January 2007

Two large religious based travel organizations, Religious Market Consulting Group and Christian Travel Finder, are merging into the World Religious Travel Association (WRTA). The organization plans and advises for the faith-based travel sector, which is expected to reach over $18 billion dollars next year. VP Honnie Korngold, explained that the goal of WRTA is to “not only educate the trade about faith-based travel, but also the consumer – for example, educating pastors and religious group leaders themselves about the value and benefits of travelling together as a community.”

The Alaska Air Group subsidiary, Horizon Air, was named Regional Airline of the Year, by the editors of Air Transport World. A well deserved award in my view…..the airline has always set a great example as an efficient, well-run, reliable carrier. The Seattle-based airline was cited by ATW for its ’strong brand and product identity in its local markets, technical leadership, friendly passenger service and profitability’.

To view the article, including additional awards, go here.

Congradulations, Horizon Air!

British Airways announced yesterday that it has come to an agreement (at least for now) with it cabin staff branch to call off the scheduled strikes spread over this month and next.
British Airways was very generous in allowing customers to make alternate travel arrangements and easing up on change fee’s, etc.

The airline claims to be operate a full schedule as of today, but from experience, I would definitely recommend checking with British to confirm the flights status–operationally as well as catering (i.e. special meals ordered) and onboard amenity issues.
Watch for some great fares to come out of this……

This is perhaps the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.

There is a new social networking site called AirTroductions. You sign up, fill out a profile, and describe the type of person you would like to sit next to on a flight or to have dinner/drinks with post-flight. Then list your upcoming flights whenever you travel. If the site finds you a match can get your seats switched so you sit next to that person. It also tries to match you with potential dinner or drinking companions for post-flight fun.

I know when I was traveling all over the country last year, I got a little tired of being squished between two overweight snorers. I also got tired of eating alone in Airport restaurants. I got even more tired of drinking alone in Airport bars.

Silverjet is yet another business class only airline entering the fray to capture a slice of the lucrative upper-end business travel market. They offer one flight per day service between London’s Luton airport and Newark in New York. According to CNN, Silverjet offers:

“Thirty-minute check-in times at a dedicated terminal and onboard services including wireless Internet and plasma TV screens. Each Silverjet aircraft has 100 business class flat beds, with individual food service, personal in-flight entertainment systems and a separate ladies toilet.”

Regarding the “Green” aspect, CNN reports that Silverjet “is also playing the green card, highlighting the mandatory offset contribution included in its ticket prices.”

I can’t tell you how many times while on a flight I hear: ‘It’s really cold–can you turn up the heat?’. Usually the passenger is next to a window–or worse yet, one of the window exits. If you are like me and prefer a window seat, try taking the chill off with this USB powered blanket from Brando. Just be careful it doesn’t lull you into a nice long nap……

While attending the Consumer Electronics Show recently, the buzz was not about the latest 100″+ Plasma TV from Panasonic or new Digital SLR’s from Canon and endless new renditions of iPod docking stations, but…..you guessed it….the iPhone announced by Apple, Inc. While the chronological overlapping of MacWorld and CES this year was apparently by design, Apple could not have asked for a
better ‘captured’ audience than the one at CES. All eyes were on Steve Jobs the morning of his keynote…..clearly Apple is here to stay and will continue to be a threat to other consumer electronic retailers and designers in the years to come.

While navigating the continuous maze of TV’s, car stereo’s and GPS navigation devices, I will admit my level of excitement was subdued compared to past visits.
Maybe its the format wars, maybe it was just the crowds.

But don’t get me wrong—-my pulse goes up just arriving at the airport with all the ‘Welcome to CES’ banners and CES still is and always will be the best place in the world to fuel my gadget obsession and converse with the manufacturers of all these great toys.

In the next few posts, I will offer up a few of the latest items that will help make your travels more productive at 30,000 feet.

Only 4 days left to sign up for the current reduced price of $14.95 per year to use Skype for unlimited U.S. and Canada calling. Effective February 1st, the price goes up to $29.95…..still a great value, considering it includes an hour of international calls and $50 in coupons for accessories such as Motorola headsets or Netgear and Belkin WiFi phones.

Effective on 1/23/07, all persons, including U.S. citizens traveling by air to and from the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda are required to present a ‘valid passport, Air NEXUS card, U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, if applicable.’

Also, according to the U.S. Department of State, it is the intention of the Department of Homeland Security to extend this requirement include traveling by land or sea (including ferries), as early as January 1, 2008.

The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory, as they are not considered to have left the United States.
U.S. territories include the following: Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

The bottom line: get a passport (sooner than later).

For more information go here, or call 1-877-487-2778 for assistance in applying for a passport.

The Wall Street Journal reports today that for the 787 program, Boeing has “decided to move away from wireless in-flight entertainment, or IFE, after determining the technology wasn’t going to work as well as initially believed.”

The weight of the system, along with wiring challenges were cited as the main reasons. I say hooey to all that. The main reason to scrap the system can be defined in one word: iPod.

