Business Travel

Welcome to “premium economy.”

As business-class seats have consistently moved towards the luxury originally set aside for first class seats, European airlines have started phasing in a new level of ticket, often called premium economy.

The idea is to appeal to business travelers “on a budget” and people who are taking vacations but can spend a little bit extra on the tickets:

“It’s a smart business move because there’s been what I call class creep on an airplane,” said Henry Harteveldt, a travel analyst with Forrester Research. “What’s now called business class is almost what first class used to be. So premium economy is more like what business class used to be back in the 1980s, akin in many ways to U.S. domestic first class in terms of legroom.”

I’m sure it will change over time, but I’ve made my list of what I need to keep me happy on an airplane. Super cushy seats and high-class cutlery are not on the list.

For now, it looks like I’ll stick to the main cabin. Of course, if premium economy came with free wi-fi…

The Wall Street Journal decided to test out some of the luggage services that have been gaining traction recently.

What luggage services? (you ask)

According to the Journal there are companies that offer to pick your bags up at your door and deliver them to your destination—the door, again—so that you don’t have to deal with airline surcharges, hassles of luggage claim, security, or anything else the FAA might invent between now and next Tuesday.

How did the tests go? Are the services worth it?

The good news: No service failed the point-A-to-point-B test. The bad: Prices were so steep, from $122.19 to $198.23, the services can’t really be considered practical for frequent fliers or families with lots of luggage. (Procrastinators should also take note: Even if you opt for the higher-priced overnight service, you’re still stuck with the issue of having to pack and ship your bags ahead of going to the airport.)

And the real surprise: Four out of the five companies sent Federal Express or UPS to pick up our bags. Which begs another question: Why not just call the carriers on your own instead of paying for a third party to handle the task? For example, for that same $198.23 fee that our priciest shipper charged for a suitcase weighing up to 55 pounds (and insured for up to $1,500), FedEx quoted us a rate of $38.58, and UPS, $70.08.

So if you’re thinking about skipping the $15 luggage surcharge, try a different airline first

Apple’s announcement of the upcoming 3G iPhone (to be on sale July 11th) has me wondering: will Apple be able to take a bite out of the business market.

The new iPhone firmware is clearly aimed at co-opting a big chunk of the BlackBerry user base, with full ActiveSync and enterprise support that integrates with both Microsoft and Apple programs on Macs and PCs.

Essentially, Apple wants you to ditch the Blackberry and start carrying their phone instead.

I use an iPhone instead of a a blackberry or a Windows Mobile smartphone because of the web browsing. Most of the e-mail I send on my phone is short - the longer responses can usually wait until I’m back at my laptop and I can spit out a full response on a regular keyboard. And the iPhone is great for reading e-mail and checking out attachments.

But I know I’m in the minority here.

So here’s my question to you Blackberry touting road warriors - will faster network speed and full enterprise integration cause you to jump ship? Or are you sticking around for the keyboard?

Savvy business travelers should expect ticket prices to start jumping upwards soon as airlines start to conclude that charging $15 for checked luggage and selling in-flight snacks is not going to make up for the losses incurred from high oil costs and inadequate flight traffic systems.

I actually didn’t know, until I read in the New York Times today, that air traffic delays account for such a huge drain on the industry:

Last year, “air traffic delays raised airlines’ operating costs by $19 billion,” counting fuel, crew, maintenance and other costs incurred by planes circling and waiting to land or sitting at gates or on tarmacs beyond departure times, the report said.

Officially, about a quarter of all flights arrived late last year. But airlines routinely build extra time into the schedule for many flights, which “significantly underestimates the problem,” the report said.

Have you ever glanced at the screen when your ticket is scanned at the gate? It looks like a program running in Windows 95.

Upgrading the systems might be an expensive one-time cost, but if airlines could stop writing down a few billion dollars a year in red ink they might be able to better cope with the high oil prices and, coincidentally, stop asking us to pay these silly baggage fees.

Everyone knows that flights get delayed, canceled, moved, and now, airlines may also go bankrupt at a moment’s notice.

What’s the best way to make sure you aren’t caught with your pants down? Apparently the answer is to make sure you buy your tickets with a credit card.

