The Frequent Traveler's Podcast. The voice of the frequent traveler -- more about the journey than the destination http://travelcommons.com © 2008 Mark Peacock Mark Peacock Travel http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss en-us Sat, 21 Jun 2008 12:30:01 -0600 Sat, 21 Jun 2008 12:30:01 -0600 The Frequent Traveler's Podcast. The voice of the frequent traveler -- more about the journey than the destination Mark Peacock Mark Peacock peacock.ma@gmail.com travel, travel podcast, business travel, travel stories, travel industry no Subscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with PageflakesSubscribe with Live.comSubscribe with ODEOSubscribe with Podnova Mark's Experience with Clear Registered Traveler; Southwest Looking Better for Business Travelers http://boardingarea.com/blogs/travelcommons/2008/06/21/podcast-65-new-ways-to-the-front-of-the-line-southwest-skips-nickels-and-dimes/ Mark Peacock Travel Sat, 21 Jun 2008 12:27:01 -0600 Mark's Experience with Clear Registered Traveler; Southwest Looking Better for Business Travelers Recorded in the TravelCommons studios outside of Chicago after taking a month's break. We see if there's anything to the TSA's recent attempts to reduce security line waits -- the Clear Registered Traveler and the Diamond Lane Self-Select programs. We also take a look at Southwest's attempts to attract more business travelers. A listener story on traveling injured causes us to look into the cost trade-offs of air ambulance services, while another listener points us to the perfect song for the summer travel season. 25:50 Mark Peacock travel podcast, travel, business travel, Clear, Registered Traveler, TSA, SFO, Southwest Airlines, Dopplr, Air Ambulance, United Airlines no no Breaking Out of Travel Ruts, Tips on Mileage Credit Cards and Frequent Flier Status http://boardingarea.com/blogs/travelcommons/2008/04/29/podcast-64-escaping-the-travel-bubble-marks-travel-tips/ Mark Peacock Travel Tue, 29 Apr 2008 22:58:01 -0600 Breaking Out of Travel Ruts, Tips on Mileage Credit Cards and Frequent Flier Status Finally recorded in the Brooklyn Marriott in New York after hauling my recording gear across the Atlantic to Amsterdam, over to Minneapolis, and finally to New York. In this episode, a number of listeners comment on airport security, we talk about breaking out of the "travel bubble" that insulates so many frequent travelers from the cities they visit, and I answer some listener questions on mileage credit cards and how to get the most out of frequent flier status. Also, at the end of the episode, we announce our 3rd Anniversary concert. 29:56 Mark Peacock travel podcast, travel, business travel, Holland, Registered Traveler, TSA, Biometrics, BWI, Hertz, Avis, Diners Club, Advantage Gold, United Airlines no no Troubles Flying Between Chicago and New York, Lines at Newark, Stupid TSA Tricks http://boardingarea.com/blogs/travelcommons/2008/03/30/podcast-63-the-733-mile-stare-tsa-cant-help-themselves/ Mark Peacock Travel Sun, 30 Mar 2008 22:58:01 -0600 Troubles Flying Between Chicago and New York, Lines at Newark, Stupid TSA Tricks Recorded in the TravelCommons studios outside of Chicago after a week of skiing in Colorado. In this episode, we talk about some of the difficulties faced by today's frequent travelers. A listener gives a blow-by-blow account of the myriad of lines he faced trying to get home from Newark. Another listener relates about the challenges of attending a business conference in a hotel full of 50+ year-old women. We talk about how lengthy delays on the New York-to-Chicago route are giving regular travelers a dazed look that might be called the "733-Mile Stare". And I have to comment on a couple of recent TSA incidents. 27:13 Mark Peacock travel podcast, travel, business travel, Denver, TSA, American Airlines, Friends of the Earth, Opryland, Newark, LaGuardia, OHare no no How Each Traveler Can Fly Greener, Wireless Replaces Wires, Bad Airline Service Saves Travel Agents http://boardingarea.com/blogs/travelcommons/2008/02/28/podcast-62-flying-green-evolution-of-connectivity-return-of-the-travel-agent/ Mark Peacock Travel Thurs, 28 Feb 2008 22:58:01 -0600 How Each Traveler Can Fly Greener, Wireless Replaces Wires, Bad Airline Service Saves Travel Agents Recorded in the Newark Liberty Airport Marriott in scenic Newark, NJ. We cover a lot of ground in this episode -- why business travel and Disney resorts don't mix, some choices that can make our personal air travel a bit greener, my experience with Southwest Airline's new Business Select program, and the reason I've finally given up on Hertz. We also talk about the atrophying of wired connections -- the modem is gone; is Ethernet next? -- and the importance of Starbucks to the frequent traveler's work day. And finally, is bad airline service bringing back the need for traditional travel agents? 