We have asked a few select guest bloggers to join us on this blog as part of a seven week mini series on hot button aviation topics that effect you, the traveler. These guest bloggers will no doubt enrich your travel experience by bringing in their own various perspectives and experiences from different horizons. Today we would like to introduce Steven Frischling as the final guest blogger*.
Steven, aka: Fish, and founder of The Travel Strategist, is a globe trotting photographer and recognized airline travel expert who has a knack for making sense of detailed, complex travel scenarios and understanding the intricate nature of the commercial airline industry. In the interest of sharing his in-depth knowledge of travel logistics and the intricate workings of business travel, Frischling founded the popular travel blog Flying With Fish in 2006. Flying With Fish offers regular travel tips for "Those Who Fly & Those Who Want To Fly Smarter." You can follow Steven's daily aviation and travel-related tweets on Twitter.
Today Fish will be sharing his insights on traveler's insurance.
I bet you probably can’t count the number of times you have stared at the ‘travel options’ at the final moments of purchasing your airline tickets online. You probably barely glance over the option to purchase travel
insurance before clicking “Proceed To Booking” without nary a thought of “Nope, I don’t need the travel insurance.”
The next time you book your travel plans without even giving purchasing travel insurance a second thought I’d like to stop for a moment … during your brief pause while looking at the travel insurance option, assess if
the minor expense can save you a much larger expense.
Travel insurance is a safety net for the unforeseen, and when traveling there are many unforeseen factors, and factors outside of your control. Some travel delay and cancellation factors include the obvious cancellations due to weather, but don’t forget or the unforeseen such as labour disputes that airlines are experiencing at the moment, mechanical failures and even political disputes (yes it happens). Travel is expensive and you should be protected for events outside of your control.
There are various travel insurance plans for travelers, from the basic coverage, that includes protecting you against flight cancellation to the more extensive covering everything from lost or damaged luggage to medical
evacuation from remote locations. Travel insurance is generally offered from online travel booking sites and airlines, as well as third-party insurance providers. Before choosing your travel insurance, take a moment
to find out what is best for you.
Don’t let a bump in the road spoil your travel experience.
Happy Flying!
*The opinions expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Harrisburg International Airport.
17.2.10
Guest Blog: Ban snoring while you’re at it
We have asked a few select guest bloggers to join us on this blog as part of a seven week mini series on hot button aviation topics that effect you, the traveler. These guest bloggers will no doubt enrich your travel experience by bringing in their own various perspectives and experiences from different horizons. Today we would like to introduce Mary Kirby as the sixth guest blogger*.
For over a decade Mary has worked as both a journalist and editor for the Flight group’s suite of online and print publications.
She joined Flight’s premium real-time news service Air Transport Intelligence in 1999 as regional reporter (Americas), and was promoted to deputy editor (Americas) in 2003 and later to US editor.
Since September of 2007, Mary has worked as a senior editor at Flight International magazine and become a regular contributor to the industry’s premium monthly publication, Airline Business.
Working from the Philadelphia area, Mary covers major and regional airlines and airframers and has developed expertise in the in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) sector as well as aircraft interiors. Mary's video blogs on IFEC can be viewed at Flight Global IFEC.
She is also the proprietor of the fast-growing Runway Girl blog. This has given Mary a happy outlet for her newsy posts about IFEC and interiors and her slightly cheeky sense of humour.
Previous assignments include a post at World Airlines News, where she was reporter/acting editor. She majored in English at St Vincent College in Pennsylvania.
You can also follow Mary on Twitter @RunwayGirl.
Today Mary shares her thoughts on in-flight cellular use.
You’re unhappily ensconced in the middle seat on a flight to anywhere when the teenage boy sitting in the seat to your right picks up his cell phone and dials a number.
“Jersey Shore was off the hook last night, yo. Snookie is freaking hot,” he says, and then proceeds to give his friend a blow-by-blow account of the show.
Just then, the female executive sitting in the seat to your left picks up her cell phone, dials company headquarters, and spends the next 30 minutes reaming out a subordinate at the top of her lungs.
The recession may have downgraded her to economy class, but by God that isn’t going to stop her from letting everybody on the aircraft know just how important she is!
Sound like the perfect travel nightmare? You’re right!
