I zip back every now and again to take a look at some of my favourite travel websites so that I can keep on top of any up-and-coming travel bargains. Lo and behold, today I reached for the mouse and found out from the Iwishtravel site that Ryanair is planning to offer flights to America for £8!

If I don’t update this travel blog for a while, it’s because I’m standing in a queue of, I don’t know, a MILLION people wanting to grab one of these babies.

Let’s do a quick comparison shall we? Can you get a taxi home from the pub for £8? No. Can you buy a decent meal in a restaurant for £8? Maybe just about if you drink tap water and don’t tip. But to fly to America for £8? There must be a catch.

The guys on this travel blog suggest that for £8 you won’t get any legroom, so only contortionists should consider flying. Also, if Ryanair sticks to its “budget” status then you won’t get any entertainment or food thrown in which means they can probably charge a premium to stave off hungry and bored passengers.

The ticket price won’t include taxes and airport charges, so you’re probably looking at a total of £150. When all’s said and done, though, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will be among a gazillion others taking full advantage. I will quite happily amuse myself for eight hours whilst I fly across the Atlantic and I’m sure I can squueze a packed lunch into my American tourister.

So I say bring it on! Now I’m just going to pop to a local yoga class to get limbered up for a few hours with my knees round my ear’oles and then I’m all set!

Having spent hours searching the latest gadgetry for travelling and visited all my old haunts for inspiration, I happened to be in the know that thanks to a student from Loughborough we may all be able to get our hands on some self-weighing wheeled luggage very soon!

Inventor Richard Taylor has designed a novel travel suitcase that has an integrated weighing device. At this point in the game, it’s just a prototype, with models and graphics being the only things in production however, like me you are probably thinking “what a jolly good idea, why didn’t someone think of this before?”

Well, after a bit more research it turns out someone has thought of it. Ricardo Beverley Hills offers a range of self-weighing luggage sets that all have a built in digital display to show you the weight of your belongings. The wheeled luggage that it’s built into isn’t half bad either. Rolling in at a reasonable price and coming in a variety of colours such as maul teal, black or crushed berry and with a choice of sizes including 25 and 28 inch!

Male or female, seasoned traveller or occasional globe trotter, whatever the weather, a self-weighing suitcase is still a fantastic idea.

Perhaps they should combine all the features of the very best wheeled luggage, make it round, with less than a gram pulling weight, waterproof, bombproof, locatable, easily identifiable and above all cheap whilst looking exceptionally expensive. Oh yes, and self-weighing too. If only we could get it to make its own way there, buy its own ticket and unpack itself upon arrival we would be onto a winner. Is that asking too much?

No travel blog would be complete without a few tips to help you avoid the dreaded excess baggage charge at the airport.

Until someone invents an anti-gravity luggage set we all have to take a deep breath as we place out suitcases on the official weighing scales at the check-in desk. To avoid the red faced embarrassment of having to unpack and dispose of items, or pay to take the extra gear on board, invest in a set of luggage scales. Relatively inexpensive, they are perfect for assessing the weight of your luggage set before you set off.

Digital scales will of course give the most accurate reading and nothing beats the Balanzza luggage scales. Unlike many designs it isn’t restricted in the type of handle it can accommodate which means rucksacks, holdalls and suitcases are no problem. For those of you into gadgets, this is one to add to the Christmas list and make sure Santa brings you one this year.

If you want to spend a little under a tenner, another version is a dial scale: in some cases it comes equipped with a handy tape measure.

We spend a lot of time on this site analysing and monitoring the latest gadgets and luggage sets, keeping a close eye on new collections from our favourite travel buddies at Samonsite and Antler but today, let’s talk accessories!

By accessories I mean the invaluable, inexpensive and potentially nerve saving devices we like to call luggage tags. Don’t be tempted to just take one off the counter and hope that the flimsy, origami version the airline provide you with is good enough. It isn’t. For starters, it’s made of paper and if that doesn’t put you off, try having your address on full display to let all the burglars know your house is empty because you are jetting off on holiday.

