SmartBrief for The Business Traveler

Senator plans bill to expand use of electronic devices on flights | The hotel lobby -- wired so you don't have to be | Airlines make sure swag is in the bag for premium travelers

Web Version

March 12, 2013

CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF

FORWARD

ARCHIVE

ADVERTISE

Takeoff

Airlines aim to boost Wi-Fi speed, capacity
Airlines are struggling to keep up with the demand for quicker Wi-Fi. Gogo is upgrading its ATG technology to an improved version known as ATG-4, which will accommodate more passengers without degrading the quality of service. ATG-4 adds a second modem and two more antennas on a plane to provide better service to more fliers. Travel Weekly (3/10)

Senator plans bill to expand use of electronic devices on flights
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., plans to introduce legislation to allow passengers to use personal electronic devices during all phases of flight. The bill would not apply to cellphones, but would include iPads, tablets, music players and other devices. Politico (Washington, D.C.) (3/7)

The Smarter Traveler

The hotel lobby -- wired so you don't have to be
Marriott Hotels and Resorts will offer free Wi-Fi in its lobbies to meet the growing demand from guests and nonguests who use the areas for meetings. Free service in hotel lobbies is nothing new for DoubleTree, Hilton and Sheraton, which offer complimentary connectivity. USA Today/Hotel Check-in blog (3/7)

Airlines make sure swag is in the bag for premium travelers
Premium fliers are finding new swag in their bag as airlines once again shake up the contents of their amenity kits. Some of the goodies include iPad cases, Tumi bags and deluxe lotions. "But like so much of the airline industry, the logic of the kits is more art than science, more voodoo than research," Joe Brancatelli writes. American City Business Journals/New York (3/6)

Refuel and Refresh

JFK Airport's Terminal 4 will be home to 16 new restaurants by fall
A few of the 16 new restaurants coming to Terminal 4 of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York will debut in May with the rest opening by the fall. The eateries are part of a $28 million redevelopment project. PAX International (3/7)

Celebrity chefs can enhance room-service menus
The Chatwal in New York is among the many hotels that offer unique dishes for room service prepared by a celebrity chef. Others include The London West Hollywood in California, Nobu Hotel in Las Vegas and The Surrey in New York, this feature says. HotelChatter (2/28)

Travel Pulse

Do you use in-flight Wi-Fi?

Yes.

I would if it were faster and more reliable.

No, my airline doesn't offer it.

No, I don't see the need.

Editor's Note

SmartBrief's inside look at #SXSW
SmartBrief is attending the South by Southwest Interactive Festival, with tweeting @SmartBrief and blogging at SmartBlogs. Here's some of our coverage so far.

SmartQuote

True merit, like a river, the deeper it is, the less noise it makes."

-- Edward Frederick Lindley Wood,
British politician

Subscriber Tools

Please contact one of our specialists for advertising opportunities, editorial inquiries, job placements, or any other questions.

Lead Editor: Liz DeHoff

Contributing Editor: John McGran

Account Director: Candace Donlin

P: 202.407.7861

ADVERTISE

SEND FEEDBACK

Archive | Web version (print friendly)

Download the SmartBrief App iTunes / Android

Mailing Address:
SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004