What makes this different than a debit card, according to the New York Times, is that you can actually claim your money from the credit card company instead of from the airline:

Under the federal Fair Credit Billing Act, a credit card company is required to return your money for a service not supplied, like an airplane trip. Debit payment agencies are not.

In other words, by law, the credit card company can’t make you foot the bill for a canceled flight. This way they deal with the airline, and you keep your money and your time.

The New York Times has a recent story about how Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airport is starting to roll out “enhanced customer service” to handle the massive numbers of travelers that stream through their hallways every year.

As more business travelers are getting stuck spending more time in airports, I think we’ll see a lot of American airports start to resemble the European “mallports” that seem to be all over the place.

Traditional fast food spots and magazine stands will probably continue to be supplemented with full service restaurants and clothing or accessories stores.

Enhanced customer service, like that practiced by Ms. Ellis, goes only so far. Airports have been adding amenities, too: more spas, massage centers, walk-in medical clinics, wine bars, lounges with showers, pet centers, art exhibitions, performances and free Wi-Fi. At Hartsfield, there are even places to buy stamps, mail a package and rent a cellphone.

As you know, free Wi-Fi sounds particularly interesting to me

When I fly, I usually show up to the airport REALLY early, so that I can get through security at whatever pace the line is moving on that particular day, and then spend the bulk of my time (hopefully) working at the gate. But I know a lot of people who are far less zen about their travel.

I was reading this piece in the New York Times about, roughly, how safe air travel really is.

The price of that safety is of course a combination of regulations (which have apparently been slack, lately) and travel security. I’m curious, as frequent business travelers, do you feel safer flying than you do traveling by other means? Do you think it’s worth the hassle of security?

Had a chance to sit down with airport guru Harriet Baskas today, and learned a lot about how airports are (or are not) catering to the needs of business travelers. One of the topics I wanted to get into with her about was the dearth of power outlets in most airports. I wanted to ask if any facilities have caught a clue and have installed ample power sources. Regrettably, we ran out of time.

Lo and behold in her current column in USA today she answers my question:

Travelers passing through Austin-Bergstrom International Airport have access to 900 electric outlets along the 24 gate concourse. In Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport there are currently 2,100 free power outlets, including those inside eight airline-club-inspired Samsung travel centers. More power is on its way.

According to the Telegraph.

The European Commission has apparently decided to approve the use of mobile phones and mobile phone equipment on planes in Europe, but most everything else is up to the airlines and the mobile phone carriers:

The final decision will be left to individual airlines, with Bmi, Ryanair and Portugal’s TAP planning to offer the service. Emirates and Air France have already launched trails [sic] on some routes.

However, not all airlines support the plans – Lufthansa have announced that it will not introduce the service. Surveys had shown that a large majority of customers were against it, said a spokesman for the German airline.

It’s not really a surprise to me that customers are unhappy with the addition of mobile phones to plane flights. Nobody wants to sit next to “that guy.”

Last week there was an article in the New York Times about business travelers who found inspiration for their current work while on business trips. The idea is simple: who gets ideas when they sit in a drab little cubicle? People need external stimulation:

Creative inspiration often strikes at the most unexpected times — in the shower, while out for a walk or lying on the sofa — and with depressingly less frequency at the office when workers are actually paid to generate it. But business travel can be fertile ground for discovering creative ideas for work or even a new business, many travelers say.

While I don’t spend most of my time sitting in a cubicle, and while I do find a lot of airport architecture to be pretty amazing, business travel is not usually creative time for me.

Is it creative time for you?

Business 2.0 has an awesome piece up about how to mitigate, deal with, or beat various snags that will inevitably turn up in the schedule of any seasoned traveler.

Some of the tips are more obvious than others (like traveling with a wi-fi card instead of relying on hotspots), but some of the services, numbers, and tips are pretty original. For example:

There are no federal regulations governing how airlines should help passengers affected by delayed flights, so take matters into your own hands. Dial the airline’s customer service number while you’re in line to change your ticket; you might find an open seat before you reach the counter. Another option is to head to the frequent-flier lounge. Even if you’re not a member, you can buy a one-day pass and make use of the less harried lounge staff to rebook your trip.

Go poke through the whole article for the complete set of tricks.

