The Economist: Gulliver
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Should we really be able to use mobiles on planes?
Don't be that guy GULLIVER was not the only Economist.com blog to notice Delta Air Lines decision to begin offering wireless internet on some of its planes. Our friends over at Democracy in America, the Economists American politics blog, also wrote about the move. …
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Hertz decides it's good to share
A new entrant in the car-sharing market HERTZ has leapt into the car-sharing fray this week with a new project: Connect by Hertz. For a membership of £50 a year you can rent cars in Paris, New York and London from as little as £3.95 an hour. Hertz expe …
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Bags of festive cheer
What to buy the modern traveller IF YOURE looking for a last-minute gift for the frequent flyer who has everything, consider a checkpoint-friendly laptop bag. Ever since America’s Transportation Security Authority announced new rules in August, luggage-maker …
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Another airline jumps on the Aircell bandwagon
If Delta can do it, so can Amtrak DELTA AIR LINES announced today that it plans to offer in-flight wireless internet aboard its "shuttle" service between Washington and New York. All eight of the planes flying that route will have Wi-Fi available by next …
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Cool it
What to do if the sand's too hot SOME companies, it seems, are less sensitive to the global downturn than others. The Sunday Times reports on a piece of nonsense from Dubai, where the Palazzo Versace hotel that is currently under construction is to have a beach wi …
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Louis CK defends air travel
A quick riff on tempering in-flight irritation ITS become second nature for most people (Gulliver included) to complain about the hassles and inconveniences of air travel: the delays, the lack of legroom, the poor quality of in-flight entertainment. This riff on a …
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Solar-powered luggage
The future shape of laptop bags FOR those business travellers who have the money to support their environmental consciences, here’s an extraordinary new laptop bag from Voltaic Systems. It uses power generated by its solar panels to charge an internal batter …
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Wash your plane, save fuel
More ways for airlines to boost their green credentials AIR NEW ZEALAND and Continental Airlines are aiming to reduce their carbon footprints by testing planes powered partly by biofuel mixtures. But what of Emirates, I hear you shout. The Dubai-based carrier is l …
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Kept aloft by plants and algae
Biofuels could be the future of aviation IN A week where the aviation industrys role in exacerbating climate change has gained much attention, its good to read of the positive steps some airlines are taking to reduce their carbon footprints. On December 30th Air N …
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Beating the baggage thieves
Where not to hide valuables when you check your luggage STILL hiding valuables in your shaving kit before your check your luggage on a flight? Don’t bother—it’s one of the first places thieves look. That’s one of the tidbits in this New Yor …
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Leaving spouse and kids at home
More and more business travellers are flying solo DO YOUR spouse or your children accompany you on business trips? Do they fly down to join you at the end for a few days’ R and R? If so, you appear to be bucking a trend. USA Today quotes research by Ypartner …
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Runway invasion highlights security gaps
Airports have to secure their perimeters FLIGHTS into and out of Stansted airport, near London, were badly disrupted this morning after protesters got onto the runway. The activists, from a climate-action group called Plane Stupid, gained access to the site just a …
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How to survive a terrorist attack on your hotel
Jeffrey Goldberg's security tips THE TERRORIST attacks in Mumbai that began on 26 November killed over 150 people, including many guests in popular hotels, before the fighting ended three days later. How does one avoid being the victim of a Mumbai-style tragedy? O …
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Curing jet lag, redux
Another look at tasimelteon GULLIVER has already tried to explain how the latest "cure for jet lag", reported in the Lancet, works. But those of you wanting a more scientific assessment of tasimelteon should read this article from The Economist. It also …
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Banning business-travel fares
Good for PR, but bad for business FORGET shady deals—these days, the most scandalous thing an executive can do is fail to fly in economy class. The heads of Detroit’s Big Three carmakers were widely derided for taking private jets to Washington, DC for …
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BA and Qantas begin their flirtation
Why they might have announced merger talks SO BRITISH AIRWAYS is in merger talks with Qantas. This means the British airline is busy sorting out three potential tie-ups, as it is also considering a merger with Iberia and a joint venture with American Airlines. Nob …
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Curing jet lag
Encouraging reports of a new drug WE SHOULD be wary of a phrase like “a cure for jet lag”, but trials of tasimelteon, a new pill trumpeted in the current edition of the Lancet, are certainly intriguing. Vanda Pharmaceuticals drug mimics the effects of …
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Watch your mouth when you fly
Remember: there's no privacy on a plane WHEN the bosses of America’s three biggest carmakers went to Washington last week with their begging bowls they travelled by private jet. The reason cited was security, rather than convenience, but events in Britain la …
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Don't pay for an ESTA
A warning about America's new travel permits THE SUNDAY TIMES offers a useful warning about the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA). This is Americas new online travel permit, which will be required for visitors from visa-waiver countries, such as Br …
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Flying with Pam Ann
A different take on work at 36,000 feet TONIGHT sees Pam Anns second show at the Hammersmith Apollo, a theatre in London. Ms Ann (as our style guide obliges me to call her) is the alter ego of Caroline Reid, an Australian comedian. Shes a sharp-tongued flight atte …
The Economist: Gulliver