But it is a nightmare that is not grounded in reality.
Since 2007, airlines in Asia, Europe and the Middle East have offered in-flight mobile connectivity service to passengers. To date, there has not been a single reported incident or problem. That means no fist fights. No smashing of cell phones. No scream fests. No air rage.
Why? For starters, the cost of making an in-flight call is comparable to international roaming rates. As such, calls tend to be less than a minute in duration.
So, you can imagine there are plenty of calls like this: “Hi honey, my flight is running late. Can you pick me up in about two hours? Love you!”
There are also a finite number of communication lines (typically 6-12 lines per aircraft), which limits the number of simultaneous calls at any one time. And aircraft noise drowns out much of the sound.
A cacophony of voices this is not!
Significantly, however, social issues have been addressed with a combination of phone etiquette - passengers receive messages on their cell phones to be mindful of their neighbours - and cabin crew control of communications. Flight attendants can switch the service off, such as at night-time and for take-off and landing.
Check out the photo above. It is not some glossy, promotional shot for in-flight mobile phone service providers. Rather, it was snapped by a friend of mine on a recent Ryanair flight from the UK to Sweden.
Note that the woman at the forefront is rather unceremoniously making a cell phone call, while the passengers around her don’t even bat an eyelid.
Indeed, debate over whether or not the in-flight use of cell phones should be permitted on commercial flights is raging in only one part of the world - the United States, where lawmakers are seeking to impose a permanent federal ban against such activity, citing nuisance concerns.
“The public doesn't want to be subjected to people talking on their cell phones on an already over-packed airplane,” US congressman Peter DeFazio said in 2008 when he first introduced so-called Hang-Up Act legislation in the House of Representatives to ensure the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC’s) current in-flight cell phone ban stays firmly in place.
DeFazio later sought to strike fear in the hearts of Americans when, in August 2009 in a lengthy opinion piece for US News and World Report, he said:
“Ringing cell phones and loud phone conversations will not only disturb and annoy fellow travellers but could result in arguments and fights at 30,000 feet, forcing flight attendants to serve as referees. Even worse, imagine a situation where 75 people are on their cell phones while flight attendants are trying to make a safety announcement, and they can't be heard over the din of conversation.”
Oh please! Does DeFazio think Americans are less capable of exercising self control? Or perhaps he hasn’t head that flight attendants can control the system.
DeFazio’s bill, which has since been tucked into FAA reauthorization legislation as an amendment, also seeks to permanently ban voice over IP (VoIP). But wired satcom phone handsets – the kind that US airlines used to offer in seatbacks - would not be banned, in what must be the first example of prejudice against wireless devices.
In-flight mobile connectivity service providers AeroMobile and OnAir together with support from Panasonic Avionics, Inmarsat and Rockwell Collins have been lobbying against the House amendment under the umbrella of the In-flight Passenger Communications Coalition (IPCC). Aircell is notably absent from the group, having long ago focused on offering in-flight Wi-fi to the US commercial space, despite its name.
“Oh sure,” you say, “A bunch of firms that stand to make money off of in-flight mobile connectivity oppose the US ban. Surprise, surprise!” But these stakeholders are not alone.
The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council and the Coalition for an Airline Passenger’s Bill of Rights (CAPBOR) last year asked Congress to commission a study on the use of wireless communications devices on US commercial flights before imposing a federal ban.
In light of the current economic crisis, I think it unlikely that Congress will set aside funds for a study. But in my opinion, it would do well to drop DeFazio’s amendment entirely and allow for a debate over in-flight cell phone use to play out in the correct forum – as part of a new FCC notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
A new NPRM would allow airlines, crewmembers, travellers and other stakeholders to study the latest data (of which there is a ton!), comment on the information, and help decide once and for all if passengers on US planes should be allowed to make cell phone calls in-flight.
A commenter to DeFazio’s August post probably puts it best: “While I agree with the author's potential frustrations argument, this is an issue for airline policy, NOT the law. The government has a vested interest in safety, but quality of travel is an issue for the airlines, not the government. How would you feel about a law that bans fruit juice in flight because it might stain someone's clothes, or a law that bans sleeping in flight if you snore?”
Snore strips anyone?
*The opinions expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Harrisburg International Airport.