Remember when I told you about the TSA experiment to split the security lines by level of experience?

Peter Kim tweets about the practical result:

New Logan TSA expert line = full. Family line = empty. The real “experts” drop their ego and go through the faster line.

David Willaims, at least, calls it “flight induced brain drain,” and when he says it he means something slightly different than the definition listed in Wikipedia.

The New York Times briefly chronicled his mental meanderings the other day, where he wonders what has happened to the brains of normally intelligent, frequently lonely people:

Recently, while I was waiting to board a flight to Los Angeles, I noticed a young professional man stealing glances at a young professional woman every time he could peel his eyes away from his BlackBerry.

As luck would have it, the woman, also an avid BlackBerry user, was seated next to me on the plane. So I stepped in, hoping to save the day, by offering my seat to this fellow. He accepted my offer, but then was too scared to mumble a “hello” during the entire three-hour flight.

It was unbelievable. I gave up my seat, gave him a shot and he didn’t make the most of it. What was he thinking? He could have at least said, “Nice BlackBerry.”

I guess the lesson here is: productivity on a flight doesn’t always mean hitting the keys. Spare your brain some grueling work-work, and spend some time talking to the people around you, or at least paying attention to what’s going on.

Maybe you’ll end up a little bit sharper at the end of the flight.

But only to the really, really important people.

According to Business Traveller, the German airline Lufthansa is offering PAs to it’s primo customers for assistance through security on departure, and through customs, etc. on arrival—assuming you depart or arrive in London. The site says:

The service – which is available to eligible passengers departing, arriving or connecting at the London airports – has been trialing for three months at Heathrow’s Terminal 2, where an average of 50 passengers per day have been using it.

How do you become eligible for such service? Either fly First Class, or become a HON member on the airline, which requires more than 600,000 miles in a two year period. It’s a snap.

I happen to think this is a pretty cool idea.

There are all different types of travelers, and they all go through security at different rates. There’s the woman who somehow simultaneously empties her pockets, removes her shoes, and places her laptop in a separate bin.

Then there’s the bumbling but kind-looking man who can’t seem to figure out that he’s still wearing sunglasses, two watches, and has a chain linking his wallet to his pants (actually, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this guy).

The TSA is experimented with segmenting lines based on how “experienced” a traveler thinks they are at getting through security. From BTOnline:

TSA last month introduced the lanes at Salt Lake City International Airport and Denver International Airport, with three separate checkpoint options for families and people requiring special assistance, casual travelers and expert travelers. Screening levels and procedures are identical across all lane types. Passengers are not required to go into a specific lane, TSA spokesperson Carrie Harmon said.

Cool!

The New York Times wrote yesterday about the air shuttles that have traditionally run on the hour (or half hour, depending on the airline) from New York to Boston and Washington.

The two carries that run the air shuttles, US Airways and Delta, have both decided to start offering certain perks to justify the high ticket price and to bring customers back from the trains that travelers have recently defected to:

US Airways now offers a first-class compartment, a change partly born of necessity, since the airline wanted the flexibility to move aircraft between the shuttle and its mainline operation. On the day of departure the airline allows fliers to upgrade from coach for $50.

US Airways also allows fliers to reserve seats in advance, while Delta has an open-seating policy in its cabins. Both offer free wine, beer, coffee and snacks, more generous legroom and dispense free newspapers and magazines in their boarding lounges.

Any which way you slice it, the travel industry has been hurting in various places ever since 2001. Business travel has traditionally remained strong, which may explain why they’re betting that high prices and perks is a better choice than cutting options and ticket costs.

OK, this is genius: StashCard.

I’ve had three laptops, and I don’t think I’ve used the PC Card slot in any one of them (you can get USB adapters for things like the Verizon mobile internet card).

This little cartridge lets you load up a PC slot with SD cards and cash, safely out of sight.

I know, I know: why would you stick your valuables inside of your bigger, more obvious valuable? Two reasons:

1. You’re going to feel like James Bond
2. It won’t get pick-pocketed

Just don’t do it while you’re going through the security checkpoint. It might start some searches you’d rather avoid.

According to the New York Times, Southwest and JetBlue, traditionally vacation-friendly discount airlines (although I fly Southwest a lot, anyways) are trying to edge into the larger and more money-making business travel markets by introducing new perks.

