Business Traveller Tip - take it off, take it all off

First in my new segment of Business Traveller Tips is what to wear. I am not going to argue for a throwback to the early days of air travel when people dressed up and treated the affair as an adventure but I think there are good reasons for having two "outfits" for the flight. I have one set of clothes for getting on board and one set for sitting on the flight.

For boarding I wear business casual. Smart pants (or very good jeans) and a collared shirt. I do this for two reasons. Upgrades do not happen as often as they used to but they still do. I have had two occasions in the last 4 years where I have been upgraded from long haul business to first. In terms of segments flown it is not that often but it is often enough to dress well. The second reason is it means one less pair of work pants to pack - which contributes to a tip I will write soon on what to pack for business travel.

For flying I wear either very loose cotton clothes. I supposed you could call them pyjamas but really they are just non descript cotton pants and a t-shirt (OK, you can call them pyjamas). When I change into them I take the business casual clothes that I have been wearing, put them on a coat hanger and hang them up in the coat rack.

Of course this is not necessary for short haul flights but in long haul it is one of my top tips. Loose clothing not only keeps you comfortable, it helps with circulation and is more attuned to the air and temperature atmosphere of a long flight. This is not just a business class or above recommendations. I do this also when I am flying long haul economy. It is harder to hang up your clothes in long-haul economy but you would be surprised how often crew members will hang clothes up for you if you ask very nicely. If they won't I always can find an overhead locker somewhere which has enough space to lay my clothes flat so that they are in fine shape when it is time to land. When I fly economy I bring my own fold up clothes protector just in case.

If you are unable to go the full clothing switch-aroo then the minimum recommendation for all flights is that you take of your shoes and belt before you sit down. Even on short flights your feet will swell and your belt will bite into you (especially up the back of the bus). You will be amazed how the simple act of taking of belt and shoes will improve your comfort levels.

So tip number one is brought to you by Barry White - take it off, take it all off.

thanks to ddjang over at flickr for the photo

Business Traveller Tips - New BOOT segment

Time for another new segment here at the BOOT. The last two years has seen me in the air more than ever before. I am now a top tier flyer on both the One World and Star Alliance networks. Qantas have even handed out a Gold Card "partner" membership to Madame BOOT. I am often asked for what tips and tricks I have for business travellers. Well, here are the answers. Here at the BOOT we will now we doing a regular segment on tips and tricks for the business traveller. I am open to guest commentators and advisors in this segment. If you have a tip you want to share then please email me.

Tips so far

1. What to wear on the plane
2. How to get through airport security as quickly as possible
3. Things to take with you that you will need but don't think you need
4. Which (legal) drugs to pack with you to handle most minor health issues
5. 12 survival tips for staying in a 5 star hotel
6. 7 tips for business travel in China
7. 10 tips for surviving flying economy class/coach
8. Arriving at and leaving from new/unknown airports

PS - if you liked this segment you might like my airline seat reviews

Thanks to thinkpanama for the photo over at flickr

aQuantive Story - how to grow and sell a company in tough times

Very interesting read over at The TechFlash site. John Cook has a post called "Strip clubs, Aeron chairs and other tales from aQuantive". Is an interview with aQuantive founder Nick Hanauer on how he managed aQuantive through the dot com bust and resulting downturn leading up to the $6 billion buyout by Microsoft. Some interesting messages and stories for all of us during this Global F'n Crisis. Is the BOOT recommended read of the week.

Hat tip to @barneyh where I first saw a link to the story.

Southwest Airlines Rapping announcement "you will not get that on United Airlines"

It is going to be United Airlines week here at the BOOT. Already had a seat review, prediction of the death for the brand and now a video of a rapping Southwest crew member giving United a hard time (and I have another post up my sleeve before the week is out). Thanks to my mate Chris from San Fran for sending through the video link



hat tip to Huff Post.

Budget and United make 24/7 Wall St's list of 12 brands likely to disappear

Equities and investor blog 24/7 Wall street posted last week on the "Twelve Major Brands that Will Disappear" - joining the likes of Ansett.

Topping the list was the struggling former Car Rental giant Avis/Budget. As I talked about in this post Avis/Budget (CAR) is a shadow of its former self. Having just avoided de-listing on the NYSE, the company is struggling under a mountain of debt, mounting costs and falling revenues.

At number twelve on the list is United Airlines (UAUA). 24/7 Wallst puts United among American and US Air as the three most at risk airlines in the US and in convinced that someone like Continental will step in as an acquiring for one of these. United is most at risk among the three (according to 24/7) because their passenger numbers are dropping faster (despite your BOOT correspondent's recent travels with United). In my 2009 predictions I mentioned that I thought more airlines would go bust (hardly a revolutionary prediction).

Full details over at 24/7 Wallst.

