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As easy as it is to complain about the hassles of air travel, it’s still pretty incredible that a metal tube can take you places. Jerry Chandler offers his list of the best sights he’s seen from an airplane window. It’s a good list — I can vouch for Manhattan from above, Anchorage at night, and the marine layer, though my marine layer experiences have generally involved flights into SFO.

Personally, I never get tired of flying over the southern tip of Greenland. Here’s a shot of Greenland that I took on April 23 of this year.

I fondly remember the “olde days” when kids used to be allowed up into the cockpit during flight. A flight attendant (on PanAm? TWA? Lufthansa?) came to extend the captain’s invitation, and I gleefully climbed up the stairs in the 747. I got to sit in the captain’s seat, in flight no less — somewhere there’s got to be a photo of me sitting in a cockpit — and wear the hat. Dynamite. Good times. But back to the point — the captain pointed out icebergs in the water, because we were approaching Greenland. (Or maybe it was Iceland?) A view I’ll never forget.

Other favorites:

- Departing Seattle, climbing through the cloud layer to see Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens jutting out into the sky.

- The Grand Canyon from 35,000 feet.

- Approaching St. Maarten’s Princess Juliana Airport, passing over Maho Beach, nude and semi-nude people waving to the plane as we crossed the last few meters of turquoise water. (It’s even more fun standing on the beach as planes land, practically on top of you. For a video of what it’s like, check this out.)

- Passing through the steam of the cooling towers of Three Mile Island nuclear plant, on approach to Harrisburg. And then getting the hell out of there.

- Approaching Chicago via Lake Michigan on a sunny day. The water has an almost Caribbean blueness to it, and the skyline looks phony, like it’s straight out of SimCity.

tags: travel | air travel

Text a room. Hotels.com now allows you to check rates and book rooms via Sprint cellphones.

Better yet: Text a flight. Air Canada now allows you to use SMS to check in to your flight using SMS (via USA Today). Boarding passes still need to be issued at the airport, but can be done via a kiosk. (The benefit of checking in early? Guarantee a spot, in case of overbooking… seat selection… early bird gets the worm for upgrades…)

European and Asian carriers have offered SMS check-in for some time, but this is something that North American airlines have been remarkably slow to adopt. My guess: SMS lowers lower costs vs. human check-in, but raises them over other automated options, which the carriers would rather push. The cost to the airlines to check in with a person averages $3.62. The cost to use an airport kiosk: $0.52. The cost to check in online: $0.16. SMS check-in, since it’s a two step process and still involves the kiosk, might come in a notch above that $0.52 level. I’m sure it’s cheaper than, say a toll-free number that airlines would set up for check-ins, and certainly cheaper than checking in with a human being. But I bet it’s more than plain-vanilla kiosk, and far more than online check-in. Or am I missing something?

(image: ajblachman on flickr)

Airbus, undaunted by the costly production delays on their double-decker A380 jet, revealed a model of what first class could look like on board.

The forward upper deck features three completely enclosed suites down each side, with a large aisle that is occupied by two sofas and tables (pictured …). Each suite contains a reclining chair and sofa – the latter doubling up as a bed.

The suites have a sliding doors and are large enough to accommodate several people. They are sized so that the could be installed in a three abreast configuration on the upper deck of an A380 or the main deck of other Airbus widebodies.

Of course, no real-world planes seem to ever end up like the mock-ups. Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner was shown with wide, spacious seats when the models were built. Lo and behold, most airlines are ordering them with narrower seats, with an extra seat jammed in.

The mega-ultra-first class looks swank — check out the photoset here, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

(image: Airbus)

Air New Zealand employees are accused of trading travel for sexual favors. (or favours…) ANZ employees allegedly “negotiated ‘a mutually beneficial arrangement’ with sex workers where ‘in return for providing the hookers with discounted air travel’, the employees receive free sexual services.” Gives new meaning to “buddy fares.” Unfortunately, with Hooters Air now defunct, these employees may have ended their aviation careers.

Traveling on British Airways within Europe? Pack lighter if you’re checking luggage. BA are reducing the checked-luggage weight to 23kg from 32kg (70lb to 50lb). However, they’re eliminating the weight restictions on carry-on bags, but promising to enforce the SIZE limits. Stuff those roll-aboards!

News flash: Many Welsh hotels stink. Some are “simply awful.” Folks, don’t just grumble, post reviews on TripAdvisor!

The TSA isn’t getting all the money that travelers within the United States are paying in $2.50/segment security fees. Where’s the money actually going? The airlines appear to be sitting on it. Who do they think they are, Ryanair?

