The Changing State of Hotel Wi-Fi

New York Times: As someone who is derided by relatives and friends for not knowing how to text on a cellphone, I approach the task of evaluating technology as warily as a man wading into the Everglades with a pork chop tied around his neck.

Sure enough, a few alligators gathered via e-mail after last week’s column, which said that Wi-Fi service was deteriorating in many hotel guest rooms because of the mostly unanticipated bandwidth demands of smartphones and, particularly, video-hungry iPads.

What drew some ire was the suggestion that the time may be coming when hotels would purchase a lot more bandwidth from their Internet providers, but then offer Wi-Fi to guests in a tiered-fee system. While the Wi-Fi service might be free for the basic level of use, like e-mail and casual Internet browsing, fees would rise in increments for higher levels of data use, especially for video streaming.

Travelers, in general, hate hotel fees. So I expected some negative reaction — and got it. “iBAHN is Netflix!” one reader wrote. “Businesses don’t prosper when the customer feels cheated.” He was referring to comments about the tiered-fee idea by David W. Garrison, the chief executive of iBAHN, a company that provides Internet service to a quarter-million hotel rooms around the world.

A few other reactions were even more vociferous. To one of the grouchiest of those, let me just reply that there are only two “e’s” in the word “imbecile.”

Basically, though, most of the responses were reasoned. In general, business travelers seemed to have two reactions. Most agreed that the hotel room Wi-Fi experience was deteriorating, regardless of whether the hotel charged for the service. And many added that there were other options for ensuring good Wi-Fi service on the road that did not include paying a hotel fee.

“Why don’t you get mobile broadband via a 4G USB modem from Verizon for $50 a month, and put your on-the-road data needs to rest?” Joan Ross wrote. “4G is stunningly fast, and you will have access any place within the Verizon phone network.”

Jonathan S. Kleinman said, “I think the solution for many individuals, as 4G phones proliferate, will be to use them as their Wi-Fi hot spots.”

And Kent Phelps wrote, “What happens when 4G services offer faster access than even premium in-hotel Wi-Fi services?” That likelihood “might explain why hotels are hesitant to make an investment in the technology and infrastructure needed to provide such tiers” of fee-based service, he said.

Mr. Garrison at iBAHN acknowledged in a follow-up conversation that were “lots of different ways to connect” and that resorting to various 3G and newer 4G services available from cellular providers was a “very feasible” alternative to the in-room Internet connection. “In most cases it works fine, but it’s not particularly fast,” he added. “On an iPad, for example, the 3G experience is not nearly as good.”

More to the point, he said, there is a price for that. Cellular service providers are also being hit with major strains on their systems from the data-heavy demands of smartphones and other Wi-Fi-enabled personal devices, which have changed the economics of the industry. After the first wave of Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones hit, wireless providers began revising the way they billed to account for use, in some cases instituting tiered-fee systems based on monthly data consumption.

If more hotels do upgrade their Wi-Fi services, and put in place a tiered-fee system depending on which bandwidth level customers decide they need, the hotels need to do so carefully. And they need to make sure that the price and the product are clearly spelled out. Those annoying airline fees, for example, are widely disliked — but at least you know what you’re paying for.

At hotels, many customers start with the feeling that existing fees, say $12.99 a day for basic Internet service in a $350-a-night room, or $6 for that bottle of water conspicuously left on the desk, are an outrage. Business travelers have a lot more choices among hotels than among airlines, and can be a lot more exacting about what they’re paying an extra fee for.

“In many hotels I stay at, the Wi-Fi speeds are close to dial-up, even at 5 a.m.,” Eric B. Janofsky wrote. He added: “I wouldn’t mind spending a reasonable amount for reliable, reasonably high-speed Internet. However, if there are multiple-tier Wi-Fi speeds, will the free or lower-cost Wi-Fi be so poor that the free tier would be useless? Are the hotel fees rational?” 

Can Siri Find a Hotel Room?

Hotel Chatter: When Apple first unveiled its iPhone 4S, our first thought was could the new voice-activated app/virtual personal assistant, Siri, find us a hotel room? And would her findings be better than our own? Now that we have an actual iPhone 4S in our hands, we decided to investigate.

We held down the home screen button and waited for Siri to pop up. Once she did, we simply said, "I need a hotel room." A few seconds later, Siri spit out a bunch of hotels near our current location.

This being Santa Monica, Calif. there were a bunch of hotels nearby. 21 to be exact.

The thing is, not all of these listings were desirable. American Motel? No thanks. A few were also not hotels like the listing for Centro LLC and another for HotelConnect USA LLC.

And with the few hotels that we would actually stay at, like The Huntley, all Siri pulled up was a map of where these hotels were related to our current location. When you clicked on the listing, Siri then showed you the hotel's phone number and exact address. No website, no average rate, no hotel reviews, nada. Damn, Siri, we expected more from you!

Yet while this is still a good start for voice activation travel booking, if we actually desperately needed a hotel room, we'd rather use HotelTonight which offers discounted last-minute rates in several cities across the U.S. or Expedia's own iPhone app which allows you to search and book hotels based on your current location.

Then again, we just (saw) a recent iPhone commercial where people are asking Siri to do all sorts of crazy things. Maybe we need to be more specific?

New App Helps Track Loved Ones at Theme Parks

Where's Johnny?

OrlandoSun Sentinel: Parents know how hard it can be to track children at Disneyworld parks or even the local mall. It is easy to lose a child in a crowd, and older children often demand freedom to wander alone to other rides or stores. Now you can worry a little less.

That’s the beauty of the new free Find My Friends app for Apple iPhone and iPad: Via iCloud technology, you can track children, friends, even employees, easily, as long as they have an iPhone or iPad too. It makes it easier for parents to call up exact locations of children – or for friends to find other friends fast.

You also have the option to share your location with others. They can follow you as you move around a theme park or travel from winery to winery in California’s Napa Valley. Users can share their location with a group of people for a few hours, days, or even weeks.

iPads Changing the Economics - and Speed - of Hotel Wi-Fi

NewYork Times: If, like me, you have been complaining about unusually poor Internet service in hotel rooms lately, the hotels have a good explanation.

Largely because of the broad use of iPads and other mobile tablets, which are heavy users of video streaming, the guest room Wi-Fi networks that most hotels thought they had brought up to standard just a few years ago are now often groaning under user demands.

