I was recently turned on to "Rule 240" by a friend of mine. The rule, which was created years ago by the old Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) in an attempt to spell out some passenger rights. At the time, all US carriers were required to honor the rule--today, the large carriers still do, and the smaller carriers, while they may not be legally required to observe the rule, they know what it is--and will often honor it.
In a nutshell, Rule 240 stipulated that an airline facing a delayed or canceled flight had to transfer you to another carrier if 1) the second carrier could get you to your destination more quickly than the original line and 2) it had available seats. The rule did NOT apply to weather- or act-of-god-related delays, however.
I encourage you to read a recent article by Peter Greenberg of MSNBC, which does a far better job of explaining the rule, and when it should be invoked. Anyone who travels by air in the U.S. should be aware of this rule and how to use it. See below for several articles on it.
MSNBC: Stranded at the airport? Don't forget Rule 240
Independent Traveler: Rule 240: Read It, Know It, Use It
Consumerist: Don't Fly Without a Copy of Rule 240
I can't wait to ask United Airlines to '240 me' the next time a flight is delayed--and I'll be sure to report on how it worked (or didn't).
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Protecting Yourself While Using Public WiFi
I was watching a segment on the news in Denver tonight, during which they attempted to give travelers "tips" on keeping their computers safe while using public (unencrypted) wireless (WiFi) connection. The news did a good job of really muddying the issues and even went so far as to state several things that were wrong, so I thought I'd write my own advice on the subject, most of which has been gathered from the school of hard knocks (as well as research that I have conducted over the years).
First, the source of the problem: virtually all "public" WiFi connections rely on unencrypted connections. In other words, when a laptop or other device connects to the public WiFi access point, the signal between the computing device and the access point is not encrypted or secured in any way. This means that a hacker with a device that is capable of "sniffing" the network packets flying through the air can pick up the signal, possibly gathering valuable data.
Keep in mind that although the packets flowing across the wireless network are not encrypted, it is still possible for the computer and the device on the other end of the internet that it is communicating with to encrypt the communication from end-to-end. For example, a web browser that uses a secure (https, also known as SSL) connection encrypts data from the browser all the way to the web server on other end of the connection--and that encryption also applies to the wireless data connection. Hackers will not be able to make anything out of the encrypted data flowing across the wireless connection.
The problem with this approach is that this only applies to data that is flowing from the web browser (or other SSL application), and it only works for the duration of the SSL connection--and only for the application using SSL. Other application data is still vulnerable.
There are a couple of general tips that you can follow to help protect your machine from being "hacked" while in public areas:
1. Only enable your wireless card when you actually use it (many laptops have hardware or software switches that allow you to easily enable/disable the WiFi signal).
2. Make sure your computer has a software firewall installed on it. Windows XP and Vista come with one--make sure it is enabled. You can also install even better firewall software on your machine (providing your corporate policy allows it)--I prefer ZoneAlarm, which is owned by CheckPoint software (one of the leading firewall vendors). There is a version of ZoneAlarm which is free for some types of users.
3. Set up your computer so that it does not automatically connect to "non-preferred" networks. This will prevent your computer from latching on to the first available signal. Some computers will also allow you to specify that it will connect only to access point networks. Some hackers will set up their computers to look like a WiFi access point, and an unprotected computer that connects to one could be vulnerable to hacking.
4. When do you decide to connect to a public WiFi network, use common sense before you connect to a network. Computers will allow you to see the name of all of the available networks in the area, and never pick one that looks too good to be true (like "Free Public WiFi", for example). Most public WiFi networks have intuitive names (like "panerabread", "concourse", etc). Also pay attention to the icon that shows the type of wireless connection--if it looks like another computer (or says "ad-hoc"), don't connect to it. Only connect to actual access points--the icon generally looks like, well, an access point--a box with an antenna on it.
5. It's not a bad idea to disable file- and printer-sharing on your computer, although a good firewall will prevent outside connections unless you specifically authorize them.
6. If you connect to a public network that requires payment, be very careful and judicious when entering your credit card information. Make sure that the connection is encrypted (remember the padlock icon on your web browser?), and make double-sure that you have connected to a legit wireless network.
