I recently pondered the unthinkable: to defiantly pass through security with my shoes firmly on my feet. Yep, for a brief moment, I swore to myself it would take a house falling on me to remove my ruby red slippers—or natty brown boots as the case may be.

Had I been sporting Birkenstocks, loafers or flip-flops, I would have gladly slid my footwear off and tossed it into the tub for a quick trip through security.

But this was different; I was wearing dress boots that required a shoehorn, unbuckling and a twenty-mule team to remove properly. Add to that the image of my spud-like toes poking through sock holes the size of manhole covers, and I was ready to spin on my half-inch heel and call off the trip.

Even though my soles were as thin as saltines, the TSA agent (or shoe sheriff as I like to think) said it didn't matter, that all shoes had to be removed. My pointing out that I was wearing boots did not amuse her in the least. (Lucky for me she wasn't packing heat.)

Bending over hopping on one foot, my checkpoint cha-cha-cha and brazen toe exposure brought some comic relief to my fellow line holders. Look Mommy, big man hopping. My composure and self-respect were nowhere to be found; I believe they each hitched a ride with my footwear tub to the other side, the safer side. We met up later at the gate.

On my return trip, I still bristled when I saw the taunting sign that stated all shoes must be removed, but this time I was prepared. I wore new socks and old loafers (with very poor arch support I might add). I was a rebel in Weejuns, brandishing footwear that took mere seconds to kick off and plop into an x-ray tub. I laughed as if it was no inconvenience at all. (We all protest in our own different ways.)

As a traveler I've learned to pick my battles. There is no victory to be had here, even pouting holds little gratification anymore. The whole shoe removal dance really exposes more than one's bare tootsies. To me it's a constant and odd reminder that air travel will never really be the same, and perhaps that's what I'm wrestling with, not my snug-fitting boots.

Have a question for Tom?
Tom Conway, who reminds all that shoe removal and weak pant seams can be an ill-fated pairing, looks forward to your questions, comments and/or tips.

Posted by Tom at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (18) | TrackBacks (0)

"When a man is tired of London he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." -Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

Each week we select a city and ask our fellow business travelers to tell us about a favorite hotel why it's a great place to stay. What is your favorite hotel in London?

Take a look a readers' hotel choices and comments, and add your own.

Chicago
Dallas
Denver
Las Vegas
London
Los Angeles
San Francisco

Posted by Tom at 8:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I admit it; I swoon over celebrities. And now that one of my colleagues Colleen Bastkowski has graced the guest chair at the Today Show, I will be stalking her for an autograph and perhaps a snip of hair for my celebrity locket. 

Yep, Colleen and her three sisters were featured on the Today Show in a segment called, Sister Act: How to Raise a CEO. Colleen, a regional VP of Sales for Expedia Corporate Travel and her sisters, overachievers all, talk about the foundation for their respective achievements. It's great to see Colleen and her sisters wearing success so well. Congratulations! (Now about that autograph...)

Watch Sister Act: How to Raise a CEO

Posted by Tom at 7:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One of my Expedia Corporate Travel friends and an all-around great guy, Kjartsen Philipsen, was onhand as a guest for the landing of Qantas' A380 at LAX. His keen photos give you a real perspective of how big this plane really is. Thought you'd enjoy a gander of something grander.  

Kjarsten volunteers to provide scale to this behemoth.   

 That's some wind beneath these wings!

.

Posted by Tom at 1:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

 

Posted by Tom at 1:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Each week we select a city and ask our fellow business travelers to drop us an email and tell us bout a favorite hotel in that week's city and why it's a great place to stay. This week our travelers dote over their favorite Dallas hotels.

What's your favorite hotel in Dallas?

Posted by Tom at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

I think the word behemoth is often overused. Sure you can use it on a whale or a supertanker, but after that you’re pushing it. Actually this week I used it several times outside the realm of fishes and ships, when the behemoth of the skies, the Airbus A380 landed in the United States--one flight at LAX and the other at JFK.
 

