Gadlinks for Wednesday 10.21.09

by Brenda Yun on

Hump day is upon us, and for today I have some pretty fresh, eco-friendly/Asia-themed travel reads for you. Snuggle up with your laptop and enjoy!

‘Til tomorrow, have a great evening!

More Gadlinks HERE.

The feds want to know how to make international travel better

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Here’s your chance to gripe! The U.S. Office of Travel and Tourism Industries is looking for your thoughts … on how a questionnaire is structured. So, rather than weigh in on the issues facing the industry, you can set the framework for how you’ll respond later. Yeah, it seems like a bit of bureaucratic overhead, but let’s face it: this is the language of government. And, you have the opportunity to shape the lexicon.

The questionnaire will be open to U.S. and non-U.S. residents to provide some insights on how to make international travel to and from the United States easier. You have to provide your recommendations by 5 PM on October 1, 2009, and then begin to hold your breath. The changes are expected to be put to use in January 2011!

So far, it’s pretty bland, so we’re relying on you to spice it up a bit.

Middle seat: where else would you want to be?

by Tom Johansmeyer on

We all hate the middle seat … but how much? According to a survey commissioned by 3M, 56 percent of respondents would rather sit in traffic than a middle seat, with the same amount preferring a blind date (at least the getaway is easier). For 54 percent, a trip to the dentist is preferable. To avoid a middle seat, half said they’d take a later flight to avoid a middle seat, with 20 percent willing to spend a night in an airport hotel instead of spending a few hours crammed between two other passengers.

So, what bugs us about the middle seat? Everything, it seems. A hefty 84 percent didn’t want a nosy neighbor engaging in over-the-shoulder reading, with 83 percent lamenting the inability to stretch and the fact that they have to climb over someone to get to the lav. Then, of course, the “overweight” issue came up. Eighty percent feared being sandwiched between two large passengers. Finally, 71 percent don’t like the middle seat because there’s nowhere to rest your head.

Fortunately, being booked in a middle seat doesn’t have to mean that that’s where you’ll wind up. MSNBC was kind enough to offer a few tips:

1. Try to get out of it: start a communication campaign with the airline. Start a few days before your flight to see if there’s anything better (including an affordable upgrade). Check in 24 hours in advance (the earliest for most airlines), and try to change your seat. And, ask at the check-in counter. Finally, if you’re out of options, try the gate. Be polite and first in line, as both make a difference.

2. Look for a “2-3-2”: planes that have two seats, an aisle, three seats, an aisle and two seats only have one middle seat per aisle. Planes that are “3 & 3” have two middle seats per aisle. Do the math.

3. Move before your neighbor gets busy: if you need to get to the lav, fetch something from your overhead bin (putting a bag up there lets you put your feet under the seat in front of you) or anything else, do it early. Once the aisle seat dweller pops open his laptop or shuts his eyes, everything becomes a project.

Need more ideas?

Don’t take air travel for granted

by Mike Barish on

Watch more SpikedHumor videos on AOL Video

At the rate that humans are creating new and more dynamic technologies, it’s easy to begin to take things for granted. I mean, space shuttle launches used to be front page, stop what you’re doing and find a TV news. Now, most people don’t even know when a trip to the International Space Station takes place. And that assumes that people even know that we have an International Space Station. Where people live. In space. Away from Earth.

Well, comedian Louis CK paid a visit to Late Night with Conan O’Brien and helped us regain the proper perspective. Long one of my favorite comedians, Louis summarized what I have been thinking for a quite some time: Pay attention to how amazing the world is and stop bitching about everything! You can travel the world in a flying tube in a matter of hours. You can leave Sydney at 11:00AM Monday and arrive, more that 20 hours later, in New York at 5:00PM the same Monday! I just did that! It was amazing. And I watched TV in the flying tube while I did it.

So, the next time that you find yourself complaining about a flight delay or a seat that doesn’t recline, watch this video and take a deep breath. The world is an amazing place. You just have to pull your head out of your ass to realize it.

Make your flight (and mine) easier this holiday season

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The holidays are coming, and people will be flying. If you’re one of them, instead of feeling angry and entitled in every line in which you late, make a concerted effort to improve your surroundings. No, I’m not talking about picking up garbage or holding the door for some old lady who will punish you with tales of her grandchildren’s accomplishments. Take small steps to become more efficient. You-and everyone around you-will spend less time in line, and you might just be almost happy with your trip.

Rule #1
If you see someone who looks like he travels regularly, do what he does. If he takes his license out of his wallet before reaching the security line, you should too. Did he just remove his laptop from his bag? Guess what … you’ll probably want to take yours from your bag. You can’t go wrong by copying someone who’s obviously smarter than you are.

Rule #2
Don’t prepare for the security stop when you’ve already bellied up to the X-ray machine. While you’re in line, do the following:

1. Pull your laptop out of your bag (if you have one)
2. Take your ID (license or passport) out of your pocket, bag, etc.; hold it with your boarding pass
3. Empty your pockets into your carry-on; do the same with your watch, cell phone and any heavy jewelry
4. Remove your shoes, and carry them on top of your laptop
5. Repeat #4 with your coat and hatNow, you have a stack of personal belongings on top of your laptop. Carry them like you did your books back in grade school. You can drop the laptop into one bin for the X-ray machine, pick up the clothing and drop them in the next bin. It’s fast. It’s easy. It doesn’t leave you screwing around while people are waiting.

Rule #3
Unless you’re moving, don’t pack like you’re moving. If you can’t carry it, don’t bring it. This is just common sense. Bringing gifts to family members you see rarely? Mail the packages. Hell, with the cost of extra baggage right now, it’s probably cheaper to engage UPS for this anyway.

Rule #4
Eating at the food court instead of home? This makes sense. After all, the long lines force us all to go to the airport earlier … just in case. There are more of us than usual, and we’re all friggin’ hungry. So, why the hell does someone who’s in line for an hour wait, ponder and stutter when placing an order? Next time you’re jammed up at Wendy’s, use those 30 minutes in line to think about what you want. By the time someone asks if you want fries with your burger, you should already know the answer.

Rule #5
Forget every rule of good parenting. Sometimes, you need to let your kid cry to learn a lesson. Here’s the problem: we don’t need to learn that lesson, too. Do what it takes to keep your kid under control. If that means coloring books, candy or … dare I say it … active parenting, do it. Do what it takes. Your round trip involves two days of your kid’s childhood. Whatever you do for the sake of expediency will not make a lasting impression.

Rule #6
Know when to quit. We all love to scream at airline employees, and we know they are lying to us. When they say that weather caused the problem on a sunny day, when they say that there are no more exit row seats, when they say the flight is overbooked … we just know it’s bullshit. So, we fight. Sometimes, it works. Appeasement in the form of flight vouchers, hotel stays and free meals sometimes flow. But, at a certain point, you need to know when to stop. If you’re on a full flight of people with super-triple-platinum status (and you’re not), don’t expect to get a damned thing. Accept that you will lose.

Fighting the good fight is okay, but at a certain point, you lose the crowd’s sympathy. Be aware that people who look like serial killers don’t often get what they want (or need).

You’re more likely to have a safe and happy holiday season if you follow my advice. So, I wish you all the best in the coming weeks, and I encourage you not to be a moron once you pass through those automatic sliding doors. It happens to all of us, but maybe if we all make that genuine attempt not to make airport life worse, we’ll all have a better time.