Once you're connected to the Internet, one way to make sure that all of your communications are secure is to connect to a Virtual Private Network, or VPN. VPNs are generally provided to corporate users as a way to connect from any Internet-enabled location securely--and the way they accomplish this is by establishing an encrypted "tunnel" betwen your computer and the corporate network, across which all network traffic flows.
If you aren't lucky enough to have access to a corporate VPN, there is still an option. There are a number of companies that have launched VPN services to virtually anyone, so that non-corporate users can also benefit from the advantages of VPN security across an unsecure WiFi network. One company that I have used in the past is HotSpotVPN, which charges $8.88 a month for unlimited VPN access (their service even works from an iPhone).
I hope this helps you to make sure that your computer and data stay safe in the wild world of public WiFi networks. WiFi is an amazing technology that has opened up Internet connectivity from virtually any airport, hotel, or coffee shop--and it's a powerful tool, so long as you take care and use it properly.
First, the source of the problem: virtually all "public" WiFi connections rely on unencrypted connections. In other words, when a laptop or other device connects to the public WiFi access point, the signal between the computing device and the access point is not encrypted or secured in any way. This means that a hacker with a device that is capable of "sniffing" the network packets flying through the air can pick up the signal, possibly gathering valuable data.
Keep in mind that although the packets flowing across the wireless network are not encrypted, it is still possible for the computer and the device on the other end of the internet that it is communicating with to encrypt the communication from end-to-end. For example, a web browser that uses a secure (https, also known as SSL) connection encrypts data from the browser all the way to the web server on other end of the connection--and that encryption also applies to the wireless data connection. Hackers will not be able to make anything out of the encrypted data flowing across the wireless connection.
The problem with this approach is that this only applies to data that is flowing from the web browser (or other SSL application), and it only works for the duration of the SSL connection--and only for the application using SSL. Other application data is still vulnerable.
There are a couple of general tips that you can follow to help protect your machine from being "hacked" while in public areas:
1. Only enable your wireless card when you actually use it (many laptops have hardware or software switches that allow you to easily enable/disable the WiFi signal).
2. Make sure your computer has a software firewall installed on it. Windows XP and Vista come with one--make sure it is enabled. You can also install even better firewall software on your machine (providing your corporate policy allows it)--I prefer ZoneAlarm, which is owned by CheckPoint software (one of the leading firewall vendors). There is a version of ZoneAlarm which is free for some types of users.
3. Set up your computer so that it does not automatically connect to "non-preferred" networks. This will prevent your computer from latching on to the first available signal. Some computers will also allow you to specify that it will connect only to access point networks. Some hackers will set up their computers to look like a WiFi access point, and an unprotected computer that connects to one could be vulnerable to hacking.
4. When do you decide to connect to a public WiFi network, use common sense before you connect to a network. Computers will allow you to see the name of all of the available networks in the area, and never pick one that looks too good to be true (like "Free Public WiFi", for example). Most public WiFi networks have intuitive names (like "panerabread", "concourse", etc). Also pay attention to the icon that shows the type of wireless connection--if it looks like another computer (or says "ad-hoc"), don't connect to it. Only connect to actual access points--the icon generally looks like, well, an access point--a box with an antenna on it.
5. It's not a bad idea to disable file- and printer-sharing on your computer, although a good firewall will prevent outside connections unless you specifically authorize them.
6. If you connect to a public network that requires payment, be very careful and judicious when entering your credit card information. Make sure that the connection is encrypted (remember the padlock icon on your web browser?), and make double-sure that you have connected to a legit wireless network.
Once you're connected to the Internet, one way to make sure that all of your communications are secure is to connect to a Virtual Private Network, or VPN. VPNs are generally provided to corporate users as a way to connect from any Internet-enabled location securely--and the way they accomplish this is by establishing an encrypted "tunnel" betwen your computer and the corporate network, across which all network traffic flows.
If you aren't lucky enough to have access to a corporate VPN, there is still an option. There are a number of companies that have launched VPN services to virtually anyone, so that non-corporate users can also benefit from the advantages of VPN security across an unsecure WiFi network. One company that I have used in the past is HotSpotVPN, which charges $8.88 a month for unlimited VPN access (their service even works from an iPhone).
