Deirdre McQuillan takes some tips on what to wear - and what not to carry - from five frequent fliers
Senator Eoin Ryan, MEP: 'I was a backpacker in the 1970s, going overland to India through Afghanistan'
I travel a lot - at least twice a week back and forth to Brussels - and on the Strasbourg week there is more travel, so I am getting very used to airports and have timing down to a fine art. I usually wear a suit and take a weekend bag, but I keep clothes in Brussels as well, so I don't have to drag stuff back and forth. People take much softer luggage nowadays and carry-on luggage is very important so you can get in and out of an airport as quickly as possible.
I have always enjoyed travelling and get a kick out of it. I was recently in Mozambique representing Parliament at the elections for a week. That was easy: light clothes, short-sleeved shirts. Normally I wear an ordinary business suit and bring some shirts and I buy clothes in Dublin and in Brussels. In Dublin I buy in Diffneys and Monaghans and am a great believer in supporting small Irish retailers, many of whom are family-run businesses.
I was a backpacker for three-and-a-half years in the mid-1970s, going overland to India through Afghanistan and Pakistan, nine months in Thailand, then Canada and the States for a year and South America. I worked and saved the money to go, and my parents thought they would never see me again.
I have travelled a lot privately and to a number of elections in Africa for the Dáil; I like the buzz. For a few years I travelled with an Irish friend who took the absolute minimum amount of clothes. You don't need that much; he was fanatical about packing as little as possible. The rule is to start with your feet and move up to socks, trousers, underwear and shirts.
We have three children and when they were young we used to take them to Crete a lot on holidays, taking a flight and then finding accommodation, and we always noticed the effect on them. They were always a little more mature, a little more grown-up, as a result of the experience. Travelling is good for people.
Colette O'Leary, buyer, Brown Thomas: 'I keep all my comfort items like body cream and lip balm with me, as well as bottled waters'
I have been a buyer for 15 years and travel for work seven or eight months a year to London, Paris, Milan and New York. When packing you need to think about the business you have to do on a trip and the type of weather; you need to look good whatever the circumstances, such as luggage not arriving. I usually travel in a trouser or skirt suit and pashmina and work around that with accessories, whatever the key items of the season are - a bag, belt or a brooch. You can do a lot with a suit; it's a good base, and I like Stella McCartney for fit and my size, though I never dress head-to-toe in one designer.
For long-distance flights, comfort is a priority, so I'll take cashmere and Juicy Couture pants and I'll always have a pair of denims in my bag, though for a long haul they're not the most comfortable. Sunglasses are very important for tired eyes and for sunnier climates.
I travel as light as possible, with one or two pieces of hand luggage, a Prada bag and a plain back trolley, but I keep all my little "comfort items" like body cream and lip balm with me, as well as bottled water. As for shoes, I am more of a boot person and they are a strong part of my wardrobe because you can wear them with jeans, skirts or suits. But for comfort, I also have a pair of flat Prada trainers. I can never travel without a pashmina, sunglasses, Crème de la Mer lip balm and any Jo Malone product.
Fionn Davenport, writer of the Irish Lonely Planet: 'Pack, then take out half the stuff and pack again'
Lightweight and compact are key words that should be etched onto all packers' minds. I carry everything in a sports bag and try not to check in luggage. If I am going to a hot climate, I bring as little as possible and buy clothes there. I travel twice a month and have tended to go to Asia, but for work, for practical reasons, I am based at home in Dublin. The only continent I have never worked in is Africa.
People make the mistake of packing their "nice" clothes and they get ruined. When I travel, for a month say, I bring three pairs of pants: jeans, and for work purposes, combats which are pretty handy for storing brochures, and then a half-decent pair of chinos for more formal wear. I usually bring a jumper rather than a jacket and bring dark rather than light colours. You should always show respect in dress and not disregard other people's culture - we export our ignorance and superiority in equal measure. And it's just as important in the so-called easy-going countries. The Thais dress up when they go out and they expect us to do the same and I am mindful of that. If I need a jacket, I buy it.
