Heightened Security Doesn’t Shake Business Travel. . .
A recent study by the National Business Travel Association revealed that 81% of the 150 travel managers surveyed said their companies would not reduce travel as a result of the thwarted terror attack on Christmas Day, nor did the incident raise new safety concerns for their companies. “The survey results are right in line with what we’ve seen in the past with attempted attacks and changes in security protocols,” says NBTA chief executive Craig Banikowski. “These incidents prompt a lot of important discussion and analysis, but don’t significantly alter corporate travel patterns, because travel is the lifeblood of so many businesses.” Immediately following the Dec. 25 incident, the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) introduced a new layered approach to security that allows resources to be added, as needed, on a daily basis, including explosive detection canine teams, law enforcement officers, gate screening, behavior detection, pat-downs, bag searches and other measures both seen and unseen. By design, passengers should not expect to see the same procedures at every airport.
(Sources: MSN.com – 01/06/06; and Washington Business Journal – 01/05/10)
The Naked Truth. . .
US and international airports are moving quickly to bring on more body-scanning machines as part of enhanced security measures in the wake of the Christmas Day incident involving Northwest Flight 253. These machines are already in place at a number of airports throughout the world, including more than 40 in the U.S. The TSA has already ordered 150 more scanners using $25 million in federal economic stimulus funds. Body scanners have been mostly used on a voluntary basis for passengers who, for one reason or another, have been tagged for a secondary screening or who want to avoid a personal frisking. The images produced by the scanners can be masked somewhat to protect privacy—faces can be obscured, for example. Images aren't stored, the TSA says, so your finer attributes won't end up on YouTube! The downside for travelers may well be longer security lines, but the upside means you can probably leave your shoes on.
(Source: Wall Street Journal, 12/29/09)
Change Is In The Air. . .
Major changes are expected in the coming year that will directly affect road warriors. The recently passed Travelers’ Bill of Rights requires airlines to have emergency plans for tarmac delays as well as rules for passenger off-loading. Airlines that fail to de-plane passengers after three hours on the tarmac will be heavily fined. More airlines will switch to a no-cash policy for in-flight purchases. Don’t be surprised to find ads everywhere in flight, including on overhead bins, tray tables, boarding passes, barf bags, blankets and pillows (assuming you get any). And for the tech-savvy, 2010 will bring less human interaction with airline personnel as more virtual customer services become available through kiosks, mobile phones and personal computers. Also in the works are ticket and luggage barcodes that are sent directly to your mobile or handheld device, eliminating the need for a paper boarding pass.
(Sources: HotelResortInsider.com, 01/05/10)
Catch A Nap Before You Catch Your Flight. . .
Small airport “resting nests” have made their way to America. Airports think these cubicles will catch on in the U.S. now because domestic travelers are in airports longer due to tightened security, delays and missed connections. Airports have already installed more retail and food shops to generate additional non-aviation revenue, so sleeping rooms, according to some, is a logical next step. The rooms are designed to attract more than those who want to nap; they are meant to appeal to travelers who don’t have a membership in an airline club, parents with cranky children, business travelers who want to work, and sports fans wishing to catch a game. Three companies currently operating or planning to open soon are Minute Suites (Atlanta), Unique Retreat (San Francisco) and Edo Traveler Suites (launching 2010 in Canada and U.S.).
(Sources: Minute Suites, USAToday.com, 12/10/09)
Food For Thought. . .
According to Charles S. Platkin, founder of New York-based dietdetective.com, nutrition in those rare free airline meals is of much better quality than years past, but Platkin feels there’s still room to improve as far as meal options are concerned. Platkin’s rankings give U.S. airlines a “health score” on a scale of 1 to 5 stars (5 being best), considering meal variety, nutritional density and availability of nutritional information. In-flight meals have followed market trends toward health-conscious eating, according to Gate Gourmet, a Zurich-based company that provides food for 250 airlines. In addition to more organic and nutritious options, some nighttime meals are made to soothe, and some daytime meals have energy-boosting ingredients. Here’s how the top U.S. carriers ranked: Continental 4.5 stars; American Airlines 3.75 stars; United 3.5 stars; JetBlue 3.5 stars; Delta/Northwest 3.5 stars; US Airways 2.5 stars; and Southwest 2 stars.
(Source: DietDetective.com)
Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink Kiosks. . .
They never sleep, they never complain and they work fast. Airport kiosks allow passengers to print boarding passes, confirm flights and change seats. In 2003, NCR Corp. operated about 2,000 kiosks in 120 airports, compared to 8,400 today at more than 300 airports worldwide. Not only have they become more widely accepted, their capabilities have expanded. The newest kiosks also print luggage tags, provide airport maps and let passengers buy seat upgrades. The most advanced kiosks can even let passengers get on a plane without ever printing a boarding pass. According to NCR Corp., these new airport kiosks send a digital message to a passenger’s cell phone. The passenger can open an attachment to the phone message and let the TSA screener or airline attendant scan the bar code that appears on the screen. In the future, kiosks may let passengers buy meals on the plane or volunteer to give up a seat if a flight is overbooked. Kiosks are effective for the airlines and the trend has taken off with customers, especially the younger, tech-savvy fliers.
(Source: Homeland Security Newswire, 12/09/09)
Higher Prices For Primo Seats. . .
