Filed under: Airlines, Transportation, News

If you’ve been following technology in the airline sector for the past few months, you’ve probably heard that a number of airlines are getting ready to integrate wireless internet into their fleets. Earlier this month, Jetblue launched service (albeit limited) in one of their jets, and Virgin America, American Airlines and others have similar plans for the first quarters of next year.

With added flexibility in the skies, however, comes a higher probability of abuse. Earlier in a discussion about cell phone usage in the sky I pointed out that with wireless world wide web will come the capability to Skype and VOIP from above. In such close confines, both world wide web phone calls and browsing create tons of privacy and etiquette issues. Is it possible for a businessperson to sit between two people and jabber about confidential company information at top volume? Sure. Is it ethical? Probably not. What about the kid looking at graphic world wide web content while sitting next to a family in the back of the plane?

To curb some of these issues, airlines are taking a variety of defensive steps. Some, like Qantas, are blocking questionable sites totally so that they can’t be visited from above. Others have chosen to let the populous govern itself, pointing out that they can’t control the magazines or books that people bring on the planes either. I like this idea a lot, but when I think about all of the numbskulls out there, I don’t think it will end up working. Maybe we’ll get lucky.

Me? I just want to check my gmail and get my reading done. I’m looking forward to the wifi, even if it is regulated.

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Filed under: Airlines, Transportation, Airports

We’ve all seen a variation of the same scene in movies or on television: an airplane is cruising along at 30,000 feet when, suddenly, the pilot is put out of commission- either due to terrorists, a heart attack, or, most often, snakes. Suddenly, a flight attendant or passenger is called upon to land the plane, aided by the patient voice of someone in a control tower. “See that red lever?” they’ll say. “Let it up gently.” Usually, the de facto pilot has nerves of steel and manages to make a safe, albeit bumpy, landing.

Because movies and television are always completely faithful to reality, and they never exaggerate for dramatic effect, it might seem as if this scene could actually happen in real life. Not so, says Patrick Smith in his newest “Ask the Pilot” column. If there’s a certified pilot sitting next to you, telling you just what to do and when, you might have some fighting chance, says Smith. But in any other circumstances, your future is a tiny more bleak:

“The chance of success: approximately zero percent. I reckon [you] would be highly fortunate just to locate a microphone switch and figure out how to communicate. Keeping the plane upright would in some ways be the easiest part. It’s the small stuff that presents the greatest challenge: working the radios, dialing in changes to the FMS (flight management system) and autoflight panels, changing speeds and altitudes. Dictating such tasks from afar would be difficult enough. For the hapless passenger pressed into duty, getting them right would be even more challenging.”

Take a look at what you’re up against here.

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Filed under: Russian Federation, Transportation

One of the longest stretches of time I’ve been without a shower was the seven days I spent on the Trans-Siberian traveling from Moscow to Beijing.

Although the train carriages were comfortable enough, each had only a single toilet, a horrible little sink, and totally no chance to shower–or so I thought.

Like most people on the Trans-Siberian, I slowly ripened over the course of the journey along with the three other passengers who shared my berth. But according to Vanessa Arrington writing for Lonely Planet, this simply wasn’t necessary.

The trick is to bring along a bigger water bucket. Passengers can fill this with boiling water from the samovar, mix it with cold water from the water closet sink and then toss it over their head while locked in the loo. The water will disappear through a hole in the floor and onto the tracks below.

While this seems a pretty decent idea, I see two immediate problems. Since there is only one restroom, there will be some pretty angry people on the other side of the door waiting for shower time to finish. Worse, however, is that the bathrooms are very small and very dirty. I would not want to get naked in one of these things while the train is rocking back and forth. Ugh!

Let’s face it; if you can’t go that long without a shower, get off in Irkutsk or somewhere else along the line and lather up. Just don’t get back on board and turn up your nose at fellow passengers who aren’t going to smell as fresh and rosy as yourself.

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Filed under: Gear, Transportation, Airports

In an earlier discussion about travel notebooks, I mentioned that I use an IBM Thinkpad X31, a light tiny laptop that’s good for bouncing around airports and cities across the world.

On a flight to San Francisco last week, I found another reason why I like these machines: takeapartability. On the first leg of my trip between Detroit and Houston I discovered that my machine wouldn’t boot — something about the hard drive media not being recognized by the BIOS. So using a broken pen cap and another pen I unscrewed the hard drive caddy, reseated the drive and reassembled the chassis. Problem fixed. I’d like to see you do that with your Mac Book.

