The power of the media is undeniable, especially these days when everyday people have access to a public platform, be it Facebook, Twitter, or their own websites and blogs.  Just a few days ago, Verizon Wireless announced that they were going to charge a US$2.00 convenience fee if their customers used a credit card to pay a single phone bill (as opposed to signing up for auto-pay).  In LESS than 24 hours, Verizon backed off and changed their minds about adding this fee.  Why?  Because the customer backlash was so great that it wasn’t worth the bad publicity.

As a business traveler, you probably have had more than one opportunity to grouse about the fees airlines have tacked onto the cost of travel.  Since we’re frequent travelers, we probably encounter them less often because our membership in mileage programs alleviate some of those fees.  But leisure travelers encounter them all the time, everything from asking for a real person at check-in to baggage fees to cancellation and rescheduling fees.

The Silent Traveling Majority?

So why don’t we hear about passenger backlash regarding fees?  Well, for one thing, leisure travelers aren’t “organized” — by definition they travel only occasionally, and usually accept what is imposed on them because they don’t have any leverage with the airline.

However, in the fall of 2010, a website called www.MadAsHellAboutHiddenFees.com used their website and media attention to put together 50,000 signatures and deliver them to the Department of Transportation in time for the close of public comments on a potential change of rules about airline fees.  In April 2011, the DOT issued a new set of rules that took effect in August 2011.  In case you missed hearing about them, here’s a short list:

• Bumping: The new rules raise the amount airlines must pay for “involuntary bumping of passengers.”  For short delays, you’ll be entitled to up to twice the amount of your ticket, up to $650.  For longer delays, you can get up to four times the ticket price, or up to $1,300.
• Tarmac delays: The new rules impose a four-hour limit on the time international flights can sit on the tarmac before allowing passengers to get off.  Domestic flights are limited to three-hour delays.
• Refund of bag fees if luggage is lost, but you’ll get your checked- bag fees refunded only if the airline permanently loses your luggage.

Two other rules were delayed until 2012:

• Advertised fares must include all government taxes and fees — no more misleading advertising that leave those fees off!
• Travelers have 24 hours to cancel non-refundable tickets without penalty.  Some airlines already do this, though you might not discover that fact unless you’ve had to cancel and you tried calling the airline hoping for mercy.  Now it’ll be a rule.

You can get a more detailed description here: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travelwise/2015938600_trpucci21.html

Handling Grievances with the Airlines

Trying to get the attention of an airline when you have a problem can feel like being David and taking on Goliath.  Arm yourself with facts and knowledge of your airline’s procedures, and you stand a good chance of getting the remedy you seek.  Remember, David won over Goliath with a few well-placed stones!

Ticketing: Most airlines post links to Customer Service on their websites.  Among those pages you’ll find procedures for ticketing and pre-flight changes or refunds.

Baggage: Not every business traveler checks a bag or two (I usually have to), but if you do check yours and they go awry, it’s essential that you head straight for the baggage claim office and report it.  Thank goodness for bar-coding — most of the airlines can tell you WHERE your bag is, even if it’s not going to arrive anytime soon.

During Travel: If you don’t already have the phone numbers for your airline in your phone or PDA, take time before you leave to add them to your contacts.  Trying to track down that information is frustrating at best, and really inconvenient in the middle of a travel crisis.  When you fly internationally, be sure that you have the numbers on paper as well as in your phone/PDA, in case your battery runs out.

Be Persistent!

Don’t give up on getting a remedy for your issue with the airline.  Document every conversation (date, time, person you spoke to, etc.) so that you can impress the next person you talk to.  Be polite, be firm, and be consistent in your follow-up.

As for using the media (local consumer advocate, Facebook, Twitter, etc) to air your grievances, use that only as a LAST resort.  If you put something on the Internet, it’s there forever, and your angry words will probably come back to haunt you, even on an unrelated topic.

Got a travel horror story for which you eventually GOT a remedy?  I’d love to hear about it through your comments on this newsletter.

