With the holidays coming up, I was thinking of my upcoming travel.  Every year, I go back home to New England to visit with family and friends for the holidays.  However, the flight home is a means to the end.  How can I get back home in a quick, efficient, and cost-effective way without being as cramped and uncomfortable on a flight that will last no longer than two and half hours?  My upcoming travel got me thinking about future trips that I want to take (without breaking the bank or my legs).  I would love to go to New Zealand and Australia, but the concept of flying over 24 hours in a confined space is not a thrilling prospect for someone tall like me  –  I’m  6’2” –  who needs that extra legroom! I would love to fly business class, or even first class, for such a long flight, but the additional costs are usually prohibitive.  Air New Zealand, however, has introduced a new innovative concept for coach… called “Skycouch” (or also known as “Cuddle Couch” by industry observers).  So what exactly is SkyCouch and how did this idea happen?

Per Air New Zealand, the Skycouch is a trio of Economy seats that together create a flexible space for two people.  You can use the seats like you normally would, or with the touch of a button, the footrests will come out from under each of the three seats, that the passengers can then  pull up to create a flat, flexible space for sleeping or to stretch out in.  Two passengers thus take up the three seats and pay about half the cost of the third seat to get this additional convenience.

So how did this concept evolve?  The project began in 2004, when the airline ordered new 787 and 777 aircrafts from Boeing.  It then took four years for the airline to figure out how to reconfigure the seats and make them work within the confines of an airplane.  The airline began the project by tinkering with different furniture concepts and designs in a warehouse.  Then, over time, several seat manufacturers built mock-ups for the airline to test with customers and staff. One of the problems encountered by the airline was a design that would pass airline safety standards.  The airline also had to make ensure that the concept would not cannibalize first class.  Not to mention how to put this new class of service into computer reservation systems for themselves and their airline partners.   However, the company resolved all of those issues over time before putting it on the market for customers.

Air New Zealand appears to be winning over customers with their service and their new Skycouch seating in economy coach.  In particular, they recently took fifth place overall for best foreign airline in the 2011 Conde Nast readers’ poll.  I think this is one great example of how a company showed, that even within the confines of an airplane, innovation can be achieved by thinking outside of the box. And that is a great lesson for anyone working within any box.  Now I just need to figure out how to think outside of the box to take two weeks off from work and to pay for the airfare to New Zealand…

The TSA has been using Boston’s Logan Airport as part of the testing phase of a new pilot program aimed at improving the airport security screening process. Prior to getting to the conveyer-belt portion of the security line, select passengers were chosen to have a ‘chat’ with airport security personnel. Questions included ‘where are you going?,’ ‘How long will you be there?,’ ‘What is the purpose of your trip?’ Officers are not only judging the passengers’ answers, but also their behavior or any other clues that might indicate they are not being entirely truthful. I think this will feel somewhat similar to the many friendly (or not so friendly) conversations I’ve had at customs coming back into the United States before.

The tactic is mirrored after Israel’s interview process for air travel, which has proven successful for many years now. According to an article in Businessweek, TSA Administrator John Pistole says it means “moving further away from what may have seemed like a one-size-fits-all approach to security.” The optimal outcome would be if these types of questions can successfully weed out potentially harmful people, while the rest of the traveling population can breeze through the scanners without untying shoes and pulling out laptops and liquids. A similar article in USA Today quoted George Naccara, TSA’s federal security director for Logan Airport as saying “we’re looking at moving away from such heavy reliance on technology, and now we’re looking at the human interaction. That is a very powerful tool.”

Some critics are already complaining that this is another invasion of privacy, but there is still the option to opt-out of the chat and have your bags searched instead. As this testing phase continues, it makes me think I should plan to tack at least another 15-20 minutes to my travel time and plan to arrive to the airport even earlier than usual. It might not be the best conversation of my life, but I am ok with it if it means air travel is that much safer.

