Why pay for flights based on supply and demand, or the calendar, or the distance flown? Why not pay by the minute?

Seriously. Starting today, a newly-launched South African airline — Airtime Airlines — has started selling flights much like a prepaid cellular phone. You buy a given amount of “airtime,” and as you travel, your account gets deducted.

Flight times are fixed, so you’re not really paying by the minute you travel. (Between Johannesburg and Durban, for example, you are charged 85 minutes each way, Durban to Cape Town is 125 minutes each way, etc.) The rate to top up your “minutes” fluctuates, so fares will end varying. As I write this, an intro rate of 3 rand per minute is the starting price. The lower the rate per minute, the lower your fares.

At first, I thought this might be a hoax, much like Derrie-Air, the phony airline that “charged” by the pound. But Airtime is real.

The idea functions like a stripped-down version of a NetJets card: You buy a fixed amount of time, and as you travel, your balance is reduced. (Under the hood, the airline is using a twist on the “Pay as you Fly” concept that some airlines (e.g., Lufthansa, SAS) offer to their corporate customers, in which fares are negotiated in advance, but payment doesn’t occur until the passenger embarks.)

To add another unique twist, the minutes that you don’t use for travel within one year can be transferred to the mobile phone account of your choice, with MTN, Vodafone, or Cell C. So there’s a double meaning to “airtime.” But phone calls? That’s a harsh devaluation…

It’s an innovative (if not immediately intuitive) way to sell tickets, and if the company’s domestic South African routes work for you, it may be worth giving a shot. If you top up your account when rates are low, you can assure yourself of cheap travel at a future date. (Assuming, of course, that the company survives…)

How about an alternate way of linking flight times with costs: For every minute a flight is delayed, the airline would pay each passenger one dollar. Any takers?…

UPDATE: Airtime Airlines didn’t launch as planned. Their actually start date is not delayed for another few weeks:
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A chilling article that’s must-reading for anyone who travels with a laptop, smartphone, or any other electronic device that stores personal data. Some snippets:

[At San Francisco International Airport] a tech engineer returning from a business trip to London objected when a federal agent asked him to type his password into his laptop computer. “This laptop doesn’t belong to me,” he remembers protesting. “It belongs to my company.” Eventually, he agreed to log on and stood by as the officer copied the Web sites he had visited, said the engineer, a U.S. citizen who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of calling attention to himself.
[...]
“I was assured that my laptop would be given back to me in 10 or 15 days,” said Udy, who continues to fly into and out of the United States. She said the federal agent copied her log-on and password, and asked her to show him a recent document and how she gains access to Microsoft Word. She was asked to pull up her e-mail but could not because of lack of Internet access. [...] More than a year later, Udy has received neither her laptop nor an explanation.
[...]
The U.S. government has argued in a pending court case that its authority to protect the country’s border extends to looking at information stored in electronic devices such as a laptop without any suspicion of a crime. In border searches, it regards a laptop the same as a suitcase.

My view: Airport security officers should be there to check the materials you intend to bring into the airport for explosives or weapons. Not for content. Screen the computer to see if it’s loaded with plastic explosives, sure. But don’t read my e-mail. You shouldn’t be editing for content the books I bring onto the plane, you shouldn’t be viewing the phone numbers I dialed, or the web sites I accessed unless you have a warrant and I am a suspect in a crime. And even then, such a search should be conducted by appropriate law enforcement officers, such as the FBI.

But the current administration argues that things like warrants aren’t necessary at the border. Anything goes, regardless of the color of your passport. Here’s hoping the next president has the backbone to reassert some control over this runaway fearmongering security apparatus and reincorporate some basic all-American rights into the legal movement across our borders.

In the meantime, individuals and businesses need to be aware that anything electronic can be confiscated, copied, or destroyed if you’re arriving at an American airport from abroad. That means backing up and/or deleting anything of possible personal or business value. Simply renaming files, as suggested here over a year ago, may not cut it anymore.

Related:
- Rename filenames, avoid laptop confiscation
- Batteries not included: New rules ban loose lithium batteries from checked luggage
- A handy guide for luggage inspectors
- Your shoes remain a threat to security

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Effective January 1, 2008, travelers to, from, or within the United States will have yet another rule to track: A new, more stringent policy governing the transportation of rechargeable batteries, which have occasionally caught on fire.

If you’re putting rechargeable batteries into your carry-on, you’ve got little to worry about. But if you put any of those rechargeables into checked baggage, you’ll need to master the arts and science of lithium weights and measures. Huh?

For example, a “Lithium Metal Battery, Spare or Installed (over 2 grams lithium)” is now prohibited across the board. But under 2 grams lithium? No problem in your carry-on.