This has been a tough year for natural disasters, from earthquakes to tsunamis to hurricanes. With the 10th anniversary of 9/11 just a few weeks away, we are reminded that their are unnatural disasters also that also threaten human lives.

I remember taking a first-aid class when I was a teen, then a cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) class as a young adult. Most of those techniques have been updated, especially CPR guidelines that were just changed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9T25SMyz3A

As business travelers, it occurs to me that our smart phones could go a long way towards providing information to help us in emergencies. Yes, we check them for delayed flights and weather information — you probably already have a good weather app on your phone. But what about first aid? If you were caught in a life-threatening situation, could you be helpful? If someone was bleeding, would you know what to do?

Weather Apps for iPhone, Blackberry, and Android

Let’s cover the weather apps first. With Hurricane Irene’s devastation fresh in our minds, I was not surprised to see that the hurricane- tracking apps on iTunes were VERY popular.

• http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hurricanehunterappcolallc/id456831217?mt=8 
• http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hurricane-express/id457745719?mt=8
• http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/noaa-radar-us/id415411639?mt=8

I also realized that I should include apps for other platforms in my newsletter, so here’s a selection.

iPhone apps

• http://www.weather.com/services/iphone.html
• http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-weather-channel/id295646461?mt=8
• http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/myweather-mobile/id435025246?mt=8

Blackberry

• http://www.weatherbug.com/mobile/blackberry/
• http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/1191?lang=en
• http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/3624?lang=en

Android

• http://www.weather.com/services/android.html
• https://market.android.com/details?id=com.aws.android.elite&feature=search_result
• https://market.android.com/details?id=com.accuweather.android&feature=search_result

Medical/First Aid Apps for iPhone, Blackberry, and Android

There were several categories of applications that could be helpful for disaster situation: disaster planning, first aid, and triage. Because I’m focused on in-the-moment concerns, I focused on the last 2 categories.

Blackberry

• http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/3779?lang=en
• http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/44226?lang=en
• https://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/48484?lang=en

Android

• https://market.android.com/details?id=me.jive.firstaid&feature=search_result
• https://market.android.com/details?id=com.phoneflipper&feature=related_apps
• https://market.android.com/details?id=com.healthagen.iTriage&feature=related_apps

iPhone

• http://www.phoneflips.com/2011/first-aid/
• http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mobile-first-aid-cpr/id380724565?mt=8
• http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/itriage/id304696939?mt=8

Pre-Disaster Planning

It wouldn’t feel right if I did leave out disaster planning — or rather pre-disaster planning. The US Government has an entire website devoted to disaster preparedness. As business travelers, we may not be home when disaster strikes, so making sure that your family is OK without is really important.

http://www.ready.gov

I highly recommend following their recommendations to ensure your family’s safety. I did find a mobile version of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s website that corresponds to this website.

http://m.fema.gov

Let me say that I hope you never need these resources, but I also encourage you to be prepared.

The international events of the last month have been extraordinary. The upheaval in multiple nations in major oil-producing regions of the world mean that prices have increased across the board. I’m not going to get into a discussion of the political events or the world’s current dependence on fossil fuels. Instead I’d like to focus on how business travelers can cope with increased costs by using mass transit wherever possible.

Fast Track from the Airport

Much of what determines the use of mass transit from the airport to your chosen destination has to do with timing and proximity. As a business traveler, we’re not always able to use mass transit because our business takes us to multiple locations at our destinations. Rental cars become necessary, and we’re hit not only with the price of gasoline but also parking fees.

For business travels where we’re operating in one location, using the light rail or bus system should be a consideration. Below is a list of cities in the USA and elsewhere that have mass transit and light rail connections directly from the airport to the center of town. This is just a sample of the places with good coverage, most of which I have personally used. I’ve included links to their mass transit system websites.