Just like theaters that charge more for premium seats, airlines are charging an additional fee for that comfortable seat on an aisle or in an exit row. The concept is not new. United’s Economy Plus and JetBlue’s Even-More-Legroom program offer up to 4 inches added legroom in the front of the economy section, and now Frontier Airlines has reconfigured its cabins to give the first four rows additional seat pitch. All three carriers, however, charge for the so-called “stretch rows” with fees starting at $9 on United’s short-haul flights to $109 for long runs like Los Angeles to Tokyo. Most domestic fees for these valued locations are in the $15 - $25 range. Fees are a moneymaker for many airlines. Jet Blue figures customers paying for more legroom will generate $65 million this year. You can search the seat configuration of various airlines’ aircraft at www.seatguru.com.
(Source: New York Times, 12/09/09)
Heightened Security Doesn’t Shake Business Travel. . .
A recent study by the National Business Travel Association revealed that 81% of the 150 travel managers surveyed said their companies would not reduce travel as a result of the thwarted terror attack on Christmas Day, nor did the incident raise new safety concerns for their companies. “The survey results are right in line with what we’ve seen in the past with attempted attacks and changes in security protocols,” says NBTA chief executive Craig Banikowski. “These incidents prompt a lot of important discussion and analysis, but don’t significantly alter corporate travel patterns, because travel is the lifeblood of so many businesses.” Immediately following the Dec. 25 incident, the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) introduced a new layered approach to security that allows resources to be added, as needed, on a daily basis, including explosive detection canine teams, law enforcement officers, gate screening, behavior detection, pat-downs, bag searches and other measures both seen and unseen. By design, passengers should not expect to see the same procedures at every airport.
(Sources: MSN.com – 01/06/06; and Washington Business Journal – 01/05/10)
The Naked Truth. . .
US and international airports are moving quickly to bring on more body-scanning machines as part of enhanced security measures in the wake of the Christmas Day incident involving Northwest Flight 253. These machines are already in place at a number of airports throughout the world, including more than 40 in the U.S. The TSA has already ordered 150 more scanners using $25 million in federal economic stimulus funds. Body scanners have been mostly used on a voluntary basis for passengers who, for one reason or another, have been tagged for a secondary screening or who want to avoid a personal frisking. The images produced by the scanners can be masked somewhat to protect privacy—faces can be obscured, for example. Images aren't stored, the TSA says, so your finer attributes won't end up on YouTube! The downside for travelers may well be longer security lines, but the upside means you can probably leave your shoes on.
(Source: Wall Street Journal, 12/29/09)
Change Is In The Air. . .
Major changes are expected in the coming year that will directly affect road warriors. The recently passed Travelers’ Bill of Rights requires airlines to have emergency plans for tarmac delays as well as rules for passenger off-loading. Airlines that fail to de-plane passengers after three hours on the tarmac will be heavily fined. More airlines will switch to a no-cash policy for in-flight purchases. Don’t be surprised to find ads everywhere in flight, including on overhead bins, tray tables, boarding passes, barf bags, blankets and pillows (assuming you get any). And for the tech-savvy, 2010 will bring less human interaction with airline personnel as more virtual customer services become available through kiosks, mobile phones and personal computers. Also in the works are ticket and luggage barcodes that are sent directly to your mobile or handheld device, eliminating the need for a paper boarding pass.
(Sources: HotelResortInsider.com, 01/05/10)
Catch A Nap Before You Catch Your Flight. . .
Small airport “resting nests” have made their way to America. Airports think these cubicles will catch on in the U.S. now because domestic travelers are in airports longer due to tightened security, delays and missed connections. Airports have already installed more retail and food shops to generate additional non-aviation revenue, so sleeping rooms, according to some, is a logical next step. The rooms are designed to attract more than those who want to nap; they are meant to appeal to travelers who don’t have a membership in an airline club, parents with cranky children, business travelers who want to work, and sports fans wishing to catch a game. Three companies currently operating or planning to open soon are 
Food For Thought. . .
According to Charles S. Platkin, founder of New York-based 
Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink Kiosks. . .
They never sleep, they never complain and they work fast. Airport kiosks allow passengers to print boarding passes, confirm flights and change seats. In 2003, NCR Corp. operated about 2,000 kiosks in 120 airports, compared to 8,400 today at more than 300 airports worldwide. Not only have they become more widely accepted, their capabilities have expanded. The newest kiosks also print luggage tags, provide airport maps and let passengers buy seat upgrades. The most advanced kiosks can even let passengers get on a plane without ever printing a boarding pass. According to NCR Corp., these new airport kiosks send a digital message to a passenger’s cell phone. The passenger can open an attachment to the phone message and let the TSA screener or airline attendant scan the bar code that appears on the screen. In the future, kiosks may let passengers buy meals on the plane or volunteer to give up a seat if a flight is overbooked. Kiosks are effective for the airlines and the trend has taken off with customers, especially the younger, tech-savvy fliers.
(Source: Homeland Security Newswire, 12/09/09)
Higher Prices For Primo Seats. . .
Just like theaters that charge more for premium seats, airlines are charging an additional fee for that comfortable seat on an aisle or in an exit row. The concept is not new. United’s Economy Plus and JetBlue’s Even-More-Legroom program offer up to 4 inches added legroom in the front of the economy section, and now Frontier Airlines has reconfigured its cabins to give the first four rows additional seat pitch. All three carriers, however, charge for the so-called “stretch rows” with fees starting at $9 on United’s short-haul flights to $109 for long runs like Los Angeles to Tokyo. Most domestic fees for these valued locations are in the $15 - $25 range. Fees are a moneymaker for many airlines. Jet Blue figures customers paying for more legroom will generate $65 million this year. You can search the seat configuration of various airlines’ aircraft at 
