isn't the main reason it was developed.

But I do agree it is better than wheeled luggage in terms of making travel easier.

Of course, I don't really think Google Earth is for travel but I don't really know why people use that so much.

ZipLock bags. The handiest thing ever invented, and not just for travel.

I have to agree with everyone that said airplanes. Not only for transportation but I also work on them so they keep me employed.

Priceline

Fully reclining business class seats (purchased with frequent flyer miles)

My luggage of choice is a pack you carry on your back - no rolling on uneven terrain, can often carry on flights, etc. I find it easier to control and carry. May change my mind when I get older!

For things specifically related to travel I love those small tablets you moisten that become wet towelettes - so convenient when eating, in questionable bathrooms and on airplanes. Also those water-purifying tablets you drop into water. Moneybelts come to mind as well.

Oh, and one thing not specifically designed for travel - those Tide stain markers! They are so easy to carry and work very well at removing stains. My husband and I each have one.

Roller luggage
ATM's so no more traveller's checks
International global phones
Fodors Forum and all the helpful people

Happy Thanksgiving!

-Cell Phones
-The Internet for broad research of history, maps, destinations, hotels and fares, keeping in touch

My very favorite:

Digital cameras and micro sd cards.

Add me to the ranks of wheeled luggage.

I can remember my arms just aching trying to get through airports!

Ditto the internet.

E-tickets

Priceline