USA

Atlanta  http://www.itsmarta.com/airport.aspx

Boston www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/subway/lines/?route=SILVER

Chicago http://www.transitchicago.com/riding_cta/airports.aspx

Minneapolis http://www.metrotransit.org/airport.aspx

New York http://www.panynj.gov/airports/jfk-to-from.html,
http://www.panynj.gov/airports/ewr-to-from.html

Oakland http://www.flyoakland.com/bart_airbart.shtml

San Francisco http://www.flysfo.com/web/page/tofrom/transp-serv/pubtrans/

Seattle http://www.portseattle.org/seatac/ground/rail.shtml

San Diego http://www.san.org/sdia/transportation/public.aspx

Washington DC http://www.metwashairports.com/dulles/809.htm,

http://www.metwashairports.com/reagan/1303.htm

International

Amsterdam (English page) http://www.schiphol.nl/Travellers/ToFromSchiphol/PublicTransport/ByTrainDomestic.htm

Frankfurt (English page) http://www.rmv.de/coremedia/generator/RMV/AutoCo/Flugzeug/FlughafenFrankfurt/inhalt_3Den.html

Hong Kong http://www.hongkongairport.com/eng/transport/to-from-airport/airport-express.html

London http://www.heathrowexpress.com, http://www.gatwickairport.com/transport/trains/

Paris (English page) http://www.aeroportsdeparis.fr/ADP/en-gb/passagers/home/

Singapore http://www.changiairport.com/getting-around/to-and-from-airport/trains-mrt

Sydney http://www.airportlink.com.au/

These links were not difficult to find; all I had to do was to search on Google for the airport, then look for Ground Transportation. Most of the websites whose cities had direct links from the airport had pages devoted to those services. From there, a few clicks led to the descriptions of the pages, and links to the pages with timetables and maps.

Using Transit Passes

When business has kept me in a particular city for 5 days or more, I also look into getting a weekly pass. Most cities have some kind of multi-day, multi-service pass that you can use to move around. It takes a little bit of planning, but in less than an hour you can figure out which stations you need to use, how much walking time is required, and how often the services run. I’ve saved a lot of money this way, and truly enjoyed the experience of being “a local.”

When I know that I will be returning to a particular city multiple times, I’ll even buy a reloadable transit card where available. In addition to my local Seattle “ORCA” card, I have one each for Singapore and Hong Kong. In some countries (like Singapore), reloadable transit cards are used not only for trains and busses, but also as payment cards at grocery and convenience stores.

Keep in mind that by using mass transit, you’re not only taking your rental car off the road, you’re also reducing your company liability, avoiding fuel charges and parking fees, and recapturing time you can use to practice your presentation, make phone calls, and read the paper. You’ll also save time because you won’t have to try to find a parking space or wait in line to pay at the parking garage exit.

Other Considerations for Using Mass Transit

If your business destination has a choice of hotels, look for the hotel closest to both a mass transit station and your meeting place. The time you save by being within walking distance of both is considerable. You’ll need to bring or plan to wear a comfortable pair of shoes, and suitable outwear for inclement weather. These days you can print area (walking) maps from Google Maps or other services, so you don’t even need to visit the map store, unless you want a laminated map. Having local currency in small bills is a good idea, even if you buy a transit pass, in case yours gets lost.

Using mass transit is a good investment in time and effort, and a money-saver any way you look at it.

No doubt you’ve seen the news, read the horror stories, and wondered about the new security procedures instigated by the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) recently. TSA began applying these procedures after my trip in September, so I have not yet experienced them. Having been “selected for additional screening” in locations around the world, the thought of being patted down on American soil makes me very uncomfortable. As business travelers, we’re going to get more than our share of screening as it is, and now having more to endure, I wanted to get some facts pulled together for you.

What My “TSA Scanner” Research Found

Not having been through the procedure myself, I doubted the wisdom of delving into the subject in this newsletter but I decided to at least begin the discussion. So in preparation for writing this newsletter, I got onto the Central Link train and went down to the Seattle- Tacoma International Airport to see what was happening.

