Again in Washington, DC, I’m back on the road after two weeks at home. As my Twitter followers know, this trip didn’t get off to the best start — a 2 hour delay caused by yet another broken United Airlines plane. Listener comments continue the threads on in-flight bans on smartphones and falling prices of in-flight Wi-Fi. The collapse of the Clear Registered Traveler program makes me nervous about who has my fingerprints and iris scans. And, after my plane finally got into the air, I thought about what I miss when I’m off the road. Here’s a direct link to the podcast file.

Here are the show notes from TravelCommons podcast #77:

• Intro music — Warmth by Makkina
• Recorded in the Convention Center Courtyard in downtown Washington, DC
• On a bit of an Amtrak bunny hop up the US East Coast — DC to Phila to NYC
• Most of my travel in August has been personal — Aspen, CO and Door County, WI
• Bridge Music — People Go A Lotta Nerve by Neko Case

Following Up

• Timo from Tampere, Finland wrote in about Ryanair not allowing any use of smartphones — even in flight or airplane mode — on a flight from Tampere, Finland to “the misleadingly named Frankfurt Hahn airport”
• Ryanair — what a mess with all their add-on charges and anti-customer service
• Interesting that Ryanair severely limits the use of smartphones while simultaneously trying to launch an in-flight mobile phone call service
• South African Airways plans to petition the SA Civil Aviation Authority to allow smart phones to be used in “flight” mode
• Recent WSJ.com article discusses the results of Alaska Air Wi-Fi pricing tests. In-flight wi-fi is very price-sensitive. Will carriers get the return they need on their investment in fleet-wide wi-fi rollouts?
• New celebrity sightings — Twitter followers know that I recently ate a couple of tables away from Lance Armstrong and shared a 1st Class row with LeAnne Rimes on a flight to LAX
• Bridge Music — Give It Up by Jimmy Mancus

My, What Pretty Eyes You Have!

• Federal judge ruled Clear Registered Traveler can’t sell its former customers’ biometric data – the fingerprints and iris scans that were used to identify travelers at checkpoint machines at airports across the country.
• What’s the best way to destroy my Clear card? My biometric data was stored on the card’s smart chip
• But what about the biometric data stored with Clear and the TSA? I just want my data destroyed, but two US Congressmen want it kept around.
• I’ve learned a lesson — I’ll never give the government this kind of data again.
• Bridge Music — Orange Blossoms by JJ Grey and Mofro

What I Miss When I’m Off The Road

• Not much this evening — first flight in two weeks and it’s delayed for 2½ hours because of a broken nose gear steering mechanism.
• Will somebody explain the United Airlines the benefits of preventative maintenance? What good is being super top-tier elite on an airline that can’t get their planes in the air? It’s getting so bad, I don’t know why they bother setting a departure and arrival time. Just put an AM or PM on the board and shoot for the best.
• What I miss most when not traveling is the variety — seeing and experiencing different things each day. While I loved sleeping in my own bed and not having to do the TSA shuffle, two weeks of the same train ride into the same office, seeing the same skyline (though I love the Chicago skyline), eating at the same lunch places started the soles of my feet itching.
• You also get a better understanding of other people when you spend time with them face-to-face. While you can do a lot over a voice or video conference, there’s nothing like being there in person to get an appreciation for the differences, the challenges, and the personalities.

Closing

• Closing music — iTunes link to Pictures of You by Evangeline
• Bridge music from the Podsafe Music Network
• Feedback at comments@travelcommons.com or right here in the comments section below
• Follow me on Twitter
• Direct link to the show