“The iPad is the fastest-selling device in consumer electronics history, and because of it the demand placed on any public place Wi-Fi system has gone up exponentially in the last year and a half,” said David W. Garrison, the chief executive of iBAHN, a provider of systems for the hotel and meetings industries.

This means more hotel customers are unhappy with their Internet connections. Hotel owners, meanwhile, who are digging out from a two-year slump caused by the recession, will probably have to invest more money to provide more bandwidth.

For travelers, it may mean still another fee, since hotels will be paying their own Internet bills. Some hotel Internet service providers are proposing a solution that offers tiered Wi-Fi service. The lowest level, suitable for basic Internet requirements like checking e-mail, would be free, but other levels would be priced depending on bandwidth requirements. According to iBAHN, iPads consume four times more Wi-Fi data per month than the average smartphone.

The iPad represents the “final nail in the coffin” for the idea that all Internet is free, Mr. Garrison said.

Amy Cravens, a market analyst with the mobile Internet group of In-Stat, a technology research and consulting company, agreed that tablets “have had a huge influence on bandwidth consumption.” Ms. Cravens said hotels had been slow to respond to the idea of a tiered fee system. “They’ve been talking about that for a few years, but I haven’t really seen it put much into play,” she said.

Mr. Garrison estimated that 10 to 15 percent of hotels in the United States now offered at least some kind of Wi-Fi service with fees for higher use.

The growth in bandwidth demand is obvious. As we were speaking on Monday, Ms. Cravens received a note from AT&T saying that connection times for its hotel Internet service had more than doubled from the second quarter of this year to the third quarter.

Studies conducted for iBAHN indicate that while free Internet service remains a big factor in choosing a hotel, nearly two-thirds of business travelers say they have encountered slow Internet downloading in the last 12 months. Over two-thirds said they would “not return to a hotel where they had a poor technology experience,” iBAHN said.

“The bits used for video streaming and downloading increased thirtyfold on our network in one year,” Mr. Garrison said.

Hotels, he said, now must choose “either to not increase the amount of bandwidth, so everybody will get much slower service to the point where you’ll think you’re on a dial-up connection,” or upgrade and essentially put in a metered fee-based system.

“It’s about managing that bandwidth,” Mr. Garrison added. “We’re not saying that free Internet as you know it today is dead. We’re saying that a hotel owner will have to decide what free should be. I could have a free option, for a limited level of service, but charge for higher levels of demand.”

The research firm the Gartner Group predicts that the number of iPads sold will reach 100 million by the end of 2012.

“People are now carrying multiple devices. We see instances in hotels where people are using their laptop and their iPad at the same time, and maybe even have their smartphone on,” Mr. Garrison said. “As a business traveler, you’re trying to get work done and you need a guaranteed adequate connection. So don’t give me free Wi-Fi if it’s not going to work.”

I, too, am about to join the mob and buy my first iPad. As I mentioned here, on a recent stay at a Hyatt Regency hotel in Denver, the Internet connection (at $12.95 a night, no less) was as sluggish as a dial-up. Even if it had been free, it would have remained almost useless to me.

Will you opt to pay an added fee in a hotel room for the extra bandwidth you may require? I hate to say it, but I probably will, if I have a guarantee that it will perform adequately.

I asked the same question of Ms. Cravens, an iPad user herself. Would she pay extra for the bandwidth she needs on the road?

"Absolutely," she replied. 

Top 5 Travel Apps for iPhone

IOL Travel: To celebrate the brilliant entrepreneurship and inventive genius of Steve Jobs, we dedicate this post to him by showing our tech savvy traveler how having an iPhone in your pocket can save the day. Rest in Peace Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 - October 5, 2011)

“3 Apples changed the world: One seduced Eve, the second awakened Newton and the third was in the hands of Steve Jobs.” - Daniel Neville

Top 5 Best Travel Apps for iPhone

1. Skype
Skype, Skype, Skype. What would we do without you? This is the cheapest way to contact the house-sitter and check whether you remembered to turn the stove off when you're 8 000 km across the country fraternizing with Berbers.

2. World Customs
You don't want to tick anyone off so after enjoying a meal in a foreign country, you can now browse your iPhone and find out whether you should be burping or farting to show your appreciation for the meal.

This travel app allows you to browse through various cultural customs and make sure you're in the know with all the cultural do's and don'ts of the company you find yourself in. Definitely one of the best travel apps for iPhone.

3. UrbanSpoon
So, the idea of sitting on the loo for three quarters of your trip, because you picked a bad restaurant, doesn't sound so great. I hear you. With UrbanSpoon you can avoid the dodgy restaurants and with a simple shake of your headset the best local restaurant guide is at your fingertips.

Note to traveller: If you opt for certain Thai or Indian dishes, you're going to end up on the loo anyway. Not even the best travel apps can save you from that. #FoodThatBurnsTwice

*This application works in selected cities in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Sydney.

4. Next Flight
Okay, so you get halfway to the airport and realise you've left grandma behind. So you make a U-turn, pick Gam-Gam and her zimmer frame up, and arrive back at the airport too late. You just missed your flight. Doh!

Next Flight tracks scheduled departures from over 4,200 airports and 1,100 airlines so you can easily find the next available flight so that you don't miss that amazing African sunset, making Next Flight one of the best travel apps.

5. HearPlanet
No doubt, out of utter excitement, you've researched your travel destination to the ends of the earth before your departure, but when you get there you'll find that there may be an area that you pass through you don't know much about. HearPlanet to the rescue! Once you've installed the app, its like you have your own personal tour guide in your pocket. HearPlanet tells you about nearby attractions and then plays the Wikipedia location description aloud. Awesome! Come to think of it, this is also a great application for travellers with bad vision, but I think their guide dog would probably have trouble navigating their way around the iPhone without opposable thumbs.

So instead of forking out extra cash on a human tour guide, download HearPlant and afford to spend an extra day exploring a stretch of the world.

So you've got the iPhone and are keen to download the best travel apps, now all you need to do is book your trip!

What's Next for Airline Apps?

CNN: Airline passengers are already able to check in to flights, download boarding passes, select a seat on the go and keep an eye on the upgrades list thanks to recent evolutions in smartphone technology, and the options just keep growing.

