I’ve re-uploaded Podcast #65 correcting an editing error. For some reason, Adobe Audition slid the TSA Theme Song clip forward (couldn’t have been user error). For those wanting to listen to the Bar & Grille Singers’ masterpiece uninterrupted, here’s a direct link to the podcast file. Thanks to Jess Green for pointing out the editing error.

Recorded in the TravelCommons studios outside of Chicago after taking a month’s break. We see if there’s anything to the TSA’s recent attempts to reduce security line waits — the Clear Registered Traveler and the Diamond Lane Self-Select programs. We also take a look at Southwest’s attempts to attract more business travelers. A listener story on traveling injured causes us to look into the cost trade-offs of air ambulance services, while another listener points us to the perfect song for the summer travel season. Here’s a direct link to the podcast file.

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Finally recorded in the Brooklyn Marriott in New York after hauling my recording gear across the Atlantic to Amsterdam, over to Minneapolis, and finally to New York. In this episode, a number of listeners comment on airport security, we talk about breaking out of the “travel bubble” that insulates so many frequent travelers from the cities they visit, and I answer some listener questions on mileage credit cards and how to get the most out of frequent flier status. Also, at the end of the episode, we announce our 3rd Anniversary concert. Here’s a direct link to the podcast file.

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Gearing up for the 3rd anniversary of TravelCommons next month, here’s a link to the first “greatest hits” episode — the Best of TravelCommons 2005. Listening to it again after a couple of years, the medley of hotel bathrooms is a chuckle, but the the travel story excerpts is what makes this episode worth listening to again. Here’s a direct link to the podcast file.

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Recorded in the TravelCommons studios outside of Chicago after a week of skiing in Colorado. In this episode, we talk about some of the difficulties faced by today’s frequent travelers. A listener gives a blow-by-blow account of the myriad of lines he faced trying to get home from Newark. Another listener relates about the challenges of attending a business conference in a hotel full of 50+ year-old women. We talk about how lengthy delays on the New York-to-Chicago route are giving regular travelers a dazed look that might be called the “733-Mile Stare”. And I have to comment on a couple of recent TSA incidents. Here’s a direct link to the podcast file.

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Recorded in the Newark Liberty Airport Marriott in scenic Newark, NJ. We cover a lot of ground in this episode — why business travel and Disney resorts don’t mix, some choices that can make our personal air travel a bit greener, my experience with Southwest Airline’s new Business Select program, and the reason I’ve finally given up on Hertz. We also talk about the atrophying of wired connections — the modem is gone; is Ethernet next? — and the importance of Starbucks to the frequent traveler’s work day. And finally, is bad airline service bringing back the need for traditional travel agents? Here’s a direct link to the podcast file.

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Recorded in the TravelCommons studios outside of Chicago on a rare full week in town after trips to Amsterdam and Kansas City. In this episode, an unusual flight delay makes us think about embracing the delay rather than fighting it, and snatching a couple hour vacation in Amsterdam allows us to explore some high and low culture. Listener comments include suggestions on easy-to-pack workout shoes and a question on how to make air travel greener. Here’s a direct link to the podcast file.

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Recorded in the TravelCommons studios outside of Chicago after I’ve finished up my business travel for the year. Since a number of listeners aren’t frequent travelers, we provide some tips on how to blend in, look like a pro, and generally reduce a little of the hassle of holiday travel. Also, GPS devices are hot for the holidays this year. We talk about their good points and a few gotchas. Listener comments include suggestions on public transit to Denver airport, another happy JetBlue customer, and a call for help dealing with tight UK carry-on limits. Here’s a direct link to the podcast file.

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Recorded in the TravelCommons studios outside of Chicago in the middle of the one week a year I refuse to travel — Thanksgiving Day week. With environmental and economic reasons to reduce unneeded car trips, how easy is it to take a train to and from the airport? The answer is mixed and it doesn’t look to get any better any time soon. We also talk about the deteriorating state of the rental car fleet — which is making public transit look more attractive. A listener sends in a comment on airport power station etiquette, and we talk about a collection of airline food menus from the past. Here’s a direct link to the podcast file. Read the rest of this entry »

Recorded in the Gaithersburg, MD Marriott outside Washington, DC at the end of an intense week of travel that had me flying from the East Coast to the West Coast and then back east again… on four different airlines. With many airlines’ plummeting customer satisfaction scores, we ask the question “Who raves about their airline?” Recent trips allow me to do a “seat-to-seat” comparison of two high-buzz airlines — JetBlue and Virgin America. Our recurring Travel Tech topic talks about replacing a laptop with the latest evolution of Nokia’s Internet tablet, and hunting down power outlets in airports. Also, a listener suggestion on local food in DC’s Reagan National Airport leads to frustration at missing a great burger. Here’s a direct link to the podcast file.

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