Huh? Lithium Metal vs. Lithium Ion? 2 grams vs. 8 grams of lithium in the battery? How many travelers know the difference? Perhaps more importantly, how many airport security personnel do?

But this isn’t a beef with the TSA… yet. No, the TSA isn’t to blame for this new rule. Rather, reserve your ire for the Department of Transportation and its Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).

The DOT’s battery website shows just how confusing this can be. The TSA’s site, on the other hand, offers a far simpler set of guidelines:

Under the new DOT rule, lithium batteries are allowed in checked baggage under one of the following conditions:

* The batteries must be in their original containers.
* The battery terminals must not exposed (for example placing tape over the ends of the batteries).
* The batteries are installed in a device.
* The batteries are enclosed by themselves in a plastic bag.

Of course, the biggest risk, going forward, is uneven enforcement. In a few days, I’m sure we’ll start hearing stories about some legal batteries being removed, or prohibited batteries being permitted aboard. THEN, you can go back to griping about the TSA.

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Apple has been running ads galore for its iPhone, but one ad in particular bugs me. It’s the one with the pilot, who talks about the weather.

The pilot in the ad, who tells us that he was working a flight from Chicago to Newark, says he’s notified by the tower of a three hour weather delay. Skeptically, he whips out the iPhone and browses over to weather.com to see that there is no weather en route. He calls his dispatcher, and within minutes, they’re cleared for takeoff. iPhone to the rescue.

(If you prefer multimedia to pithy summaries, click the image below to view the ad on the Apple site.)

Really?

No, seriously: Really?

The pilot is identified simply as “Bryce,” and for all I know, he may be a real pilot. (Chicago to Newark… if he’s a commercial pilot that makes him a pilot for American, Continental, or United. Anyone recognize him?)

Either that story is 100% unadulterated bunk, or we’ve got even bigger problems than reported (or not reported, as the case may be).

How was this discussion supposed to go? “Uh, there’s no weather on radar. Why am I delayed?” “Oh, you’re right, I guess you can go now. Get outta here!” Unlikely. One expects (and hopes) that the Chicago tower has access to weather reports. And radar.

(Amusingly, the phone image shows two lines of storms on that flight route, one across Indiana, and one across Ohio. Maybe they should have picked a clear day.)

The ad could have repurcussions for travel: If you’re working in an airport tower, prepare to be harangued by pilots, passengers, and weather nerds across the land.

So either Apple is pulling a fast one, or we’re all screwed.

Upgraded: Seat pitch regulation?
Chris Elliott notes that European regulators are considering rules to require minimum seat pitch, though it’s not clear what that minimum would be. Some of the ultra-cheapo carriers have legroom below 30″, which is horrendous. (Skybus-esque, for an American equivalent.) The reason for the regulation? Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, a.k.a “economy class syndrome.” Maybe they should invest in this guy’s airline seat design while they’re at it.

Upgraded: Free wireless calling
Looking to cut down on the cellphone minutes? T-Mobile (aff) customers can sign up to make unlimited free calls with a compatible cellphone, if they’re in range of a T-Mobile wireless HotSpot or if you enable your home or office wireless router to link up with your phone. Brilliant. I’m a T-Mobile wireless customer myself, and I’ve been extremely satisfied with their service, both in terms of their network and their customer service. A few years ago, when wi-fi was less common in hotels, I sometimes traveled with a router and plugged it into the hotel jack, creating my own in-room hotspot. With T-Mobile’s new service, I’d strongly consider carrying a cellphone-linked router with me once again.

Upgraded: Paris Wi-Fi
Another city goes wi-fi. This time, it’s Paris. David Ourisman reports on the new arondissements electroniques.

Upgraded: American Airlines to London… Stansted?!
With open skies a reality between the US and Europe, airlines have been announcing new and expanded routes across the Atlantic. American Airlines announced a route from New York-JFK to London-Stansted, the airport that Ryanair made famous. This is interesting, since it’s the first (corrected below) a major network flight between the US and the more obscure Stansted Airport. (Maxjet and Eos fly there, yes, but American’s use of Stansted is big.)
Update: Joe Brancatelli writes in to point out that American Airlines has actually flown to Stansted in the past, with a Chicago-O’Hare to London-Stansted flight that launched in 1992. So now, with Maxjet and Eos eating American’s premium-cabin lunch on the London route, American makes its (triumphant?) return. Thanks, Joe!

Downgraded: Check-in? (or is that Upgraded?)
Jared Blank picks up on Spanish airline Clickair’s promise to eliminate the need for check-in. No real details, but it reminds me of train service, where you get on and have your ticket punched by the conductor. I’m too tired to figure out how it might work, but first come, first served seating is nothing new, and “shuttle” flights have existed for years, so there’s no reason this couldn’t work on heavily-traveled, high-frequency business routes.

