Author: mark
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Podcast #69 – Pocket Travel Assistant; More Travel Tips
Recorded in the TravelCommons studios outside of Chicago at the end of yet another busy travel month – Philadelphia, Portland, Denver, Northern Virginia – but am home this week, keeping to one of my cardinal rules of travel – stay out of any airport Thanksgiving week. In this episode, I talk about a successful experiment of going PC-less on a… Continue Reading →
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Podcast #68 – Advanced Travel Tips; Colors of Autumn
Recorded in the Philadelphia Marriott after a hectic travel month with two trips to Europe and a bunch of travel up and down the US East Coast. In this episode, I talk about a bit of multi-modal travel — some planes, trains, and automobile trips. We have a trio of stories about playing “travel roulette” to avoid flight delays, and… Continue Reading →
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Leaf Peeping From Above
Autumn is the only time I willingly book a window seat. Today’s approach into Newark had us flying over the Delaware Water Gap on a clear sunny day. The leaves are beginning to change — I saw dots of yellow and orange and red bursting out of a field of green. It made me reach back for into some old… Continue Reading →
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Need Some Texture on Those Touchscreens
Mika Pyyhkala, a long time TravelCommons listener who works for the National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts, dropped me a note about a problem he recently had with some new technology installed in New York City cabs. “I was in NYC last Sunday and I took a taxi from La Guardia airport to mid town Manhattan. I noticed that… Continue Reading →
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Podcast #67 – Stolen Luggage; Month With an iPhone
Recorded in the TravelCommons studios outside of Chicago after a month of travel to and from the East Coast. In this episode, a spur-of-the-moment train trip bypasses a huge air traffic control problem. A listener story gets us talking about theft after you entrust your luggage to the folks behind the curtain. I have fun saying the word schadenfreude —… Continue Reading →
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The Silly Season Begins…
Labor Day is the traditional start of US political campaigns and the associated silliness of political speeches. Evan Sparks’ Aviation Policy Blog pointed to a speech by Barack Obama in which he lauds Chinese investment in travel infrastructure — airports, train systems — and asks “Why aren’t we doing the same thing?” It’s a good question, if lack of money… Continue Reading →
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Podcast #66 – Travel in Asia; Losing Laptops in Airports
Recorded in the TravelCommons studios outside of Chicago after a couple of weeks in Thailand and Singapore. In this episode, I talk about some of my experiences in Asia, including a few travel (mis)adventures. We also talk about losing laptops in airports — comments on a study claiming that 12,000 laptops are lost in airports every week, and thought on… Continue Reading →
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In Case You Thought It Would Change Anytime Soon
Today’s Chicago Tribune gave front page coverage to a US Department of Transportation consumer forum on air travel. The story’s title, You Are Now Free To Take A Flying Leap, says it all. The reporter’s conclusion is disheartening realistic — “airline passengers received an unapologetic warning at the forum that customer service will continue to diminish and consumers more than… Continue Reading →