For over a decade Mary has worked as both a journalist and editor for the Flight group’s suite of online and print publications.
She joined Flight’s premium real-time news service Air Transport Intelligence in 1999 as regional reporter (Americas), and was promoted to deputy editor (Americas) in 2003 and later to US editor.
Since September of 2007, Mary has worked as a senior editor at Flight International magazine and become a regular contributor to the industry’s premium monthly publication, Airline Business.
Working from the Philadelphia area, Mary covers major and regional airlines and airframers and has developed expertise in the in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) sector as well as aircraft interiors. Mary's video blogs on IFEC can be viewed at Flight Global IFEC.
She is also the proprietor of the fast-growing Runway Girl blog. This has given Mary a happy outlet for her newsy posts about IFEC and interiors and her slightly cheeky sense of humour.
Previous assignments include a post at World Airlines News, where she was reporter/acting editor. She majored in English at St Vincent College in Pennsylvania.
You can also follow Mary on Twitter @RunwayGirl.
Today Mary shares her thoughts on in-flight cellular use.
You’re unhappily ensconced in the middle seat on a flight to anywhere when the teenage boy sitting in the seat to your right picks up his cell phone and dials a number.“Jersey Shore was off the hook last night, yo. Snookie is freaking hot,” he says, and then proceeds to give his friend a blow-by-blow account of the show.
Just then, the female executive sitting in the seat to your left picks up her cell phone, dials company headquarters, and spends the next 30 minutes reaming out a subordinate at the top of her lungs.
The recession may have downgraded her to economy class, but by God that isn’t going to stop her from letting everybody on the aircraft know just how important she is!
Sound like the perfect travel nightmare? You’re right!
But it is a nightmare that is not grounded in reality.
Since 2007, airlines in Asia, Europe and the Middle East have offered in-flight mobile connectivity service to passengers. To date, there has not been a single reported incident or problem. That means no fist fights. No smashing of cell phones. No scream fests. No air rage.
Why? For starters, the cost of making an in-flight call is comparable to international roaming rates. As such, calls tend to be less than a minute in duration.
So, you can imagine there are plenty of calls like this: “Hi honey, my flight is running late. Can you pick me up in about two hours? Love you!”
There are also a finite number of communication lines (typically 6-12 lines per aircraft), which limits the number of simultaneous calls at any one time. And aircraft noise drowns out much of the sound.
A cacophony of voices this is not!
Significantly, however, social issues have been addressed with a combination of phone etiquette - passengers receive messages on their cell phones to be mindful of their neighbours - and cabin crew control of communications. Flight attendants can switch the service off, such as at night-time and for take-off and landing.
Check out the photo above. It is not some glossy, promotional shot for in-flight mobile phone service providers. Rather, it was snapped by a friend of mine on a recent Ryanair flight from the UK to Sweden.
Note that the woman at the forefront is rather unceremoniously making a cell phone call, while the passengers around her don’t even bat an eyelid.
Indeed, debate over whether or not the in-flight use of cell phones should be permitted on commercial flights is raging in only one part of the world - the United States, where lawmakers are seeking to impose a permanent federal ban against such activity, citing nuisance concerns.
“The public doesn't want to be subjected to people talking on their cell phones on an already over-packed airplane,” US congressman Peter DeFazio said in 2008 when he first introduced so-called Hang-Up Act legislation in the House of Representatives to ensure the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC’s) current in-flight cell phone ban stays firmly in place.
DeFazio later sought to strike fear in the hearts of Americans when, in August 2009 in a lengthy opinion piece for US News and World Report, he said:
“Ringing cell phones and loud phone conversations will not only disturb and annoy fellow travellers but could result in arguments and fights at 30,000 feet, forcing flight attendants to serve as referees. Even worse, imagine a situation where 75 people are on their cell phones while flight attendants are trying to make a safety announcement, and they can't be heard over the din of conversation.”
Oh please! Does DeFazio think Americans are less capable of exercising self control? Or perhaps he hasn’t head that flight attendants can control the system.
DeFazio’s bill, which has since been tucked into FAA reauthorization legislation as an amendment, also seeks to permanently ban voice over IP (VoIP). But wired satcom phone handsets – the kind that US airlines used to offer in seatbacks - would not be banned, in what must be the first example of prejudice against wireless devices.
