Here’s a checklist for you to travel with a better ease of mind in 2025

Ready to make 2025 the year of epic adventures?

Whether you're dreaming of sun-soaked beaches in Indonesia or Thailand, or gearing up for a European escapade or a U.S. road trip, one thing’s for sure—you want your travels to be smooth sailing (or flying).

Here’s the good news: with a little planning, you can make sure everything goes off without a hitch.

Planning and preparing for your trip a year in advance

So you have always wanted to travel to Japan during winter, but the hotels and flights are always too expensive or fully booked.

Why not book a year in advance?

Not only will you be way more likely to score a seat on that flight and a comfy hotel room, but you’ll also snag those sweet early-bird deals.

Plus, when you start early, you can compare prices across multiple platforms and avoid pesky last-minute price hikes.

Or if you are feeling adventurous, why not travel during the off-peak season?

So many people want to travel to Japan in December to spend Christmas or New Year’s Day – why not travel there in January instead to experience winter with fewer chances of bumping into a Singaporean?

As a bonus, you will also have plenty of time to save up to buy winter clothing, as well as new luggage to accommodate them.

Speaking of luggage, if you are looking for something stylish and practical, check out the Spinner 68, a luggage from the American Tourister’s The Funseekers Collection, which was designed and launched in collaboration with AirAsia.

Sporting the livery and colour of both brands, this expandable luggage has a whopping base volume of 77 litres and a handy wet pocket to boot – perfect for containing your soggy winter clothes and footwear.

Look up potential tourist hazards you might encounter at your holiday destination

Few things ruin your holiday faster than getting scammed or pickpocketed during your trip.

By the time it happens, it definitely feels too late to rectify the situation and even if you report the situation to the authorities, there is no guarantee you can recover your money.

Which is why, you should definitely do a bit of research on the prevailing tourist hazards at your destination before you hit the road.

And to be extra safe, consider picking up some anti-theft gear, like a handy crossbody pouch.

The Funseekers Collection includes one that weighs only 0.3kg, making it easy to keep your valuables close.

The bag’s light weight and small size mean you can easily keep it in front of you or hold it by your side as you are walking down the street.

What’s more, the design of the straps are inspired by the seatbelt on AirAsia planes, which means you can still look chic and fashionable while posing with the bag for your Instagram photos.

On top of that, each bag also comes attached with its own unique floatie charm – handy for helping you keep track of your bag.

The value of investing in a quality luggage for your trip

The first time you step into any new holiday destination, you will likely have to drag your luggage for a bit towards your accommodation.

Whether it is along the cobblestone streets of a quaint town in Europe or the crowded streets of Bangkok and Seoul, the last thing that you want to happen is for one of your luggage’s wheels to malfunction or spoil, with all of your belongings inside.

Here’s where it might be sound to invest in a new, quality luggage so that you can move around with an ease of mind.

As a matter of fact, the luggage under The Funseekers Collection are all equipped with Optimov™ shock absorbing wheels and a Duosaf™ security zipper to secure your belongings while you lug them around town.

In addition, these luggage are equipped with a TSA 008 Lock.

Two sizes are available: the compact Spinner 55 (a mere 3.5kg) that even has a laptop compartment, and the aforementioned Spinner 68, which is perfect for packing a little extra and comes with a multi-hanging system for your shopping bags.

Need more space? No worries—both expand to fit those surprise souvenirs.

So where can I buy such bags and luggage?

The good news is that these crossbody bags and luggage are now available online and at all American Tourister counters in selected department stores.

The carry-on bag costs S$79, the Spinner 55 costs S$320, and the Spinner 68 costs S$350.

Plus, all of the bags are available in two chic colours – red or black – and come attached with their own floatie charm.

And with every purchase of The Funseekers Collection, customers can also participate in a lucky draw and win the following amazing prizes:

• A pair of AirAsia return air tickets from Singapore to Bali for first prize
• S$200 Klook vouchers for hotels, experiences, and passes for second prize
• A S$150 voucher from American Tourister to use online at americantourister.com.sg

Awesome.

For more information, you can click here.

This branded article made the author decide to plan another holiday again.

Top image via Canva and American Tourister