2010 › May

LogMeIn Ignition now available for Android phones

by Scott Carmichael on

Back in February, we reviewed LogMeIn Ignition for the iPhone. With LogMeIn, you can remotely access your PC, and get full control over it. The advantages of this for travelers are pretty obvious, but at the time, the mobile client for LogMeIn was only available for iPhone users.

Starting today, Android phone users can get the same benefits, thanks to the LogMeIn Ignition beta, now available in the Android Marketplace.

The beta is free, and from my 20 minute test seems to function perfectly.

To get the LogMeIn beta on your Android device, search for LogMeIn in the market, or scan the QR code using the Android Bar Code Scanner. You’ll need a LogMeIn account to use the app, so don’t forget to create one at logmein.com.

White Collar Travel: Five reasons to book your hotel stays in blocks

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Cost-conscious businesses are always looking for ways to reduce travel expenses. So, if you can find a way to cut yours a bit, you’ll get some credit for budgetary discipline, which is always a plus when times are tough. Take the right approach, and you may be able to improve your travel experience, too. If you plan to stay at the same hotel for several months, it may make more sense to make a long-term reservation than to book a week at a time. In addition to saving some money, you’ll be able to cut the amount of stuff you tote with you on the plane and have the same room every week, which means fewer trips to the wrong door when you’ve been at the hotel for sixteen weeks in a row (or longer).

If your project is both long-term and unlikely to change, contact the hotel and ask what they can do for you. Explain the situation – it won’t take long; most of them are incredibly familiar with the business travel dynamic – and ask if they can work something out with you. You’ll have to commit to paying for weekend days as well, but if the overall cost works out in your favor, it’s still a savings, and that makes it inherently valuable.

This won’t work all the time. But, even if the long-term rate works out to a breakeven proposition, it still may be worth accepting. Here are five reasons why:1. No more check-in lines
Checking in is a pain in the ass. Even if you have super-duper-elite status, the short line still takes time. You have to step up to the desk, leave your credit card and get the rundown on the hotel. Some of the introductory remarks may be curtailed when the front desk staff recognizes you, but it still takes time that you don’t want to spend – especially when you’ve just gotten off a plane or left the office. Book for the long run, and you’ll be able to go straight to your room.

2. Lighter load
Since you’ll have the same room every week, you can leave a lot of your stuff there. Run the numbers and see if it’s cheaper to use the hotel’s cleaning service because of the money you’re saving. You can have your clothes picked up the night before you leave and find them waiting for you when you arrive. If you’re working in a major city, you can always drop your clothes off at a wash-dry-fold service and pick them up when you’re back in town. You’ll only have to carry your laptop and books Kindle.

3. Predictability
Peak periods can sneak up on you, especially if you’re staying in the same location for months at a time. Rates can spike with little warning, putting you in a position to have to explain the increased cost to your boss or client. You can avoid this with a long-term reservation, which makes budgeting and forecasting much easier for those who have to do it.

4. No more wrong door
It happens to the best of us. You get to your hotel room, swipe your key and push – nothing happens. You try it again … with the same result. The third, fourth and fifth times, you get angry and finally march down to the front desk ready to raise hell. The polite, professional employee then reminds you of your room number, which isn’t the same as the one you just tried to enter. Embarrassed, you go to your room – the right room – to find that there’s nothing wrong with your key. If you have the same room every week, you won’t have a sheepish look on your face the next time you walk by the front desk.

5. Informal perks
The hotel staff will be told that you’re going to be around for a while. Everyone will know who you are and how valuable your business is to the property. Occasionally, you’ll get your bar tab comp’ed or find a bottle of wine in your room. From time to time, the general manager will keep an eye out for you and ask how your stay is (which the staff will notice). You can’t always quantify this, but you’ll definitely feel the difference.

Read more White Collar Travel here.

Hop on the Stalin bus!

by Sean McLachlan on

A lot of visitors to Russia like seeing some Soviet-era nostalgia, but old monuments and ugly apartment blocs now have to compete with the latest kitsch–a bus painted with the likeness of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.

The bus is the initiative of Stalinist blogger Viktor Loginov, who raised money for the project in order to celebrate the upcoming anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany. The 65th anniversary of the surrender of Nazi forces is on May 9.

The bus may not make it to the celebration, however, as it has already been vandalized once.

Loginov says he only wants to celebrate Stalin’s role in defeating Hitler, but human rights activists are appalled at seeing the Soviet leader’s face on the streets of St. Petersburg. Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union during World War Two and was instrumental in destroying the German army. American war propaganda fondly referred to him as “Uncle Joe”. Stalin killed millions of his own people by sending them to gulags, torture chambers, or, in the case of a rebellious Ukraine, starving an entire province into submission. While the exact number of his victims will never be known, some historians say he killed more people than Hitler. The Stalin bus highlights how today’s Russia is of two minds about its tumultuous past.

Delta offers free luggage for branded credit card holders

by Grant Martin on

A thin, thin silver lining on the dark cloud of checked baggage fees by Delta Airlines was announced today. According to the airline and American Express, the sponsor of their branded credit card, premium holders of the Delta Gold, Platinum, or Reserve SkyMiles Credit Card will soon be allowed to check one bag for free, a savings of $25 per direction of travel.