In the next few years, every passenger will be carrying their own in-flight entertainment system, whether it’s an iPod or a laptop/player with a DVD drive.

Dear Boeing and Airbus: Forget all these centralized command and control entertainment systems that seemed futuristic during the Clinton administration. Just give us power outlets.

Alison Overholt reports in the Feb 2007 issue of Fast Company magazine (Web access requires code from page 10 of print mag) that there is hope after the folding of our beloved Connexion service. Two new services are emerging.

“Australian startup ASiQ is shopping around an on-board antenna system weighing just 66 pounds with a mercifully lighter $60,000 price tag…Saudi Airlines will introduce the service in late 2007.”

AND:

“AirCell will operate a series of base stations–just like mobile-phone companies–and equip planes with an “antenna about the size of a Coke can…The network will launch late next year or early 2008.”

An Australia man was recently kicked off a Qantas airlines flight from Melbourne to London, for wearing an anit-Bush T-Shirt. The shirt, which read “World’s #1 terrorist” and had a picture of the President, was deemed objectionable.

Qantas airlines has a policy against potentially disruptive or controversial speech on flights, and the shirt fell into that category. Additionally, it is generally not a good idea to wear or carry anything onto an airplane with the word “terrorist.” It tends to make people uncomfortable.

As of this morning, all inter-country travelers in the Western Hemisphere will require passports. Homeland Security has called for this change after the previous requirement was a driver’s license or photo ID.

Decades of terror-free skies and inflated business travel budgets led to a very competitive air travel industry. This looks to change over the next few years as the majority of major US airlines look to merge or commit hostile takeovers.

Currently, United and Continental are in the middle of merger talks. Since Continental is partially owned by Northwest, this would largely eliminate competition between three major airlines.

Delta is in the process of fighting off a hostile takeover from US Airways which continues to increase its bid on the airline. This comes shortly after a US Airways consolidation of America West Airlines.

AirTran continues to increase its bid for Midwest Air Group, an increasing unprofitable airline which prides itself on undersold flights, comfortable seats, and cookies on its flights.

The flood of mergers and takeovers will likely lead to a more profitable air travel industry with fewer routes being flown and higher fares for fliers.

People complain about airline food all the time. And why wouldn’t they? For the most part it’s pretty damn gross.

But on top of being suspect taste-wise, meals in the sky can also be packed with way more calories and fat than you would typically consume in a meal. For those who only fly occasionally, this isn’t a huge deal. But those in-flight meals can really add up if you’re a business traveler. And with unpredictable exercise opportunities, it can be really hard to treat yourself well on the road.

Here are the nutritional values on some of those meals according to the most recent issue of Shape magazine.

Breakfast: Delta’s cheese omelet, turkey bacon, roasted potatoes, blueberry muffin and fresh fruit combo packs a whopping 616 calories and 30 grams of fat.

Lunch: Continental’s personal cheese pizza has 812 calories and 27 grams of fat.

Business-Class: American’s rosemary lam chops with broccoli-tomato medley and potato wedges has 960 calories and 65 grams of fat.

Snack Pack: Southwest’s pack of cheese and crackers, sandwich cookies and fruit snacks has 550 calories and 24 grams of fat.

Requesting a low-fat vegetarian option may be your best bet. For example, Northwest Airlines serves a vegetarian wrap with 167 calories and 4 grams of fat. Now that’s more my speed!

Air Canada was recently recognized by Global Traveler magazine as the Best Airline in North America after a six-month survey of business travelers. This should not be too surprising given the amount of cuts US airlines have made over the last few years in order to turn profitable. For those of you flying up north soon, Air Canada offers “a superior product.”

I’ve been a big advocate of special women-only seating for any number of travel venues ever since I found myself discomfited by the wandering hands of a purportedly “sleeping” male seatmate a few years ago. It looks like Russian Railways understands the need.

What do you guys think? Would you feel like this was preferential treatment for female passengers or do you support these kinds of accommodations for women who feel uncomfortable being squeezed into close quarters with unfamiliar men?

The Bush administration announced that it is checking the accuracy of the US no-fly list, and plans to cut the list in half. This comes as a result of numerous people being kept off flights who were clearly not terrorists, such as Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, as well as a recent lawsuit involving airport screening.

At this rate. someday we’re going to be able to use our notebook computers to power our homes. Yet another cool USB-powered device is the USBCell. It looks like a regular AA battery, but it’s lid opens to reveal a USB connector. Plug it in and recharge–no wall outlet required. About $12 each.

It’s pretty easy to get run down by the insanity of travel. Everyone has different ways of coping with the challenges, but I find it’s nice to pamper myself a bit. Sometimes the difference between making it through a 4-hour delay on the tarmac and blowing your top at the flight attendant is a nice moisturizer or, in this case, a very very nice laptop bag with a matching clutch bag from Violet May.

I’m partial to the model in peacock and blue lilac.