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Business Travel Column Struggling To Maintain Relevancy

November 4, 2008 at 10:00 AM | 1 Comment

Joe Brancatelli is a long-time business traveler, a print media consultant and the guy who writes the Seat 2B column for Portfolio. At least for now, anyway: The magazine recently decided to cut 20 percent of its total staff, scale back its print production schedule to 10 issues a year and chop its web crew from 35 people to 5.

So with the magazine struggling to make good on a rumored $100 million start-up investment, business travel spending on the wane thanks to a global recession and a historic election taking place, you know, right now, what did Joe write about today? Ultra-premium loyalty programs so exclusive you can't even sign up for them.

After a seven-paragraph anecdotal lede, Brancatelli finally starts outlining some of the outrageous perks that travel companies apparently still shower on a small group of guests who, despite being important enough to earn unimaginable coddling from airlines and hotels, still need an extra ego boost. Of course, reading about the "secret societies" won't get you any closer to joining them because "If you have to ask, you don't qualify."

So, what's the point of the article then? We're not 30-year veterans of the publishing industry, but at least we try to be relevant and interesting on a daily basis.

Related Stories:
· Secret Societies [Portfolio]
· Empty Nast Syndrome [NYO]
· It's Nasty over at Conde [NYP]

[Photo of Conde Nast HQ: Tone Walker]

Sleeping Soundly on Swiss

June 2, 2008 at 9:15 AM | 0 Comments

We love to daydream about the ultimate airline seat--the one that actually enables us to sleep well. Swiss Air has just announced a new version of a fully-flat seat for business class that looks like it might do the trick.

By 2011, all of Swiss Air's long haul flights will have these six-foot-plus long "beds" installed, with a pretty clever design that saves space by having a passenger's feet fitting into a cut-out of the seat in front.

They're also replacing conventional foam with an air cushion filling that you can easily adjust to be either firm or soft. We'd be happy to have that at home, too!

For green fans, the new seats have one more bonus--each one is 9 pounds lighter so the planes will be cheaper to fly, saving 2,000 tons of CO2 emissions a year. Comfortable seats that save the planet? We always knew those Swiss could do more than just make great chocolate.

Related Stories:
· Swiss Unveils New Generation Business Class [Business Traveller]
· Airlines coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Swiss Air]

Refundable Airfares: JetBlue Haz Dem

January 29, 2008 at 10:00 AM | 0 Comments

Now that Southwest is courting business travelers with laptop-friendly gate areas and "business select" fares, it seems JetBlue is jumping into the mix. The JFK-based LCC just announced that it'll start offering fully refundable fares. To get folks interested, JB is offering quadruple True Blue points for refundable tickets bought through February 13.

A quick search for JFK-SFO flights in early February found seats for $199 before taxes. A search for flights on the same dates with refundable fares came up with $549 tickets. We'd call that paying a premium.

But if you need full flexibility--date changes, cancellations and name changes are all OK--these tickets are the way to go. (And why worry about the price if your company's paying for it?) Now if only the airline could get that in-flight WiFi system working...

Related Stories:
· Frequent Flyer Travel: Keep Your Miles Alive [Jaunted]
· Why JetBlue's In-Flight WiFi Isn't That Great [Jaunted]
· JetBlue Travel: Inside the New Terminal 5 [Jaunted]

[Photo: Aaron Gustafson]

Road Warrior Travel: Your Mobile Office at SLC

January 28, 2008 at 2:00 PM | 0 Comments

We were flying home from our trip out to Sundance when we stumbled upon these rental offices at Salt Lake City International. From Regus Express, they're basically short-term cubicles that you can rent to avoid the prying eyes and the pricked up ears of your fellow passengers. Office time goes for a steep $9 for 15 minutes (or $16 for 30 minutes), but if you're expensing it, who cares, right?

Each one of these little business niches has high-speed wired Internet with VPN capability, a fax, a land line phone and even a computer. You're of course free to use your own laptop instead.

The SLC location is between concourses C and D. (It's conveniently near a bar for toasting the newly made deal or drowning your business sorrows!) Regus has locations in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Oakland, Philly and Seattle, too.

Post click, the interior of a Regus cube.

