5/09/2008– The Weekly Round Up : Cathay Pacific's Flight Simulator : Airline Jargon 101 : WiFi In The Sky : Coolgorilla's French App :Why Are We Here?

Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

5/09/2008 – The Weekly Round Up : Travel Planning For Natural Disasters : Cathay Pacific's Flight Simulator : Airline Jargon 101 : WiFi In The Sky : SWA Goes Cashless : Coolgorilla's French App : WiFi Worldwide : Why Are We Sitting Here?

This week the residents of New Orleans are lucky that Hurricane Gustav passed by their city. With Hurricane Gustav rapidly approaching New Orleans, this week started off with some travel planning basics for travel to, or departing, an area that is expected to be hit with a natural disaster. While this information may not be of general use to travelers, it should be helpful to journalists and first responders planning their travels to future hurricanes, floods and spreading wildfires. For some basic information on the disaster travel logistics check out :
30/08/2008 – Travel Planning & Natural Disasters

Have you ever wanted look out the cockpit window of a Boeing 747-400 as it enters it's final approach and landing on one of the most 'intense' runways in the world? Cathay Pacific Airways' new interactive website puts you in the simulator with the airline's flight crew as they practice their skills. Be sure to watch the simulator landing at Hong Kong's famed Kai Tak airport here: 1/09/2008 – Cathay Pacific Lets You Experience Landing At Some Of The World's Greatest Airports

Airlines and Airports have a language all their own. Often times flyers hear terminology announced over the loud speakers both on the ground and in the air that are unfamiliar to them. This week was Part 1 of 'airport jargon,' which will hopefully clarify those confusing announcements. To find out what words you've been confused about visit this entry: 2/09/2008 – Airline & Airport Terminology Glossary 101

Since Boeing Connexion was discontinued on international carriers there has been a void in the world of WiFi-in-the-Sky. American Airlines has begun to fill this void on select routes with American Airlines GoGo, soon to be followed by Delta Airlines and Virgin America. You can find out where you can fly and surf the web here: 2/09/2008 – American Airlines Puts WiFi In The Sky

No one likes fumbling for cash while sitting in a cramped seat, even fewer people enjoy seeking out an ATM machine and paying ATM fees, in an airport before a flight. This coming week Southwest Airlines joins other airlines in becoming a cashless airline. Next SWA flight? Skip the ATM and bring the plastic! Want more info? Visit here: 3/09/2008 – Southwest Airlines Moves To Cashless In-flight Sales Only

This week's iPhone 'App' of the Week? Coolgorilla's Talking French Phrasebook (I wrote up French as I have used it, but I have also now played with German and Spanish and they also seem great!). Want a great language translator on your iPhone? Check this one out here: 3/09/2008 – iPhone 'App' Of The Week : Coolgorilla's Talking French Phrasebook

Need to work or just send an e-mail home on the road? Why pay for it when you can get two hours per day free from Starbucks? The Starbucks Card Rewards program now offers 2 hours of free wifi per day.......the cost? FREE! OK, you do need to use the card at least once a month, so grab a multigrain bagel with some low-fat cream cheese once a month and log on for free for the rest of month. You can find more details in this post: 4/09/2008 – Free WiFi Worldwide (well sort of)

Have you ever been at an airport where there are known 'ground stops' or heavy delays, yet the airline boards your flight anyway? Ever get annoyed boarding your flight only to have your aircraft sit at the gate for 45 minutes while you're advised of the delays by the Captain? Yea, we've all been there, in fact, that is how I spent nearly an hour of my afternoon. To see the airline point of view, not that I agree with in anyway, check here: 5/09/2008 – Airline Courtesy To Its Passengers During Delays?

Next week be sure to check for an updated No Jet Lag Workshops web site! The workshops for this coming winter have been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances in my health and an instability in airfares. I have selected new dates, verified the new fares (which are comparable to the original fares). With my healthy greatly improved and the new information in place, I will be re-introducing the Round-the-World Workshop and the EuroWorkshop this week!

That's it for this week!

Happy Flying!

American Airlines Puts WiFi In The Sky

Web: www.thetravelstrategist.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

2/09/2008 – American Airlines Puts WiFi In The Sky

Last Wednesday, the 27th of August, an American Airlines (AA) Boeing 767-223 (762) closed up its forward cabin door, the jetway pulled away from the AA 762 at JFK International Airport's Terminal 8, in New York. As the ramp-tug slowly pushed the aircraft back from Gate 35 there was a quick stop, the tug disconnected and the American Airlines 762 turned right onto ‘Tango,’ left onto 'Alpha' and slowly made its way to runway 13-Right. As the aircraft started down the runway there were some excited techno-business travelers that were getting giddy, excited about their 6 hour and 19 minute flight to San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

Why were there some excited techno-savvy business travelers onboard? This flight was the day American Airlines launched their in-flight WiFi services for all passengers on-board.

AA launched this service, 'GoGo', on their domestic 767-200 fleet that services the high traffic New York-Los Angeles and New York-San Francisco routes. American Airlines has long since been the industry leader in providing simple business friendly amenities in all classes of service, most notable being in-seat power on all their mainline aircraft (DC power, using a standard automobile cigarette lighter plug), and this launch puts them significantly ahead of Delta Airlines and Virgin America who also service this high traffic route. American AA's primary competitor on this route, United Airlines, has not announced any intention to offer in-flight WiFi on their JFK-LAX/SFO sub-fleet of 757-200 "PS" aircraft.

The cost of the unlimited in-flight WiFi is $12.95. Unlike other airlines that have in-flight e-mail and messaging, this service will allow you to use your laptop or PDA in WiFi mode to work in a normal mode during your flight. VOIP will not be enabled with the service (no airlines intend to allow VOIP)

Back on the 17th of May 2004 Boeing introduced "Connexion" that was installed in both Boeing and Airbus aircraft to allow WiFi to the flying public. The original intention of Boeing Connexion was to primarily service high-traffic North American business routes. Instead of being installed primarily on North American aircraft it was installed by a variety of European and Asian carriers on long-haul international routes, without a single North American carrier picking up this option. With few airlines installing Connexion service, it was discontinued on the 31st of December 2006. Personally, I enjoyed using Boeing Connexion on Lufthansa and Korean Air.......so I am glad to see WiFi return to the skies.

Will this new service sway my airline choice to AA? That remains to be seen, as the WiFi is only on limited routes (although one I fly often) and does not service any of my three local 'home' airports.

So for those of you in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, who enjoy surfing will you fly, you now have an option to be production while in-flight!

Happy Flying!




PS: For those of you who use your travel time to relax....... there are plenty of other airlines that fly these routes