I hope this helps you to make sure that your computer and data stay safe in the wild world of public WiFi networks. WiFi is an amazing technology that has opened up Internet connectivity from virtually any airport, hotel, or coffee shop--and it's a powerful tool, so long as you take care and use it properly.
Friday, January 25, 2008
My Top 10 Favorite Travel Technologies
In this day and age of increasingly pervasive Internet connectivity (I was just using Gtalk to chat with my Mom, who was at the Singapore airport waiting for a connecting flight to Burma!), travel technologies have become more and more critical to ensuring a good travel experience (or, at least, making your travel experience a little more bearable!).
My ten favorite travel technologies are as follows:
My ten favorite travel technologies are as follows:
- ua2go.com - United Airlines' very fast, mobile-optimized site for checking flight status, availability, and even mileage plus account status. Also works great from a regular web browser.
- seatguru.com - Contains seat maps for virtually every type of airplane used by every major carrier in the world. Works from both a regular browser as well as wireless browsers. Allows you to check the seat configuration for the airplanes you're going to be traveling on, so that you can make the best seat choice available. SeatGuru also has invaluable information about some seats that you might think are really good ones--for instance, certain bulkhead seats do not have room to store carryon bags, and they are also close to the lavatories!
- fly.faa.gov - Great site that contains incredibly useful information, such as which airports are experiencing delays (and why)--I've used this site from the airplane when we've been advised that there will be a delay (and that it's OK to use mobile phones); you can find out information that the pilots either don't have, or won't share with the passengers! If you are using a mobile device, there is also a text-only version at fly.faa.gov/flyfaa/plaintext.html
- accuweather.com - Nice weather site with up-to-date forecasts for just about anywhere. As a big plus, they also have a mobile-optimized site at http://wap.wirelessaccuweather.com
- tripit.com - Have you ever wondered if any of your fellow road warriors might happen to be in the same city as you, at the same time? TripIt combines a very cool personal itinerary service with the ability to hook up to your friends' TripIt accounts (you can't see others' itineraries, just what city they are in)--a social network for travelers. When you view your various itineraries in the service, it automatically displays friends that will be close by at the same time. The service also has a wonderful itinerary parsing technology that allows you to forward your itinerary to plans@tripit.com , and the service automatically reads the itinerary and creates an online TripIt itinerary. I'm impressed--the service can even read the PDF itinerary that American Express Travel sends me, and it's remarkably accurate. TripIt also recently announced "closeness alerts", which automatically notify you if a friend will be close by.
- schmap.com - online and offline travel guides that are updated on a regular basis. The guides contain the usual combination of restaurant and hotel reviews, tourist attractions, and the like, but they also contain a lot of very cool photographs, most of which were taken by actual tourists. In addition to the online version, you can download the entire guide to your PC for use when you don't have connectivity.
- iPass - awesome service that acts as a broker between many different WiFi providers, including T-Mobile, Boingo, AT&T, etc. My company provided me with an iPass account (and an applet loaded on our laptops) that allows me to utilize over 89,000 paid WiFi hotspots all over the world--at no cost to me. The iPass applet even automatically launches my corporate VPN, ensuring that my connection is secure. Awesome!
- Blackberry 8100 Bluetooth - the ability to wirelessly connect my laptop to my Blackberry 8100 (also known as the Pearl), is incredibly useful. In instances where I do not have access to a WiFi hotspot, I can use my Pearl as a wireless modem, and the connection between my laptop and my Pearl is also wireless. While the speed on the T-Mobile EDGE network isn't stellar (usually around 56 kbps), it's better than nothing! Apparently other carriers, such as Verizon, have much faster data rates--something to consider when your phone contract is up for renewal. There is a good HOWTO guide on hooking up PCs and Blackberries at on the Blackberry Forums site.