A global industrywide Airline IT Trends Survey shows that more than 90% of the airlines surveyed are increasing their investment in mobile capabilities to ease the hassles of getting through the airport and improve the in-flight experience. And the airlines are likely to find a way to generate revenue, too.

So what's a flier to expect from airline apps on the horizon? In the not-too-distant future, you'll probably be able to rent a car, pay bag fees and use augmented reality to find the nearest airport bar through your airline's smartphone app.

Delta Air Lines is putting emphasis on improving mobile functionality. While some airline apps allow travelers to make flight reservations (a feature that Delta has not introduced but promises is coming), the world's largest carrier is one of the few airlines that gives customers the ability to adjust travel itineraries from their mobile device.

Delayed Delta passengers who miss a connection now can immediately rebook a different flight and download a new boarding pass, all while in the air.

The airline has some new app plans up its sleeve as well. Delta declines to give a release date for the feature, but it is close to unveiling a new tool where travelers can track checked baggage from their mobile devices, according to Delta spokesman Paul Skrbec. (They can already do so on the airline's website.)

The airline eventually could offer other services on its mobile app that are already listed on its website, such as the ability to search for hotel and car rental reservations, Skrbec said.

GuestLogix, a company that creates onboard merchandising technology, is already trying to integrate these services into an airline app with the launch of its OnTouch Mobile Concierge platform, which it pitched to major airlines this week, a company official said. The mobile app does not just offer access to itinerary details, but it also functions as a one-stop shop for airline passengers to make in-air purchases related to their trip, such as in-flight refreshments and arrangements for ground transportation, dining and entertainment in the destination city.

GuestLogix says it is in talks with most major North American carriers about implementing the OnTouch Mobile Concierge, which would likely be offered by airlines as a separate app from the ticketing-based ones that exist.

"We are providing airlines with the opportunity to offer their passengers a streamlined experience," said Brett Proud, GuestLogix's executive vice president of new markets and products. "Disparity within the mobile channel is a huge issue despite the fact that consumers are increasingly expecting cross-platform integration and a consistent experience. The fully integrated mobile platform that we have built allows travelers to check in to flights and hotels, view travel information and updates, and receive offers from multiple airline carriers, hotels and other services -- all at one time, and in one place."

The hope is the OnTouch Mobile Concierge will also allow airlines to generate new revenue streams by capitalizing for the first time on destination-related purchases.

But integrating outside products and services into airline apps is not the only way that airlines hope to customize the passenger experience while increasing revenue. According to Delta's Skrbec, the demand is likely there for airlines eventually to offer add-ons such as standby upgrades and the ability to pay for extra checked baggage through mobile applications, but industry research suggests that offering those types of mobile transactions won't happen overnight.

According to a report released this year by Amadeus, a company that develops technology for the travel industry, ancillary services -- from premium seating to in-flight meals -- are unlikely to be sold on airlines' mobile platforms on a widespread level for another year or two.

So more add-ons and products will be available, but is help on the way for slogging through the airport?

American, United and Continental airlines currently offer airport maps in their mobile apps, with Delta soon to join them. But the maps are generally useful only in locating gates; they don't offer detailed information on where to find food and shopping locations.

Augmented reality technology may come to the rescue here. It allows users to point the camera on their smartphone at their surroundings and receive corresponding information about their current location, such as which restaurants and stores are nearby. Amadeus's report estimates it will take three to five years for most airlines to find a way to integrate augmented reality into an airline app.

Airlines might take some cues from a new app released by Denmark's Copenhagen Airport this year, which became the world's first application to use augmented reality indoors successfully -- according to SITA, the app's developer. The app allows travelers at the airport to access not just gate information but also details on surrounding shops and services, saving them time while trying to catch a flight.

Even when it comes to selling fares through mobile clients, a service that 85% of airlines in the Airline IT Trends Survey either offer or plan to offer by 2014, there is room for improvement. Currently, airline apps only offer tickets with their specific carrier, and mobile customers can't take advantage of the flexibility offered by airline alliances.

"Airline alliances, the Star Alliance in particular, haven't really kept pace with mobile developments," said Dennis Schaal, the North America editor of the travel tech site Tnooz.com. "Granted, creating a mobile app that brings in dozens of airlines would be no easy task, but there should be some kind of booking capability at this juncture."

The Star Alliance has two mobile apps available for download: one that offers airport information in addition to the ability to search and track flights, and another that is a fare finder for flights on the alliance's airlines. The Star Alliance includes airlines such as United, Continental, Air Canada and US Airways -- which does not currently offer a mobile app.

But those airlines that fail to take the full leap into the mobile world will quickly find themselves in the minority. Apps might not replace websites as the primary place where people purchase airline reservations, especially with new airline initiatives to integrate ticket-purchasing apps into social-media sites such as Facebook.

However, they're beginning to offer a level of customer service and convenience that has never before been possible in the industry, and perhaps could even transform the experience of traveling enough to create a new barometer on which airline brands will be judged in the future.

How Technology Has Changed the Hotel Industry

USA Today: Nearly a third of travelers today use three mobile devices - a smartphone, laptop and tablet computer (Apple iPad) - on hotel Wi-Fi systems vs. a single one just three years ago, according to hotel broadband provider iBahn.

And not only are people carrying more devices, but they're watching more content on them, iBahn CEO David Garrison says. In just the last 15 months, iBahn's seen data usage in an average online hotel session in its customer hotels skyrocket 150% - growth that Garrison links directly to the growth in iPad sales, which is why he's spending so much time talking about the "iPad revolution" these days.

So what does the "iPad revolution" mean for Wi-Fi loving hotel guests?

At the moment, he says it means slow Internet at peak times.

"It's changing the Internet experience, creating a tremendous traffic jam - not just in hotels and airports, but anywhere you access the Internet," Garrison says.

You may come across slow Internet even just to check your email "because all of us are being slammed by demand for video." In the long run, he argues, the demand for bandwidth will too great for many hotels to keep providing travelers with free, unlimited Internet.

Even though many limited-service chains by Marriott, Hilton, Starwood, Hyatt and other hotel giants currently require hotel owners to offer free Internet, Garrison says that in the future he expects hotels will be forced to adjust their pricing. One example he envisions: Guests who need to check email would still be able to access the Internet for free, but those wanting to watch Bridesmaids or adult-content titles would be required to pay extra.

"We saw a dramatic increase in the amount of Internet content per session," he says. "That's why we think this iPad revolution has begun to lead to the death of free (unlimited) Internet."