Remember when Southwest added their business select boarding option? That was just the first step.

Southwest is also planning to offer discounts to certain corporate travel buyers, a stance that is a reversal from their earlier positioning, and along with JetBlue, offer Wi-Fi connectivity in-flight.

Regardless of whether or not the ticket prices drop for business travelers, or whether or not there are “business class” seats available at all, I think any airline with in-flight Wi-Fi is going to see a significant boost in business travelers.

Last week British Airways sent the word out that they are planning to open a new section at Heathrow airport on March 27th called Terminal 5 (click link for promo site).

Unfortunately, the site copy and the e-mail focus more on how many passengers they can funnel through than on the productivity environment. I shot a few quick questions over to BA, and this is what I got:

—————————————-

A lot of the copy on the terminal5 web site focuses on relaxing, security, and checking in for your flights. What kind of business productivity options are available in the terminal? Will there be free wi-fi in selected spots? Throughout the whole terminal?

There are dedicated work and entertainment zones in the lounges with computers,printers and outlets. Terminal 5 has six areas with internet kiosks. There is also high-speed wireless internet throughout the terminal for purchase, but is complimentary in all of the lounges.

What about stations where people can charge their electronics? Will there be outlets for European and US gadgets, or just the UK plugs?

At this time, there are no plug sockets for customers in the general BAA retail/seating areas for health and safety reasons relating to the need for all appliances to be PAT certified in the UK (Portable Appliance Testing).

I’m also curious about the “Flight Connections Centre” - most of the time I think it’s handy to be able to look up your next flight’s gate right when you exit the plane, rather than having to converge on some particular listings area. Most airports now have the arrivals/departures monitors scattered around near various gates so travelers don’t have to do too much accidental back-tracking. Is this something that terminal5 plans to do without?

Up to 90 per cent of British Airways transfers will take place through Terminal 5. The transfer channels will be highlighted with purple signs making it easy for customers to connect from one flight to another. An underground track transit system has been installed throughout Terminal 5 to transfer customers between the buildings. All passengers connecting through Heathrow Terminal 5 will be directed to the Flight Connections Center located at the center of the terminal building, just a short walk from the gate. In most instances you’ll simply have your boarding pass scanned, before proceeding through security and into our spacious departure lounge ready to board your next flight.

—————————————-

I’ve griped about it before: I’m sorry to hear that Wi-Fi isn’t free and pervasive, but I think it’s only a matter of time before we start seeing that happen. In the meantime, stick to the lounges I guess.

And if you’re curious about the BA highlights, this is according to the e-mail I got:

Key highlights:

* With 96 self-service kiosks and 140 customer service desks, customers will experience little to no queues. Passengers will be through security in less than 10 minutes.
* The layover experience will be far superior with 112 retail stores and restaurants– the largest retail offering of any UK airport– among other amenities.
* The terminal will be capable of handling 30 million customers a year and will have one of the most advanced baggage systems in the world, capable of handling at 12,000 bags per hour at up to 30km per hour. This is possible through the unique system which recognizes where the bags are against the clock, allowing late running bags, in particular transfer bags to be delivered right to the aircraft side by the baggage system. No other major airport has such a system.
* The largest airport lounge complex in the world is made up of six lounges to accommodate 2,500 passengers. They will be available for British Airways’ premium customers and will feature a host of luxurious facilities including a gold leaf bar, private cabanas and Elemis travel spas.

The New York Times reported on the 19th that US Airways has decided to stop crediting the industry-standard minimum 500 frequent flier miles for its Dividend Miles program:

The change affects passengers who fly short-haul trips of less than 500 miles, including those who use the US Air shuttle between New York and Boston and Washington. Under the previous policy, passengers were awarded a minimum credit of 500 miles a flight, which is standard practice in major airlines’ frequent-flier programs.

In other words, if you’re shuttling on short business flights and racking up 500 miles a piece, you’re no longer going to be able to do that with US Airways.

The airline has also decided to charge a $25 “quick-ticketing fee” for anyone who uses miles to purchase a ticket within 14 days of their departure.

So if you’re planning to use your miles for a flight, make sure you’re planning far enough ahead.