Business Travel Tips

It is estimated that half the travelers do not do anything about jet lag. Furtherly, of those who do, Dr. Rosekind, sleep expert and a founder of Alertness Solutions, a consulting firm based in California, says: “most of what they do doesn’t do anything, or makes it worse.”

Experts warn that the use of several marketed medications has not yet been proved effective for sleep cycle adjustment and the long-term effects are not known.

They recommend trying to adjust to a new time zone in traditional small ways. Getting outdoors and catching sunlight once you arrive in another time zone. Getting enough sleep before and during travel. Avoiding drinking alcohol close to bedtime.

To these common remedies, recent studies add a new one: a combination of naps and caffeine.
Dr. Rosekind says that using simple caffeine to raise alertness in conjunction with naps during a trip is a winning strategy.
He explains:

“Caffeine takes 15 to 30 minutes to work, and an effective nap should be less than 45 minutes, to avoid going into the kind of deep sleep that leaves people groggy. So drinking a cup of coffee just before a nap, can ensure that you will awaken with a little extra zip”.

(source: NYT).

All-Business Class carrier Silverjet announced it is offering Eos flyers the chance to book flights from New York to London — on its Newark (EWR) - London Luton (LTN) route, for the price of their original tickets.

Eos customers can book with Silverjet by May 10 (7 p.m. EST) calling 877-359-7458. They will be required to present a receipt proofing purchase for their original Eos flights.

Eos Airlines which shut down Sunday, is the fourth U.S. carrier to cease the operations in April, joining to Aloha Airlines, ATA, and Skybus. It is also the second All-Business Class airline to cease flights between New York and London Stansted; late December 2007 MAXjet Airways left the same market.

American Airlines is now the only carrier offering nonstop flights from New York to London Stansted — via JFK.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) replied — by posting on its blog, to the many questions on the safety and privacy about its usage of Millimeter Wave Technology for passengers screening. TSA says:”

“The Millimeter wave technology uses non-ionizing radio frequency energy in the millimeter wave spectrum to generate an image based on energy reflected from the body. The energy projected by the system is 100,000 times less than a cell phone transmission (.00000597 mW/cm2 for millimeter wave technology compared to 37.5 mW/cm2 for a cell phone)

The images created by whole body imaging technologies are not equivalent to photography and do not present sufficient details that the image could be used for personal identification.
While the equipment has the capability of collecting and storing an image, the image storage functions will be disabled by the manufacturer before the devices are placed in an airport and will not have the capability to be activated by operators.

The TSA is not the first organization to use Millimeter wave technology. It’s currently used in various government locations across the United States, as well as international aviation and mass transit environments including:

Domestic locations Federal Court House (VA), Colorado Springs Court House (CO), Department of Corrections facility (PA), Los Angeles County Court House (CA), Cook County Court House (IL)

International airports U.K., Spain, Japan, Australia, Mexico, Thailand, Netherlands

The results in the first week of use at LAX and JFK speak for themselves.
LAX: 544 passengers were screened from 4/18 to 4/22 using Millimeter Wave technology. Only 18 passengers chose not to undergo the screening.
JFK: 1212 passengers were screened from 4/17 to 4/22 using Millimeter Wave technology. Only 33 passengers chose not to undergo the screening.”

With increasingly airlines charging for a second checked bag, flyers start to consider a luggage delivery service. orbitz.com listed advantages and compared costs of the shipping option.

- A luggage delivery service pick up your packed luggage at your door, wrap and ship it, track it, ensure it gets to your final destination in perfect condition.
- However luggage shipping is an option suggested for domestic travel. Delivery to international destinations could suffer delay, because of customs matter. Just few shippers guarantee an international delivery date.

orbitz.com also compared service and cost of some luggage shippers for shipping a 30-pound bag going from NYC to Miami via the slowest route.
It found Luggage Free– one of the most popular shippers, would cost you $50 for a 30 pounds bag shipped domestically for 5-business-day arrival; the cost includes $1,000 coverage in the event of loss or damage.
FedEx and UPS would cost only $20.15 (including home pick-up, but it has to be packaged by you).
orbitz.com found Luggage Free is the cheapest full-service option. It charges only $1.65 per pound for 5-business-day shipping.

However expedited shipping (1-2 day) would be at least double or triple the cost of the slowest shipping listed above.

Finally, the article also suggests some key questions to ask if you ship your luggage:
- How much is my bag insured for if it is lost, stolen or damaged?
- Are there any contents that are not covered (e.g. gift cards, jewelry, electronics equipment)
- What is the process of being reimbursed for loss, theft or damage? How long does it take from the time my claim is filed to reimbursement?
- How do you help me if the bag is lost or delayed on its way to my destination? Do you cover the cost of critical replacement items?
- What guarantees do you offer for timely arrival (if international, be sure to include customs delays)?
- Are there any hidden or extra fees that are not included in the quote?
(source)

Yesterday United Airlines initiated a domestic airfare hike by increasing $4 to $70 roundtrip. Shortly after both American and Delta matched the United increase.
American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have increased airfares from 2% to 5%.

Earlier this week Delta CEO said airlines have to increase airfares by 20% to offset the soaring fuel costs.