- Garmin StreetPilot GPS - my Garmin c300 GPS, which is a palm-sized device that I can take anywhere, has become an irreplaceable part of my travel weaponry. Even though my unit is one of the least expensive on the market, it does a wonderful job of figuring out where in the world I am and guiding me to my destination as quickly as possible. It also has tens of thousands of points of interest (POIs) that allow me to quickly find the closest gasoline, hospital, or Starbucks! You can even download custom POI lists from the Internet and then upload them to the GPS--for example, a list of safety cameras in the UK as well as red-light cameras in the US will automatically warn you when one is in the vicinity. Well worth the investment for anyone that travels much at all. The only downside: you become very dependent on the device, and hence you don't learn where you are driving--be sure you still have backup analog maps just in case your GPS quits working!
- Google Earth - an amazing application, originally created by a company called Keyhole and acquired by Google, allows you to play virtual tourst all over the planet. In addition to the satellite and map views that we've all become acqainted with, Google Earth also incorporates a rich set of location information from many different sources. The product also allows you to "fly" around the planet very quickly, and certain areas even have street-level views. I use Google Earth extensively when I'm planning a trip to a new location--it's invaluable to be able to get a general idea of what the area looks like before you go there.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Clear Registered Traveler Coming to DIA January 31!
It's official--I received an email from a Denver International Airport official today confirming that the Clear Registered Traveler lanes will be open at DIA on January 31:
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Thank you for your previous inquiries related to implementation of the Registered Traveler Program at Denver International Airport. We are pleased to inform you that the program will officially begin at DIA on January 31, 2008. You may now begin the sign-up procedures by visiting www.flyclear.com to start the application and verification process.
After completing the online process, travelers must stop by an enrollment center to complete their application and verify their identity. There is an enrollment center located in the lobby of the Grand Hyatt hotel in downtown Denver at 1750 Welton Street and three enrollment centers located at Denver International Airport. The first enrollment center is located on level 5, near the entrance to the south security screening check point. Additional enrollment centers will open in January in the center core of both the A and B concourses. Personnel are available at the enrollment centers at DIA from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm. At the enrollment centers, personnel from Clear will take your photograph, verify two forms of government-issued photo identification, and capture your fingerprint and iris images. Once approved, your Clear card will be mailed to you.
Denver International Airport plans to use dedicated lanes for Registered Traveler participants at both the south security check-point as well as at the security check-point located near the pedestrian bridge that leads to the A Concourse. RT at the north security checkpoint will follow soon.
Clear cards are currently accepted at Albany, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, LaGuardia, Little Rock, New York's JFK, Newark, Orlando, Reno, San Francisco, San José and Westchester County (NY) airports.
Denver International Airport is pleased to provide this service improvement for our frequent travelers. If you need any additional information, please visit our website at www.flydenver.com and click on 'Registered Traveler Program' under the Information Center.
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I can't wait to be able to finally use my Clear card--and I plan on doing so on February 4th, when I head to New York. I'll be sure to post an entry about my experience. Congrats to DIA in taking the next step in making air travel more convenient for the business traveler!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for your previous inquiries related to implementation of the Registered Traveler Program at Denver International Airport. We are pleased to inform you that the program will officially begin at DIA on January 31, 2008. You may now begin the sign-up procedures by visiting www.flyclear.com to start the application and verification process.
After completing the online process, travelers must stop by an enrollment center to complete their application and verify their identity. There is an enrollment center located in the lobby of the Grand Hyatt hotel in downtown Denver at 1750 Welton Street and three enrollment centers located at Denver International Airport. The first enrollment center is located on level 5, near the entrance to the south security screening check point. Additional enrollment centers will open in January in the center core of both the A and B concourses. Personnel are available at the enrollment centers at DIA from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm. At the enrollment centers, personnel from Clear will take your photograph, verify two forms of government-issued photo identification, and capture your fingerprint and iris images. Once approved, your Clear card will be mailed to you.
Denver International Airport plans to use dedicated lanes for Registered Traveler participants at both the south security check-point as well as at the security check-point located near the pedestrian bridge that leads to the A Concourse. RT at the north security checkpoint will follow soon.
Clear cards are currently accepted at Albany, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, LaGuardia, Little Rock, New York's JFK, Newark, Orlando, Reno, San Francisco, San José and Westchester County (NY) airports.
