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TRAVEL SIZES CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN AVOIDING LUGGAGE FEES

Newbury Park, CA (November 18, 2008) – The recent move by airlines to increase fees for overweight bags has left many travelers scrambling at the check-in counter to shift weight around to avoid penalties.   Minimus.biz (http://www.minimus.biz), an online retailer and wholesaler specializing in travel-sizes, recently had a new customer relate just such a story, and how they used travel sizes to prevent it from happening a second time. 

Minimus.biz decided to study this phenomenon further.

Minimus first determined the most common types of personal care items used by the majority of travelers, and then selected one product in each category from their inventory.  Making a quick run to the local store, they purchased the same nine products in their standard sized containers.  Now, it was time to place each set of products on the scale.  Here’s what they found:

The next step in the study was to determine what sort of impact the savings of 6 lbs. could have on a traveler who utilized travel sizes for an average set of personal care items.  Minimus reviewed the current airline baggage fee policies:

Since bags up to 50 lbs. are not subject to the additional weight fees, Minimus looked at the 51-70 lb. fees and concluded that for those travelers who are loading up their luggage to the brim, using travel sizes could save them from getting a $50-$125 surcharge.  Add to this the additional benefit of not having the headache and time wasted from having to move packed items around from bag to bag while standing at the check-in desk and the savings is even more significant.

Susan Foster, packing expert and author of Smart Packing for Today’s Traveler, recommends, “Most women use about 1 oz. of shampoo for two weeks of daily use, so taking only this amount leaves more room for the important things – such as shoes!  Downsizing cosmetics and toiletries to travel-sized items from Minimus.biz makes sense for every trip.”  And Minimus Co-Founder, Paul Shrater, states that “Minimus is excited to be part of another solution in helping travelers on their journeys.”

For additional ways to save even more weight there are a number of other items that are available in travel sizes, some of which that are not as obvious: from hairspray, to clothing starch, to aftershave, to lint rollers, sunscreens, and sanitizers. 

About Minimus.biz:
Minimus.biz (http://www.minimus.biz) is the world leader in all things travel-sized and individual sized.  Now entering their 5th year of business, they have over 2,000 products in stock including over 100 pre-packaged kits and gifts sets.  The website comprises a variety of categories of travel size and trial size items, many of which are not available for retail sale anywhere else.  Additionally, Minimus works with many major corporations and non-profits through its wholesale and fulfillment divisions.  Free domestic shipping for retail customers with orders over $20.00.

About Susan Foster:
Susan Foster has become an authoritative media source regarding the ever-changing airline and TSA rules and guidelines as well as packing in general for almost any occasion.  She is the author of SMART PACKING FOR TODAY’S TRAVELER and the newly updated Third Edition was released in April 2008.  For the past few years, her website, www.smartpacking.com, has offered additional aid to travelers and media researchers with information about the travel industry’s latest rules and policy changes.  

Additional images, higher resolution images, and additional results from the carrier review are available upon request from Minimus.biz.

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