I was recently revisiting (involuntarily) my inner fetal position on a transcontinental flight, painfully aware of my waist's ample width and the seat's lack of it. Who knew that my lifelong penchant for comfort food would eventually cause me so much discomfort?

When the beverage cart ran aground on my shoulder blade, the flight attendant paused, and reminded me to keep my shoulders in. Perhaps he would return later with my coffee and a semblance of concern.

It's easy to complain about air travel and sometimes I have to watch myself as I can slip into the unattractive role of whiner. I know it's happening when I begin a sentence with, "Once I was on this flight to…" It's down hill from there.

I used to have a friend in the airline industry who would tell fellow travelers that he was a hand model en route to a photo shoot. By not divulging his true vocation, that of a ticket agent, he avoided hearing any lengthy horror stories about what his airline did or did not do (though I argue his in-flght scowl could have achieved the same effect).

We all have travel stories and this week Zagat, the arbiter of good taste and tasty goods, tapped into some by way of an airline survey. The survey covered U.S. and International airlines, asking travelers to rate airline comfort, food, service and Web site on the standard Zagat 0 (low) to 30 (high) scale.

Survey results feature a top-rated airline category, along with ratings by individual airlines. Do take a look at the outtakes page, which features the rapier wit of some frustrated travelers. Comments include "Sitting any closer might constitute marriage in some states" or "First they make you need a drink, then charge you for it."

Zagat Survey Overview

U.S. Airlines Survey

International Airlines Survey

More outtakes 

Tom Conway, who out of courtesy stops whining the minute he notices someone's eyes glazing over, looks forward to your questions, comments and tips. 

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Transportation strikes have become a way of life in Italy, but that doesn’t make them any easier for business travelers. We’ve been advised that a planned strike for Nov. 30th will shut down flights, trains, busses and ferries for much of the day, leaving passengers stranded on a Friday. Cancellations aren’t expected until 11 AM, so if at all possible book the earliest flight of the day. If that’s not an option, consider saying “ciao” to weekend plans, learn a few more Italian phrases and make a reservation for Saturday.

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Let's hear it for luxury incarceration!

Boston's Charles Street jail (circa 1851) has been transformed into one of bean town's toniest new lodgings, Liberty Hotel. It's place you would not want to break out of, now that's it's undergone a five-year, $150 millon renovation.

CNN.com/travel takes a looks at the building, the inmates and guests in Notorious Boston jail transformed into luxury hotel. You also may also be interested in a poring over a couple mugshots of the Liberty Hotel.

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Holiday business travelers have at least one thing to be thankful for —the Pentagon will open unused airspace to commercial airplanes Wednesday Nov. 21 through Sunday Nov. 25, providing air traffic controllers an option for routing flights if there’s bad weather. This “Thanksgiving express lane” should ease congestion at New York airports and increases the chance that many more travelers make it home for dinner.

We can imagine a collective sigh of relief from the airlines, which have been scrambling to prepare for a busier then usual holiday travel season. The Air Transport Association has forecast planes to be 90% full between Nov. 16 and November 27, with a four percent travel increase over the same time last year.

The airlines have struggled with weather-related delays this year, and with the Transportation Department proposing doubling bump fees for denying ticketed passengers a seat, there’s a lot of pressure to get things right.  Even with that, travelers should prepare for significant crowds, get to the airport early and whenever possible fly nonstop.

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It’s tough to count on a train in Europe these days, with French rail workers walking off the job Nov. 13, German rail workers striking Nov. 14, and the UK’s Midland Mainline and Silverlink rail workers continuing their intermittent work stoppage. This is the second string of strikes for France and Germany, and we’ve been advised strikes could continue indefinitely.

Whether by plan or coincidence, the rail unions have aligned strike dates and while workers might have different concerns—in France it’s pension changes, in the UK and Germany it’s pay — the end result derails commuters. In Germany and the UK, train disruptions won’t shut down mass transit, but travelers can expect increased traffic congestion and are advised to confirm all rental-car reservations.

French commuters won’t be so lucky, with public transportation expected to grind to a halt. Utility workers have threatened the country will see power outages, civil servants and students are up in arms and there’s even talk of the Paris Opera canceling the Nov. 14th premiere of the Nutcracker.
It’s possible the entire country will stay home and wait out the strikes.
Business travelers should wear good walking shoes, bring a flashlight and be prepared to hop on a bicycle.

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Recently, I arrived home after a less-than-stellar, more-than-irritating commute to find a mailbox stuffed with items fast-tracked for the paper shredder. As I rifled through the refinance offers (as if I’d ever part with my 2003 fixed interest rate) and flyers and bills, I felt the weight and trim profile of a once familiar, albeit wayward friend.  Sandwiched between the sheets of lesser mail missives, was good old Mr. J. Peterman. He (well actually his catalog) hadn’t changed one bit; 67 pages of time-traveled treasures, none of which I needed, all of which I wanted (at least the ones that could make me a better man).