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tags: travel | air travel | Air New Zealand | British Airways | Wales | hotels

I realize I’m late to the game here, but I just found out about this minutes ago: If you book a flight on all-business class Eos Airlines by midnight tonight, you get another ticket for free. Payment must be made with American Express, and you earn 4x Membership Rewards points. ANY fare level is eligible, but you have to CALL Eos **tonight**. It’s a Father’s Day promo, and you need to request it. Sorry for the short notice. (Edit: FARE GONE.)

Eos not your speed? Prefer the less swanky but still comfy Maxjet all-business class flights instead? We got a deal for you, too…

New York JFK or Washington Dulles to London Stansted:
$1199/£699*roundtrip, including all taxes and fees

Book between: June 12,2006 and July 14,2006
Travel between: September 15, 2006 and November 10, 2006

Book on maxjet.com and use Promo Code: FALL06

Hey, it’s not the $499 roundtrip business class fare from early May, and it’s too bad the $1199 fare isn’t good for summer, but it’s still a great fare for business class.

tags: travel | air travel | business class | Eos Airlines | Maxjet

What is it that people from the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens are actually doing to their rental cars??

Following the revelation earlier this week that Hertz and Dollar have surcharges for residents of these three boroughs of New York City (but not Manhattan or Staten Island), I decided to write to Dollar and Hertz and ask why some New Yorkers were worthy of higher rates than others.

Within a few hours, Donna from Dollar Rent-a-Car replied:

Unfortunately this is the locations policy. According to the location, rentals from people in these areas who have rented from Dollar have proven to be more of a liability.

Hmm. Well, at least Donna wrote back quickly. Still no reason why New Yorkers renting at a location in another state (e.g., in Philadelphia) get smacked with surcharges.

How about Hertz? 36 hours after the original inquiry, Rhonda wrote back:

Hertz does apply residence based rates for residents of New York City renting locally, that take into account the extraordinarily high liability costs associated with local rentals in the New York area. These rates are based on borough of residence. The same residence-based rates apply equally to all residents of a borough. The residence-based rates are not applied on the basis of race, ethnic origins, age or sex. Rather, they are based on historic liability costs associated with local rentals to residents of New York City boroughs.

“Extraordinarily high liability costs” ? Personal liability, as in running people over, or loss of the car? And if liability is higher, then isn’t that what insurance is for, instead of raising the base rate?

I once rented from Advantage Rent-a-Car in Seattle, and they demanded a copy of my insurance policy before they would let me waive their CDW, LDW, etc. I had to call USAA and have them fax a copy over. As obnoxious as that was, perhaps Hertz and Dollar should demand proof of insurance before they slap $55 a DAY in surcharges on the base rate!

New Yorkers, you’ve been warned!

Several Upgrade: Travel Better readers took Farecast.com for a spin last week. The Boston Globe did, too, and they kept track of how accurate the predictions ended up being. Their answer: so-so, but still with lots of potential.

Twice the website accurately predicted price increases, but twice it missed the boat, once predicting an increase when the fare dropped and once predicting a decrease when the fare went up. On the fifth route, from Boston to Philadelphia, Farecast was fairly close. The website predicted the lowest fare would drop $6 over the next seven days, but it stayed the same.

2 wins, 2 losses, 1 tie.

That’s better than my results. I checked fares for two routes last week: Boston-Chicago (Farecast predicted decline, but the price went up) and Seattle-Chicago (Farecast predicted increase, but the price stayed flat). 0 for 2 for me. Not a huge sample size, admittedly.

Farecast’s excuse? Their software estimates the AVERAGE price over the course of the WHOLE WEEK ahead, not the price exactly one week ahead. Hmm, I see… Well, then they should re-label their “tip” from “wait” to “wait, and check airfares obsessively for the next 7 days.”

P.S. More referrals to the private beta of farecast are available.

tags: travel | air travel | farecast

The Consumerist points to a nasty punitive provision in the Dollar Rent-a-Car rental agreement.

1.O Higher rental rates for New York City (Brooklyn, Bronx, and Queens) resident renting in New York, Newark, NJ and Philadelphia may apply as follows:

* For Brooklyn residents the rates will be $55.00 higher per day.
* For Bronx residents the rates will be $53.00 higher per day.
* For Queens residents the rates will be $11.00 higher per day.

I’ve heard of rental rates varying depending on the country of the renter’s residence (obnoxious enough in its own right, frankly). But varying by city borough?? (Manhattan and Staten Island residents are in luck, no surcharge And $55 per day surcharge for Brooklynites?!!?) This sounds a heck of a lot like redlining.