The free lunch may be a relic of the past, but the free snack box isn’t.  For a specific promotion on US Airways, about 100,000 passengers received a free snack box due to an innovative advertising idea.  The free snack boxes, with printed advertising on them, were distributed for a few weeks on the shuttle flights between Boston, New York, and Washington D.C. These airline routes were chosen for their targeted and captive demographic audience of high-income business professionals.  To me, the concept was an innovative idea noticed by customers and one that was not overly intrusive to consumers.

The ad concept was thought up by Ryan Matway, who founded Air Advertainment LLC to commercialize and to patent the idea.  His thoughts were: “Why not bring the snack back on-board for free, and give the advertisers this captive audience?’’ The agency conducted the free snack box campaign in July 2011 with Gilt Group, which is a members-only luxury shopping service.  The ads on the boxes featured products from Gilt Group, such as shoes and shirts, as well as a discounted deal.  Gilt’s senior director of marketing, Ayesha Ahmad, said, “we’ve seen a promising return’’ from the advertising and she added that the company received some repeat business from previous customers who also responded positively to the airline campaign.

This is not the first free promotional giveaway on airlines, nor likely the last.  For example, Google Chrome offered passengers free Wi-Fi during the holiday season in 2010 on select airline carriers. The free Wi-Fi was provided to everyone on-board the aircraft and it did not target a specific demographic.  However, the free snack box promotion was unique in its targeting.  The company went after high-income business professionals on select shuttle routes, which was a perfect fit with advertiser’s target audience.

The concept was innovative to me as a new way to advertise to your targeted audience and a new way to advertise outside of “the (snack) box,” rather than thinking inside of it.  The idea allowed an advertiser to exclusively segment a targeted audience and not fight another company for competing ad space.  However, if the promotional vehicle is overused, like a subway car littered with numerous advertisements, the consumer will ultimately ignore the ads. Could this idea be applied to other demographics?  Absolutely.  For example, a financial services company could exclusively market a credit card offer on a snack box that targeted college students on Spring Break charter flights to Cancun.  Likewise, I know I always have a few free hours on-board a flight.  Give me some free snacks while on-board and I will definitely listen to your pitch.

Theme cruising is at an all-time high, according to a recent USA Today article and travel agency owner Howard Moses. The concept of theme cruising has come a long way since Rosie O’Donnell’s maiden voyage, a cruise specifically geared toward gay families, back in 2004. Now, theme cruising covers a range of themes and concepts so wide, there’s something to float everyone’s boat! (What? Too much?) As mentioned in USA Today, Howard Moses began tracking theme cruises less than ten years ago when there was only a handful to choose from. Now, Moses’ website themecruisefinder.com lists 400 to 700 different cruises at any given time. Some of the more popular themes include food and wine, specific music genres or artists, fitness, and even politics. I found this so fascinating, that I did a little more digging and found some of the wackiest, wildest, and truly inspiring cruise themes on the market today.

I’m sure you’re all aware of the growing vampire craze thanks to books like True Blood and TV shows like Twilight and The Vampire Diaries. Well for all those vamp fans out there, Holland America is offering a Vamps at Sea cruise on its 1,916-passenger Zuiderdam in Alaska’s Inside Passage. Vampire experts such as Dacre Stoker, a great-nephew of Dracula author Bram Stoker, and scholar John Edgar Browning are scheduled to take part in this week-long cruise departing from Vancouver.

Do you like Rum? Well rum aficionados of the world can come together on the Rum Renaissance Caribbean Cruise where rum experts and authors will joins fellow enthusiasts for informative talks, networking, and tasting on this week-long cruise beginning in Puerto Rico.

I will admit I’ve always thought that cruises were meant to be indulgent ways to vacation where eating and drinking were the day’s only requirements and physical activity was almost non-existent, so I was impressed to read about the Caribbean Islands Marathon Cruise. Considered a “staged maritime marathon,” this cruise promises a new distance every day, new terrain and new racing experiences, so that by the end, participants will have run the full marathon distance, spread out among some of the world’s most beautiful settings.

The list goes on and on including Harley Davidson themed cruises, The Smooth Jazz Cruise (which is now in its 10th year), scrapbooking cruises, and even nudist cruises. Whatever your flavor may be, there’s a cruise for you, and to find it check out themecruisefinder.com. I think I’m going to go find a blogging cruise!

