ATW Kent Ninomiya : ATW Kent Ninomiya

Open Skies - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-15T10:06:59Z

Kent Ninomiya - Next summer British Airways hopes to fly non stop from the United States to the European Continent. They would skip the now required stop over in the United Kingdom. This would likely be good for travelers since it would increase competition and theoretically lower fares. However there are many who don't want to see it happen. European and American based airlines don't want the competition. They will lobby against regulatory approval from the European Commission and American regulatory agencies. Landing rights will also need be be obtained from airports. Still, the announcement shows thawing in the traditionally restrictive international travel rules. More choices are always good for the traveler. However, if the dollar doesn't get stronger soon there will be few takers come this summer. Kent Ninomiya

Half Million Dollar Idea - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-13T08:09:15Z

Kent Ninomiya - How would you like to make a half million dollars? The company Clear is offering the $500,000 prize to whoever can design technology that can speed up those maddening airport security lines. You know... if I had the cash I would pay someone a half million dollars myself to get through those lines faster. The company says the innovation can be an improvement on existing technology or something completely new. Here is my idea for the record. We use the honor system so everyone speeds through. However, if you are caught with contraband then on your flight you will be forced to sit between a smelly religious zealot who wants to recruit you into their cult and an irate complaining woman with a screaming baby. That will keep everyone honest. Kent Ninomiya

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2008-01-09T10:29:09Z

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clean up your act airlines! - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-06T09:26:50Z

Kent Ninomiya - If you travel much then you know that airport delays are getting worse not better. The airlines are full of excuses. Of course it's never their fault. They blame the weather or unions or gate shortages. The truth is they overbook and overly ambitious about how many people they can get from here to there in the allotted time. They don't mind canceling flights and inconveniencing people if it suits their needs. The sad part is the traveling public just accepts it. After all, what can they do about it? Walk? If the airlines wanted to, they could do a better job. They could stop overbooking flights and being so eager to cancel ones that are sparsely populated. Remember, when the cancel a flight that affects other flights down the line. The plane that didn't fly was expected for a flight somewhere else. Also, they could move their hubs to cities where the weather is better. As someone who has wasted away years of his life stuck at Chicago's O'hare airport due to weather, I say it's about time. Why would you put the busiest cross country hub in the city with the worst weather in the country? I never could figure that out. Enough excuses airlines! Clean up your act! Kent Ninomiya

Anti missile planes - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-05T00:25:57Z

Kent Ninomiya - The next time you fly on an American Airlines jet you could be sitting on top of the latest anti missile technology. It scary and reassuring at the same time. (AP) Up to three American Airlines jets carrying passengers will be outfitted with anti-missile technology this spring in the latest phase of testing technology to protect commercial planes from attack. An American Airlines spokesman said Friday that the test will determine how well the anti-missile system holds up under the rigors of flight.

The first Boeing 767-200 will be equipped in April or later, said the airline spokesman, Tim Wagner. American operates that Boeing model mostly between New York and San Francisco and Los Angeles.

American said it is "not in favor" of putting anti-missile systems on commercial planes but agreed to take part in the tests to understand technologies that might be available in the future.

The technology is intended to stop a missile attack by detecting heat given off from the rocket, then firing a laser beam that jams the missile's guidance system.

The device on the belly of the Boeing 767-200 aircraft will be operational but won't be tested on regular flights, Wagner said. The use of a signal to mimic a missile attack has already been tested in the air, Wagner said.

American, the nation's largest carrier, has been working with defense contractor BAE Systems PLC on the project for a couple years. In 2006, BAE installed its hardware on a Boeing 767 that wasn't used to fly paying passengers.

About a year ago, reporters were invited to American's maintenance base in Fort Worth to see a jet outfitted with the laser-jamming device on its belly.

"We are now entering the next phase," Wagner said, which is "to see how the system holds up on an aircraft in real-time conditions weather, continuous takeoffs and landings, etc. and to test its maintenance reliability."

Wagner said American is also collecting more information on how the laser-jamming device affects fuel consumption.

Congress has approved funding for anti-missile research partly out of fear that terrorists armed with shoulder-fired weapons could hit jetliners as they take off and land. U.K.-based BAE won a contract from the Homeland Security Department to test its technology.

Fort Worth-based American, a unit of AMR Corp., has said anti-missile defense is best handled by stopping terrorists from getting missiles that could shoot down commercial jets and by improving security around airports.

