Should I bring my briefcase when I travel for work?

Should I bring my briefcase when I travel for work?

Joel Widzer (Travel Strategist) gives expert video advice on: How should I plan for my business trip?; What special items should I bring on a business trip?; What's the best luggage to bring on a business trip? and more...

A lot of business travelers are going to travel with their briefcase and what they're typically looking for is something that is going to be able to hold their papers, but also hold their computer. Many business travelers are traveling with a notebook computer. So what I like is, I have a soft Tumi travel bag and I'm able to fit my computer in there. I also have dividers in there where I can have different files for my papers. Then in another pocket I'm able to put my electrical charger for my computer, my wallet and some other items. Some of the others types of briefcases are the hard covered briefcases that you see and those don't travel as well because they could be a little more difficult to get under an airline seat, particularly in the coach section of airplanes, they can be a little difficult to fit under those small seats. And even in the overhead bin space a lot of times they'll get all scratched up. So I think that a good type of universal briefcase for business travelers are some of the soft ones that are going to provide protection for their computer.