Priceline Unveils 'Tonight-Only Deals' Mobile App

USA Today: Need to book a hotel room in a pricey city tonight and still want a deal? As of today, Priceline.com is ready to help. The hotel discounter is unveiling a mobile service, Tonight-Only Deals, aimed at travelers who are looking for a room at the last minute and want a deal — and the identity of their hotel — before they make a purchase. Priceline says consumers can expect up to 35% off published room prices by using the service.

Priceline is best known for its "name your own price" feature promoted by actor William Shatner. It offers up to 60% off published rates in exchange for hiding the hotel's name until the purchase is complete. Last-minute bookers will find the Tonight-Only Deals featured on Priceline's 2-year-old Hotel Negotiator app for iPhones. The app doesn't yet exist for Android phones.

"Think of this as a way to get savings but also know the hotel upfront," says John Caine, Priceline's senior vice president of marketing.

Priceline thinks the service will be a hit given the mobile world's "I want it now" attitude. An example of rates Wednesday night that Priceline says would be typically available on Tonight-Only Deals: A same-day room at the luxury Taj Boston was $230 compared with $280 on Hotels.com and $349 on the hotel's website. Priceline decided to go after the same-day booking market after finding that 70% of its mobile bookings are made the same day, Caine says.

So far, Priceline has little competition in the app world for travelers with constantly changing plans or those who are planning a last-minute getaway. Only one company — app-only start-up HotelTonight — targets these travelers.

HotelTonight founder Sam Shank says his service has seen steady growth since its launch in February. Today, Shank says, HotelTonight will expand into weekend-getaway hotels, resorts and bed-and-breakfasts near four major cities, including Boston and New York.

HotelTonight offers same-day deals in 22 cities. Priceline is launching its new service with 34 cities, including New York, Las Vegas and Boston. Deals will be posted at 11 a.m. local time.

How Mobile Technology Will Streamline Airport Check-In

Fox Business: The future looks bright for travelers with smartphones wanting a smoother travel experience at the airport. Airlines recognize that one of the major pain points for travelers is the check-in process, which often involves a long wait time. They’re making strides to ameliorate the inefficient and annoying process using mobile technology.

According to SITA’s 2011 Airline IT Trends survey of the top 200 passenger carriers, over 90% are planning to invest in passenger mobile services this year, with the focus on check-in, flight status notifications, and electronic boarding passes.

Here’s a look at the current state of mobile check-in technology - and why it’s about to get even better.

Current: Emailed Mobile Barcodes
Travelers with smartphones are quickly adopting mobile boarding pass technology - airlines surveyed by SITA say that 15% of all air travelers will use a mobile phone to check-in at the airport and obtain an electronic mobile boarding pass by 2014. Self-service check-in at kiosks already offers some convenience, but using a mobile device to do so without the burden of printing and keeping track of a paper boarding pass with make the process even faster and easier. The time-saving benefit for travelers is indisputable - Quantas says frequent flyers using its Next Generation Check-In Program (which incorporates a mobile boarding pass) can complete the process in 5 seconds. Great news - but what happens at the check-in scanner when the traveler’s mobile device isn’t getting a great wireless signal, and retrieving the barcode pass from email is impossible? Enter Near Field Communication...

Future: e-Travel Documents via Near Field Communication (NFC)
Near Field Communication technology enables secure data sharing between a traveler’s mobile device and a reader at the airport. That means not only boarding passes but all travel documents - e-Passports, e-Visas, baggage receipts, itineraries, immigration forms and more - can be stored electronically and retrieved without an Internet connection. SAS Scandinavian Airlines is an early adopter of this technology, allowing their frequent flyers to use an NFC-based Smart Pass sticker at check-in, security, lounges, and gates throughout the airport. Newer smartphones already on the market have an embedded NFC chip that will send encrypted data, ensuring the privacy of sensitive traveler information.

As new passenger-centric technology like NFC is introduced and adopted, the airport experience will evolve from streamlined to seamless - all travelers will need to remember is a smartphone.

Futuristic Pods Wisk Travelers at London Heathrow

Reuters: Laser-guided travel pods that work without drivers or timetables were officially unveiled at London's Heathrow airport on Friday.

The system, which featured in an exhibition on the future of transport at London's Science Museum in 2009, has become a reality, reducing the time it takes business passengers to move from terminal to car park by 60 percent.

Traveling at speeds up to 40 km/hour (25 mph), after an average wait of just 34 seconds, the system looks like something straight from a science fiction film.

The pods, which run along tracks and allow passengers to select their destinations, use laser sensors to ferry business passengers and their luggage along a 3.8 km route.

According to ULTra, the company behind the technology, the 30 million pound ($47 million) development could transport up to 500,000 passengers each year and replace 50,000 shuttle bus journeys.

The British invention, which has been on trial at Heathrow since April, is the culmination of over 60 years of development. First dreamed up in the 1950s, it has now become a working reality under ULTra PRT president and former NASA engineer, Martin Lowson who championed the idea while lecturing at Bristol University in the 1990s.

The company, now part owned by Ferrovial's British airports division BAA, is confident that the technology will prove popular. India recently announced it will pilot the system around Delhi and Amritsar and feasibility studies are currently in progress in Raleigh, North Carolina in the United States. ($1 = 0.633 British Pounds)

Internet Fees Irritate Hotel Guests

CNN: One of the biggest conundrums of travel begins when you check into a hotel and check out the fine print. Why is it that the more posh the accommodations, the more likely you are to have to pay extra for Internet access?

"It's something that drives me and a lot of my clients relatively insane," said Janice Hough, a travel agent who writes for the blog Consumer Traveler. "They feel nickled and dimed. They feel frustrated. If you're paying $500 for a hotel room, you can probably afford $15 or $20 a day for the Internet. But it leaves a bad taste in people's mouth."

Industry figures confirm what many travelers suspect. Three-quarters of luxury and "upper upscale" hotel chains -- segments that include brands such as Four Seasons, Hilton and Marriott -- charge for in-room Internet access, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association 2010 Lodging Survey conducted by STR Global.

In comparison, just 2% of full-service midrange hotel chains -- a segment that includes brands such as Holiday Inn -- ask you to pay a fee for surfing the Web in your room, the survey found. What's particularly baffling to Hough is that the same hotel chain will often provide complimentary Internet in its less expensive properties, while charging for it at the upscale ones.