Travelers will still need to pay the annual fee on each respective card, however, as well as any incurred interest over the course of the year. So in the end, Delta still lines their pockets with a great deal of money.

It’s worth noting that those with elite status are completely exempt from baggage fees, so if you don’t want to spend the time impacting your credit score (and conversely want to spend the time and money earning status) there’s a way.

Needless to say, our preferred method remains to not check any luggage at all.

The Gadling “stranded at the airport” survival guide

by Scott Carmichael on

What better time to remind you of the possibility of being stranded at the airport, than in the aftermath of the Eyjafjallajoekull ash cloud disruption?

During that dark period of air travel, 7 million people were stranded at airports all around the world. Flights were canceled as far away as New Zealand, and even passengers just two hour flights away from home found themselves taking $5,000 cab rides just to get home.

So – what are the best ways to deal with a situation like this? What can you do to get yourself on the first available flight, and how can you compete with 7 million others, who all want the same thing? We’ve collected the best tips – but remember the most important one: stay calm, take a deep breath and make the best of a bad situation. Getting mad won’t get you home any sooner.Money – make sure you have some

This is a tough one – without money, being stranded can turn from an inconvenience into a nightmare. During the Icelandic volcanic ash disruption, there were countless stories of people that were stuck at the airport without a penny left. In those cases, tourists suddenly found themselves begging for food at the airport and sleeping on a cot for a week. Always make sure you have access to some backup funds in cash or on a credit card.

Another important tip is to save all your receipts – if the airlines are held responsible for the delays, you may be able to claim refunds. Before you go spending money, ask whether your airline is issuing hotel and food vouchers. If delays are no more than a day, many airlines will help their passengers, but don’t expect anything past that 24 hour period.

Always pack to be prepared

This rule applies to any trip – stranded or not. Any time you hand over your bags to the airline, make 100% sure there is nothing in it that you may end up needing.

It never ceases to amaze me how many people still pack wallets, laptops, phones or medication in their checked luggage. If the airline goes on strike, or cancels flights, your bags may be stuck in the luggage basement for days with no way for you to retrieve them.

Mobile technology is your best friend

Put your technology to good use – if you have a smartphone, make sure you install all the apps that can help you out. Check out our iPhone airport survival guide for some tips. Similar applications are also available for most other platforms. Your most important resources will be access to online search and the mobile site of your airline.

Once you are at ease with the idea that you are going to be stranded for the time being, use your phone to keep yourself entertained. Just remember that your battery won’t last all day, so keep an eye open for outlets, and read our airport power guide for tips on keeping your gadgets going.

Know your way around

When disaster strikes, spend 10 minutes to find your way around the airport. Some situations may require you to make a mad dash from gate to gate, and only those people that know their way around will be on time. Use smartphone tools like Gate Guru to find airport amenities, and on your way around, be sure to make a mental note of the quietest airport security checkpoints or other time saving tricks.

Find the most effective way to rebook yourself

During massive air delays, social media sites like Twitter are full of people complaining that they had to spend an hour or more on hold with the airline. Sadly, this is par for the course when thousands of people are stuck – you’ll be competing with every other stranded passenger on your airline.

Airlines will be dealing with thousands of passengers on hold – so don’t expect things to magically happen on their own. In the aftermath of the volcano, it took some airlines two weeks to clear their backlog of stranded passengers.

So – you’ll need to be smart and find the best way to get in touch with the airline. If you are abroad, make sure you find local access numbers. If the airline has a toll free number, use it. If your only option is to call the United States on a pricey international call, find WiFi and use Skype.

Some airlines have electronic rebooking options available on their kiosks. Other quick ways to find an employee not being harassed by 100’s of passengers is to check the airline lounge or even ask whether employees at the baggage desk have access to reservations systems. Remember – a smile goes a long way. Don’t whine, rant, grunt or complain. Just ask whether the employee would be willing to help and compliment them on their fantastic hair.

Need a hotel? Be quick and book ahead

As soon as you realize something is going wrong, find a hotel. Seriously – don’t worry (too much) about cost or whether the hotel has a room available with a jacuzzi tub.

When you call the hotel, book a night, and ask whether you can add extra nights without any cancellation penalties – then book these extra nights right away. This way, you can prevent spending one night at the hotel for $100, and having to pay $400 a night when the hotel realizes they can start gouging stranded passengers.

Got friends in high places? Use them!

Do you know someone who is an elite member of the airline? Now may be the time to ask them for that one big favor they owe you. They may not be able to magically call for a new plane, but they may be able to call their own elite desk and beg for a little help. Use the power of the Internet to find the elite passenger helpdesk numbers – yes, elite passengers will yell at me for this tip, but when you are in trouble, you do everything you can to fix things.

Get away from the airport for a bit

Do you already know that your next chance to get back home won’t be for another couple of days? Get away from the airport! Pick a hotel away from the airport area, but close to a rapid public transport system. This will get you a cheaper room, cheaper food and less stress from all the other stranded passengers.

Make the best of a bad situation

Look, everyone knows that being stranded is a waste of time – but getting upset about it isn’t going to help anyone. Make the best of a bad situation and have some fun. Make new friends at the airport and try to cheer others up. If you can help someone else – do it. I’ve been stuck at the airport several times, and despite the major inconvenience and cost, I ended up flying back home with new memories and new friends.