Would you turn a Skycouch into mile-high club membership?

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Remember the Air New Zealand Skycouch? It’s a new seat that’s made the term “cuddle class” pretty popular, as it opens some great opportunities for passenger comfort and mile-high club membership. It’s a pretty exciting development in an industry that tends to invest little in customer comfort. The Skycouch makes it possible to turn three economy seats into something of a bed for two passengers.

For Air New Zealand, it’s pretty important to be at the leading edge when it comes to comfort, according to general manager Ed Sims. He said, “The majority of our long-haul flights are overnight and we fly on average 90 minutes longer than any other airline.”

So, here’s the big question: now that these seats are making it out into the market, would you use it to join the club? Leave a comment below to let us know your thoughts.

[photo by Deanster1983 via Flickr]

Plan your holiday guilt trip with Babelgum

by Grant Martin on

In a week where most young folks are hitting the road to visit loved ones or relatives all over the country it’s fun to compare tactics that friends and family use to solicit visits. You know you’ve been there before: you’re only in town for two nights and your hometown friends are calling from the bar — only it’s pudding night at the Martin residence and gee howdy, you can’t miss pudding night for the third year in a row.

Babelgum puts a hilarious spin on the whole situation in the short video below. Beware: it might strike closer to home than you think it will.


Are you an impotent traveler?

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The endless people crowded at gate areas over the next week or so will probably feel what it means to be an impotent traveler. When you’re at the mercy of the airlines, there’s little you can do to affect change. Sure, they can’t control the weather, and legitimate problems do arise from time to time (no business is perfect). But, when you want information, have a legitimate grievance or would just benefit from some solid customer service, there’s a good chance you’ll be disappointed. Expectations for airlines are so low that there’s really little incentive to change.

Of course, it’s not just the airlines, according to the Daily Mail: “Along with airlines, this group includes train companies, mobile phone and computer suppliers, broadband providers and cable and satellite TV firms.” The article adds, “The normal rules of the marketplace do not apply in their case. They know they have become indispensable.”

There are times when we’re just not in the driver’s seat, and there is little we can do about it. If you need some ideas on how to overcome travel impotence, check out our tips on how to be effective in making your voice heard.

[photo by nesnet via Flickr]

Daily gear deals – $17 Casio travel watch, $2 in free MP3 music and more

by Scott Carmichael on

Here are the hottest daily gear deals for today, Thursday December 23, 2010. Remember, these deals are often valid for just one day, so act fast before they are gone.

Today’s first deal is for a Casio Ana-Digi watch. This hybrid analog/digital timekeeper features a 10 year battery, databank and 30 city world time database. On sale for $17. Click here for this deal.

Next up are Maxell noise canceling headphones. These folding headphones come in a carrying case with an airplane adapter plug. On sale for $19.99. Click here for this deal.

Today’s third deal is for a freebie – $2 in free Amazon MP3 downloads. Simply apply the coupon code listed on this page to your account and you’ll have access to your free tunes.

And finally in today’s lineup is the Philips GoGear Muse 16GB MP3 player. This compact touch screen player features an FM radio (with RDS), video supprt (with HDMI out) and a microSD expansion slot. On sale for $103.99, but only when you click the “view lightning deal” link on the product page. To make the deal even better – your purchase also comes with $15 in free MP3 credits.

New amenities for Amsterdam Airport Schiphol: Wi-Fi and golf!

by Scott Carmichael on

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has been considered one of the best airports in the world for as long as I can remember – even when I flew in and out of it every week back in early 80’s, Schiphol had some of the best airport shopping of any airport.

In recent years, the airport added a casino, loads of new restaurants, a spa, shower facilities, 2 hotels and a museum.

And now two more amenities can be added to that long list; free Wi-Fi and a golf course. Wi-Fi arrived at Schiphol almost ten years ago, but was always a paid service. Now, users can connect to the “KPN” Wi-Fi network located througout the entire airport, landside and airside. The only downside? Access is only free for one hour. After that, you’ll need to purchase more airtime. When on paid access, you can also print for free, and collect your documents at one of the KPN Internet Centers at the airport.

The golf course is located away from the main terminal, towards the north. When completed in 2012, it’ll be a full 18 hole course with a driving range and club house. No word yet whether you’ll be able to use the course during a layover at Schiphol, but knowing how smart the airport operator is, it wouldn’t surprise me if shuttles are provided.

If only U.S. airports paid attention to their international cousins to see how a real airport should look. Schiphol gets a golf course – and we need to settle for a Sbarro. Sigh.

[Photo from Flickr/on1site]


Check out this list of five airline amentities making a comeback