Downgraded: Alitalia
Could Alitalia be downgraded any further? Already plagued by bankruptcy, strikes galore, and general incompetences for years, the Italian flag carrier is killing its frequent flyer program. And from its ashes will be reborn a new program, but you’ll only keep your miles if you fly the airline twice in the first half of 2008. Gary Leff has the story. I share his disdain.

Upgraded, in theory: Designer airlines that may never fly
From a Newsweek article on how the ultra-rich are finding ways to burn through their substantial cash: “Brands like Versace, under new leadership, are moving beyond red-carpet dresses into areas like interior jet and auto design. Last year Donna Karan went a step further, researching the launch of a branded airline.” Donna Karan Airlines?? Would the name of that airline perhaps be DKJFKSFO? DKDFWPHX? Yeah, sure. The ultra-rich don’t fly commercial. Good luck with that venture…

Upgraded: American Express’ Starwood card
I’ve long been a proponent of the Amex credit card that’s linked with the Starwood Hotels program. Several e-mails in my inbox have alerted me to the recently upgraded bonus offer: Get 10,000 bonus points with first purchase, and (here’s the upgrade) 15,000 bonus points for charging $15,000 in the first 6 months. Nice bonus, if you can get it. Click here for the latest bonus offer. (aff)

Upgraded: Boeing’s 787
With much fanfare, Boeing rolled out its first 787 Dreamliner yesterday (on 7/8/07, har har har). The plane has a lot of potential to revolutionize air travel, and I’m excited at the prospect of actually flying in one someday. Sure beats the regional jets I’ve sat in lately… MSNBC’s photo page of the 787 rollout is here.

Speed round of Upgrades and Downgrades
Upgraded: Zeppelins! (Beware if Christopher Walken is on board.)
Downgraded: Airport showers at LAX.
Upgraded, as much as possible: Regional jets.
Upgraded: Latin America; Downgraded: Easter Island.
Downgraded: Traveling bulldogs.
Downgraded: Business class meals at the hands of a NYT food critic. Shocking.

“I could never imagine going to Vinexpo [wine trade show in Bordeaux] without a cell phone,” someone told me. Why? Because I did just that.

It was unintentional, of course. Despite having a quad-band phone, I forgot the charger to my Motorola Razr. So no phone during the show. Perhaps you have felt a similar frustration in your overseas travels.

I got reunited with my charger while in France and installed a SIM chip from Orange, a local cell phone provider. It cost 30 euros for the chip and a few minutes credit. I later reloaded it at one of the ubiquitous tobacco stores (yes, that’s what they’re called) where they give you a code to add prepaid minutes. Calling domestic land lines in France is a low per minute rate. But calling French mobiles and the US sucks down the credits faster than I would a glass of 1982 Petrus.

I thought I was being Mr. Savvy International Traveler by going local. But in the end, I’m not sure it was worth it. Yes, I got a French number that is valid for eight months. But the domestic rates for calling mobile phones is so high in France, I’m not sure it’s any less than calling an American number.

So next time I might just switch on international roaming, which generally ranges from $0.99 to $1.29 a minute from American carriers. Imagine that: what’s the most convenient might also be the most price competitive. If you have further suggestions for ways to maximize your mobile, post them in the comments! And what about the iPhone–is it quad-band?

Tyler Colman, Ph.D. writes about wine in print and online at DrVino.com

When e-tickets first rolled out, they held the promise of paperless travel. For example, Alaska Airlines, the first domestic U.S. carrier to introduce wireless check-in back in early 2001, offered this nugget to the media when they rolled it out: “Once a passenger checks in via a cell phone or another wireless device, he or she can go directly to the appropriate gate, show a photo identification and board the plane.” Ha!

Ah, what could’ve been. I was reminded of the pre-9/11 predictions of how e-travel would be when I read how Northwest Airlines rolled out upgrades to their website, allowing you to perform a greater number of services via wireless devices. If you browse over to their site with your mobile, you’ll be able to buy tickets, change reservations, check in, etc. (Other airlines, such as Southwest, let you check in for your flights, but don’t let you buy tickets wirelessly.) But fully electronic travel, once promised, is a bust. It’s still a paper-trail world. The trees aren’t safe.

You can’t print a paper boarding pass from your smartphone, after all. Even in Europe, where you can use SMS text messaging to check in, you still need to stop at an airport kiosk and choose to “reprint” the pass.

After 9/11, it was no longer possible to go through security without a paper boarding pass. Mind you, the real security benefit of this requirement is highly questionable. Sure, it means that fewer people actually pass through security, but having a slip of paper with your name on it really doesn’t make you any more or less of a threat. (See, for example, the hoopla surrounding the fake boarding pass generator.)

