Making Your mobile go global
It is without a doubt one of the most laughable but little-noticed ironies of the information age: our cellular phones don’t like to travel. Think about it. Those ultra-light wireless devices that are meant to be taken everywhere are practically useless outside of our own country. It’s not that they aren’t portable, per se, but that they’re rarely compatible with another cellular network. You might as well leave the handsets at home.
Are you owed a refund?
Carol Sadowski thought she had found a great airfare for a vacation trip to Las Vegas this fall. But then the $229 price she paid for her flight on America West’s Web site in early July started to drop, first by $8, then $22 and finally, in late August, by $40. “I wanted to get a refund,” says the Plantation, Fla., retiree.
Saturday night’s all right
Bob Cowen used to save as much as 60 percent on the price of an airline ticket between Boston and Detroit by tacking an extra leg onto his trip. But when Northwest Airlines discovered that the Michigan native left the airport in Detroit without connecting to Columbus-traveling on what’s called a “hidden city” itinerary-it threatened to dock him all his frequent-flier miles and charge his employer the highest full-fare price for the business trip.
Technology or toiletries? It’s a tough choice
The number of air rage incidents could be cut in half if carriers stopped serving alcohol on planes and lifted on-board luggage restrictions, if you believe the conventional wisdom. And most of my colleagues do. Not a week seems to go by that I don’t read a story taking a hard look at liquor on flights. But fewer travel pundits bother to check into the luggage dilemma, which is a considerable issue for leisure travelers - particularly those who want to walk on board with the kitchen sink - and a jumbo-sized problem for the jet set.
A fine SMS we’ve gotten ourselves into
No one ever seems to wonder if Short Messaging System technology belongs on a cell phone. That’s probably because SMS is already a hit in Europe, especially with teen-agers who have learned to use a phone keypad to type with uncanny proficiency. And despite some hardware and interoperability issues, the text-messaging protocol is now catching on in the States, too.
Mad as hell and I’m not going to tech it anymore
What ticks you off about technology when you travel? Is it those surprise hotel phone surcharges that no one told you about when you checked in? How about your crash-prone computer operating system? Maybe it’s your crappy cell phone? You know. But do you know what your fellow road warriors think?
Surprise tech innovations discovered at NBTA
You may have never heard of the National Business Travel Association, but the agent who booked your last business trip almost certainly has. The industry organization represents more than 2,000 corporate travel managers and suppliers - the people behind the scenes who make your trip happen.