Getting wine home safely

Wine lovers frustrated by the Transportation Security Administration's carry-on liquids restriction now have another alternative to flying home empty-handed or with wine-stained shirts in their checked luggage.

BottleWise has unveiled padded, liquid-tight pouches that can be packed easily in checked-in suitcases.

BottleWise Duo, as the new product is called, features padded, insulated sleeves that safeguard up to two 750-milliliter bottles from bang-ups and temperature fluctuations.

If the bottles do break, the two interior, liquid-tight pouches promise to stop the wine from spilling all over the owner's other belongings.

Unlike hard-shell carrying cases, the BottleWise Duo flattens so it doesn't take up luggage space when not in use.

The bag, which has an adjustable shoulder strap, sells for $48.95 in three colors - black, bordeaux, and cork. For more information or for purchases, visit bottlewise.com.

New hub for Skybus in N.C.

Skybus Airlines' passengers leaving from Portsmouth, N.H., will no longer need to catch a connecting flight at the carrier's hub in Columbus, Ohio - at least not the travelers heading to Greensboro, N.C.

The low-cost carrier will introduce two daily direct flights, starting Jan. 15, between Portsmouth International Airport and Piedmont Triad International Airport, the airline's new, second hub. The Piedmont airport, which serves the Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point areas, will offer direct Skybus flights twice a day to Columbus and the Fort Myers and Punta Gorda regions of Florida.

The airline will start running one direct flight a day to four more locations in January: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; the Jacksonville and Daytona Beach areas of Florida; Gulfport-Biloxi, Miss.; and the Hartford and Springfield areas through the Westover Metropolitan Airport in Chicopee. On Feb. 25, Skybus will introduce a direct flight from Piedmont to the Los Angeles area through the Bob Hope International Airport in Burbank.

Skybus's claim to fame is that it offers 10 seats for $10 each on every flight. Tickets for the Greensboro flights are on sale at skybus.com.

NICOLE C. WONG