So you can log on for free at any Marriott Courtyard, for example, but have to pay for the privilege when you stay at a JW Marriott. (The chain waives the fee for elite members of its loyalty program -- more on that later.)

Marriott did not respond to a request for an interview.

'Must-have' amenity
Most travelers these days -- business or otherwise -- view Internet access in their room as essential to their stay as a comfortable bed to sleep in and a hot shower in the morning. In fact, wireless Internet access is one of the top five "must-have" amenities for hotel guests, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study.

So why do many upscale and luxury hotels ask guests to pay extra for the privilege? The answer is simple: Because they can, experts said.

"The hotels charge for Internet because the customers continue to pay for it," said Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst for Forrester Research. "The belief is that many of these travelers are staying either for business and will be expensing the charge, or if they're staying for personal reasons and can afford to pay the rates the hotel charges, they can afford to pay for the Internet," he added.

"I don't agree with the hotels doing this. I think that it's annoying and there are travelers who find it insulting."

Hough said she was shocked when she stayed at a resort near Disney World in Florida this year and discovered that the hotel was not only charging $14.95 a day plus tax for Internet access, but the fee was per computer. These days, a family of four may travel with three laptops, so the charges would quickly add up, Hough said.

Hotels that impose such fees consider the demographics of their customers and feel they can ask them to pay extra, said Joe McInerney, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. "I understand the frustration, but it's what the market will bear," McInerney said. "This is an entrepreneurial society and if the market will bear it, the properties are going to charge for it."

'Medium-level' irritant
There are costs involved for a hotel to install the necessary equipment to provide Internet service, of course. There's also the bandwidth challenge: With travelers bringing along more and more Internet-enabled devices -- laptops, tablet computers, smartphones -- guests are using far more data now than they were a few years ago, Harteveldt said.

But midrange hotels -- which have lots of competition -- feel they have to offer the amenity for free as a way of attracting business, just as they might provide free breakfast, Harteveldt said. Those chains also have a higher mix of leisure travelers, and they tend to attract more independent business travelers who may not have big expense accounts.

Meanwhile, high-end hotels haven't had much motivation to change their ways. "There's grumbling, but there's no pushback" from guests who have to pay for Internet access at these properties, said Jan Freitag, senior vice president at STR Global.

Hough agreed, calling the issue a "medium-level irritant" for her clients -- not something that would keep them from staying at a particular property. Indeed, almost one in four travelers is willing to pay something for Internet access, Forrester Research found.

Loyalty program perk
But there are ways to get a break. Some hotel chains let you skip the extra charges by signing up for their loyalty clubs. Fairmont and Omni provide this perk to all members of their programs, for example. Other chains reserve it for their most frequent guests. Marriott Rewards offers free Internet access to platinum and gold level members. Hyatt Gold Passport reserves it for platinum and diamond members.

Tech savvy guests can get around the fees by using their smartphones as a Wi-Fi hotspot. Then, there's always a nearby cafe where you can log on for the price of a cup of coffee.

Meanwhile, industry observers are waiting to see if any of the luxury chains will make the first move toward a free Internet model. "All it takes is one large player to cave and then everybody else will as well," Freitag said. "We're not quite there yet."

iPhoneography for Travel Videos

Gadling: Travel photos are great, but these days where viral video memes are the cultural norm a mere picture with the 900 pound Marlin you caught on vacation just doesn't cut it anymore. When it's all about the money shot, it's time to shoot video. Thanks to cool new technology and iPhone apps, you can be on vacation and in the director's chair at the same time.

There are apps that let you edit in the field (or stream) and slap it up on YouTube via your mobile device, all with the ease of a few finger swipes and a decent wifi connection. Just remember that your awesome iGadget has its limitations, particularly poor sound quality and a tendency for shakiness. So here's a rundown on a few Apps that can help you turn your potentially boring travel movies into bite sized tasty morsels of travel porn.

High Tech, Lo-Fi: 8mm Vintage Camera

Hipsters know the best thing about cool new technology is how easy and fun it is to make things look old and crappy! 8mm is the video capture App that shows just how right they are. This app is excellent for recording video and adding that veneer of nostalgia with a selection of filters. It even lets you insert a well-timed film snag, a manufactured glitch that adds to the charm of the finished piece. There is even an 8mm HD for iPad version, should you have some "vintage" video from your old Flip or other camera that you want to spruce up. A bonus asset is that the 8mm App has one of the highest quality recorded sound capabilities out there (as good as it gets within iPhone limitations). If it's windy or you find that you don't need dialogue, just replace your original soundtrack with sound effects, or music from your iPod.

Silent Film Director is an essential entry level app and not as old fashioned as it sounds. Its Pro mode has a user friendly interface and is perfect for assembling clips you've already shot and adding simple titles and a basic sound track. You can add or layer filters. Pimp your clip by altering the time line. Try speeding it up or slowing it down. You can also share/upload from within the App. Borrow Quentin Tarantino's magic equation:

Cool imagery + hyperspeed+ ironic 70's song = awesome

One key tip in making your iPhone videos: keep it short and sweet, 20 seconds or less. No one wants to watch your two-week vacation play out in real time. Avoid editing complex sequences (and alienating your travel buddies) with your phone. Think of iPhone travel films as video postcards, and aim for emotion and action over perfection.

Go ahead and pull out your iPhone and shoot. If you aren't happy with what you got on the fly, you can always try to fix it in post. Rad apps like Cinema FXV can help you correct some exposure goofs and add cool special effects. That boring plane ride might be more interesting as a cartoon. This is the app that can make that happen.

Think that the jerky footage you shot is unusable? App it before you hit delete. Not to worry - that bumpy helicopter ride on an overcast day gets much more visually appealing once you slow it down and add the apps negative filter. You can put in titles and soundtrack together with user-friendly ReelDirector and you might discover you're more talented than Michael Bay.

The downside to shooting on your lightweight iPhone is that it's hard to keep it steady. If you're a little shaky you may want to think about investing in a hands free mount . The flexible In Your Face Viewbase is a great option, or try the Joby Gorilla Mobile. These require a little more cash investment but are still a bargain compared to buying a serious video camera.

What if your vacation sucked? I don't think there is an app for that. But you can learn from Indie Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and add the fun in post-production. You may not have his visual effects team, but with a few good apps out there to play with, you can turn that endless wait for room service into a fun ode to Mary Pickford in your hotel bathrobe.