But the shocker, for me at least, is that Dollar isn’t alone. Similar policies, with different surcharge rates, exist at Hertz for NYC rentals:

Higher rental rates for New York City residents may apply as
follows:

- for Queens residents rates are USD 15.00 per day higher
- for Bronx residents rates are USD 56.00 per day higher
- for Brooklyn residents rates are USD 34.00 per day higher

Hertz and Dollar must be run by Mets fans.

I couldn’t find outer-borough surcharges on Budget or Avis. Anyone out there know of other redlining car rentals?

Dollar already alienated me with their no-grace-period policy. That, plus the New Yorker Tax, suggest that they won’t be satisfied until everyone in America is offended.

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tags: travel | car rental | Dollar Rent a Car | Hertz

Ed Hasbrouck tells a chilling Kafka-esque tale of Washington Dulles’ airport security. It’s a long but worthwhile read that raises important questions about the authority of airport personnel and the rights of travelers in American airports. Who is authorized to demand your identification? What are these people looking for? And why can a person’s private papers be removed and photocopied by the TSA?

Besides the interrogation that Hasbrouck received before even officially being inspected at the security checkpoint, he was “SSSS’ed” — anointed as a “secondary security screening selectee.” I had the same pleasure myself just three weeks ago. The warning signs came early, when I was unable to check in online for a flight the next morning. Immediately, I suspected that I had been SSSSed. Sure enough, the check-in kiosk at the airport spit out my boarding pass as usual, but “SSSS” was printed in the bottom right corner. I walked to the shortest security line in Terminal 1 at O’Hare and mentally prepared for the pat-down. After a few moments in a small roped-off corral, I was hand-patted and had my carry-ons inspected by hand. As a bonus, one inspector threw a heavy bag onto my unprotected laptop, resulting in a sharp snapping sound. Great.

So why was I picked? I’ll never know. It was likely a random selection, since triggers that set off an SSSS are apparently things like changing your ticket at the last minute (nope), buying your ticket in cash (nope), having a one-way ticket (nope), flying for the first time ever (heck no), being on the no-fly list or terrorist watch list (nope, and nope, to my knowledge), calling in a bomb threat to keep the plane from taking off so you can catch it when you’re running late (definitely nope), or questioning the authority of some guy at the airport without a uniform, like Ed Hasbrouck did (nope).

One other route to an SSSS is to simply refuse to show any identification at the checkpoint. While airlines require you to show identification before handing you your boarding pass, the TSA’s court-upheld policy (in theory, at least) is to allow you through security with a boarding pass but no identification, as long as you submit to secondary screening. Anecdotally, this is not always enforced identically at all airports, however, and one organization is collecting data on whether or not the TSA is allowing travelers to enter security without ID. At SFO, the policy was recently tested and the result verified by a reporter for Wired.

But this policy is not published. In fact, U.S. appellate court judges in Electronic Frontier Foundation co-founder John Gilmore’s losing battle against the TSA reviewed the federal government’s identification policy in secret, since the policy is not public information. Basically, it’s a secret law. This is democracy!!?

Why on earth is an identification policy not public information? To allow unfettered use and abuse of secondary screenings, no-fly lists, and other restrictions on movement? And what do these secondary screenings hope to find, anyway, that metal detection and the baggage scanning cannot? In Hasbrouck’s case, they took issue with documents — documents!! What kinds of documents endanger inflight security??

Feel free to use comments to offer your own rants on airport security, both philosophically and in practice…

(image: No, that’s not actually my ticket. Soopahviv on flickr via Gridskipper)
tags: travel | air travel | airport security

Snide quote edition:

“Sir, your upgrade didn’t clear, but your cello is riding in first!” Yes, your cello can earn frequent flyer miles, too.

“You sure smell nice. Have you been to an airport lately?” Airport advertising sprays passers-by with perfume. (via Coudal)

“How do you mispronounce ‘Mayday‘? What is it in Italian?” Alitalia flight declares emergency, but no one understands the pilots. Safety first!

“I bet you $20 you can’t get from Honolulu to Hilo for $20 each way!” Fare war in the islands, courtesy of Go!

“THESE people could really have used a $20 interisland Hawaii ticket…” Just click. A Piper can travel from Santa Barbara to Hawaii?!?!

“Welcome to the Sheraton Chicago. I’ll need an ID, credit card, and your Blackberry.” Check your e-mail at the door. Nice gimmick.

“There must be two Manchesters.” Indeed, there are. One is in New England, one is in Old England. Be sure you know the difference before you fly.

tags: travel | air travel

When flights are cancelled or delayed, if you’ve got a long layover between flights, or just because it’s better than sitting in worn gate-area chairs, it’s always nice to be able to retreat from the main terminal to the lounges. Snacks, a bar (or the famous Tokyo-Narita Red Carpet Club beer machine!), desks/work areas, and comfy chairs are a step up from the concourse (though U.S. clubs don’t hold a candle to international lounges).

