Hispanic Enterprise - December 2007/January 2008 - (Page 25) 2008: Change is in the Air Next year promises to be groundbreaking in terms of in-flight communications, but already there are a few services and features that can help a high-tech traveler remain productive while on the road. Here are some tips: AIRPORTS Internet users have come to expect a wireless connection almost anywhere they go, probably because enough public spaces offer the service. But at airports, passengers with time to kill and work to do are often forced to pay for WiFi, with only a few exceptions. Among major airports, those in Las Vegas, Orlando, and Phoenix offer free Wi-Fi everywhere, and the Philadelphia airport offers it in the food court area. JetBlue deserves special mention for offering free wireless Internet access at its gates in the Long Beach Airport and at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 6. For a full guide on Wi-Fi services at national and international airports, go to the Airport Wireless Internet Access Guide at www.travelpost.com. AIRLINES The most in-flight connectivity passengers can hope for today is power to charge up electronic devices and seatback phones for emergency calls. In terms of power, Virgin America, based in Burlingame, California, offers the most options to keep gadgets going. Every seat in every aircraft features a standard 110-volt plug, USB plugs to charge PDAs and cell phones, and an Ethernet plug through which the airline plans to offer broadband Internet access in 2008. An additional feature at every seat is a 9-inch touch screen, which, among other things, allows passengers to chat with fellow passengers on the airline’s “social network” (by using the full QWERTY keyboard provided, or by plugging in their own keyboards). Houston-based Continental Airlines offers relatively low rates on calls from its seat-back satellite phones in comparison with several other airlines ($2.99 access fee; $6 per minute), but the service is only available on some aircraft. A little-known feature on these phones: Passengers on the same flight can call each other free of charge. Airlines to watch next year for Internet service in the U.S. are Alaska Airlines, which plans to test Row 44’s service and eventually equip its entire fleet with high-speed Internet access, and American Airlines and Virgin America, which have announced plans to give Aircell’s broadband system a try. GADGETS Even though most airlines offer some sort of power outlet for electronic devices (though not at every seat), more often than not you might encounter cigarette lighter-style outlets or outlets that fit some devices but not others. To find out exactly what type of outlet you might encounter on any airline, go to www. seatguru.com (they have details down to the individual seat on each type of aircraft). Once you know the type of outlet you might have, the website can help you figure out the adapter you need. HOTELS Hotels are catching on to the fact that today, Internet access is far more of a basic necessity than the ubiquitous sewing kit. Even though most hotels now offer some form of Internet access, the types of connections, prices and connection spots vary from one property to another, sometimes even within the same hotel chain. Some hotels allow free access to the Internet in the lobby area, while others restrict access to guest rooms. Some charge for the service, while some require membership in certain loyalty programs. Omni Hotels, for instance, offers members of the Select Guest program free wireless Internet access in guest rooms and select public areas. Membership in the program is free. In general, it’s a good idea to check with the hotel ahead of time to learn about its services. 25 on a satellite-based system similar to Connexion by Boeing, but presumably more affordable. With this system, passengers would be able to use their own portable devices to connect to the Internet. Alaska Airlines is set to be the first U.S. airline to try Row 44’s product next year. An alternative to satellite-based links is air-to-ground technology, which uses cell towers instead of satellites for communications. Remember Airfone, the seat-back phone introduced by several airlines in the 1980s? That service used air-to- TECHNOLOGY AND TRAVEL CAN PRODUCE AN UNPREDICTABLE MIX OF EXPERIENCES. HISPANIC ENTERPRISE * December/January 2008 http://www.seatguru.com http://www.seatguru.com http://www.travelpost.com
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