As an investor, I'm positive that you've pondered portfolio possibilities provided by the new air travel restrictions. While the situation that caused these changes remains serious, the investment ideas that some pundits have tossed around have provided more entertainment than the Three Stooges in their prime. While these ideas were well-intended (otherwise they wouldn't receive air or press time), they fall short in the imagination and reality departments.

The following subjects were discussed on television, online, and in newspapers. The 'silly' ideas are addressed, along with my personal reality checks. While my input may sound cynical, it's only because I'm disturbed with a media that tries to make the elimination of terrorism a chore, when - in reality - most travelers are pleased that innocent lives have been protected thus far.

Shampoo as an investment: It was said that shampoos might receive a boost in sales, as passengers will need to purchase a new bottle everytime they debark an airline. Who are these reporters kidding? Every hotel that I ever visited offered free shampoo to their customers. Additionally, friends at the other end of the line never want you to buy anything?they always have what you need if they're true blue buddies. Finally, a sensible solution is to wrap that shampoo in a plastic bag and pack it into your checked luggage. Simple.

Bottled water will take a hit: Bottled water might take a dump, one reporter added, since passengers can no longer take this commodity on board. While airlines have deleted pillows and blankets, they always have bottled water on hand. This offering may not change, especially since carry-on liquids aren't allowed. The only change that I see - if airlines are smart - is that they'll begin to charge for all drinks, rather than offer them for free. It's not like their consumers are going to step out to find more competitive prices.

Duty-free sales will die: Duty-free sales of perfume and liquor received a hit the day that these items were banished from carry-on transportation. When British Airways announced an indefinite suspension of all of its in-flight duty-free sales, they put a crimp into sales of other items as well. This meant that designer handbags, scarves, and toys also experienced a profit barrier.

The marketing departments behind these companies aren't dense. There are ways around this problem if retail sales are allowed to continue, and retailers and wholesalers will find that avenue, whatever it may be. Additionally, one reason that duty-free and regular stores within airports took a hit during the day that changes were made in travel restrictions was because passengers were too busy rearranging their luggage to shop. It will take weeks before any real damage to airline and airport retail sales are assessed.

Package delivery service profits will skyrocket: Frankly, the new restrictions have brought a sigh of relief to my lips, as I'm tired of toting liquids around in carry-on luggage. Water and shampoo bottles are heavy, and I always pack more than I need. Lessening the load, however, doesn't seem to be an option for many travelers. I've seen people with as many as fourteen bags struggle to ticket counters. They make me wonder if its cheaper to move a household by commercial airline rather than to hire a transport company.

Amazingly, these heavy-laden fliers have begun to utilize luggage delivery firms rather than add to lines at airport security checks, according to CNNMoney. Luggage delivery companies offer door-to-destination services, so customers can arrive at the airport baggage-free. When passengers arrive at their destination, their luggage awaits them. This beats dragging bags to package delivery services. Additionally, the latter companies didn't report a boost in sales from these changes despite propheteering.

Disaster of disasters - leave the laptop at home: While carry-on travel restrictions when this article was written affect only international flights between America and Great Britain, you might expect further restrictions from and between other countries and on domestic flights as the weeks go by. Great Britain has set the example where people cannot take laptops, mobile phones, portable music devises, or cameras onto a plane. All these items must be packed into checked luggage. So, if you currently fly to England with your laptop, you'll discover that you'll need to check that laptop on your return trip.

New rules, therefore, call for flash drives to replace traveling laptops, so that travelers can continue their work on a borrowed or rented computer at their destination. Or, look for luggage materials that can protect fragile items against a carrier's checked luggage brutalities. Rather than look to shampoo as an investment, you might look at packing materials such as foam, bubble wrap, and duct tape instead (Now I'm beginning to sound like a Homeland Security echo?).

In the end: When my daughter and I were involved with the London bombings last summer, we were distressed and frustrated over how the American media portrayed that disaster. They looked for more chaos and despair than Londoners and that city's visitors were willing to display. Granted, that event wasn't a happy one, but people are resilient and survivors go on with their altered lives.

The situation that created the new travel restrictions was different than the London Bombings, as lives were spared. I wonder, then, why media allow terrorists to revel in the idea that the world has been "thrown into chaos" by a foiled plot. Passengers continue to seem more willing to conform to changes in their plans to protect their lives than the media want to report.

So, my last word is to take investment suggestions offered by sensationalist reporters with a grain of salt. Instead, look to a future where flying will be safer than ever, and where a certain television ad that shows a man's carry-on bag falling repeatedly on a female passenger's head will vanish due to lack of relevance.

Until Next Week,
Linda Goin