Technology Helps and Hurts Summer Travelers

The Wall Street Journal has a couple of interesting stories today about how travelers are facing a difficult summer. AirTran Airways’ recent computer glitch (subscription only) forced travelers to form long lines at check in. In some cases, travelers even missed their flights because of the problem.

Says the Journal:

This could be a frustrating summer for travel as U.S. airlines pack more people onto fewer planes, while charging higher fares. With domestic U.S. capacity down and demand strong, airlines are expecting this summer to be their busiest since the agonizing summer of 2000. Load factors, or percentage of seats filled, are projected to peak at a record 85%.

Fortunately, the technically savvy traveler can mitigate their woes with a handful of tips and tricks that the WSJ has compiled courtesy of other road warriors. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Use products from PacSafe to protect your gear. One savvy traveler uses a steel net made by the company to secure his laptop and other goodies when he’s not in his hotel room.
• Use WiFiFreeSpot.com to find the nearest free WiFi to check your e-mail and post to your company blog between meetings.
• Check HotelChatter.com to find out which hotels in your destination city have the best WiFi access, to ensure that you stay in touch at all times.