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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

It seems like just about every week there’s a new reason to avoid flying, and other industries are sniffing around for ways to take a chunk out of the market.

This week it’s the trains in Europe. Business Traveller reported recently that the York train station now boasts free Wi-Fi provided by National Express East Coast, which manages the station and also provides free Wi-Fi on all of its trains.

The quote from the station manager, Steve Soards, says it all:

“A major advantage of choosing the train over alternatives such as driving or flying is the ability to stay connected to the internet throughout the journey. For business passengers our wifi creates a productive mobile office, with the ability to send and receive emails as well as to access the internet. Staying online throughout a journey can mean the difference between clinching a deal or losing out.”

I’m think the airline industry needs to stop playing defense and start playing offense. Trying to tack little fees onto luggage and food is going to make people mad.

Offering productivity services, especially basic ones like free wi-fi (maybe you get to purchase extra or dedicated bandwidth?) is probably a much better approach to finding new revenue streams.

It’s no secret that the experience of flying is, with the exception of the ultra-luxurious, getting more and more frustrating. But when travelers have a bad trip, it’s not just the airlines that suffer.

Many Hotels and travel services like Travelocity are starting to pick up the slack in the travel experience by offering additional services or trying to provide information where the airlines have dropped the ball:

Affinia Hotels, with properties in New York, Chicago and Washington, recently began maintaining guest profiles so that its hotels can have things like yoga mats, laptop chargers and other items guests may want in their room but don’t want to lug on a plane. In response to American Airlines’ plans to charge $15 each way for the first checked bag, Loews Hotels is reimbursing guests this summer with bag fee receipts up to $30.

Or check out what Travelocity is doing to make sure you have a place to sleep:

After discovering a pattern of dropped reservations at certain hotels, Travelocity hired a company in India to call the hotels ahead of customer stays to make sure they were prepared for the guests. The company says this has reduced the incidence of dropped reservations in two years to less than 1 percent from as high as 20 percent.

The lesson here seems to be: If you can spare the change to do your booking through a service instead of just grabbing a credit card and heading to yourfavoriteariline.com, you’ll end up with a little extra padding for the bumps and hassles that almost inevitably go with air travel.

Like many people, I do several stupid, inconvenient things “on principle.” Things like always checking my luggage because after all, if airlines wanted you to carry all your luggage with you in the cabin they wouldn’t offer to check your bags.

And beyond that, it takes time to shove overstuffed canvas into bins above your head (probably the un-cited cause of many a delayed flight), and everyone usually looks stupid doing it.

But I think I’m going to have to swallow my pride and look like an idiot the next time I fly on American Airlines: they’ve decided to charge $15 for one checked bag (with some exclusions):

Today, American introduced a $15 fee for the first checked bag, given the increasing costs of transporting checked baggage. This fee, which is effective for tickets purchased on or after June 15, does not apply to: American’s AAdvantage program members who have achieved AAdvantage Gold, AAdvantage Platinum and AAdvantage Executive Platinum level; those who have purchased full-fare tickets in the Economy, Business and First Class cabins; and those with international itineraries.

To be fair, American Airlines does cite ridiculous fuel prices and a sluggish American economy as reasons for introducing new fees and dropping a significant percentage of their “available seat miles flown.” And I’m sure they are hurting for those reasons. The real question is how much of their business the new fees will kill, given that other Airlines may not follow suit.

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.

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.

I have often wondered exactly how crushed things end up in the hold where my checked baggage goes.

I’ve done the usual bubble-wrap, packing paper, and soft clothes tricks in order to keep things alive during my trips, but they always take up a bunch of extra space and require a bunch of extra effort.

Which is why these micro cases look so intriguing. Look at what the promo copy on the site has to say:

The Pelican Micro Case Series™ is perfect for your cell phones, PDA’s, pagers and other personal gadgets and items. The new Micro Case Series are crushproof (withstands up to a 5,000 lb. Truck), watertight and have an automatic purge valve. Cases come standard with an impact absorbing inner liner.

