TravelCommons

Author: mark

  • Podcast #92 — Not-So-Upbeat Traveler; iPad 2 vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

    Podcast #92 — Not-So-Upbeat Traveler; iPad 2 vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

    Into the summer travel rhythm with a mix of vacation and business travel. Using an Apple iPad 2 and Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab 10.1 Android tablet during this mix gave me enough real world experience to make some recommendations. A couple of recent web links describe this podcast as “not as upbeat as others” which is true, but because it… Continue Reading →

  • Podcast #91 — Can’t Patch Planes Forever; Saving Customers With A Personal Touch

    Podcast #91 — Can’t Patch Planes Forever; Saving Customers With A Personal Touch

    Was off the road for two weeks for my kids’ graduations, but now back in the security lines with a mix of domestic and international travel. Listener suggestions include dining at local music clubs to avoid the “eating alone” stigma, and using mini-USB hubs to power your gadgets without carrying a basketful of international plug adapters. I’m impressed by how… Continue Reading →

  • Podcast #90 — More Comfortable Traveling in India; Tipping Towards Android?

    Podcast #90 — More Comfortable Traveling in India; Tipping Towards Android?

    Lots of business travel this month — UK, India, Germany, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Madrid — so there’s a lot to talk about. The international travel lets me compare business class seats — there’s a wide range of experiences even within the same airline. While in India, a listener asks my advice on adjusting for jetlag on Asian flights. I… Continue Reading →

  • Table for One: Eating Alone on the Road

    Table for One: Eating Alone on the Road

    Dinner time on my last visit to Philadelphia  and I was sitting at the bar of Tinto, a Spanish restaurant in Philadelphia. My dinner was a couple of plates of tapas — one of grilled octopus, another of sautéed wild mushrooms and caramelized shallots. I put in the order for mushrooms and shallots immediately after the couple two stools down got… Continue Reading →

  • Video  – One City, Five Hours: Frankfurt

    Video – One City, Five Hours: Frankfurt

    I “sprint toured” Frankfurt using Hemispheres Magazine’s “One City, Five Hours: Frankfurt” article while on a 6-hour layover between Mumbai and Chicago. I shot this on my iPhone 4 and edited it in iMovie on my MacBook Air while flying from Frankfurt to Chicago. My iPhone video inexperience shows — I shot the entire thing in portrait mode. Continue Reading →

  • Podcast #89 — Trains Over Planes; Fit 2 Weeks in 1 Carry-On

    Podcast #89 — Trains Over Planes; Fit 2 Weeks in 1 Carry-On

    My business-vacation combo trip to London, Paris, and Venice provides the source for most of this episode’s content. Wanting to pack light, I had to figure out how to pack for 10 days, 3 cities, two business meetings and a week’s vacation in a single carry-on bag. After landing in London, I skipped the airports and used trains for all my… Continue Reading →

  • What’s in My Bag: Traveling Light But Prepared

    What’s in My Bag: Traveling Light But Prepared

    One of my annual New Year’s travel resolutions is to “unpack and repack my briefcase.” Some people re-do their closets; I do my briefcase.  I’m always amazed at the stuff that accumulates over the year. Why did I think I needed a half-dozen pens, two sets of earphones, $5 of loose change in three different currencies, and two handfuls of… Continue Reading →

  • Podcast #88 — New Travel Goodies; Losing Elite Status

    Podcast #88 — New Travel Goodies; Losing Elite Status

    I’m getting ready for a stint of international travel — a couple trips to the UK, a vacation to Venice, and then bouncing around southern India. I visited the 2011 Travel Goods show in Chicago for a preview of the new travel goodies I’d be seeing in the shops this spring.  Wading through a front room stacked with luggage, I… Continue Reading →