29:29 Mark Peacock travel podcast, travel, business travel, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, ThinkPad, greenhouse gases, tooth power, Southwest Airlines, Disneyworld, Air France-KLM, Hertz, Avis, Starbucks, T-Mobile, ATT no no Getting Airline Travel Greener, Living with Travel Delays, Afternoon in Amsterdam http://boardingarea.com/blogs/travelcommons/2008/01/27/podcast-61-zen-of-delays-sneaking-in-a-vacation/ Mark Peacock Travel Sun, 27 Jan 2008 22:58:01 -0600 Getting Airline Travel Greener, Living with Travel Delays, Afternoon in Amsterdam Recorded in the TravelCommons studios outside of Chicago on a rare full week in town after trips to Amsterdam and Kansas City. In this episode, an unusual flight delay makes us think about embracing the delay rather than fighting it, and snatching a couple hour vacation in Amsterdam allows us to explore some high and low culture. Listener comments include suggestions on easy-to-pack workout shoes and a question on how to make air travel greener. 26:06 Mark Peacock travel podcast, travel, business travel, Amsterdam, Zen, greenhouse gases, BoardingArea, gym shoes, airlines carbon offset, Van Gogh Museum, Red Light District no no How to Look Like a Travel Pro During the Holidays, Give a GPS Device to Your Traveling Loved One http://travelcommons.com/?p=93 Mark Peacock Travel Sat, 22 Dec 2007 21:22:01 -0500 How to Look Like a Travel Pro During the Holidays, Give a GPS Device to Your Traveling Loved One Recorded in the TravelCommons studios outside of Chicago after I've finished up my business travel for the year. Since a number of listeners aren't frequent travelers, we provide some tips on how to blend in, look like a pro, and generally reduce at least a little of the hassle of holiday travel. Also, GPS devices are hot for the holidays this year. We talk about their good points and a few gotchas. Listener comments include suggestions on public transit to Denver airport, another happy JetBlue customer, and a call for help dealing with tight UK carry-on limits. 25:49 Mark Peacock travel podcast, travel, business travel, Christmas, Holiday Travel, JetBlue, BART, GPS, TomTom no no Taking Public Transit To Airports, Deteriorating State of the Rental Car Fleet http://travelcommons.com/?p=92 Mark Peacock Travel Wed, 21 Nov 2007 22:47:01 -0500 Taking Public Transit To Airports, Deteriorating State of the Rental Car Fleet Recorded in the TravelCommons studios outside of Chicago in the middle of the one week a year I refuse to travel -- Thanksgiving Day week. With environmental and economic reasons to reduce unneeded car trips, how easy is it to take a train to and from the airport? The answer is mixed and it doesn't look to get any better any time soon. We also talk about the deteriorating state of the rental car fleet -- which is making public transit look more attractive. A listener sends in a comment on airport power station etiquette, and we talk about a collection of airline food menus from the past. 23:48 Mark Peacock travel podcast, travel, business travel, Virgin America, United Airlines, rental car, Hertz, Avis, airplane food, public transit, airport rail links, trains, subway no no Some Airlines Have Right Mix of Service and Price, Ditching the PC, Finding Power in Airports http://travelcommons.com/?p=89 Mark Peacock Travel Wed, 24 Oct 2007 21:06:01 -0500 Some Airlines Have Right Mix of Service and Price, Ditching the PC, Finding Power in Airports Recorded in the Gaithersburg, MD Marriott outside Washington, DC at the end of an intense week of travel that had me flying from the East Coast to the West Coast and then back east again... on four different airlines. With many airlines' plummeting customer satisfaction scores, we ask the question "Who raves about their airline?" Recent trips allow me to do a "seat-to-seat" comparison of two high-buzz airlines -- JetBlue and Virgin America. Our recurring Travel Tech topic talks about replacing a laptop with the latest evolution of Nokia's Internet tablet, and hunting down power outlets in airports. Also, a listener suggestion on local food in DC's Reagan National Airport leads to frustration at missing a great burger. 