Before leaving home, make sure to take items that you’ll need during flights, cruises and hotel stays. Don’t forget electronics, clothing, toiletries, head phones, packaged food, aspirins, neck pillow, sleep mask, small plastic water bottle, cookies or other usual travel necessities. Days before you begin your journey, get all of the required items at local stores to pack with your luggage. If you need to buy any of them at airport shops, you’ll pay two or three times the usual retail store price.

Of course, they have the well-earned reputation of being man’s best friend. Dogs help the blind, kids and elderly, do home security and dozens of other positive chores. However, they are animals, and in certain situations even the most docile dog can literally bite the hand that feeds him.

Recently a flight attendant was severely bitten by a passenger’s service dog. She was helping a handicapped man into a seat, and by separating the dog from its master for just a moment, the attendant inadvertently caused the dog to panic and attack.

Your travel4seniors.com editor had a similar incident. One evening several months ago, I passed a woman walking a dog that was wearing a bright costume after being in a Halloween street parade. I put my hand out to pat the dog’s paper hat. I immediately suffered a severe bite that required a dozen stitches in the hospital emergency room.

The basic mistake the flight attendant and I made was not realizing how nervous and upset the dogs were. They had been taken from quiet homes to very busy, confusing, noisy environments. Further, the traveling dog was placed on a crowded, loud, shaking airplane when it struck out in panic.

Bottom line: When traveling in parades, airports or aircraft, don’t reach suddenly to pet a strange canine. Even those well-trained, docile comfort dogs can suddenly panic and instinctively attack.

As operating costs continue to rise in never-ending world inflation, passengers now are required to pay for formerly free services. So, when you book your next flight at an advertised bargain ticket cost, be aware that you’ll often pay additionally for both checked and carry-on bags.

With most bargain airlines, you may now only bring one small personal item for free, and it must fit under the seat in front of you. Otherwise, your flight price can go up another $25 to $50 per bag.

Your travel4seniors.com editor snapped this tender midnight unposed moment in front of a Fremont Street café. Note the guy’s knees are dusty, possibly from kneeling. This may indicate that the next stop-and-kiss for the loving couple was to be at an all-night Vegas wedding chapel.