It had been a busy day, so by the time I got to the terminal, it was nearly 7 pm. Since I live on the West Coast that time of day is pretty quiet. I was able to stand within visual range of the scanners themselves to see, first of all, what they look like. When I came home, I did a search in Google Images for “TSA Scanner,” and only found a small image on a television station website that looks like the ones used here.

http://www.ktvu.com/2010/1121/25866110.jpg

There is apparently another version that looks like a Plexiglas phone booth, seen in this photo I found on CNN:

http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/TRAVEL/01/11/body.scanners/story.scanner.gi.jpg

I looked at the scanners at two different checkpoints, and neither were using them at that hour. So I went over to a TSA employee and asked about them. The gentleman was very polite and helpful, but he began by rolling his eyes a bit at my question. No doubt he had been answering this question for all his friends too. Here is what I gleaned of the procedures at this point in time.

1. You’re sent to the full-body scanner only if you set off the metal detector. At that point you may be sent to the full body scanner or just sent through the metal detector again.

2. You may be selected for additional screening at any time (he offered no further explanation).

3. You have the option to be patted down instead.

Light Me Up, Please

Personally, I’d go for the scanner. Why? Well here’s what I learned about the scanners themselves; the radiation level used is for most people not a threat. There will always be exceptions to that, and your medical professional can advise you. I found this explanation of the radiation levels on CBSNews.com.

http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-204_162-10005685.html

Now About Those Images…

My question is, “who is looking at me?” The director of the TSA, John Pistole, wrote a column on November 24th in USA Today, explaining the procedures and offering facts about the process from their point of view.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-11-24-column24_ST2_N.htm

Here’s what he had to say about the images themselves:

“All images generated by imaging technology are viewed in a walled-off location not visible to the public. The officer assisting the passenger never sees the image, and the officer viewing the image never interacts with the passenger. The imaging technology that we use cannot store, export, print, or transmit images.”

Also, TSA has forbidden their employees from bringing into the viewing area anything that would allow them to capture the image separately from the scanner itself, such as a camera or cell phone, etc. Now you and I know that there will always be people who try to break that rule, but I’m guessing that there’s a tremendous amount of pressure on these employees to obey. If they’re caught breaking the rule, they get fired.

Implementation Issues

I was scheduled to get on a plane and fly to Las Vegas just 9 days after the events of September 11, 2001 — just 4 days after planes started flying again. I had paid for my ticket and pre-paid for 3 days of training, so despite my concerns, I was determined to go! We were warned to get to the airport early, and it’s a good thing I did. I stood in line for over an hour while private security personnel (remember, no TSA back then) tried to implement hastily ordered procedures with little or no training. It was a nightmare. I made my flight, but just barely.

Without all the facts in front of me, and without having spoken to the offended persons, I am suspecting that some of the horror stories come from similarly randomly applied procedures as this new phase of screening is put in place. That does not make the process any less invasive or offensive. It is my fondest hope that the implementation of pat-down procedures will stabilize, and that TSA will do a better job of seeing to it that their employees are judicious in their application of those procedures. It can’t be easy to have the job of screening, no matter how you look at it. But it’s also distressing to realize that we have to succumb to this level of screening to protect the flying public.

The Best Advice…

On my way back to the train to go home, I stopped to talk to a couple of airline employees (a man and a woman), and I asked them about the reactions people have had to the new procedures. They both immediately said that the news items had been blown out of proportion, and that “it really wasn’t that bad.” But the best piece of advice I heard anywhere came from the woman. She said very simply, “Don’t beep. Don’t do anything that might set off the metal detectors, and you’ll most likely be fine.” Well, as business travelers, that’s where we have an advantage. We have “not beeping” down to a science!

Have you been through full-body screening or a pat-down? If so, share your story by commenting on this blog post below.

It’s a absolutely brilliant day here in Seattle: blue skies, puffy clouds and a brisk 53 degrees. Spring has sprung and my thoughts turn to the skies as I’m refurbishing my speaking website. The work is not done, but it will be shortly, and I will talk about it next month.

One of the features of my new website is a listing of my speaking engagements that is pulled from my speaking business management tool. I like that I can enter the data once and display it for prospective buyers. I will also reinstall my TripIt badge when everything is in place.