I suppose one could project this metaphor to many travel-related things: Be flexible and crafty on the road and you can always keep yourself happy. Just make sure that your plans/hardware aren’t so complicated that you can’t fix them on your own.

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Filed under: Stories, Canada, United States, Transportation, News

When the black bear crossed the road in front of my automobile when I was on my way to Washington, D.C. this summer, I was astounded. He made his ambling dash across the six-lane highway near Cumberland, Maryland. I might have still been in West Virgina, but I do know I saw a bear.

Animals crossing roads is happening more and more frequently which is increasing the likelihood of hitting one. One reason is because of an increase of people driving on rural roads. As people move out of cities into suburbs or further out than that, they’re on these roads more.

My dad who lives on a mountain in upstate New York about 10 miles out of New Paltz has met two deer at least. His were more grazes, but there still was an impressive amount of damage. Each time I visit, when I’m driving, particularly at night, I pay close attention to any glint of eyes I may see that could warn me. The statistics of animals meeting up with cars or vice versa highlights why you might see so many carcasses on the side of the road in some places.

In Montana there has been such a problem lately that the say is looking for ways to use methods that have cut down on car and animal collisions in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. Building overpasses and underpasses for animals to cross the highway safely has helped cut down accidents by at least 80 %.

The problem with cars and animals meeting, isn’t just the fact the animals get killed, but people don’t so so well either. In the past year, 200 folks have died in vehicle meets animal crashes. Then there is the cost of fixing a car which can range from $8,000 to $30,000. The most recent statistics cite 300,000 accidents a year. In Pennsylvania, the say with the highest incidences, there about 97,000 per year. Most involve deer.

A naturalist at Blacklick Woods, one of Columbus’s metroparks told me two weeks ago that black bear are on the move from West Virginia and are ending up in Ohio. Ohio already has a high deer population. The moral of this story is, when you see an animal crossing sign, wherever you’re, pay attention. The sign isn’t kidding. [via New York Times]

The photo by saiynte7777 and posted on Flickr was taken when he was on his way to Alaska. The bear originally was just on the side of the road and the vehicle was stopped.

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Filed under: History, Books, One for the Road, Transportation

Patrick Poivre d’Arvor, otherwise known as PPDA, is a well known French news anchor and author of France from the Air. In his latest travel-themed book, released earlier this year, the famous Frenchman finds himself back on land, celebrating the allure and romance of grand train journeys.

First Class: Legendary Train Journeys Around the World is packaged in an enticing luggage box designed to resemble a steamer trunk. Between the covers of this suitcase-style treat is a fitting tribute to train travel that calls us “All Aboard!”. There are 11 suggested journeys, including route maps for famous lines like the Trans-Siberian, the Orient Express, the Californian Zephyr, South Africa’s Blue Train and the Canadian. Descriptions of these famous expresses are decorated with pics and quotes from literary figures who have captured the joys of train travel in their own works. A fun gift to consider for those who love to ride the rails.

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Filed under: Arts and Culture, North Korea, Transportation, Infiltrating North Korea

Infiltrating North Korea is a 19-part series exploring the world’s most reclusive nation and its bizarre, anachronistic way of life. To begin reading at the beginning of the series, be sure to click here.

Travel within North Korea is tightly regulated; tourists pile into minivans and are carted from landmark to landmark without any chance to wander about on their own. This was the most frustrating aspect of my time in North Korea. I simply wanted to cease the minivan so I could get out and walk the streets, mingle with the pedestrians, poke my head into local shops, and wander off the beaten path to see for myself what our guides were keeping hidden from us.

Instead, I spent most of my time like a dog on a car ride, sticking my head out the window, tongue flapping in the wind as Pyongyang rushed by.

Such a method of travel, however, can still reveal quite a bit about North Korea’s mysterious capital; I could catch glimpses through the windows of poorly stocked stores, witness locals scrounging for seeds in the grass of city parks, and spy dilapidated buildings in the distance slowly falling apart. My state sponsored guided tour was intended to portray the city in a perfect light but unless they tinted the windows of our minivan, the real Pyongyang was going to shine through on occasions.

The video above is a six-minute, narrated vehicle ride through the center of Pyongyang. I began filming shortly after entering the city limits–photography is forbidden outside of Pyongyang–and continued sticking my camera out the window until we arrived at the Grand People’s Study House in the center of town. Along the way, we pass a number of landmarks mentioned earlier in these posts, thus providing the opportunity to see how these places are stitched into a larger Pyongyang.