Virgin America Announces Next Generation Entertainment System

MSNBC: When you’re on an airplane, would you rather play games, shop and watch movies on a seatback screen or fire up your mobile device and access that content on a wireless network?

Some airlines are sticking with seatback entertainment, others plan to go Wi-Fi only, but Virgin America is betting you’ll want both.

At the 2011 Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) Expo in Seattle on Tuesday, Virgin America announced that next year it will be the first domestic airline to adopt a hybrid platform that offers passengers extensive entertainment plus Wi-Fi connectivity both through their seatback and their own personal devices.

Germany-based Condor Airlines announced earlier it will also use the system but has not yet started flying with it.

Virgin America already offers power outlets at every seat, fleet-wide Wi-Fi (through Aircell’s Gogo service) and its Red entertainment system that includes live satellite TV, games, shopping and the option to e-chat with other passengers.

For the next generation of the system, the airline will integrate BoardConnect, a platform developed by airline IT specialist Lufthansa Systems that lets passengers interact with the system in multiple ways before, during and after a flight.

“For example, if a traveler did not finish watching a film or TV show in-flight, they could save and download to their iPod and finish at their hotel,” said airline spokesperson Abby Lunardini. “We hope to build in custom concierge service as well. For example, you can log on via your Elevate number and get your flight details, movie choices onboard, plan your in-flight meal, etc.”

In a statement, Virgin America's President and CEO David Cush said the easy-to-install system will allow the airline to offer passengers “the best of both worlds.”

“Just offering a larger Wi-Fi pipe with no seatback entertainment as some of our competitors are doing is limiting given Wi-Fi bandwidth," Cush said. "We want to give our travelers more options instead of fewer, including the ability to multitask across platforms – just as they do in their lives on the ground.”

The new Red platform, which will include larger, high-definition seatback screens, is now undergoing back-end testing on Virgin America’s new Airbus A320, dubbed the #nerdbird for the high number of passengers that log onto the Wi-Fi system on flights between San Francisco and Boston. The system is currently invisible to passengers but should be available to everyone in late 2012.

“It's all about connectivity,” said Kathryn Creedy, North American Editor for Inflight Magazine, both for passengers through their mobile devices and for airlines seeking an in-flight entertainment system that requires less maintenance.

Helping Pilots Overcome Cockpit Automation

Oregon Live: Few of us will ever forget Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the US Airways pilot whose astonishing skill and good judgment helped him bring a crippled Airbus A320 safely down in the Hudson River on Manhattan's West Side two years ago and save all 155 passengers on board.

But it turns out Sullenberger is one of a vanishing breed in a commercial pilot corps that has all but lost its capacity to fly planes manually. Computer-powered autopilot systems are implicated, but so, too, are the training pilots receive and federal requirement that automated systems guide most flight. Federal Aviation Administration investigators, in reviewing 46 accidents -- some of them mid-air stalls and some fatal -- found many pilots were unable to correctly take manual control of their planes or had made errors with the automated systems before or during the mishaps.

The past decade has seen a sharp decline in fatal airline accidents, underscoring commercial flight as a safe way to go. But the disclosure this week that pilots are increasingly unable to fly their planes manually is disturbing. It is simply no way to fly. And it is particularly intolerable that we've either let our technology outstrip our capacity to run it or failed in training to keep up with it.

The FAA in May proposed a requirement that airlines train their pilots to recover from a midair stall -- a harrowing moment of power loss repeatedly cited in the study as leaving pilots confused -- and to incorporate into their classes problem scenarios in which pilots would need to actually fly their planes out of trouble, according to a report by The Associated Press.

That would surely help. But the FAA and the airline industry need to coordinate much more closely on pilot proficiency as we yet increase our reliance on sophisticated computer guidance in aviation.

The FAA, for example, separately intends to replace the nation's current radar-based air traffic control system with one directed by more precise GPS navigation. While GPS will allow steeper landings with engines nearly idled for fuel efficiency -- as well as more planes crowding the airspace -- it also means pilots will give up further control to technologies that in critical moments already exceed their grasp.

The challenge is cruelly modern in being both human and digital. The FAA's findings reveal that pilots not only lack the hands-on flying skills to overcome midflight moments when autopilot systems seem errant but that in some cases pilots create the problem early in the trip by feeding onboard computers wrong data.

It will take nerve on the FAA's part to legally demand that the airlines, whose collective profit margin this year fell to less than 1 percent owing largely to fuel costs, dramatically increase the number of days devoted every year to teaching and reteaching their pilots how to manually fly planes in difficult situations. And it will take persistent advocacy from the airlines, professional pilot associations and autopilot manufacturers to ensure that pilots are masters of the computers serving them and the public at 30,000 feet.

Sully Sullenberger surely could teach the hands-on flying part. But the tech part looks to be harder, because it will require a crew that's as savvy about computers as it is the demands of piloting.

Physicist Determines the Fastest Airline Boarding Procedure

MSNBC: Surprise, the standard row-block method of airplane boarding isn't the most efficient way to get passengers to their seats.

In fact, it's the worst, according to a new experiment by an astrophysicist — yes, an astrophysicist, who works with Batavia-based Fermilab.

Jason Steffen tested different methods of boarding after he, like many travelers, became stalled by passengers stowing oversized carry-on bags into overhead bins.

Among the boarding types he tested: back to front, window seats then middle and aisle seats, and the oft-used, block-row boarding. Steffen hired 72 people to try out five methods on a replica airplane on a Hollywood soundstage while he timed them.

Based on the trials, he found boarding by alternating rows at once was most efficient, followed by boarding window-to-seat and letting passengers board randomly. They're all faster than block rows, Steffen concluded.

Alternating rows gives passengers enough room to squeeze their luggage into bins while others find their seats. It's being called the "Steffen Method" and the experiment's full results are printed here.

How Steve Jobs Changed the Way We Travel

Boston Globe: I sighed the same collective sigh everyone took last night around 7 p.m. when news broke that Apple founder, genius, and make-life-easier entrepreneur Steve Jobs is resigning as Apple CEO. Where would we be without the products Jobs helped discover and design?

His resignation letter was simple:

“I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know,’’ Jobs wrote in his resignation letter. “Unfortunately, that day has come.’