Denver International Airport is pleased to provide this service improvement for our frequent travelers. If you need any additional information, please visit our website at www.flydenver.com and click on 'Registered Traveler Program' under the Information Center.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I can't wait to be able to finally use my Clear card--and I plan on doing so on February 4th, when I head to New York. I'll be sure to post an entry about my experience. Congrats to DIA in taking the next step in making air travel more convenient for the business traveler!
Nice Tip for Checking In Online
I love the idea of checking in online--the ability to make sure that you have the seat you really want and then bypass all counters at the airport is wonderful. Unfortunately, if you want to check in online while you're actually on a trip (and don't have access to a printer so that you can print out your boarding pass), you might think that you can't use online check in. WRONG!
I have discovered that you can actually go through the process of checking in online, and then just "pretend" to print your boarding pass. Depending on the carrier, you can either just breeze through the print option, or if it forces you to print, download and install a free PDF writer (like PDF Creator)--this will give the browser the impression that it actually printed something.
Next, go to the airport check in kiosks, enter your confirmation number (or other identification), and you should be presented with the option to reprint your boarding documents. Wha-la! You are now set to go through security, and you haven't had to deal with a single human (yet!). I have used this tip many times with United and Frontier, and I'd imagine that it would work for virtually any US carrier. International travel is an entirely different animal, of course--most carriers still won't let you check in online at all for these trips.
I have discovered that you can actually go through the process of checking in online, and then just "pretend" to print your boarding pass. Depending on the carrier, you can either just breeze through the print option, or if it forces you to print, download and install a free PDF writer (like PDF Creator)--this will give the browser the impression that it actually printed something.
Next, go to the airport check in kiosks, enter your confirmation number (or other identification), and you should be presented with the option to reprint your boarding documents. Wha-la! You are now set to go through security, and you haven't had to deal with a single human (yet!). I have used this tip many times with United and Frontier, and I'd imagine that it would work for virtually any US carrier. International travel is an entirely different animal, of course--most carriers still won't let you check in online at all for these trips.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Registered Traveler Programs - Boon or Bust?
There has been quite a bit of publicity of late around the US "registered traveler" program that was initiated a few years back by the Transportation Security Administration with support from some of the airports and airlines. The notion behind the RT program is to allow frequent travelers to register with the TSA, voluntarily supplying biometrics (like fingerprints and retina scan) and undergoing a background check, in exchange for the privilege of being able to go through a special security line at the airport. In effect, it allows people to pay their way to the front of the security line at select airports. The TSA mandated that the RT program be open to multiple vendors, and that the identity cards used by the various RT vendors be inter-operable; that way, subscribers to one vendor could use their RT cards at all airports that have RT lanes.
The dominant vendor today is Clear, aka Verified Identity Pass, which charges $128, which includes a $28 TSA "vetting fee". At present, there are 13 Clear airports, with 4 coming soon, including my home town of Denver, which is supposed to have its RT lanes open by the end of January.
I signed up for Clear last August while I was in Orlando, with the theory being that it would be of a great help in making sure that I make it to flights on time. The sign up process was simple--fill out the application forms and take them to a Clear registration kiosk (I went to the one at the Orlando airport). Clear personnel take your biometrics (finger prints and retina scans) at the kiosk, and a couple of weeks later your fancy new Clear card arrives in the mail.
Unfortunately, I have not yet had an opportunity to use my RT card. It seems that all of the places I have been traveling to don't have RT lanes! I was excited to find out that Clear has lanes open at La Guardia (where I'll be traveling in a couple of weeks), but then I discovered that they only have lanes open for certain terminals--and my terminal isn't on the list.
I will definitely use the Clear lane at my home airport when it opens later on this month, although it won't speed up my experience at DIA much, as I hold Premier Executive status with United, which allows me to use the 'premium traveler' line anyway. The real decision point will come next August when my Clear card comes up for renewal--if the only airport that I've been able to use my Clear card is DIA, I probably won't renew the service for another year.
It's a great idea, but until RT lanes become ubiquitous at every airport in the U.S., their value will be limited, particularly for frequent travelers such as myself that can already cut security lines.
** News Flash ** - Clear and Hilton announced on January 25, 2008 that, effective Feb 15th, Hilton HHonors program participants will be able to pay for their Clear membership with 35,000 Hilton points. That's quite a few points, but I guess it beats laying out the $128 in cash.....