The video should also provide a sense of Pyongyang and its scattered pedestrians, dearth of cars, bland storefronts, monumental architecture, ubiquitous propaganda, and immaculately dressed citizenry. Until the time comes when foreigners are granted to wander the city on their own, 40 mile-per-hour glances such as this one will continue to be the only window we have into this reclusive society.

Yesterday: More Song, Dance, and a little conundrum about chocolate
Tomorrow: Video Wrap-Up

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Filed under: Airlines, Transportation, News

As volumes increase over the holiday season, the crazy airline stories begin rolling in. Just yesterday, a woman flying from West Palm Beach to Boston reported that she took her seat in and AirTran flight, only to find that it was soaked in urine. By the time she realized the gravity of her problem, it had soaked all the way through her clothes. So she had to go to the restroom, remove her wet clothing and wrap herself in a blanket for the duration of the flight. At least they let her sit in a different seat.

What I’m most surprised about is that neither the airline nor any of the other customers offered to help out. Perhaps the author of the article left out those details, but if someone was sitting next to me who just got his or her clothing soaked in urine I would definitely offer up a shirt from my carry on for the person to wear.

Instead, the woman was forced to walk through the entire terminal and down to baggage claim with the blanket wrapped around her. How humiliating.

AirTran agreed to refund the ticket and any clothing damage costs. They’re “investigating the matter” internally.

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Filed under: Europe, Transportation, Airports, News

No, it’s not a gigantic toaster on wheels nor an alien’s toy car, it’s Britain’s answer to rail-free, time-table free, emission-free personal transport.

Planned for launch sometime after the opening of Heathrow’s terminal 5, these pod-shaped capsules will transport people from the vehicle park to the new terminal, and on demand, will be available within 12 seconds!

The battery run capsules take four people at a time and are pre-programmed. You’ll be able to pick them up at designated spots where they’ll be waiting, or you can call for one. You then select your destination on the touch screen and the capsule will mark out the ideal possible route to take you there. (GPS taken to a new dimension?) They will have their own paths, so congestion and traffic lights will not be an issue.

The main selling point of these Personal Transport Systems (PRT) as they’re called, will be their convenience: you will no longer have to wait in queues, nor share transport with strangers, and your transit time from vehicle to airport will be reduced to 4 minutes. The capsules are as green as they have the ability to get: they use less than half the amount of fuel used by public or private transport making them at least 50% more energy efficient, and have zero local emissions.

Once tried and tested, the plan is to expand their use as valuable complements to mass transit systems in huge cities. I wonder how much a trip in these would cost?

Automated parking systems, and now this, Heathrow seems to be on a roll for setting new standards.

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Filed under: Airlines, Transportation, Airports, Budget Travel

Most people know that by subscribing to a frequent flyer program, one can accumulate miles over the duration of several flights, ultimately saving up for a free ticket or upgrade. What many people don’t know, however is that there are rewards for accumulating those miles fast enough - usually over the period of one calendar year. For example, if you earn 25k, 50k or 75k miles in a particular airline program over the course of the year, you’ll be rewarded with “perks” at each tier.

These perks come in a variety of different flavors, from preferred seating to quick routes through security lines to upgrades into first class. That’s right, often if an airline has space in first class and they know you’re an elite member they’ll upgrade you to the front of the jet, where (depending on your carrier and flight) you can enjoy free meals and bottomless drinks.

In addition to the perks, it’s also sometimes worth it to earn the miles that you make on your journey. Take this example: as a top tier member of Northwest Airlines, I get a 125% bonus on miles for each flight I take. So while a flight I might run between Detroit (DTW) and AMSterdam might normally earn 4k miles, I would earn 9k miles. And if I’ve a TOLedo-DTW-AMS-Barcelona(BCN) round trip flight (like I made last Wednesday), I would earn somewhere around 24k miles. Taking into account that a domestic economy award ticket costs only 25k miles to redeem, I’ve pretty much earned a free domestic ticket with my international journey.

Thus, booking affordable long haul flights can often pay off other perks pretty swiftly - as long as the fare is cheap enough. You just need to compute the price per mile (PPM) ratio. Usually if that’s in the 0.01 - 0.02$ or below range, you’re on the line of effective vs. ineffective. A great tool to do this is Farecompare, where you can sort destinations from your departure city by the PPM earned.

Continue reading to Elite status and frequent flyer tiers, page 2

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