But how do you get into these areas behind the smoky glass and the “members only” sign out front?

There are basically five ways in:

1) Buy a membership.
I know, I know, it’s just too obvious. Anyone willing to pony up cash can join an airlines’ club, with membership usually lasting a year. Cost varies by airline, and some have reciprocal agreements with other airlines’ clubs, often in the same alliance. Fees top out around $500 per your, with discounts for frequent flyers. (You may be able to pay with miles.)

2) Fly a lot, or on expensive tickets.
Being a really frequent flyer is one way in. Some airlines, such as Delta, have given top elite frequent flyers a one-year complimentary membership in their clubs, accessible worldwide. (This perk is being phased out, but other airlines have similar deals.) Other airlines, like those in the Star Alliance, offer their Gold-level elites and one guest free admission to the club on days when they’re traveling internationally. Some smaller airports (e.g., Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) have small lounges that welcome elite members of any airline. Finally, first class and business class passengers generally have admission to the clubs on the day of their flight.

3) Buy a single-use pass
If space is available, walk in the front door of the club and request a day pass. It’s not cheap — $25 or $50, usually — but it’s a convenient pay-as-you-go option. Beware that they likely won’t sell these passes on days you need it most, such as when an airport closes for hours on end due to bad weather, to avoid overcrowding. If you’re traveling to or within the UK, Holiday Extras or ACP will happily sell you a day pass online. Alternatively, LoungePass is a third-party site that pre-arranges single-use passes for a (limited) range of international airports. The prices vary, but they’re comparable to the airlines’ own pricing. (LoungePass uses GBP as a standard currency.) Compare before you buy.

4) Join a program that offers entry across various airlines.
There are membership programs out there that aren’t tied to specific airline, which allow entry into lounges worldwide. The biggest one is Priority Pass, which offers 450 lounges in its network. They offer three tiers of membership, with the highest tier allowing unlimited access to eligible lounges for $399. If you travel with one airline, you may be better off joining that airline’s club. Also, note that not all lounges are necessarily conveniently located for your flight. If you’re flying on American from Chicago O’Hare, the Delta and Continental lounges which are in the PriorityPass network are a distant walk from your gates. Nonetheless, it’s a long list of lounges.

5) Check with your credit card.
DinersClub and American Express Platinum and Centurion cardholders may be able to get into lounges by flashing their plastic. Amex gives their top US-based cardholders free access to clubs run by SkyTeam members Continental, Delta, or Northwest. Some international cardholders instead get access to the aforementioned PriorityPass network. Check with your local Amex office. DinersClub, now a part of Citibank, runs or subcontracts their own clubs. US locations are limited, but some international options exist.

Ed Perkins provides a good overview of the pros and cons of vacation rentals or villas. They’re great when you’re looking for more space to stretch out, for the flexibility to cook your own meals, for lodging that’s not cookie-cutter, and (potentially) cost savings, especially if you travel in a group. The downsides remain a lack of consistency, more responsibility to keep the place looking nice, and a lack of onsite amenities (like a restaurant). That, and you don’t earn loyalty points… (blasphemy!)

Many villas and apartments are rented directly from their owners, which means doing your research on the quality and trustworthiness of the facility. But that’s not always easy. My wife spent countless hours researching a Caribbean villa rental last year. It paid off in the end, but it wasn’t point-and-click.

Filling the information void are dozens of online booking services. Some, such as Vacation Rentals by Owner, WVR, TripHomes, and VacationRentals try to cover a range of regions, including urban, rural, and beachfront properties. Others specialize in just a handful of city or island locations. (For example, Woogo features properties in New York, London, Berlin, and Hong Kong. Panache only covers Paris, etc., etc.)

While renting directly from the owner keeps the costs down, since they don’t pay a commission to a booking site, the convenience of booking from a network of vacation rentals is clearly worth something to the consumer. But if you think picking a hotel is hard, then forget villas. There are dozens of sites devoted to vacation rentals, often focusing on a particular region. All these sites do a bit of the work for you by gathering lodging details (and in some cases reviews) in one place, but you still need to really, really, really read the details, such as the cancellation policy.

Now, if you want to minimize risk, maximize luxury, and don’t mind spending a nice chunk of change, you have a few luxe options in the new “villa hotel” category: Private villas that have standardized upscale amenities and are managed professionally. (”McVilla”?) Villazzo and Time and Place have a limited portfolio of properties, but it’s a brilliant idea that’s bound to grow. They offer the benefits of a private home with the benefits of a hotel, with concierge, housekeeping, and cooking services. Sounds like the best of both worlds to me.