blog

I just wanted to give you all an update on the technical issues that have plagued this blog since the middle of last week.

Unfortunately, our MySQL databases encountered a problem involving memory on the server. They became inoperative and messed up our Movable Type install. The problem has now been resolved.

I would have gotten to work on it sooner, but I was out of the country on vacation last week and did not have the necessary access.

Thank you for your patience. We now return to our regularly scheduled programming…

If you glance your eyes up towards the nav bar, you’ll notice that we’ve added a new link entitled “store.”

If you click on “store,” a new window will open. Within that window is a veritable treasure trove of travel accessories and gadgets. We’ll be adding more products to the store in the coming weeks, so be sure to stay tuned for that.

Anytime we recommend a product here, we’ll list it in the store so you can purchase it easily. And if you purchase stuff from our store, we get money back from our friends at Amazon, so it’s a great way to support your favorite biz travel blog.

My fiancé Andy Sparrow, who will be blogging about business travel now and again. Andy has logged a lot of hours in the sky this year and he knows just how grueling it is.

Let’s give him a big IFHQ welcome!

Boeing announced today that it would be shutting down the Connexion by Boeing service (which sponsors this blog). It was a great service that got a lot of love from its customers, the blogosphere, and the general public. Unfortunately, the business model did not bear out and wound up costing Boeing some $120m each year.

Glenn Fleishman wrote today that Lufthansa has vowed to get the service up and running on their own. They currently have 80 planes 80% of their planes equipped to offer in-flight WiFi.

Obviously, we’re saddened to hear about the end of Connexion. They’ve been great clients and friends of ours. In-flight WiFi may have suffered a setback today, but it’s still going to become a huge part of the future of air travel.

Future businesses will look to Connexion–both its mistakes and its successes–when deciding how best to provide this exciting service to clients.

Are you stuck in an airport somewhere? Delayed severely? Did your flight miraculously take off on time?

We’d love to hear what you’re dealing with out there, particularly if you’re in the UK.

Many thanks to Fast Company Magazine for sending love our way (subscription only). They think you should read us because:

Sponsored by Boeing’s in-flight Internet service, these bloggers offer advice and links to gear and services that make your time in the tin can more bearable (such as JetBlue’s free spa products for red-eye flights). Also: Opinionated reports on the airline industry’s missteps, such as Airbus’s Hannibal Lecter–inspired upright “seating.”

Gee! I guess they really liked it when I compared the horrendous “standing room only” seats to Hannibal Lecter on his gurney. I’m really glad someone else thinks I’m funny, because I was beginning to think I was the only one.

The other blogs featured in Michael A. Prospero’s article, entitled “On the Road…Again” were:

• Juliana Shallcross’ Hotel Chatter . Apparently, we can’t miss her annual review of the best and worst WiFi hotels.
• Shel Holtz’s Road Weary. His travel tales are so deeply steeped in woe that they put your laid-over-for-a-day-in-Denver story to shame. Shame!

So yeah, thanks to Michael A. Prospero, wherever you are, for covering us in your story. We’re definitely impressed by the wealth of travel tips and tricks over at Fast Company. You’ve obviously got good taste in sources for travel information. We’ll be paying attention.

I just wanted you to know that if you’ve been puzzled about the lag time between commenting on this site and seeing your comment published - it’s mostly because the spammers are in full-out attack mode at the moment.

Legitimate comments are being buried underneath piles and mounds and heaps of atrocious ads for Viagra and online poker. It’s really a mess.

At any rate - if there is a comment you’re especially concerned about, feel free to email me at teresa at blogbusinesssummit dot com.

I just posted over at Blog Business Summit about how The Wall Street Journal loves us and wants to marry us (subscription only).

Here’s what they wrote:

This blog, published by the Connexion by Boeing service, a unit of Boeing Co., says its intent is to provide “tools, tips, and techniques for being productive at 30,000 feet.” But the blog covers just about anything flight-related. Recent posts discuss ways airlines claim to have improved boarding speed and service.

In between pragmatic posts, the blog occasionally takes a comedy break. “Hilarious Flight Attendant Quips” lists a few of the more surprising comments to come over the in-flight intercom. For example, as a plane slowed to a stop at Reagan National Airport in Washington, “a lone voice came over the loudspeaker: ‘Whoa, big fella. WHOA!’ “

We would like to set the record straight on one matter. inFlightHQ is not actually “published by” Connexion by Boeing, though we do love them very dearly. Connexion is our exclusive sponsor. Basically, they make it possible for us to continue to bring you tips, tricks, and snakes on a plane. They decided to do this in order to reach out to those who log long and often difficult hours on the road each week.

So yeah, we love Connexion. They love you guys. The Wall Street Journal loves us. It’s almost overwhelmingly warm and cozy in here. Almost…

We’re thrilled to report that we got some links and love from Philip over at Starwood Hotels’ blog The Lobby today. We at The Blog Business Summit were very happy to see Starwood getting into the blogging game from the beginning, and have noted their steady improvement as bloggers.

In summation, we would like to say thanks for the lovin’ and the linkin’. You guys rule!

