Traveler 2.0

Driving While Cell Phoning Slows Traffic

Now that the holidays are over, and the Consumer Electronics Show and Macworld expo are nigh, my mind turns to...cell phones in the car.

A new study from the University of Utah finds that motorists drive about two miles per hour more slowly than drivers who refrain from cell phoning. The use of hands-free devices are just as likely to slow drivers down, compared to hands-on cell phone use, the study says.

So what, you ask? Consider this: The university's research suggests that "slower cellphone drivers may be increasing overall commuting times by 5 percent to 10 percent," according to The New York Times in its report of the study's findings. Thus, talking on the phone "may increase each daily commuter's travel time by 20 hours a year," says the Times. The reason: Cell phone talkers tend to be distracted, which causes them to drive more slowly and to have slower reactions.

I work out of my home office, so I'm not greatly affected by the cell phone slowdown. Still, in San Francisco (where I live), I see evidence of this trend constantly. For example, when I encounter drivers who appear to be snoozing at green stoplights or who fail to use their blinkers when turning, those drivers are, invariably, talking on their cell phones. Their distractedness has caused them, and me, to slow down unnecessarily.

Even more concerning, in my opinion, are cell-phone-using pedestrians. I'm truly shocked at how many people I see in San Francisco, pushing their baby buggies into congested intersections without first glancing in both directions. I suppose these pedestrians are focusing on something far more important than their children's safety, such as a discussion with their spouses of whose turn it is to make dinner.

Pedestrians have the right of way, of course. But that's the ideal world. In the real world, we have drivers who are distracted on their cell phones. We have entitled pedestrians not paying attention to those drivers. It's a potentially disastrous combination. 

I must admit to driving while cell phoning, too. But it's a New Year, and refraining from unnecessary cell phone use while driving is at the top of my resolutions. At a minimum, I'll get where I'm going just a little bit faster.

Your Cell Phone Will Be Your Boarding Pass

In the future, your cell phone will serve as your airplane boarding pass.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced recently that a global standard for cell phone bar codes has been established. When you buy a ticket, you can register your cell phone number with the airline. A bar code will be sent by text message to your phone. When it's time to board your flight, flash your phone at the ticket agent. He or she will scan the bar code displayed on your phone. The cell phone bar code will help airlines phase out paper boarding passes by 2010, says IATA.

I like this idea. I'm always fearful that, somewhere in the airport, I'll lose my boarding pass and there will be Hell to pay.

But using your cell phone instead of a paper boarding pass won't be without potential peril, either. For example: What will happen if your cell phone battery dies just before you approach the ticket agent? What if, in your haste to hand over your cell phone, you drop it and crack the screen? What happens if the phone rings just as the ticket agent has it in his or her hands and the caller ID identifies the caller as 'Love Machine'?

I guess the process of flying by plane, no matter how paperless it becomes, will never be without its little frustrations and humiliations.

Alaska Airlines to Test Wi-Fi

Alaska Airlines announced yesterday it will test onboard Wi-Fi next spring on one of its Boeing 737 aircraft. Alaska's test will last about one month. If the test is successful, the airline says it will roll out the service to the rest of its fleet by year's end 2009.

Alaska is partnering with wireless start-up Row 44. Along with fast Web browsing and e-mail, the wireless networks could also beam entertainment content to passengers' portable devices, the Wall Street Journal reports (subscription required to read the entire article).

Meanwhile, American Airlines, Virgin America, and Southwest Airlines in the U.S. are testing and/or beginning to install Wi-Fi systems aboard aircraft. In Europe,  Ryanair and Air France are among those dipping a cautious toe in the onboard Wi-Fi waters.

Will these Wi-Fi networks lead to passengers making Skype or other Internet phone calls? I hope not. At the moment, that doesn't seem likely. U.S. carriers know all too well that the FAA and FCC continue to support a ban on cell phones in flight, and many passengers aren't thrilled with the idea of sitting next to Chatty Cathy. Presumably, those airlines offering inflight Wi-Fi can disable telephony services such as Skype. Or--more likely--they may ultimately charge a premium for enabling Wi-Fi or cell phone services at 35,000 feet. Money talks, as the saying goes.

Airline Lounges: Worth the Money?

Last week, my partner Nick and I were faced with a nearly three-hour layover at LAX (Los Angeles International Airport). I had business calls to make and e-mail to check, and the throngs of travelers in the terminal were jangling my nerves. And so, for a total of $75, we bought a 24-hour pass for the two of us to the American Airlines Admirals Club lounge (we were flying American).

Once inside the lounge, I ensconced myself at a desk cubicle to get some work done. Cell phone reception (using Sprint) was a bit spotty, unfortunately, though given the fact the cubicles are far away from the windows, I wasn't surprised. I could have used the landline phone at the desk, but that would have required using a credit card, and I didn't want to bother with that. Also, the wireless Internet access is supplied by T-Mobile and requires a fee. I left my laptop off and checked e-mail on my Treo instead.

These gripes aside, the lounge made the layover far more tolerable than it would have been otherwise. So if you find yourself facing a long layover, and you aren't a member of an airline club, ask if you can buy a day pass (most will sell you a pass for about $50). And keep in mind some premium credit cards will get you free access to airline lounges. For example, American Express recently announced that Platinum and Centurion cardholders can hang out at American, Delta, Continental, and Northwest lounges for free.

Today's Wall Street Journal Cranky Consumer column reviews American, Delta, United, and Continental airport clubs. Of the four airlines, only Continental lounges offer free wireless Internet access, according to the Journal.