Jobs has been sick for some time, and in the midst of the thoughts and prayers I silently sent his way, I also thought about how dramatically different our world would be without Steve Jobs. He changed the way we listen to music, watch videos, read books and magazines, take photographs, and organize expenses. Quite simply: Steve Jobs managed to change the way we live, including how we travel.

I stopped and looked around my office -- a MacBook Pro on my desk, MacBook Air in the side drawer for traveling, iPhone and iPad. I hereby proclaim I am an Apple geek, and it's all Jobs' fault - he made it so easy. Everything talks to one another, everything syncs with one another.Travel was made easier with the touch of a button. My job, and the leisure lives of others, are drastically different thanks to the Apple inventions.

Thanks to Steve Jobs, you can find hotel rooms on your iPhone, book flights from your iPad, run presentations from your computer in Boston when you're in a boardroom in Hong Kong, and arrange for a cab pick-up from 35,000 feet up in the air. You can Facetime with friends from atop a camel in Morocco, check-in with family from a cruise ship in Alaska, and work remotely with the boss from your lounge chair on the beach. Steve Jobs found a way to make life easier, while keeping travel enjoyable.

On any given trip, I've got my iPhone in hand to remind me what time zone I'm in and what time it is back home. My alarms automatically reset so I can keep up with deadlines and still make meetings. I can access every story pitch, expense report, and travel itinerary from one device. I can make new plans on a moment's notice and switch hotels within 30 minutes of check-in. There's nothing a travel app can't do for you, thanks to one man's vision to keep people moving around the world.

Thank you, Steve Jobs, for the inspiration. I hope you take a nice, long vacation.

Yankee Magazine's New Leaf-Peeping App

AP: Yankee magazine is going mobile with a new app for chasing fall color.

The magazine, which released its annual fall issue Tuesday, is also sponsoring a contest to pick the best foliage town in New England.

Last year, the magazine's editors named Kent, Conn., as the best town in the region for fall color, but this year the public is invited to make the choice by nominating and voting via YankeeFoliage.com. The "Readers' Choice Best Foliage Town in New England" winner will be announced on Sept. 28.

Yankee's new Leaf Peepr app, free and downloadable for iPhones and Droids, lets users check color status by region or zip code, and also offers interactive elements like the ability to upload new reports and photos to YankeeFoliage.com's fall foliage map. Leaf color on the Leaf Peepr app is coded as green, turning, moderate, peak, fading and gone.

The YankeeFoliage.com website also offers more than 30 scenic routes across New England, including 12 new road trips for 2011. There are driving tours for each of the New England states — Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont — as well as recommended routes for certain regions such as Moosehead Lake in Maine and Route 100 in Vermont.

Features in the magazine's September/October issue include a look at the Topsfield, Mass., annual fair, this year set for Sept. 30-Oct. 10, said to be the oldest agricultural fair in New England, dating back to 1820; a list of five notable country stores in Vermont (Willey's in Greensboro Village, Currier's in Glover, Dan & Whit's in Norwich, Floyd's in Randolph Center, and Warren in Warren Village); and tips for carving a pumpkin (use an ice-cream scooper and scouring pad to clean it out, cut the lid from the bottom, not the top, and seal the cut edges of your design with Vaseline).

Editor Mel Allen writes in the magazine that he hopes the issue will inspire readers "savor a cider doughnut, or take a camera to a marsh or a lake in the early morning, or even set out to get lost for a while in the maze of country roads somewhere."

To vote in Yankee's contest for best foliage town, click on "Vote for your favorite town" on the lefthand side of YankeeFoliage.com. Type a town name in the white box next to "Choose your favorite foliage town," then click on the correct place from the list of choices that pops up.

Are Travel Agents Obsolete?

The Economist: On Thursday, President Barack Obama said this during a town hall meeting in Atkinson, Illinois:

"One of the challenges in terms of rebuilding our economy is businesses have gotten so efficient that—when was the last time somebody went to a bank teller instead of using the ATM, or used a travel agent instead of just going online? A lot of jobs that used to be out there requiring people now have become automated."

Travel agents flipped their lids. The American Society of Travel Agents wrote a letter to the White House, and Travel Leaders Group, another trade group representing travel agents, "strongly rebutted" the president in a press release. Here's ASTA's argument:

In its letter, ASTA informed the President that today, the U.S. travel agency industry "is comprised of nearly 10,000 U.S.-based travel agency firms operating in 15,000 locations. We have an annual payroll of $6.3 billion. Most importantly, our businesses produce full-time employment for more than 120,000 U.S. taxpayers."

Further, the U.S. travel agency industry:

• processes more than $146 billion in annual travel sales, accounting for more than 50 percent of all travel sold. This includes the processing of more than 50 percent of all airline tickets, more than 79 percent of tours and more than 78 percent of all cruises

• helps more than 144 million travelers get where they want to go each year.

It is true that travel agents are still a significant part of the American workforce, and $6.3 billion in annual payroll and 120,000 jobs are nothing to sniff at, especially in this economy. Suggesting that such a large number of Americans are doing a job that is no longer necessary was perhaps not the wisest move politically. But just as it's true that ATMs have changed the roles of bank tellers, so too have internet travel sites changed the travel agency industry. The number of agencies in America declined "from 32,000 in 1998 to somewhere in the vicinity of 20,000" by 2007, according to USA Today's David Grossman. The sector has seen further consolidation since then; as ASTA noted, the industry is now "comprised of nearly 10,000 U.S.-based travel agency firms."

Fewer agencies and industry-wide consolidation could be expected to lead to job losses even without technological change. The federal government, at least, doesn't foresee growth in the number of travel agents in the near future. America's Bureau of Labour Statistics projects that there will be about 1% fewer travel agents in 2018 than there were in 2008, despite population growth. IBISWorld, an industry research provider, believes that continued change in the industry will "effectively eliminate many smaller brick-and-mortar establishments," but there are good prospects for growth online.

The real challenge for travel agents going forward will be convincing younger business and leisure travellers who have never used anything other than a website to book travel that they can and should use an online travel agent. (Getting those folks to switch to using the phone or an in-person meeting to book travel seems like a lost cause.) There's a case to be made, but it won't be easy.

Russia Planning Out-Of-This-World Hotel

Reuters: A hotel in orbit, lunar sightseeing flights and luxury rides into the cosmos -- all are part of Russia's vision to ensure it is not left behind in the growing space tourism industry.