Have you experienced in-flight Wi-Fi yet? If not, and you’re a frequent traveler, it won’t be long before you do. The presence of in-flight Wi-Fi is picking up steam. Just this month, Delta announced that it is rolling out Wi-Fi on all of its regional jets, and plans to include other Delta Connection Jets by early next year. Other carriers such as Virgin America, American Airlines, United Airlines, and Southwest have also boosted their in-flight connectivity capabilities to meet the growing consumer demand, although not necessarily on every aircraft yet.

According to in-flight provider Gogo (the product name for Aircell’s in-flight internet), Wi-Fi connectivity is used more for in-flight entertainment than work purposes. In a study that Gogo conducted, only 6% of passengers used in-flight Wi-Fi for work purposes, compared to 27% who said they used it to play games, watch movies, or both. With Gogo, customers can “buy before you fly.” The company offers two choices, a 24-hour pass for $12.95 or the unlimited plan for $39.95 per month. Air Tran and Delta are even putting mention of their Wi-Fi capabilities in the bottom of confirmation emails sent to passengers with their flight information.

Gogo is the brand behind Delta and eight other carriers’ on board connectivity, but another in-flight Wi-Fi provider is also starting to make a name for itself, called Row 44. This Wi-Fi entertainment platform has already rolled out on a number of Southwest planes, and plans to have all of Southwest’s fleet equipped by 2013. Through Row 44, Southwest charges a $5 flat fee for in-flight Wi-Fi. Here’s the major difference. Aircell is a land-antenna-based system while Row 44 is a satellite-based system. Row 44 also aims to create an in-flight entertainment experience that’s distinct for each individual airline, whereas Aircell’s Gogo provides internet access on board, without other entertainment options. Regardless who the provider is, I anticipate that in-flight Wi-Fi will soon become a means for airlines to differentiate themselves from one another, and direct marketing channels will be used to promote this new and enhanced service as it continues to grow.

Leave it to the tech-savvy, super-social, party-going Spaniards to find a way to make Facebook an integral part of the hotel experience. Ushuaia Ibiza Beach Hotel, located on the party island of Ibiza, which is off the East coast of Spain, has given its patrons more to “like.” According to a recent article on USA Today, this party hotel has elevated the social experience for its guests, providing them with wristbands that keep them constantly connected to the social networking site. Using RFID technology, these wristbands can be swiped at various locations throughout the hotel, synchronizing that location so guests can check-in, update their status or upload photos. Did you enjoy those pinchos (tapas) at the restaurant? How was the Sangria? Update your status and tell everyone what you had, or better yet, upload pictures of all the tasty food and comment on your favorite dishes. 

I was particularly excited to hear that this innovative strategy was conceived in the country that I spent two whole years exploring and studying. Spain’s culture is based upon building strong relationships between family, friends and even co-workers, so it’s no surprise that social networking should also be a part of the vacation and hotel experience. According to the article, the end goal behind this new idea, besides appealing to guests who want to stay connected to their virtual worlds at all times, is to create a sense of community within the hotel. People come to this kind of hotel to party, make new friends and become immersed in the culture. By encouraging guests to upload pictures or tag themselves in group shots, guests can share their communal hotel experience with each other, or with friends and family back home.

While this atmosphere won’t fly at every hotel or with every consumer, it’s a unique approach that could really elevate a guest’s overall experience. This is also something that will be most effective with a younger demographic looking for more of a party experience in their hotel stay. If this is as successful as I think it will be, what could be next? Amusement parks? Cruises? I think there are potentially many other ways to appeal to young, social consumers who want to incorporate their virtual networks into all aspects of their travel experience.

My wife and I recently went away for a weekend and we stayed at the luxurious American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin – for which we got a room at a good rate.  Having my smart phone, I wanted to check out directions to Whistling Straits, their award-winning golf course.  Not to play the course, but just look at the scenery.  At my level of golf I can’t justify the $350 green fees for the privilege of playing one of America’s great golf courses.  Perhaps if I played better… Regardless, when I was about to use my phone for directions to the golf course, I thought to check to see if Wi-Fi was available in the hotel.  I was pleasantly surprised, not only was Wi-Fi available, it was available free of charge to all guests on the property!  This got me thinking what other hotels offer free Wi-Fi and which do not.