Related Stories:
· Regus Express, SLC [Official Site]
· Business Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Airport WiFi Guide [Jaunted]

more ›

Power Nap Pods at Columbus Circle

April 18, 2007 at 10:19 AM | 0 Comments


Whether you're an exhausted tourist, exhausted slave to the man, or a Six Columbus team member with too much time to spare, secure power naps can be had in the Columbus Circle area. (We don't recommend passing out in the park.) Yelo is a walk-in spa on 57th Street specializing in reflexology and nap therapy. Their private Yelo Cabins are designed to help you doze off for 20-40 minutes, or just enough time to refresh without getting too messed up.

Nap prices start at $12 for 20 minutes, and an additional $3 per 5 minutes after that, up to $24 for 40 minutes. Reservations are not required, but can be made via phone. Gift cards are also available, for that special Six Columbus staffer in your life--you know they need something to do and can't be caught dead at another hotel in the immediate area.

Related Stories:
· Yelo Power Naps [Official Site]
· Jason Pomeranc Gives Six Columbus Hotel Workers Designer Uniforms But No Hotel [HotelChatter]

Running for Miles

December 13, 2006 at 12:30 PM | 0 Comments


Is it that time of year already? No, not holiday shopping and tree trimming time. It's time to book "mileage runs" to bump your frequent flier mileage up to where you'd like it to be. At least, that's what Joe Sharkey tells us in his latest On The Road column.

Here's the deal, says Joe. If you want to retain elite status--silver, gold, double-super platinum elite, whatever--you need to fly a set number of miles in a year. (Usually at least 25,000 for the lowest status, which can net you early boarding, free upgrades and smiles from gate agents.) Credit card purchases and the like that accrue miles normally don't count: You've actually got to put your butt in the seat. That means Joe and his buddies have been known to fly back and forth to Guam--twice--to boost their mileage. Our fave part of the article, though, comes when Joe chats with a shadowy figure in the frequent flier world known only as Viajero Joven:

"Some people want to do over 50,000 miles, which is not possible in a single trip because of the size of the planet," he said. "So they do multiple trips, consecutively."

Now that's our kind of guy.

[Photo: Mareen Fischinger]

Related Stories:
· End of Year. Short on Miles. Coach Class, Here I Come [NYT]
· Jaunted's Business Travel coverage [Jaunted]

Airline Report: Eos' "Bedtime Beats"

December 11, 2006 at 2:00 PM | 0 Comments


Eos is the unofficial king of all-business class transatlantic airlines, and even with the upcoming launch of L'Avion (the airline formerly known as Elysair), it looks like they'll be staying pretty much unchallenged in that spot for now. Eos provides fully-flat sleeper seats at round-trip prices that hover around $3150.

So what's an airline at the top of its game to do for more attention? Pile on the random amenities, of course! Because there's nothing classier than classical music, Eos is now offering a collection of tunes called "Bedtime Beats" on its handheld in-flight entertainment systems. All of the music has been specially chosen to fall in the range of 60-80 BPM, at which scientific studies show it is most conducive to your best sleep quality.

Throughout December, Eos will also dole out free CD copies of the compilation to passengers on its 9:00 p.m. flights departing from JFK. Cute, we suppose, but we like another promotion they're running better. Until December 22, customers who book a flight (for any date through April 30)  will receive 100 JetBlue TrueBlue points good for a free round-trip on JetBlue.

Whenever, Wherever With Verizon Broadband

November 29, 2006 at 12:53 PM | 0 Comments


You can't always count on wifi when you're on the road. Sure, it's fun to scroll through network names and see what pops up on your radar (there's one called "Beerpong" floating through our apartment), but those signals aren't always strong enough to keep you connected. For business travelers, that's a serious problem, and it can be a nuisance for leisure travelers too. What if you whip out your laptop for emergency directions but "Beerpong" runs out and leaves you high and dry?

Verizon Wireless provides a good combination of speed and reliability when it comes to wireless broadband access. Their PC cards will connect you to the ever-expanding BroadbandAccess network for $80 a month plus the cost of your card (the basic model sells for $50 online with a 2-year contract). BroadbandAccess speeds average 400-700 Kbps and is currently available in "208 metropolitan areas covering over 180 million people," as per Verizon's website. Network expansion into Western Massachusetts was recently announced.

