TravelCommons

Swinging through the West Coast, I recorded this podcast in the bathroom of the Orchard Hotel a block or two from the summit of Nob Hill in San Francisco. In this podcast, we talk about how the post-9/11 reduction in carry-ons has made packing for different business dress codes a real hassle. Is there an Continue Reading →

I’m back in the US and back on the road — ths time, though, on wheels, not in the air. Recorded in the TravelCommons “mobile studio” (a ’95 Chevy Blazer), this podcast talks about security risks of hotel Internet access, the hassle of replacing forgotten things while on the road, and, in the latest edition Continue Reading →

Finishing my vacation with a podcast from the bathroom of the Budapest (Hungary) Marriott, high above the Danube. The second vacation podcast focuses on differences between business and leisure travel — how to “downshift” from business to leisure travel, balancing cost with risk when choosing a travel brand, and a Budapest traffic accident illustrates what Continue Reading →

This TravelCommons podcast comes to you from my first day on vacation, recorded in the bathroom of the Novotel in Geneva, Switz. I walk through the Internet technologies that I used to book a small non-chain hotel in the French Alps, talk about the sort of “travel insurance” that people believe they get from chosing Continue Reading →

The TravelCommons podcast is back on the East Coast in Boston. Recorded in the bathroom of the Residence Inn in Charlestown, I talk about the tight summer travel market, strategies for eating alone without looking like a loser, and more Classic Travel Stories — fun on Air Canada. Also, e-mail and audio comments from listeners. Continue Reading →

This week’s TravelCommons podcast is an “odds-‘n’-ends” podcast, following up on items from previous podcasts and answering questions from web boards and e-mails. I follow-up on last week’s Sean Penn sighting and read the reply I received from the TSA in response to my complaint about Chicago Midway airport. Responding to a topic request on Continue Reading →

This week’s TravelCommons podcast comes from the East Coast — recorded in the Mystic Marriott in Groton, CT. This week, I talk about recent experiences with rental cars, airport celebrity sightings, and my efforts to get out of my travel ruts. Here’s a direct link to the podcast file. Here are the shownotes from the Continue Reading →

Here’s the third TravelCommons podcast, each segment recorded in a different place. This week, after 7 flights in 5 days, I seem to be on quite a tear on the TSA. I talk about bad TSA experiences at Chicago Midway and good ones at O’Hare, Tampa, and Columbus, OH. Also, I talk about using the Continue Reading →

Here’s the second TravelCommons podcast. This week, I talk about the evolution of the Southwest Airlines customer, the growth of travel meta-search sites such as Kayak and Sidestep, and how Mexicans vacation in Cabo San Lucas. There’s also a clip from fellow travel podcaster Curt Taylor of emptyseat.net. Here’s a direct link to the podcast Continue Reading →