When I searched Comperemedia, I observed a few examples of hotels that advertised free Wi-Fi to consumers.  A print advertisement for the Best Western in Bloomington, Minnesota offered “complimentary Wi-Fi, iPhone, and iPod charger.”  An online ad for the Residence Inn answered “Free Wi-Fi” to the question of “What’s included with my stay?”  Holiday Inn, in a direct mail piece, showcased “100% free Wi-Fi in every room.”

When looking online for hotels that offer Wi-Fi access, I found two guides, which were located on TravelPost (http://www.travelpost.com/hotel-internet-access.aspx) and HotelChatter (http://www.hotelchatter.com/Hotel-Wifi-Report/2011).  The results of who charges for Wi-Fi – and who offers free Wi-Fi were surprising.  Less expensive hotels, such as Comfort Inn, Days Inn, Holiday Inn, Howard Johnson, and Super 8, all offered free high-speed internet access.  However, expensive hotels, such as Four Seasons, InterContinental, Ritz-Carlton, and W Hotels charged various fees for internet access for their guests.  Personally, as a consumer, I do not like or want to be charged to connect to the internet.  Why should I get nickeled and dimed for Wi-Fi that is offered for free by McDonalds and Starbucks?  What is next for these higher-end hotels?  Paying for the number of towels that you use?  The higher-end hotels can charge up to $600 a night, but then you have to pay an extra ten or twenty dollars just to connect to the web.  That just seems wrong to me.  I feel that Wi-Fi should be included free of charge in all hotels.

I find it interesting you can get free Wi-Fi at Holiday Inn, but the InterContinental will charge you costly fees for connecting to WiFi.  This is even stranger considering that the InterContinental Hotels Group owns both Holiday Inn and InterContinental.  My only guess to why hotels charge for Wi-Fi access is that the more expensive hotels tend to cater to business travelers and the hotel likely assumes that the business traveler can expense the Wi-Fi access back to their employers.  Regardless of the reasoning, I hope the remaining hotels that do not offer free Wi-Fi eventually get on the bandwagon of offering free and reliable internet access for all guests.  (And hopefully soon!)  But for now, at least some high end hotels, like the American Club, are doing the right thing by offering free Wi-Fi for its guests.

I always look for new travel deals and new places to travel, especially to Europe.  I also like new technology that helps me with my travel plans – especially when it can also save me money.  I recently came across a new tool that helps me save money and plan a future travel trip to Europe.  It’s called Kayak Explore, which is available online and is a part of Kayak HD (a free iPad app). 

Kayak Explore allows you to put in a departure city, such as my hometown of Chicago, and the season, or month, you want to travel.  The website then displays all of the results for the viewer to see.  You can filter by region, such as Europe (or even the Caribbean, which would be a nice escape from a cold Chicago winter).  It even allows you to filter on types of activities, such as beach, gambling (poker anyone?), golf, or skiing, and weather, ranging from freezing to hot (or perhaps something in between like “cool,” which my wife would like).  You can shift the map to different parts of the globe and even zoom in and out for pricing on airfares in different locations. 

Once you identify a location, you then click the location, which brings up the departure and return date functionality of Kayak’s search engine.  Once you enter the dates and the number of travelers (solo to Vegas for the World Series of Poker or perhaps my wife and I off to romantic Prague?), the search results display in a new window for the viewer.

