Business travelers forced into coach may never see first class again

by Scott Carmichael on

When the economy imploded, corporate business travel took a nosedive. Those companies that still allowed their staff to fly, changed the corporate policy forcing everyone into the back of the plane.

Within many companies, travel policy allowed for first or business class travel on long flights, while others had policies in place that allowed premium cabin travel for high level executives.

To save money (and public humiliation), coach became the new standard cabin for most business travelers, while everyone waited for the economy to recover.

Now there are small specks of light at the end of the tunnel, there is some bad news for business travelers expecting to get back to the front of the plane – companies are enjoying the savings, and may keep the current policies in place. This is good news for some, and bad news for others.

  • Travelers paying their own way for Business or First will see emptier cabins, and (hopefully) lower prices as airlines scramble to fill their premium cabins.
  • The business travelers are going to have to get used to traveling with the commoners, and eventually become commoners themselves (boo hoo!).
  • Airlines are going to have to make some tough decisions – on some routes, they’ll probably remove premium seats, or in some cases they’ll move from three class planes to two class planes. Others may remove premium travel altogether.

The numbers are not looking too bad for the airlines – coach bookings are up 5%, but premium travel is only up 1.8% – given how dismal the past couple of years have been, I’d say any gain is a good gain, even if it does mean fewer people up front.

The New York City Waterfalls

by Jeremy Kressmann on

On June 26th, New York will be surrounded by massive towers of water. Sound like the fulfillment of some horrific biblical prophecy? It’s actually the product of a unique collaboration between the city of New York and artist Olafur Eliasson, called The New York City Waterfalls.

Following in the footsteps of other massive outdoor art projects like The Gates, artist Eliasson is installing four enormous man-made waterfalls along the shores of the New York waterfront. The giant scaffolding structures supporting the falls are well underway at locations scattered around Lower Manhattan including Brooklyn Heights, Governor’s Island and best of all – underneath the Brooklyn Bridge.

Between June 26 and October 13, these soaring torrents of water will run seven days a week, redefining the landscape of downtown New York. Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson, who is responsible for the project, has a history of large scale public works of art, including a recreation of the sun inside London’s Tate Modern gallery.

If you’ll be visiting New York this summer, make sure to take a stroll down to the water in downtown Manhattan or Brooklyn to check them out. They’ll be illuminated each evening for further dramatic effect. For an even closer view, the city will even be offering free 30 minute boat tours sponsored by Circle Line.