Travelers" Tricks - NYTimes.com Travelers" Tricks To the Editor: Regarding "Get Them to the Debate on Time: Reporters" Tips" (Practical Traveler, Jan. 1), on our honeymoon to New Zealand and Australia, we ended up with soft-sided bags and could not have been happier. Soft bags without wheels give you nearly twice as much packing space, and when packed right, they often fit under an airline seat (avoiding the nightmare rush for overhead space). Karen Chelsey Long Island To the Editor: Emulating my travel hero, I reduced my suits to one. When crossing in front of the airport, a taxicab snagged one of my pant legs, tearing it. With Band-Aids from a flight attendant, I taped an "L" inside my suit over the tear and lived with it for three weeks. No one noticed. I traveled more than 20 years after that with two identical suits and a small roll of adhesive tape, permitting me to exchange parts in case of a "wardrobe malfunction." Steve Adams Culpeper, Va.