At the end of the day, I’m glad to have Northwest and others on the wireless train. Being able to make changes via the wireless web really is an improvement. But it falls short of the predictions that we could skip the paper boarding passes altogether. Or that gate readers could scan a phone, or swipe a card, at the gate. That would really put the “e” back into e-tickets. Dare to dream.

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Related:
- Forged boarding passes: Fraud, yes, but where is the security threat?

Was there passport control at the Sea of Tranquility?
Annoyed you have to fill out customs declarations during international travel? Of course, it’s not personal. Even the Apollo 11 astronauts had to do it and had to declare the rocks they collected. It’s like leaving the Petrified Forest National Park. “Mr. Armstrong, did you take any rocks?”

500 free miles
Gary Leff, always on the lookout for a free mileage bonus, tracks down thanksagain.com, which offers 500 United, Continental, or Delta miles for signing up. The gist: Register a credit card and earn miles by shopping at local stores. In my area, it’s all dry cleaners for some reason, but none that I frequent. Is the free 500 miles worth the junkmail bombardment you’re bound to receive? You make the call.

TSA: A day in the life
Aviation Week’s Benet Wilson shadowed a TSA agent for a full day. I’m sure you’re jealous. It’s a worthwhile read.

The lowdown on watchlists
Wired has the backstory on where passenger watch lists (and no-fly lists) came from, how they’re maintained, and more. Well worth a read. A series, in three parts. Part one, part two, and part three.

Inflight cellphone use moves ahead
Air France has announced that their six-month trial of inflight cellphone use begins in July… on a single plane. This isn’t exactly a major rollout. I guess this is a baby step. The baby steps of a screaming, colicky child.

At the other end of the earth, Qantas will run a similar three-month test, but won’t allow voice calls, just SMS and e-mail. Passengers won’t know if their flight is cellphone-enabled until they board. Sounds like a variation on the Australian “mystery flight.”

All lounges, all the time
Seems like everyone is writing about ways of getting into airport lounges lately. There’s Joe Brancatelli’s debut column in the new business glossy Portfolio. The New York Times’ coverage of lounges brushes across the same issue. I’ll join you. Allow me to pimp a “vintage” post of mine which lays out the five ways to get into lounges: How to lounge in airports.

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The tide appears to have turned on inflight cellphone use, and passengers hoping to catch a few winks in-flight may be relieved.

The Federal Communications Commission is apparently withdrawing its previous support for the use of cellular phones onboard commercial aircraft.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin is recommending the FCC drop its tentative plan to lift its ban on in-flight cellphone use, three agency officials say. They asked to remain anonymous because the proposal is still being considered. Most of the agency’s five commissioners support the recommendation, the FCC officials say.

The reason given is technical, not etiquette. Tests showed that the inflight systems interfered with mobile phone communication on the ground.

No word yet on how this might affect plans for cellular data transmission. But voice is out. No more worries about trying to sleep while a chatterbox gabs away in the adjacent seat.

Hallelujah.

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Related:
- Secrets of inflight cellphone use — revealed!
- “No Cellphones” light to be added to aircraft interiors
- Emirates promises (or threatens) inflight cellphones on longhaul flights
- No to cellphones, yes to VoIP in the sky?

‘Pods on a Plane
Apple announced a deal with United, Delta, Continental, Air France, Emirates, and KLM to link inflight entertainment systems with iPods. “Available starting mid-2007, the connections would power and charge iPods in flight. It would allow travelers to watch and listen to videos and songs of their choice, instead of having to watch airlines’ programming. Instead of using the small iPod screen, passengers will be able to watch TV shows or movies on larger seatback monitors.” No word on whether you’ll be able to download songs in-flight.

Cells on the Seas
All sorts of attention is paid to the possibility of cell phones on airplanes, but no one has expressed horror at the thought of getting calls on a cruise ship. The time has come. “I’m on a ship! A ship!” Yay.

Fondue on a plane?
Molten cheese, is there anything better? Swiss style fondue, Besides being social and delicious, can now earn you miles. Select prepackaged fondue cheese can earn you 500 miles on American Airlines. See here. (Beware the bombastic and loud audio/video that plays upon opening…) Alas, we can’t enjoy fondue at 35,000 feet yet. Via Gary Leff’s View from the Wing.

Delta guarantees you’ll be late
Delta Connection flight 5283 from New York-JFK to Washington National: late 100% of the time in September. Jeez. Book the earlier flight.

Marriott goes electric
Marriott hotels will now let all guests receive their final bills (”e-folios”) via e-mail. Saves trees, and provides an electronic record. As long as the accounting department accepts this for expense reports, then we’re good to go.