In-flight mobile connectivity service providers AeroMobile and OnAir together with support from Panasonic Avionics, Inmarsat and Rockwell Collins have been lobbying against the House amendment under the umbrella of the In-flight Passenger Communications Coalition (IPCC). Aircell is notably absent from the group, having long ago focused on offering in-flight Wi-fi to the US commercial space, despite its name.
“Oh sure,” you say, “A bunch of firms that stand to make money off of in-flight mobile connectivity oppose the US ban. Surprise, surprise!” But these stakeholders are not alone.
The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council and the Coalition for an Airline Passenger’s Bill of Rights (CAPBOR) last year asked Congress to commission a study on the use of wireless communications devices on US commercial flights before imposing a federal ban.
In light of the current economic crisis, I think it unlikely that Congress will set aside funds for a study. But in my opinion, it would do well to drop DeFazio’s amendment entirely and allow for a debate over in-flight cell phone use to play out in the correct forum – as part of a new FCC notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
A new NPRM would allow airlines, crewmembers, travellers and other stakeholders to study the latest data (of which there is a ton!), comment on the information, and help decide once and for all if passengers on US planes should be allowed to make cell phone calls in-flight.
A commenter to DeFazio’s August post probably puts it best: “While I agree with the author's potential frustrations argument, this is an issue for airline policy, NOT the law. The government has a vested interest in safety, but quality of travel is an issue for the airlines, not the government. How would you feel about a law that bans fruit juice in flight because it might stain someone's clothes, or a law that bans sleeping in flight if you snore?”
Snore strips anyone?
*The opinions expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Harrisburg International Airport.
4.2.10
Guest Blog: In-Flight WiFi Availability on Airlines at MDT
We have asked a few select guest bloggers to join us on this blog as part of a six week mini series on hot button aviation topics that effect you, the traveler. These guest bloggers will no doubt enrich your travel experience by bringing in their own various perspectives and experiences from different horizons. Today we would like to introduce Dan Webb as the fifth guest blogger*.
Dan Webb, is sophomore at Bryant University. After a year of thinking, he decided to major in business administration, concentrate in finance, and minor in actuarial math and supply chain management.
He absolutely loves planes ever since his first flight from Boston on a Northwest Airlines Boeing 757-200. When he was young, he made an airport made out of Legos, and drew the “Dan Airways” route map in inflight magazines my dad would bring home from trips (he still collects them to this day). He actually keeps track of all the flights he's ever been on. He's fairly confident that he wants to enter the airline industry after college. His professional profile is available on LinkedIn.
You can find more about Dan and his aviation/travel interests at his blog Things in the Sky and by listening to his podcast Airplane Geeks online. You can also follow Dan on Twitter.
Today Dan will share with us the in-flight wireless internet availability on the airline partners at Harrisburg International Airport (MDT).
It really impresses me how quickly inflight Wi-Fi has been installed on aircraft across the country. I've yet to be on a flight with the service, but friends who have really enjoy it. Here's a summary on the availability of Wi-Fi on carriers that fly out of MDT:
Air Canada
Like many airports in the Northeast, MDT gets its Air Canada service from Air Georgian Becch 1900 aircraft, which have no Wi-Fi. Air Canada has been testing the service on flights to Los Angeles from Toronto and Montreal, but there's no word yet on if they will expand it to the rest of their network.
AirTran
AirTran was the second carrier to get Wi-Fi on all of its aircraft, so if you're flying them out of Harrisburg, you'll have the service! The only exception is flights operated by AirTran's partner SkyWest, but that's a small operation based out of Milwaukee.
American
It was simply fantastic news when American announced that it would be returning to MDT with flights to Chicago O'Hare in April. Unfortunately, none of the flights to MDT will have Wi-Fi as they will be operated by regional subsidiary American Eagle. Nevertheless, it could be available on a connecting flight. American has Internet service on all of its 767-200 aircraft, and some MD-80s and 737-800s. You can check if your flight has Wi-Fi with it's handy widget.
Continental
The airline is still figuring out what it's doing with Wi-Fi. It will be testing out Aircell's Gogo service (the industry leader) on 21 757-300 aircraft, while the 737-900s are getting a different service from LiveTV. So, we'll just have to see what happens. Commutair flights to Cleveland and Newark from MDT won't have the serivce, though.