Laptop Etiquette in the Skies

When you're on a plane (or in another public place), do you take a peek at what's on your neighbor's laptop screen? Tuesday's USA Today story on laptop etiquette quotes a survey that says 45% of respondents admitted to glancing at someone else's laptop screen while in public places. Worth noting, however: the survey was sponsored by 3M, which makes screen filters that prevent others from seeing what's on your screen.

At any rate, the point is we like to peek. Meanwhile, a growing number of laptop screens use high-contrast, high-gloss technology, which makes the screen easier to view from either side. Add the fact many of us watch DVDs with at least some adult content--a brief nude scene, for example--on planes or trains. What've you got? The growing likelihood that you'll look up from your organic fruit snack, only to see two people on a nearby laptop screen doing what comes naturally.

Bottom line: Be prepared to lower your laptop screen when you're viewing adult or personal content in public, to prevent others (such as nearby kids) from seeing it. Or invest in a 3M laptop screen filter. I've used them; they work as advertised. The clip below is an amusing ad for the filters.

AOL Survey: We Check E-Mail on Vacation, While Driving

Eighty-three percent of e-mail users check their messages at least once a day on vacation, according to a recent survey from America Online. About four out of ten respondents said they consider the availability of e-mail access (such as through Wi-Fi hot spots) when planning their vacations.

Surprising? Not really. The proliferation of smart phones, such as BlackBerrys and Treos, has made it easy to check e-mail anywhere there's a cell phone signal. But the survey, AOL's third annual, offered some interesting results:

>Fifty-three percent of respondents said they checked e-mail in the bathroom. Which makes me wonder: How many also conduct cell phone conversations in public bathrooms? Recently, I overheard a guy being interviewed for a job while he "did his business" in an airport bathroom.

> Thirty-seven percent of all respondents said they check e-mail while driving. Which makes me worry: Does Lindsay Lohan own a BlackBerry?

> Sixteen percent of women confessed they were addicted to e-mail, compared to 13 percent of men. Which tells me that, here too, women are more likely to fess up than men.

> Twelve percent said they check e-mail in church. Which makes it inevitable that somewhere, as a preacher warns against the sins of adultery, some married guy in the back pew is reading a spam with the subject heading, "Busty chick in pantyhose."

 

Checking E-Mail on Vacation

The beauty of BlackBerrys, Treos, and other smart phones is that you can check e-mail just about anywhere, anytime. The curse of BlackBerrys, Treos, and other smart phones is that you can check e-mail just about anywhere, anytime. Including vacations.

It's a quandary for our times. Do you check e-mail when you're on vacation, interrupting your much-needed time away? Or do you wait until you're back home, then plow through the six million messages accumulated while you were gone?

I've tried both approaches. And neither is entirely satisfactory. On my upcoming vacation, my strategy is to leave the laptop at home and check e-mail once a day--in the morning--on my Treo. Then I'll leave the Treo in my hotel room for the rest of the day. This way, I can get the e-mail thing over with right away and get back to the vacation.

Still, nagging questions remain. Is this a reasonable, if not inevitable, compromise? Or is this yet another little capitulation of freedom? Isn't the person we would most like to be the person we are when we're on an extended vacation? And if that's true, how can we even know who that person is, if we remain connected to our workaday lives back home? Maybe I'll have some answers when I return. Or, even better, maybe I'll get so caught up in my vacation, such thoughts won't even enter my mind.

Summer Travel Forecast: Doom, Gloom, and a Cheap Room

"Fliers Face a Brutal Summer," declared the scary headline in Tuesday's 'Middle Seat' column in The Wall Street Journal (online subscription required). Scott McCartney's Journal report was one of several recent articles that, when given the mash-up treatment, collectively provide a glimpse into what we weary travelers can expect during the upcoming hot spell. Fortunately, there is some good news.

Here are some probable travel trends for summer 2007:

> Frequent fliers will get hot under the collar. Travel is booming again, but airline staffing is lean, McCartney reports. Meanwhile, airlines have dramatically cut costs on back-up resources, giving them less capacity to recover from weather or other delays. Labor battles at the carriers are looming, and cancellations and delays are up this year, too. And, oh yes, flights are running fuller this year, leaving fewer empty seats available for rebooking stranded passengers. McCartney quotes John Prater, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, who said: "It's going to be a brutal summer of delays."

> Using frequent flier miles will be tougher than ever. Have you actually tried cashing in your miles lately for a free round-trip airline ticket? It ain't easy, people. Seems like free seats are rarely available and are particularly scarce for summer trips. And if you do find availability, the amount of miles required to book the itinerary is often twice what it used to be--say, 50,000 miles for a coach seat instead of 25,000 miles.

> Europe will remain crazy expensive for American travelers. As of yesterday, the British pound cost $2 in U.S. currency--a 26-year high. The euro rose to $1.3614, just shy of its all-time record. Analysts predict these trends will continue for the foreseeable future.

> But 'cheap chic' hotels are booming. Finally, the good news: More hotel chains are coming online that are affordable and yet offer amenities business travelers need, according to USA Today. Example: rooms in the new Hyatt Place chain go for about $125-$160 a night; are fairly large (about 510 sq. ft.); and offer 42-inch high-def, flat panel TVs, plus free in-room Wi-Fi. And there's a new wave of budget business hotels popping up in Europe, reports The New York Times.

What does all this mean? A few things: Book your travel as far in advance as possible. Try to travel only with carry-on luggage, so you can quickly switch to another flight if needed. And don't take out your hostility on airline personnel--even if they do it to you first.