The dominant vendor today is Clear, aka Verified Identity Pass, which charges $128, which includes a $28 TSA "vetting fee". At present, there are 13 Clear airports, with 4 coming soon, including my home town of Denver, which is supposed to have its RT lanes open by the end of January.
I signed up for Clear last August while I was in Orlando, with the theory being that it would be of a great help in making sure that I make it to flights on time. The sign up process was simple--fill out the application forms and take them to a Clear registration kiosk (I went to the one at the Orlando airport). Clear personnel take your biometrics (finger prints and retina scans) at the kiosk, and a couple of weeks later your fancy new Clear card arrives in the mail.Unfortunately, I have not yet had an opportunity to use my RT card. It seems that all of the places I have been traveling to don't have RT lanes! I was excited to find out that Clear has lanes open at La Guardia (where I'll be traveling in a couple of weeks), but then I discovered that they only have lanes open for certain terminals--and my terminal isn't on the list.
I will definitely use the Clear lane at my home airport when it opens later on this month, although it won't speed up my experience at DIA much, as I hold Premier Executive status with United, which allows me to use the 'premium traveler' line anyway. The real decision point will come next August when my Clear card comes up for renewal--if the only airport that I've been able to use my Clear card is DIA, I probably won't renew the service for another year.
It's a great idea, but until RT lanes become ubiquitous at every airport in the U.S., their value will be limited, particularly for frequent travelers such as myself that can already cut security lines.
** News Flash ** - Clear and Hilton announced on January 25, 2008 that, effective Feb 15th, Hilton HHonors program participants will be able to pay for their Clear membership with 35,000 Hilton points. That's quite a few points, but I guess it beats laying out the $128 in cash.....
Welcome to The Sanguine Traveler
As with all journals, one must start somewhere. In this case, let's start with a definition of sanguine, in case you're desperately trying to remember exactly what it means:
san·guine (adj): \ˈsaŋ-gwən\: having the temperament held characteristic and marked by sturdiness, high color, and cheerfulness; confident, optimistic.
At this point, you're probably thinking "OK, so now he's educated me on what sanguine means, so I can win the next spelling bee that enter...but what does that have to do with traveling?"
The answer, my friend, is that the only way one can survive traveling in today's harsh climate, particularly if you're traveling on business, is to be sanguine about it--one must be sturdy, cheerful, confident and optimistic in order to survive without losing one's mind (and potentially one's life!).
I have traveled extensively, both for business as well as pleasure, for the greater part of 20 years. Over that time, I have learned a lot of lessons from the school of hard knocks that I think others that are put in the same position can benefit from. Since I continue to travel extensively, I am also constantly learning and experiencing new things that others might gain some value from.
At the very least, this forum will be a great catharsis for me by allowing me to express my problems, frustrations and compliments about an industry that many times loses its focus on what's really important--the customer.
I welcome your questions and comments--please feel free to use this blog's comment feature, or you can drop me an email: mark at ehrmail dot com. Happy travels to you all!
san·guine (adj): \ˈsaŋ-gwən\: having the temperament held characteristic and marked by sturdiness, high color, and cheerfulness; confident, optimistic.
At this point, you're probably thinking "OK, so now he's educated me on what sanguine means, so I can win the next spelling bee that enter...but what does that have to do with traveling?"
The answer, my friend, is that the only way one can survive traveling in today's harsh climate, particularly if you're traveling on business, is to be sanguine about it--one must be sturdy, cheerful, confident and optimistic in order to survive without losing one's mind (and potentially one's life!).
I have traveled extensively, both for business as well as pleasure, for the greater part of 20 years. Over that time, I have learned a lot of lessons from the school of hard knocks that I think others that are put in the same position can benefit from. Since I continue to travel extensively, I am also constantly learning and experiencing new things that others might gain some value from.
At the very least, this forum will be a great catharsis for me by allowing me to express my problems, frustrations and compliments about an industry that many times loses its focus on what's really important--the customer.
I welcome your questions and comments--please feel free to use this blog's comment feature, or you can drop me an email: mark at ehrmail dot com. Happy travels to you all!
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