What you need on your wheeled luggage is an authentic and recommended luggage tag, one that encases your private credentials so they aren’t in full view.

Basic luggage tags start at about £5.99. They’re usually made of high quality robust leather. You insert your details through a plastic window and a leather flap hides it from view.

If you want to make more of a statement, have a glimpse at the funky designs from Tepper Jackson. Not only will these offer all the same features and benefits but they make locating and identifying your luggage set very simple. They are a bargain at £8.95 and with over seven designs to choose from there is sure to be something that suits your taste.

Alternatively there are eight further designs available from Yosifa Penina in a similar price bracket: these ones have a snap closure to hide your personal information. They’re also water-resistant, so if your luggage set falls into the sea the divers will know to return it to you!

By far the best patterned suitcase I have ever seen had a cow print design. Black and white, pinched in at the waist (if cases have waists) and with a glossy coat – OK, it may sound hideous to you, but it brought a smile to my face!

I went in search of more patterns today to see what has eclipsed it in terms of ridiculousness and found a leopard print, very Bet Lynch. There was also some pink luggage that looked like it had been mislaid by a flamingo (it was still funky though!).

There are all sorts of highly amusing designs and styles if you check out kids’ luggage ranges too. There are some great ‘character’ suitcases you can buy, such as lions, zebras and tigers. Some manufacturers even include a detachable travel rucksack that forms the head when it’s attached!

Ok, so you wouldn’t take one on a business trip but a patterned suitcase puts the fun back into travelling. After all, you are the one carrying it pulling it, lugging it up stairs, and into cars. There’s a practical purpose too: a patterned suitcase, animal print or not, is easily recognisable when you’re standing by the carousel watching hundreds of identical cases do the rounds. You might get some funny looks, but at least you won’t accidentally wander away with somebody else’s case.

It’s time I broke it to you people. There’s a material masquerading as leather, and it’s called pleather. As the name suggests, it’s a combination of plastic and leather. However, when you want real leather, the bona fide, genuine article, you need to know what you’re looking for.

In general, there are 4 grades of leather: bonded, split grain, top grain and full grain. I won’t go into the detail of each too much, however if you want to purchase a top quality “leather backpack” or travel bag then it’s best to go for full grain leather.

Full grain leather is preferable for “leather backpacks” and luggage, because it offers a combination of strength, durability and appearance. It is made from the outermost layer of the hide and isn’t sanded or processed in anyway which also means you get that gorgeous natural look complete with original markings.

Naturally, it’s best to avoid the cheaper version which is bonded leather. Wouldn’t it be awful to pack all your belongings and then half way on your trip you realise you have left your belongings smack bang on the pavement because the bottom has fallen out of your cheap leather backpack.

Bonded leather is made up of all the scraps that are quite literally bonded together to form one single piece of leather. The entire manufacturing process makes it look like one big stretch of the top quality stuff but frankly, it seriously lacks the strength of the single piece of hide.

For the snakeskin, alligator or ostrich look, manufacturers will in the main use a top grain leather which is just one level down from the good stuff! It comes from the durable outer layer of the skin and is processed or sanded to hide serious imperfections.

So that’s your lesson in leather for today. You can tell pleather a mile away: there are no flies on it!

Were you aware that the Samsonite luggage range also owns other well known brands including Timberland and Lacoste?

The Timberland range of duffel bags, travel backpacks travel gear, accessories and wheeled luggage is fantastic, while the Lacoste range keeps it low-key with a stylish leather range.

But for great value wheeled luggage, you can’t beat the genuine article. One of my favourite ranges is the Graviton selection. It’s the polycarbonate case that combines strength, lightness, flexibility and durability.

It’s gone through some pretty rigorous testing to ensure that the industrial design lives up to its image and delivers exactly what it says on the case. The pattern is inspired by diamond plating which, combined with special side ridges, has resulted in the best combination to deliver strength and lightness. But much more importantly … it looks great!