Lithium battery warning - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-03T20:55:31Z

Kent Ninomiya - The new year brings with it new restrictions on air travel. The rules of what you can and can't take on an airplane are getting more byzantine every year. Now it's lithium batteries. Take note. This from Yahoo travel: The FAA has taken aim at lithium batteries, a response to the bevy of exploding laptops that menaced offices and airports alike over the last two years (one of which occurred at LAX).

The new rules are confusing and extensive (and are being reported incorrectly in numerous mainstream publications), so I'll try to boil it down for you here, accurately. Hit the link at the end of the story for the entire text of the new rules straight from the horse's mouth. The rules took effect on January 1, 2008.

Installed batteries (already in your phone, laptop, camera, etc.) and spare batteries (carried loose) are treated differently. Only lithium-based batteries are concerned here; not nickel-based rechargeable or alkaline batteries.

You can't pack spare batteries in checked baggage... but you may check equipment with batteries installed.

In your carry-on baggage, you can take as many batteries along as you want (installed or spare), as long as they contain less than 8 grams of lithium content each. How do you know how much lithium is in a battery? An 8 gram battery equals about 100 watt-hours of power. Now, your battery won't say how many watt-hours it provides, but it's easy to do the math. Look on the bottom and you'll find a voltage rating and a mAh (milliamp-hours) rating. Multiply these two together and divide by 1000. That's your watt-hours. In the (big) battery I'm looking at as an example, it offers 11.1 volts and 7800 mAh. Multiply and divide by 1000 and you get 86.58 watt-hours, acceptable under the new rules.

Now, you can also bring two spare batteries that break the above rule. These two batteries can have a total lithium content of 25 grams, or about 300 watt-hours. Where might you find such a giant battery? Namely in those third-party laptop battery slabs designed to give you a full day of computing. A product like this Electrovaya PowerPad 300 would just barely make it... but would probably earn you a delay at security.

These rules mainly concern lithium-ion batteries. Lithium metal batteries (which are comparably rare) have more stringent rules. Check the link for full details if you use lithium metal batteries, but since lithium metal batteries are usually quite small, there's not that much cause for concern.

Whew! Bottom line: Most travelers are fine as they are now, especially if they don't bring along spare batteries. If you do carry spares, take a look at the FAA's safety tips, which advise placing spare cells in a plastic bag to prevent short circuits. Just make sure those spares aren't too big, and only carry two.

Happy New Year! - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-02T06:10:41Z

Kent Ninomiya - I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I hope your 2008 is fullfilling and fruitful. Let's all treat each other well and work toward peace and harmony. Kent Ninomiya

Merry Christmas Everyone! - Kent Ninomiya

2007-12-25T22:30:56Z

Since I can't send a Christmas card to everyone, i'd like to use this blog to hand out my best wishes to all of you this holiday season. Thank you all for your support and interest. May you have a happy and fruitful new year as well!

Take care,

Kent Ninomiya

Christmas lessons - Kent Ninomiya

2007-12-25T02:53:11Z

Kent Ninomiya. I'd like to pause and take a moment to reflect on this holiday season. As I get older I gain a greater understanding of the importance of Christmas as a family experience. Young adults tend to discard the ritual of family gatherings and togetherness for independence. However, once new children enter the equation the holiday regains it's place. Christmas is all about the children and how their faces light up when they open their gifts. That look is the parents' gift. There are also important lessons in Christmas. Delayed gratification is perhaps the most torturous of the lessons for kids. Waiting to open gifts is both painful and rewarding for them. Gratitude is another lesson. That's a tough one. With the bounty of gifts before them it's hard for children to think about others. They just want the presents. It's the parent's job to link the two together. It's not always an easy task. Of course the most important lesson of all is family. The act of doing everything together is what Christmas is all about. So enjoy the holiday everyone! Merry Christmas! Kent Ninomiya.

Kent Ninomiya thank you

2007-12-17T04:51:22Z

Kent Ninomiya.

Thank you to everyone who wrote to me with words of support. I am back and new posts will appear on my blogs starting tomorrow. Thank you for your backing and patience.

Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya

2007-12-13T04:29:46Z

Kent Ninomiya.

I want to thank everyone who wrote to me concerned about my family emergency. I appreciate your words. Just know that it is not a matter of life or death. I am just taking care of some business. My blogs will be updated in the next few days.

Thanks again,

Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya

2007-12-12T04:26:18Z

Kent Ninomiya.

I regret to report that due to a family emergency there will be no posts on this blog for the next several days. I apologize for the inconvenience. New posts will be back by next week.

Thanks,

Kent