This is a great new feature on the web and a great new travel app for the iPad.  I believe consumers will find its functionality useful and helpful for planning future travel excursions, both domestically and abroad.  I know I will utilize it for my next trip when I am undecided where to go and want to find a good deal on airfare.  Now this gets me to thinking, where to go on my next travel adventure…

With gas prices at an all-time high and the peak summer travel months upon us, hotels are coming up with more creative ways of offering fuel-related incentives to attract more guests. Memorial Day has passed, but 4th of July is quickly approaching and these latest incentives could be the deciding factor for a last minute getaway. Comperemedia observed weekly email blasts that not only highlight the latest deals at various lodgings, but also the latest deals for gas cards ranging from $25-$50, on average. Wyndham Hotels and Resorts even created a separate section in its “Weekly Escape” email blast solely dedicated to gas card deals at select hotels. A recent article in USA Today found some more sophisticated approaches to these incentives such as reimbursements for gas expenses and special deals rewarding travelers who carpool or take mass transportation.

Comperemedia observed an email from Hotels.com that offered a “Summer Giftaway,” offering gifts such as a gas card or an Amazon Kindle when customers book at select hotels. Marriott also emailed its rewards customers with a live link to access a special $100 gas incentive for a Panama City, FL getaway or free parking in NYC plus a $25 gas card. Choice Hotels used online banner advertisements to promote its $50 gas card incentive.

According to the USA Today article, “Hotels alleviate pain of pump prices to draw visitors,” Affinia Manhattan in New York is offering a $20 gas card to guests who show a mass transit ticket as part of the hotel’s “Take a Pass on Gas” promotion that begins in June, says general manager Steven Kipnis. Also from the same article, Napa Old World Inn’s bed and breakfast in Napa Valley is offering a two-bedroom suite for the price of a standard room to guests who carpool.

If gas prices are going to make the difference in travelers’ destinations this summer, it seems that hotels have to make it worth their while to leave home.

What makes a cruise ship stand out from the rest?

Is it size that matters most? If so, Royal Caribbean gets that title twice over for having the two largest ships on the water today, Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas.

Is it the destination? There aren’t too many destinations that are off limits for today’s cruise ships. Every heard of Svalbard? Cruise Norway will take you to this frozen city above the Arctic Circle to meet the polar bears and reindeer.

But for some travelers, it’s all about the alcohol.

Typically, cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Carnival offer packaged deals that include all the food you can eat, but they usually leave out soft drinks and alcohol. This has caused some frustration with passengers who want to drink on their vacation but are turned off by the high costs on board the ship. Passengers are even prohibited from bringing any of their own alcohol on board. In a move to meet market demand, Royal Caribbean recently announced the arrival of new, one-price, all-you-can-drink packages.

Scheduled to rollout this month, Royal Caribbean International is offering tiered drink packages with varying costs and inclusions. The base package with the smallest price tag costs $29 per passenger per day, and will get you all beers and house wines by the glass plus a 25% discount on all other wines and liquors. The high end of the spectrum will run you $49 per day and includes all beers, wines (house and specialty up to $10 a glass), liquor, cocktails and a 25% discount on bottles of wine, glasses of wine over $10 and specialty liquors.

According to a recent article in USA Today, these new packages are only being offered on three Internationally-based Royal Caribbean vessels as a way to serve the many non-American passengers that have a higher demand for these types of all-inclusive deals. I think the idea is one that would appeal to many Americans as well, especially those who select cruise vacations precisely for the reason that it’s a way to get an entire vacation for one set price and not worry about making many transactions along the way.

I do, however, think these drink packages are a little on the pricey side. If you plan to have at least 4-5 drinks a day then maybe it’s worth it, but I also think it will only encourage excessive drinking in order for passengers to feel like they are getting their money’s worth. And what about the $49 plan? I guess if you are partial to the good stuff and want to splurge at every meal it could be a bargain.

Royal Caribbean isn’t the only cruise line acknowledging the demand for alcohol. Crystal Cruises, which caters to more high-end, upscale passengers, recently announced that it will also be all-inclusive by early next year. Unlike Royal Caribbean, Crystal Cruises isn’t charging for specific packages though. Instead, it will be offering complimentary fine wines and premium spirits at no extra charge on its two ships. Crystal Cruises is also promising the option for pre-paid gratuities, saving passengers from nearly all financial transactions during their vacation.

These new cruising amenities sound like great improvements to any cruise experience, but I would definitely need to ask myself if it’s worth the additional cost. Will this give new meaning to the term booze cruise?