It’s not any old catalog. Far from a register of things to buy, it is a more of a manifesto of how to travel, how to observe, how to cherish that which has been forgotten. It is from a world where traveling is a pleasure (or an adventure) and not a curse.

Each page unveils a dreamy sketch as if photographs were a crass alternative to that which the human eye and hand can conjure. And while the illustrations can slow a heart, it’s the writing that makes me swoon. Nothing is forcibly sold; instead the reader is taken on a trip to a place where the item was discovered, bartered, lassoed, traded or smuggled out. Certainly you can buy it, but that never seems to be the point. With no questions asked, magical things arrive in your mailbox, gifted by an heiress, prized by a Pasha, coveted by mere mortals.

For the ladies, perhaps a visit to Beacon Hill 1913

“Lamplight on the cobblestones, ripples of Mendelssohn coming from the big brick townhouse on Louisburg Square. It’s late December, party-time among the Brahmins. Inside the warm salon, a collective eyebrow arches slightly when a young woman enters wearing this dress, instead of the usual long, late-Edwardian gown; what to make of such a thing? Mr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., standing by the cut-crystal punchbowl, is observed to smile. Ah well, then, yes, there you have it. We do indeed appear to be entering a new era, and that’s just that. Beacon Hill Dress, ca. 1913, acquired at an antique shop on Charles Street.”

For the gents, how about a little role playing in an authentic French farmer’s shirt?
 
“When a man puts on this authentic French farmer’s shirt he may very well find that his hands look bigger. He will become sturdier and more forthright; either that, or more canny, only time will tell. At the dinner table, people will automatically start to offer him seconds and thirds. Is that sweet thing there giving him the eye and nodding toward the haystack? He knows what to do.
French Farmer’s Shirt (No. 1953), different and good-looking, found in an open-air country market near Lyon. I saw a gent there wearing the same shirt; he was either a peasant or a lawyer from the city getting back in touch with his roots, possibly both. It takes some confidence to wear this one, but nothing like storming the Bastille.”

The day my badger bristle shaving brush and soap arrived, I disposed of my disposables and never looked back.  And while not all men are destined for the Classic Inverness Cape or the Frontiersman Jacket, I’m glad my old wayward friend and consummate voluptuary has returned. When I travel with Mr. Peterman, it’s as easy as turning a page, forgetting about security and enjoying a little time travel.  

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French Strike Again... updated

French rail and mass transit workers plan another traffic-crippling response to President Sarkozy’s plans to change pensions with an unlimited transport strike beginning the night of Nov. 13.

November 8, the largest union representing Paris transit workers decided to join the strike, and five other unions at the Paris metro, bus and RER express lines will likely join. It’s also possible that a number of workers, including Air France employees, will strike in sympathy.

Previous strikes in October sent the French scouting for bicycles and left business travelers stuck in traffic congestion. Two major energy unions expect to strike for 24-hours beginning Nov. 14. It’s difficult to say what impacts the energy strike will have, but we have been advised it won’t be good.

November 20th, rail workers will be joined by striking civil servants, teachers and postal workers, angered by proposed job cuts, and the UNEF student union. With Sarkozy vowing to hold the course, travelers should prepare for slow downs and shut downs.

Read more on the strikes:

Brazilian Airline Calls it Quits For Now

Beleaguered Brazilian Airline BRA Transportes Aereos has rolled up the tarmac, temporarily suspending flights amidst speculation of financial woes. The airline reportedly sent lay off notices to its 1,100 employees, and is attempting to connect ticketed passengers with other airlines. With two major crashes, radar outages and labor strikes within the past few years, BRA Transportes has seen its share of troubles. Business travelers in Brazil will most likely feel the pain as other airlines overbook and delay to cover cancelled flights.

More on cancellations:

American Airlines Talks Hit Turbulence

American Airlines faces some tough times ahead, with Pilot Association negotiations heading south fast, bargaining with the Transport Union Workers just begun, and talks with flight attendants slated for early 2008. Any of those unions could put a major crimp in American Airlines flights, but collectively they could do some serious damage.

Some key points have been determined for pilots, including how furloughs will be handled, but per usual pay remains a hot topic. Several talks are scheduled for November, but neither party appears to be playing nice.

Airport business.com, which covers the aviation industry, reports that union officials have sent American’s parent company a strongly worded letter containing this particularly colorful quote: "enjoy your blood money and your union-busting meetings. We'll see you in court, in the newspapers and on the picket line.”

Sticks and stone break bones, but business travelers know that strikes can also hurt you.

More on the strikes: 

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St. Pancras Station gallery  

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