If you crave more technology and find the protruding bump of a PC card to be unsightly, there's another option. Lenovo offers laptops with integrated Verizon technology, including the sleek and ultraportable X Series machine.

[Photo: jimmythesuperstar]

Related Stories:
· Verizon Wireless Extends Wireless Broadband Network [Yahoo]

Airline Report: BA's Improved Business Class

November 13, 2006 at 11:52 AM | 0 Comments


This just in: British Airways unveiled its new Club World business class product early this morning. A real-life demo is set to take place later today in London.

The cabin looks nice so far. Take the 360-degree cabin tour, and you'll notice that these reservations are set to become a Seat Guru game more than ever. That's because some aisle spots offer little privacy, while some window spots are their own mini-cabins.

As for the seat products themselves, beds are still lie-flat, but now 25% wider. There's a drawer for storing laptops and other valuables, and a small privacy screen between adjacent seats. The entertainment system is a major upgrade, with its AVOD capability and expanded movie library. BA predicts to refit its entire fleet of 747s and 777s by mid-2008, though some improved planes will take off as early as this month--your best bet most likely being the LHR-JFK route.

Related Stories:
· Introducing new Club World [Official Site]
· British Airways Unveils New Business Class [Prime Zone]

If Jaunted Was On The Office...

November 3, 2006 at 11:51 AM | 0 Comments


Our nickname, at least for today, would be Big Lemon--and we think it would stick.

Car rental company Alamo saddled us with a bright yellow, two door, Chevy Cobalt, with--wait for it--a rear spoiler.  To top it off the interior smells of tobacco row.  Yes we are in North Carolina, but c'mon, feel free to mix in an airfreshener Alamo.

Sales Executives everywhere should take note, unless you want to end up being the talk of the conference/sales call/meeting for all the wrong reasons--you might want to request a non-offensive color, at the very least.

Despite the hand we were dealt we will drive our Little Miss Sunshine with pride all day long.

Extended Stay Gets More Play

October 25, 2006 at 10:38 AM | 0 Comments


Fresh on the heels of Starwood's announcement that it will spice up the extended stay market with all-lowercase, all-the-time hotel chain, element, Christopher Elliot checks in with biz travelers to see what makes business and extended stay hotels so lovable.

According to the article, staffers at the Fairmont Washington are always ready to offer unsolicited fashion advice for road warriors (power tie or no?). At the Four Seasons Miami, you can get your entire room rearranged if you happen to be a high-powered lawyer.

And as business stays get longer, some hotels also please road warriors with customized snack service. "We'll find out what a guest's favorite candy is and buy it for them, or notice the type of soda or bottled water that they drink, and then surprise them with a complimentary case," says a spokeswoman for the Extended Stay America chain. Sounds pretty sweet to us.

[Photo: oybay]

Related Stories:
· Extended Stay, Extended Pampering [NYT]
· HotelChatter's element coverage [HC]

Joe Sharkey's Harrowing Jet Tale

October 3, 2006 at 4:30 PM | 0 Comments


NY Times travel writer Joe Sharkey had an incredibly up close and personal experience with last week's mid-air collision over Brazil, which he detailed today on his blog:

With the window shade drawn, I was relaxing in my leather seat aboard a $25 million corporate jet that was flying 37,000 feet above the vast Amazon rainforest. The 7 of us on board the 13-passenger jet were keeping to ourselves.

Without warning, I felt a terrific jolt and heard a loud bang, followed by an eerie silence, save for the hum of the engines.

Investigators are still trying to sort out what happened, and how — our smaller jet managed to stay aloft while a 737 that is longer, wider and more than three times as heavy, fell from the sky nose first.

Only the wing and tail of Sharkey's Embraer Legacy 600 were damaged. Tragically, 155 people aboard the Boeing 737 that clipped the private jet died in the accident.

Related Stories:
· Colliding With Death at 37,000 Feet, and Living [NY Times]
· Boosters see six-seat 'baby jets' flitting to smaller airports [AJC.com]