29:04 Mark Peacock travel podcast, travel, business travel, Virgin America, JetBlue, JFK, United Airlines, Nokia, flight delays, Reagan National Airport, airport power outlets no no Breaking the Travel Bubble to Find Local Food; NIMBYs are Making Travel Life Difficult http://travelcommons.com/?p=87 Mark Peacock Travel Sun, 23 Sep 2007 21:06:01 -0500 Breaking the Travel Bubble to Find Local Food; NIMBYs are Making Travel Life Difficult Recorded in the TravelCommons studio outside Chicago, I've been bi-coastal since the last episode, bouncing between New York and San Francisco. A side trip down to Philadelphia yields a great street-food breakfast when I take the time to walk outside my hotel. Delays in my flights between O'Hare and LaGuardia airports cause me to dig for the FAA's latest airport capacity report and gnash my teeth against the NIMBYs standing in the way of reasonable fixes. 24:50 Mark Peacock podcast, travel, business travel, Philadelphia, street food, scrapple, United Airlines, bluetooth keyboard, flight delays, O'Hare, FAA, FACT 2, NIMBY no no Comparing the European and US Air Travel Experience; Can a Mobile Device Replace my PC http://travelcommons.com/?p=85 Mark Peacock Travel Wed, 15 Aug 2007 23:45:01 -0500 Comparing the European and US Air Travel Experience; Can a Mobile Device Replace my PC Recorded in the San Francisco Airport Marriott, a recent city-a-day business trip through Europe allowed me to do a first-hand comparison of the European air travel experience to the much maligned state of US air travel. We also update our thoughts on the state of mobile computing devices. Is it possible to travel "PC-less" yet, or are we still one release away from leaving the laptop at home? 26:16 Mark Peacock travel podcast, travel, business travel, travel stories, flight delay, European travel, Amsterdam Schipol airport, travel technology, BlackBerry, Apple iPhone, ThinkPad laptop no no Calculating the full cost of connecting flights; Family changes from travel burden to eyeopener http://travelcommons.com/?p=84 Mark Peacock Travel Tue, 10 Jul 2007 23:45:01 -0500 Calculating the full cost of connecting flights; Family changes from travel burden to eyeopener Recorded in the Marriott Courtyard in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the current "blogstorm" about United Airlines' poor customer service provides the data to calculate the true cost of connecting flights. A recent combined business and family trip to New York City makes me realize that my family isn't a burden in my travels, but instead an eyeopener. Listeners comment on my recent blog posts; one uses Twitter to report his hotel broadband speed test results. 25:53 Mark Peacock travel podcast, travel, business travel, travel stories, flight delay, TSA, United Airlines, missed connections, family travel, tap dancing, customer service no no Stories of traveling sick and injured; Comparing the US travel experience to elsewhere http://travelcommons.com/?p=81 Mark Peacock Travel Fri, 8 Jun 2007 22:01:01 -0500 Stories of traveling sick and injured; Comparing the US travel experience to elsewhere Recorded in the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa, the former Playboy Club, in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, I talk about the travails of "playing injured" -- traveling while sick. A listener comment makes me wonder if I'm exaggerating the state of the US travel experience. We get a good suggestion on how to wrestle with charging all those electronic devices we carry, and some detailed "behind-the-scenes" explanations of how air crews are treated by the TSA. 23:53 Mark Peacock podcast, travel, business travel, travel stories, travel technology, TSA, United Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Northwest Airlines, food poisoning, customer service no no The first year anniversary episode of TravelCommons http://travelcommons.com/?p=44 Mark Peacock Travel The first year anniversary episode of TravelCommons Recorded in the Courtyard Copley Square in Boston, this special edition pulls the best of the first year of TravelCommons. travel, business travel, travel stories, anniversary show 28:00 Tue, 13 Jun 2006 00:08:21 -0600 A Taste of TravelCommons - Telling travel stories from hotel bathrooms around the country Taste of TravelCommons A Taste of TravelCommons - Travel rants and travel stories recorded in hotel bathrooms around the country http://travelcommons.com 2:30 travel, promo, stories Wed, 6 Jul 2005 18:14:44 -0500