I’m not sure that I’ll be checking my cell phone or PDA (OK, I have an iPhone now so they’re the same thing) anytime soon, but for a second camera, mouse, flash drive reader, or any other type of breakable electronics, It’d be nice to know that they’d have to find a truck weighing more than 5,000lb in order to crush it.

Yesterday, China and the Unite States announced an aviation agreement which will more than double the number of daily passenger flights by 2012. Under the new agreement, US carriers are allowed to operate 13 more daily flights to China, and China also plans to lift all limits on transpacific cargo flights.

The agreement is pretty historic, and should increase significantly increase business travel and economic relations between the two countries.

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.

I just saw an ad for Orbitz.com’s new TLC services. I like their TLC alerts service in particular, because it allows you to designate up to six people to notify if your flight is delayed or diverted.

Obviously I’m late to the game and the whole blogosphere is already going nuts over it, but the iPhone is a reality. A walking, talking, badass reality.

I have a two-year contract with T-Mobile, but I may just have to pay to get out of it, switch to Cingular, and buy myself an iPhone before I explode all over the place in gooey, fangirl fashion.

The coolest part of this whole thing for business travelers will be less crap in your pocket. No, that’s nothing new. There are other products out there that integrate camera, phone, mp3 player and calendar etc., but none that are as easy to use and integrate into your existing systems. If Apple built it, chances are it’s user-friendly and plays well with other devices. It doesn’t have EDGE like my current phone, but it looks like the internet feature will allow me to blog and access the Web directly from the phone, which is even better than having to drag out my laptop if I want to write a blog post on the go.

All in all, I’m pretty freakin’ excited about this thing. Can you tell?

If you often find yourself “warwalking” on business trips, then the Digital WiFi Detector from Hobbes Innovation might be for you. Not only does it sniff out WiFi networks, it tells you whether they are encrypted and if so, how. It’s also small enough to carry around with you.

Via GearLog.

In the event that its bid to be the latest airline to fly into Chicago O’Hare is rejected, JetBlue is considering the possibility of using Gary/Chicago International Airport as an alternative.

Located just across the Indiana border, about 26 miles from Midway and more than 40 miles from O’Hare, Gary is located ideally for those who want quick access to East Chicago.

But this geography also presents unique obstacles. Chicago has truly outstanding public transportation. Renting a car on a business trip to the area is for the most part unnecessary. But that all changes if you’re flying into Gary. Neither the Red nor the Green lines come even close to the airport. This means that travelers will have to rent, take an expensive taxi, or brave Chicago’s notoriously rough South Side by bus. By contrast, O’Hare has its own El stop: the terminus for the Blue line.

If JetBlue wants travelers to take the Gary option seriously, their prices will have to undercut those of other airlines by at least the price of a car rental or taxi fare. Otherwise, travelers will scurry for Midway, where JetBlue competitor Southwest Airlines reigns supreme.

It’s common knowledge among frequent fliers that departing earlier in the day will lead to fewer delays. According to Joe Brancatelli, statistics support what most of us have known all along.

Across the board, from major hubs like Atlanta to more remote airports like the Sea-Tac, an earlier departure time means a much higher likelihood of an on-time arrival. As the day progresses, airports get more backed up. For example, travelers arriving in Atlanta after 8pm have only a 50% chance of arriving as scheduled.

But sometimes you just can’t schedule a flight to leave first thing in the morning. And sometimes delays happen even when your flight takes of at 5 a.m. In theses cases, attitude is everything. My father likes to quote Kurt Vonnegut, who said that “unexpected travel plans are dancing lessons from God.”

Chances are that even with a delay or a cancelled flight, your business trip will still be a success. Keep cool, work with the folks from the airline and all will be well.

From the New York Times:

A federal bankruptcy judge ruled today that Northwest Airlines flight attendants have the right to strike, potentially paving the way for a crippling labor disruption at the nation’s fifth-largest airline.