I usually bring two pairs of shoes, Meindels and a lightweight nylon pair that can be washed and dried in half an hour. I stuff socks and underwear into shoes and roll rather than fold clothes to minimise creasing and maximise space. A good tip is to pack, then take out half the stuff and pack again. Everybody brings more than they really need. I always bring a money belt, not a pouch, anything that sits comfortably close to the skin and doesn't irritate. As for luggage, I have never had a problem with Lowe Alpine and a rucksack with a daypack for notes and guidebooks. The best manufacturers of luggage are Canadian or German for rough-and-ready, but Tumi is indestructible - though expensive.
A final tip: bring prescriptions with you if you're on medication as brands and names of medicines can differ in other countries, and a small medical kit. And as I am a big reader, I always have a good book.
Caoimhe Buckley, senior corporate affairs manager: 'If travelling for personal reasons, I am usually better dressed, because I have a better chance of an upgrade'
I have always travelled for work and used it as a base for further travel. My plan is to visit every country in the Asia Pacific Rim. I get 33 days' holiday a year and work for the Standard Chartered Bank, the number one bank in Hong Kong. Before that I worked in media relations for the London Metal Exchange, and travelled to Shanghai and Beijing as well as to northern England - to wherever, in fact, there was metal. When I worked for Saatchi & Saatchi in Belgium, I travelled to Luxembourg, Amsterdam, Lyon and Stockholm.
If I am travelling for personal reasons I am usually better dressed because I have a better chance of getting an upgrade. If I am travelling business class, I can wear what I like. I wear layers so I don't get too hot or cold. The upgrade "look" is black trousers, a nice jacket and something simple underneath. High heels have to be very loose.
I am renowned for how little I take. Shoes depend on weather; in a hotter country, smart sandals, always flip-flops - I have a dressy pair to wear with a skirt. I take my DKNY tweed jacket everywhere because you can wear it with jeans or as part of a suit. I must have a jumper, but something that looks good over a blouse. I always have a small wash bag with all the testers from Clarins. Neal's Yard lavender mist is great for going to sleep.
I usually take a small, hardish case and if something doesn't fit, I won't take it. I always have a laptop, except on leisure trips, but I would love the Blackberry Palm Pilot. It is very expensive, but the top senior managers here have it.
I love Diesel, Sportsmax by Max Mara which is great for comfortable clothes, and for smart things, DKNY and Joseph. I buy in Dublin because the pound is stronger than the euro, so I get great bargains, and in Hong Kong, which is the best place in the world for shopping. My next big zones to explore are Africa and Latin America, and my company should take me to Nigeria or Botswana.
Cerri McQuillan, model: 'I paid €300 when my luggage was overweight'
I didn't start travelling properly until I was 16, two years ago, and since then it has been non-stop. I have been modelling in New York, Milan, Greece, Tokyo and Taiwan and I am off again in January to Tokyo, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Shanghai for eight months. Tokyo, in particular, was a real culture shock.
I always wear baggy trousers for long flights; in Tokyo I bought a pair of cream pyjama-style bottoms which were very inexpensive. I always wear a hoodie or a fleece and light T-shirts and trainers because your feet and ankles swell so much. What's important is a moisturiser. I use Simple for face and hands and Nivea lip balm.
I pack heavy stuff into carry-on luggage - shoes, cosmetics and electrical items - and put all my clothes in a rucksack for check-in. I once had to pay €300 going from Dublin to Milan because my luggage was overweight, so I am now very weight-conscious. I will always bring a jacket on the plane. Cosmetics, shampoo and clothes that I don't like, I leave behind when I am coming home.
I dress down because you get sick of wearing high-class clothes and I am not trying to impress anyone on the flights. The best airline is China Airlines. You get slippers, a bottle of water every hour, pillows and rugs: it's that bit more comfortable on a long haul.