It’s a steal at £249 and features full zipper protection on all the upright cases. This wheeled luggage set is equipped with a special combination lock and a gorgeous soft touch interior with zippered compartments, cross ribbons for keeping everything just so and a double unique wheel system for built in shock absorbers. Dealing with shock is pretty essential for any luggage set of mine, given the amount of weight it will be expected to transport on one of my holidays. No lightweight luggage for me!

Type luggage set into Google and you’ll get over a million different results! How do you scale down your options to know which luggage set is right for you?

It’s important to have a little check list going on. You know why you want the luggage set and where in the world you are going to be taking it, so make sure you give some careful consideration to a few basic design features.

Perhaps you are a leather kind of person, or would another material be more appropriate? Does nylon, canvas, cotton or perhaps a hard shell take your fancy? Then there’s price range. Picking a cheap set might be great on your bank balance short term, but you’ll pay for it in the longer term if it’s so miserly in design that the wheels aren’t strong enough to hold all the weight.

Next, look for the handle mechanism. Cheap luggage will have the handle constructed onto the outside of the bag, but it’s the luggage itself that will protect the handle. Quality luggage will have it built into the inside.

I would also suggest is that you seriously contemplate the entire frame construction. A lot of play and wobble in the frame and you might end up spending more money on repairs than you would have done if you had chosen wisely in the first place.

So here is your luggage set checklist. Does the frame flex? Leather, nylon or other? Is the handle mechanism located inside the bag?

Unlike some, I do not have a bottomless pit of money, although my richer friends believe I have when they invite me to take trips with them all over the world. I’m a writer not a rocket scientist or, better still, a pilot.

Anyway, if you’re like me there comes a time when you have to start getting more creative with items because you can’t afford to splash out on top of the range new things, like luggage for example. I have, in the words of Baldrick, “a plan so cunning it’s got a PhD from Cambridge”.

Choose the item you want to jazz up: it could be an old wheeled suitcase or a plain piece of hard luggage; it could even be a new un-patterned suitcase (you can pick up some bargains at places like Woollies or Bags Etc.) Then- here’s the genius part - make a stencil of something you want to paint on the side. Remember to use the correct plasti-kote spray paint for the material you are spraying onto and … hey presto! Something to brighten up your existing luggage set or perhaps make a cheap one look unique.

This is feeling a lot like a “here’s one I made earlier” moment, but I have to ‘fess up and say I haven’t actually put this idea into practice yet. When I do, I’ll let you know how it turns out!

For those of you lucky enough to go travelling on company time and money, congratulations, we are all jealous, except for the part where you have to work like a dog and possibly don’t get to see any of the sights.

The other unavoidable element of a business trip of course, is that you’ve got to look the part, so your luggage must be smart. Luggage in pink, for example, is best reserved for hen weekends, not business trips.

Practicality is also an issue. Generally, you want to complete your journey in the shortest possible time, keeping the spare hours free for endless meetings, so it’s important the case you take fits the carry on luggage - category. Small enough not to have to check it in, posh enough to match your Armani suit, and big enough to carry everything you’ll need for two days’ hard slogging.

A skyflite carry on luggage case in the 20 inch size is perfect for this type of trip. It’s light enough to haul up and down from the overhead compartments, and it’s perfectly designed to comply with most airlines’ accepted standards for cabin cases.

For additional items it does have an expanding part, which is perfect for those souvenirs you will need to buy to placate the family you left behind. It comes in a durable polyester material and is approximately 25% lighter than comparable suitcases.

The main features are the fully lined interior compartment with three zippered interior pockets. So you can organise every aspect of your life, one pocket for your wash kit, so long as its under 100ml, one pocket for your travel adapter and all things essential and finally an empty pocket on the way there, full with dirty clothing on the way back. Now doesn’t that make a lovely present for the other half!