Ok . . . the [NYTimes correction](http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/02/pageoneplus/corrections.html) is as funny as the [original article](http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2006/04/25/business/20060425_SEATS_GRAPHIC.html) showing the Airbus concept of carrying passengers standing up with harnesses holding them in position. Who at Airbus let that idea get out? Someone was in a room, in a meeting and blurted out, “hey! let’s cram passengers in like they’re on a train from Osaka to Tokyo!”

The Guardian [reports on the arrest](http://arts.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1763398,00.html) of Snoop and five members of his entourage at [Heathrow airport](http://www.heathrowairport.com/) on Wednesday night after a huge brawl broke out after [British Airways](http://www.britishairways.com/) refused to allow the entire group into its VIP lounge. We’ve all tried to get upgrades, but if you’re Snoop, you give beat downs!

Man, I’m on a roll today with [the blogosphere](http://blogbusinesssummit.com/2006/03/the_blogosphere_1.htm)! It’s not often that I find material for a cross post between inFlightHQ and [Pug Blog](http://pugblog.com) and today we got [Mutt Muffs](http://www.safeandsoundpets.com/), which offer hearing protection for dogs in the cockpit. The site also offers [flying safety tips](http://www.safeandsoundpets.com/page/page/2816297.htm) for your dog.

New Kerala did an article about the fabulous Connexion service that sponsors this blog.

The most interesting part of the article was the survey conducted by Connexion that suggested 61% of passengers want to be able to use their cell phones while in transit. I have to say that I find that number a bit high, given all the complaints I hear from people worried that they’re going to allow cell phones.

Personally, I enjoy the brief respite that airplane travel allows me from my cell phone. I much prefer e-mail and AIM for business communication. And I certainly don’t want to have to listen to some rude schmuck making a sales call inches from my head.

Of course, if you have Web access on airplanes, there’s nothing to stop someone from making a call via Skype. But at least with Skype you don’t have the same ugly culture of people yelling into their phones. You can lean in to your computer’s nice microphone and whisper the same thing you feel compelled to shout to a whole room when you’re on your cell phone. And you can adjust the volume on your computer so that you don’t have to ask people to repeat themselves if the connection quality isn’t what you hoped for.

If airlines really must allow cell phone use during flight, they should at least restrict it to certain times and certain sections of the plane.

inFlightHQ has ascended to the top of the heap for blogs about business travel according to Technorati.

Sightings of Byron doing a victory dance have been reported throughout the land.

All us travelers love a good deal, so here’s a couple from the bloggers at inFlightHQ:

* 35% off plus free shipping on pre-orders of [Publish & Prosper: Blogging for Your Business](http://www.peachpit.com/title/0321395387), a Peachpit Press book that’ll teach you how to use blogging to talk with your customers, to build your brand, and sell your products! The book will be in stores this May. Use the code PP-234P-LKMS to buy now and save.

* $50.00 off registration for the Blog Business Summit’s [Essentials of Business Blogging Seminar](http://blogbusinesssummit.com/seminars/) . The seminar is in LA on March 16th. Use the code BYRON (a catchy code) when you register to get the discount.

I flew into San Jose airport yesterday and it was a pleasant relief from the LAXs of the world. Small, but clean, and quick to get in and out of. Reminded me of the Sitka airport, while old, it has less 70s brown in it.

I’m in Palo Alto for the [New Communications Forum](http://www.newcommforum.com/), where I’ll be on a panel about business blogging. Later this month, it’s back to LA for the [Essentials of Business Blogging](http://blogbusinesssummit/seminars/)and then SXSW for another panel about building a business with a blog.

The TP Insider said that a recent View from the Wing post reminded them of how “cool” we are.

Aww…shucks!

We think TP is cool, particularly the feature that allows travelers to start their own blogs. We’d love to know if any of our readers have blogs over there, or are planning to start any.

We also think View from the Wing rules the skies.

The inFlightHQ crew will be at the next Blog Business Summit Seminar in LA, at the Westin LAX. If you’d like to learn more about this whole business blogging thing, check the brochure, visit the Blog Business Summit Seminar blog and register now! The cost is $295.00.

CNN reports on the [legend of the DC3](http://www.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/01/17/dakota.anniversary/index.html?section=cnn_travel), a plane that has been flying since 1935. Reminds me of the time we flew [Kenmore Air](http://www.kenmoreair.com/sub_content.php?content_type=29) to Canada in a deHavilland Beaver and Pam can tell stories of Alaska’s bush planes [documented in a great book](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=as2&path=ASIN/0882405861&tag=texturadesign-20&camp=1789&creative=9325).

It’s come to our attention that the blog Online Travel Help just isn’t as awesome as InflightHQ. I’ve listed a number of reasons below:

• They’re not sponsored by Connexion.
• They’re big ugly copycats with nothing better to do than pirate original content from someone else’s blog and then add their own advertising.
• Gridskipper is way cooler because they blog about what others are blogging about without copying their posts.
• Their mother was a hamster and their father smells of elderberries.

But seriously folks, internet piracy of the kind that Online Travel Help is committing is just plain wrong. It’s one thing to use RSS aggregation software to aggregate news from lots of sites onto your blog, but it’s quite another to blatantly steal content from one other blog and then add your own advertising.

Fortunately, Byron found them and now we’re calling them out. This post will appear on their blog and I will take a screenshot and post it back here so the whole world can see how lame they are.

Take that, detractor!