Here is the full list of the 12 brands at risk
1. Avis/Budget
2. Borders books (BGP)
3. Crocs footwear (CROX)
4. Saturn vehicles
5. Esquire Magazine
6. Old Navy apparel
7. Architectural Digest Magazine
8. Chrysler brand cars:
9. Eddie Bauer (EBHI)
10. Palm (PALM)
11. AIG
12. United Air Lines (UAUA)

Hat tip to Seeking Alpha where I first spotted the story

Thanks to Adelaide Archivist over at flickr for the photo

Hudson Crossing Blog added to Blog roll

I have been enjoying reading Tom Botts' online travel industry blog for travel industry consultancy Hudson Crossing. I have added it to my Blog Roll and recommend you add it to yours.

Seat Review - United Airlines International Business Class

Back in the USA this week for work in Los Angeles and Chicago. Allowed me to try the newly refurbed United Airlines International Business Class (proud brewers of Starbucks Coffee!). When launching the new product at PhoCusWright in LA last November Tim Simonds (United’s MD of Customer Strategy and Metrics) candidly admitted that the product was not “as good as foreign flag carriers”. That is was designed to compete with other US based carriers.



Simonds was right. As an overall experience the United International Business is well behind my preferred rides (Qantas, Singapore, BA, Virgin-Atlantic and Cathay Pacific). However in terms of the seat itself, the gap has been dramatically closed. On the Pacific route specifically Qantas maintains a clear lead in terms of quality of the food and the lounges but judged by seat and in-flight entertainment United is now on par with a world class product. The challenge for United is that it is charging the same price as Qantas. This means that on a same cost basis I will continue to fly Qantas. But if circumstances dictate that I fly United I will be approaching the flight with thoughts of comfort and productivity rather than with fear and loathing.



The BOOT rating for United's International Business Class is a 3.5 stars out of 6 or "Good Seat". Here detailed review (More reviews and details of scoring system here)

Getting on Board	Score 0
Nothing remarkable about the United boarding process. But when competing with Qantas’ Pacific route United’s lounge set is vastly inferior to Qantas. It is an unfair benchmark as the Qantas First lounge in Sydney (which my status allows me to visit) is one of the best in the world. But even against a industry average the United lounges are second rate – especially when travelling westward (ie from the US home). For the business traveller with choice it is not enough to put a seat next to a post mix machine and call it a lounge (even if there is free ranch dressing for the bendy carrots on offer).
The Seat	Score 1.0
The seat is long, comfortable and fully flat. There is little more that a traveller can ask for. Sure I prefer the larger herringbone of Cathay Pacific or the privacy cocoon like set up of a BA window seat. Sure I wish the tray table was a little more flexible to allow for easier exits with a computer of meal on the table. Sure I wish there were a few more seat level places for putting books, laptops and iPods. But all this borders on being picky. The seat does the two main things you need from a 14 hour flight across the Pacific – sit comfortably to work with connected power and sleep peacefully for 8 hours.
The Service	Score 0.5
How to describe the service on United? It is like a very pleasant experience at a 24 hour Denny’s restaurant where the staff average age is about 50. Lots of cheery smiles and “how can I help yous” from smartly dressed silver surfers. It is Airline folk law that during a emergence from Bankruptcy United granted lots of stock to staff an entrenched seniority in route bidding by crews. The result being that premium routes (those with the best away from home allowances and timings) are monopolised by the most senior staff. Does not make for a bad experience on board but the crew tend to fall into habits and routines.
The Food	Score 0.5
Bland. Edible but Bland. I have actually flown four legs (US and back twice) in a very short space of time. Each time, the dinner menu has contained only slight variations on a choice between Steak with veg, Chicken with veg or Vegetarian pasta (with veg). Nothing to run from the room screaming about but nothing to sit their raving about either.
The Entertainment	Score 1.0
The new United VOD is up there with the best. Good selection of 25 or so movies and same for TV shows. As well as a full audio compliment that enables you to build a play list. There are airlines with greater selections but I love that United starts the entertainment before take off and keeps in on until you land and reach the gate. This is an advantage over Qantas that waits until 20 minutes or more after cruising altitude has been reached before turning on the system and then forces you to watch the crappy DVT busting exercise video. The headsets are not as good at cancelling noise but this a complaint at the margins. On a side note, United has tried to be innovative with an iPod jack for power but it uses a unique connector that has to be bought separately (not the standard iPod connector). Defeats the purpose.
The BOOT factor	Score 0.5
You would not expect many “BOOT factor” elements from a US carrier and you would be right. I do like the arrivals lounge at SFO – while not on par with the Virgin-Atlantic and BA equivalents in London it does allow for a shower and toasted bagel before heading on your way. A quirk of the seating layout is that not all of the seats face the same direction. The set up is not the alternating direction style of BA. Rather some pairs face forward and some backward. Does not bother me – except when the magazine folder is faulty and everything falls out on take off. Finally it is also clear that to make room for the new seats United had to skimpt on the size and number of bathrooms
Final Score	3.5 - Good Seat

Details and scoring system for airline seat reviews

thanks to Majiscup - Drink for Design for the photo