Delta
Like other carriers, service to/from MDT won't have Wi-Fi has they're operated by regional partners, but the service could be available on connecting flights. But Delta has made great progress - pretty much the entire pre-merger Delta fleet has Wi-Fi. So if you're connecting to a mainline flight out of Cincinnati or Atlanta, there's a great chance of Wi-Fi availability. The airline is just getting started on the Northwest fleet, however, so if you're going through Detroit your chances aren't the greatest.
United
The airline has only installed Wi-Fi on its 14 757-200s that fly to Los Angeles and San Francisco from New York as part of it's P.S. (premium service) brand. There are no plans in place to expand the service right now, but that could always change.
US Airways
US Airways is planning on installing Wi-Fi on A321 aircraft this year, but that hasn't started yet. Currently, the airline doesn't fly that aircraft to/from MDT.
*The opinions expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Harrisburg International Airport.
Dan Webb, is sophomore at Bryant University. After a year of thinking, he decided to major in business administration, concentrate in finance, and minor in actuarial math and supply chain management.
He absolutely loves planes ever since his first flight from Boston on a Northwest Airlines Boeing 757-200. When he was young, he made an airport made out of Legos, and drew the “Dan Airways” route map in inflight magazines my dad would bring home from trips (he still collects them to this day). He actually keeps track of all the flights he's ever been on. He's fairly confident that he wants to enter the airline industry after college. His professional profile is available on LinkedIn.
You can find more about Dan and his aviation/travel interests at his blog Things in the Sky and by listening to his podcast Airplane Geeks online. You can also follow Dan on Twitter.
Today Dan will share with us the in-flight wireless internet availability on the airline partners at Harrisburg International Airport (MDT).
It really impresses me how quickly inflight Wi-Fi has been installed on aircraft across the country. I've yet to be on a flight with the service, but friends who have really enjoy it. Here's a summary on the availability of Wi-Fi on carriers that fly out of MDT:
Air Canada
Like many airports in the Northeast, MDT gets its Air Canada service from Air Georgian Becch 1900 aircraft, which have no Wi-Fi. Air Canada has been testing the service on flights to Los Angeles from Toronto and Montreal, but there's no word yet on if they will expand it to the rest of their network.
AirTran
AirTran was the second carrier to get Wi-Fi on all of its aircraft, so if you're flying them out of Harrisburg, you'll have the service! The only exception is flights operated by AirTran's partner SkyWest, but that's a small operation based out of Milwaukee.
American
It was simply fantastic news when American announced that it would be returning to MDT with flights to Chicago O'Hare in April. Unfortunately, none of the flights to MDT will have Wi-Fi as they will be operated by regional subsidiary American Eagle. Nevertheless, it could be available on a connecting flight. American has Internet service on all of its 767-200 aircraft, and some MD-80s and 737-800s. You can check if your flight has Wi-Fi with it's handy widget.
Continental
The airline is still figuring out what it's doing with Wi-Fi. It will be testing out Aircell's Gogo service (the industry leader) on 21 757-300 aircraft, while the 737-900s are getting a different service from LiveTV. So, we'll just have to see what happens. Commutair flights to Cleveland and Newark from MDT won't have the serivce, though.
Delta
Like other carriers, service to/from MDT won't have Wi-Fi has they're operated by regional partners, but the service could be available on connecting flights. But Delta has made great progress - pretty much the entire pre-merger Delta fleet has Wi-Fi. So if you're connecting to a mainline flight out of Cincinnati or Atlanta, there's a great chance of Wi-Fi availability. The airline is just getting started on the Northwest fleet, however, so if you're going through Detroit your chances aren't the greatest.
United
The airline has only installed Wi-Fi on its 14 757-200s that fly to Los Angeles and San Francisco from New York as part of it's P.S. (premium service) brand. There are no plans in place to expand the service right now, but that could always change.
US Airways
US Airways is planning on installing Wi-Fi on A321 aircraft this year, but that hasn't started yet. Currently, the airline doesn't fly that aircraft to/from MDT.
*The opinions expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Harrisburg International Airport.
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