Does the world need an airliner big enough to carry the entire town of Peavine, Alberta, population 555?  Airbus thinks so and has about 150 orders for the big bird, though none from U.S. carriers at this time.
 

Based on sheer size, it is impressive. In fact, I had a difficult time finding a film clip of the landing in Los Angeles without accompanying sound bites fraught with gleeful expletives expounding on the size of the aircraft. Lucky for you I did find one where the videographer managed to contain himself.
 

Click here to see A380 land at LAX

Posted by Tom at 4:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We (Expedia Corporate Travel) recently hosted an online seminar about travel safety. One traveler's question focused on hotel security and specifically the hotel key card. She asked if it was necessary to dispose of or destroy hotel passkey cards after your stay. The assumption is that the card retains your personal information, such as name, address, and credit card information. It's a question I hear often.

In fact, I've even received several chain emails regarding this hotel passkey card conjecture. You know the ones that state unequivocally if you don't forward the email to 15 friends to warn them about the inherent danger of the keycard, you'll experience lifelong flatulence, insistent telemarketing calls and bad hair days for the rest of your life!

My hunch was this was all hooey, but considering the dire consequences (and my proclivity for bad hair days) I sought the expertise of some in-house technical experts and hotel gurus. (At Expedia, we have an inexhaustible source of travel know-it-alls, and thankfully most do indeed know it all.) And thanks to their insistence on using small words and speaking slowly, it all began to make sense to me, rolling eyes notwithstanding.

Here's the scoop. The passkey card chain email is rife with urban legend inaccuracies. (They were mocking me at this point.) While the magnetic card does hold some information, it's usually limited to room number and lock sequence, as the door's lock box is most often battery powered, localized and rarely if ever connected to the hotel's computer system. Basically, there's no need or economic benefit for the hotel to have any more information directly on the card.

I was also directed to an article in Computerworld where staffers tested 100 hotel cards in an effort to unlock the urban myth. It's a good read if you want to know more information on the subject, and also take a look at the additional links to related passcard topics.

Computer World: It's Just the Key to Your Room

Snopes: The Keycard Myth

How Things Work: Security Passcards

Hopefully, this information (like the mint on your hotel pillow) will make you feel better about your next hotel stay.

Have a question for Tom?
Tom, who reminds you that a few careless raids on the hotel mini-fridge can jeopardize your financial future, looks forward to your comments. 

Posted by Tom at 3:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

My Kind of Hotel Town, Chicago Is!

What's your favorite hotel in Chicago?
French stage actress Sarah Bernhardt once said, "I adore Chicago. It is the pulse of America." Hmm, now where would Miss Bernhardt stay if she visited the Windy City today? Better yet, where do you stay in Chicago?

Take a look a readers' hotel choices and comments, or add your own.

Chicago
Denver
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
San Francisco

Posted by Tom at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

The air industry report card for 2006 is in, and like an anxious parent, I want to know if the airlines made the grade.  (Uh oh, It looks like some carriers may need to spend a little more time in detention.) 

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Air Travel Consumer Report, U.S. airlines experienced a higher rate of flight delays and more reports of mishandled baggage about airline service in 2006 than in 2005. Oddly though, passenger complaints are down from a year ago.  My guess is passengers have resigned themselves to the current state of air travel and thus lowered their expectations of airline service. 

When it comes to on-time performance, the bar is set pretty low. According to information filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), http://www.bts.gov/ , the 20 airlines reporting on-time performance with DOT recorded an on-time arrival rate of 75 percent in 2006, down from the 77 percent mark of 2005.  (Well, two percent is two percent.)

Posted by Tom at 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

We're not sure what they're implying here by putting the Do Not Disturb sign next to the "Find valuable contacts" headline, but KLM may be onto something by joining the world of social networking with the world of business travel.

Road warriors, especially those in sales, already know some of the best leads come from the next seat over.

KLM is taking that a step further by integrating a social network similar to Linked In or Friendster with their own site.

Is this the future of business travel? Deals in the air instead of on the ground? We're not sure, but we'll be watching closely.

Posted by Nicholas at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)