But my “spidey-sense” tingles when I think about advertising that I am going to be away from home. I am fortunate that McAlister is here working at home in the studio nearly all the time, but I think about the many ways in which we expose our public and private activities online these days: Facebook, Twitter; less so on LinkedIn. Now I’m adding my business travels to a website that can be seen globally. I still think that the networking opportunities outweigh the risks, but I thought I’d go over ways to protect yourself from prying eyes.

Limit the Details of Your Private Life

If you’ve spent any time on our around Facebook and you keep up with current events, you’ve probably heard about the young person who decided to call in sick to work, then talked about their activities that day on Facebook. They never considered that the boss might know about their Facebook profile and keep track of what his employees might be doing. The boss found out, and the employee was fired.

While I enjoy sharing some personal details of my life (everyone knows how MUCH I adore McAlister), I am careful to keep specifics out of my Facebook entries and Twitter Tweets. I’m involved with these entities for business purposes, so that helps sort out what I’m willing to share online.

Don’t Use Your Home Address for Your Home-Based Business

When I worked at Microsoft, I had the anonymity that working for a big company provided. Unless I gave out my direct phone line, all calls were routed through the main switchboard (later a call routing system), and the AmEx bills went to the Microsoft billing department. By the time I went out on my own, I had established a business address and a business credit card whose bills did not go to my home. I’ve been using a PO Box for my address for the last 25 years, so I am accustomed to having control over my mailing address. Yes it’s sometimes inconvenient to have to go to the Post Office, but it’s a choice well worth making, in my opinion.

Have Your Address Removed from the Land Line Listing

If you still have a land line to the house (many people don’t anymore), have the address removed from your phone company listing. It’s surprising how many people don’t realize that websites like www.SuperPages.com have your home phone address listed right there online. While I might allow a home phone number to remain listed (I don’t), when it was, I had the phone company withhold the address.

As an online marketer with a company that owns 85 domain names, I also use private registration for what is otherwise a public listing. Domain registration information is public unless you specifically make it private (an additional fee). I’ve worked with clients who register domain names using a personal credit card, who later realized that their home address was listed for everyone to see. We quickly remedied the situation, but it’s disconcerting nonetheless.

Route Home Phone Calls to Your Skype Account

This is a tactic I started using when I was traveling internationally because of aging parents. Only my parents and siblings have my home number, and that way I would be able to stay connected inexpensively.

I purchased a Skype phone number, and paid 75 cents a month to automatically forward my home phone to my Skype voicemail after a certain number of rings. If I was online at my computer, I could take the call, and the caller had no idea where I was in the world. If I was away from the computer, they would get voicemail anyway, but at least they weren’t waiting for 2 weeks for me to return a call. It gave the illusion that I was nearby at least, and it was comforting to me to be available to my family.

Stop Your Home Mail Delivery

It’s easier than ever to arrange for your mail to be held. You can go to the US Postal Service website (for example) and enter the request online:

https://holdmail.usps.com/holdmail/landingView.do

You can specify both the start and end dates of the hold, and you’ll receive a confirmation by email.

Employ a Security System

Not everyone needs to add a sophisticated security system to their home, but for some this may be a sensible decision. If you live alone and travel a lot, you may not have any other reasonable choice.

My favorite form of security is the neighborhood watch. Until I moved to Seattle I never knew my neighbors. I was always away, or lived in rental neighborhoods where people came and went frequently. Now that I own a home, I notice much more readily the cars that are parked on my street, the stranger on foot who is lurking with no apparent reason to be present.

I still don’t know my neighbors as well as I should, but I am much more aware of my surroundings. We have exchanged phone numbers, and we look out for each other. I’ll never forget the first time I received a call from the neighbor across the street, who called me at work to tell me that I had left my garage door open when I left for the day. I was so thankful, I sent her a bouquet of flowers!

Here’s hoping you have someone looking out for you when you’re away! If not, go meet your neighbors and join the watch!