If the flight attendants and the airline fail to reach an agreement on a reduced salary and benefits package by Aug. 25, the flight attendants would have the right to walk out, Judge Allan L. Gropper of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York ruled.

Northwest immediately said it would appeal. It said it has “a range of contingency options” in the event of a strike, and vowed to “take all necessary actions to continue to operate its normal flight schedule.”

The company’s chief executive, Doug Steenland, said the airline intended to continue talking with the flight attendants’ union. “Northwest’s continuing goal is to reach consensual agreements with all of its unions,” he said in a written statement.

The union, the Association of Flight Attendants, said the court ruling was a victory. “In upholding the right to strike, the court recognized that bankruptcy is not a free ride for rich executives. This levels the playing field,” the union’s general counsel, David Borer, said in a written statement.

The strike would be the second major labor action taken against the airline by one of its unions in a year. Last August, Northwest mechanics walked out after union leaders rejected wage and benefits cuts the airline was seeking in order to avoid bankruptcy.

We don’t need to tell you that a work stoppage on the part of flight attendants at Northwest could create major snarls and overload other airlines which are already experiencing unprecedented load factors. We’ll refer you back to the Frequent Flier Survival Manual’s work stoppage survival tips for more information.

Gizmodo reports that while liquids can’t be carried onto US flights, the rumored restrictions on electronics are inaccurate. Screeners may ask you to take your ipods out of the bag along with your laptop for separate screening, but you don’t have to check them.

In a recent post, the folks at Starwood Hotels mention that a Jetsons-style suitcase may soon be following travelers through the airports, obeying their every voice command. The crazy suitcase - called Fido - is the brainchild of Peter Yeardon.

From The Lobby:

Fido uses motion robotics and voice recognition technology to actually FOLLOW YOU through a concourse using programmable voice commands, including laser sensors that will keep it from crashing into passing travellers and to recognize and navigate uneven terrain.

But for all of Fido Luggage’s utter brilliance in conception, even if it reaches the mass market stage it will, most likely, be banned from airports as autonomous, motorized luggage could create a security nightmare.

Personally, I think any inanimate object that obeys commands and moves is just a little creepy. I prefer my machines to sit nicely on my desk and stay where I can keep an eye on them. But maybe that’s just too many episodes of Battlestar Galactica talking.

According to the Guardian, KLM has been ordered to pay a flier for forcing him to give an onstage presentation for the World Health Organization conference in jeans, T-shirt and sneakers due to his luggage not arriving in time. KLM is appealing the verdict.

Study Warns Cell Phones Could Cause Airliner Crash:

Lifting the current ban on use of cell phones aboard airliners could pose the risk of a major accident, according to a new engineering study. More info here.

Airlines grapple with a carry-on crisis (San Jose Mercury News):

According to Jane Engle, repoprting for the Los Angeles Times, in 1998 the Association of Flight Attendants filed a petition with the Federal Aviation Administration wanting the FAA to set and enforce a maximum size for carry-ons. The FAA said no. More notes from the article:

“Thousands of injuries linked to carry-on baggage occur each year,” the union said in the petition.

The one bag plus a personal item rule seems is now enforced only sporadically. Bag size limits are left up to each airline, so what flies with Continental may not be appproved by United.

Some airlines are increasing onboard storage. American Airlines recently installed deeper bins on its MD-80 fleet to allow bags to be stored with wheels facing out, making room for more bags.

Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, the powerful chairman of the Senate Commerce committee, said he wants fliers to be limited to one carry-on item of a fixed size. The idea of installing templates at checkpoints to block oversize bags was also raised.

Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition said “It would kill the business traveler,” he said. “It would add to the complexity and chaos of business travel today.”

My take is that carry ons are fine, it’s the people that take 20 minutes of standing in the aisle fussing to get them stowed that are the problem. Severe limits on aisle clogging should be seriously looked at. Have a checkpoint with a simulated airline interior and a stopwatch. Time travelers on how long they take to get their rear ends into their seats. Anyone taking more than 15 seconds gets their bag checked…