Russian firms unveiled their plans at the country's premiere air show this week at Zhukovsky, outside Moscow, saying the race was on to build a new craft to take people into space following the retirement of NASA's space shuttle in April.

RKK Energia unveiled plans for a replacement shuttle and Orbital Technologies said it hoped to build an orbiting hotel with room for seven guests by 2016. Other plans include flying tourists to the dark side of the moon and, by 2030, to Mars.

"Space tourism is a real and fast-growing business," said Sergei Kostenko, head of Russian firm Orbital Technologies, said at the MAKS air show. "Whoever builds the first new spaceship now will reap big dividends. "

Although Russia currently holds a monopoly on rides to space aboard its Soviet-designed Soyuz, it starts at a disadvantage .

Foreign experts say they doubt Russian firms can achieve their ambitious goals because they lack funding and even Russian officials said it would be hard to rival U.S. private sector firms now competing for contracts with NASA.

Funding for the U.S. space programme is much higher and NASA is expected to forge ahead with building a new generation of craft capable of travelling into deep space, with flights into low Earth orbit outsourced to private firms.

"The U.S. has more possibilities than us right now," said Alexander Derechin, deputy chief designer for Russia's partly state-owned space contractor RKK Energia.

He said the United States had made a "very wise decision" in planning a state-funded spaceship for deep-space flight and that Russia faced tough competition from companies such as Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin as well as start-up firms.

"But we must make a state-funded spaceship, though in such a way that it is also commercially competitive. It is a very difficult task," Derechin said.

RUSSIAN FIRMS AIM HIGH

A decade after it flew the first U.S. millionaire to space in 2001, Energia plans a six-person shuttle which it said would offer a softer landing for the super-rich than its 40-year-old Soyuz craft. It said it hoped it would be operating by 2015.

"People paying for the most expensive ticket in the world must be comfortable, not scared," said Vladimir Pirozhkov, who designed the model of the shuttle on show this week.

"This is just a glance at the future, but it is the ultimate transportation dream. It should be desirable."

Russia cannot sell tourist seats until 2013. It is carrying European and U.S. astronauts -- for more than $50 million a ride -- on its single-use Soyuz capsule, the only way of getting to the International Space Station since the U.S. shuttle was retired.

Russian officials say at least one of four U.S. companies at the forefront of the commercial space industry could develop space taxis by 2016 to take astronauts into low Earth orbit, up to an altitude of about 2,000 km (1,250 miles).

"We don't want to come late to the market," Derechin said.

Orbital Technologies said the planned new spacecraft would be able to take VIP clients to a hotel it plans to build in orbit 217 miles above Earth, catering for guests paying about $1 million for a five-day stay.

Orbital Technologies' Kostenko said the space hotel would be more comfortable than the space station, but did not promise luxury -- vacationers would still have to eat space food, take sponge baths and use vacuum toilets because of weightlessness.



DOUBTS OVER RUSSIAN GOALS

Foreign space officials and experts said they doubted Russian firms would be able to replace the 40-year-old Soyuz, much less launch a space platform, as quickly as planned.

Houston-based space consultant James Oberg said part of the publicity blitz at MAKS was "fantasy" aimed at helping Russian space agency Roskomos find foreign funding for new boosters, manned spacecraft and nuclear-powered Mars engines.

Roskomos' new head, Vladimir Popovkin, said at the air show the agency could no longer afford to spend nearly 50 percent of its budget on manned flights.

Oberg said Russia risked quickly losing its monopoly on transportation into space, adding: "This question is really worrying the more thoughtful Russian space strategists."

Russia "depends on an increasingly ageing workforce saddled with mostly obsolete ground equipment and a few basic 'old reliable' designs with little prospects for upgrade or improved economy," he said.

Paris Airport Testing Virtual Boarding Agents

Daily Mail: 'Virtual' boarding agents are greeting passengers at a French airport in a bid to jazz up terminals with 21st century avatars who always smile, don't need breaks and never go on strike.

The pilot project at Paris' Orly airport began last month, and has so far been met with a mix of amusement and surprise by travellers.

So convincing are they that people frequently try to touch and speak with the life-like video images that greet them and direct them to their boarding gate.

The images materialise seemingly out of thin air when a boarding agent - a real live human - presses a button to signal the start of boarding.

They are actually being rear-projected onto a human shaped silhouette made of plexiglass. Three real-life airport boarding agents were filmed in a studio to create the illusion, which the airport hopes will be more eye-catching and easier for passengers to understand than traditional electronic display terminals.

'Bonjour! I invite you to go to your boarding gate. Paris Airports wishes you a bon voyage,' the image appears to say, while the name of the destination flashes in front of him.

Airport authority AdP came up with the idea for what it calls '2-D holograms' earlier this year. It was brainstorming ways to modernise Hall 40, one of the dozens of boarding gates at Paris' second airport, south of the capital.

Didier Leroy, the airport's director of operations, said: 'Children like it, it's fun. They're attracted to it and try to play with it. There's finally very few who find it useless or just a gizmo.'

The technology behind the images was developed by a Paris audiovisual marketing agency, L'Oeil du Chat. Similar virtual agents are in place in airports in London and Manchester since earlier this year.

Hall 40 serves about 30 or 40 flights a day, Leroy said. Around one million passengers a year pass through it, mainly on their way to destinations in the south of France and Corsica. The airport decided to make it a 'laboratory' for testing new ways of organising its boarding gates. It received an overhaul this spring that created 40 percent more space and 20 percent more seats so that it can now hold up to 400 waiting passengers.

As passengers boarded a flight to Bastia in Corsica, one small boy of about five years old approached the hologram, this one showing a middle-aged man in a striped shirt and neatly trimmed beard. "Hello!" the boy greeted it. The pre-recorded image smiled, blinked, folded his hands, glanced to the left but said nothing.

Leroy said the airport's experiment with virtual reality will be evaluated by the end of the year, after which it could be expanded to other boarding halls at Orly or to Paris' larger Charles de Gaulle airport.

Not all passengers were as taken with the virtual hosts as the boy.

"It spooks me the way his eyes seem to follow you," said Cedric Olivier, 32, an Air France pilot waiting for his flight. Other passengers hurried past with barely a glance at the hologram, more concerned about boarding the plane and finding space for their carry-ons.