Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Now Boarding All Flights Via Text Message


Believe it or not, your cell phone may be just the “ticket” to ending those long lines at the airport. According to Eric Zeman’s article, “Coming Soon: Mobile Phones As Boarding Passes”1 on InformationWeek.com, airlines will be using text messaging as the new form of communication to their passengers. Boarding passes will be sent via picture message; information regarding flight delays, rescheduling flights, baggage pickup and more can be done right from your cell phone. Flying will have less “baggage” on travelers as all these tasks will be more yielding than ever.

The feature of this unique plan that intrigues me the most is the ability to contact each passenger directly on their wireless devices about delays and cancellations. As a holiday traveler, I usually find myself in long lines for security check-in and almost always having to run around the airport to flag down an attendant only to find out if my flight’s delayed. I feel this new form of communication will do wonders for airline customers, as attendants will be more available and individuals such as myself won’t have to waste their time running a marathon around the facilities searching for an available attendant.

As for the picture message boarding pass, I think it will save time since many passengers crinkle their tickets to the point of being incapable of scanning or losing their ticket all together. I am quite guilty of destroying my boarding pass by twisting it and wrinkling it out of sheer boredom from standing in line. If this new process goes through, I won’t have to worry about destroying my ticket, but I will have to find a new way to pass the time (although hopefully there will be less time to pass).

With your traveling expertise, do you think this is a positive step forward for airlines or do you think nothing will change? How do you think this will affect you as a traveler?


Kimberly Salesky
Marketing Assistant


1 “Coming Soon: Mobile Phones As Boarding Passes,” Eric Zeman, Information Week, 18 March 2008.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Hands-Free--It's the Law!


I’m sure many of you have noticed the flashing signs on Interstate 295 reading: “Put the Cell Phone Down: Go Hands Free or $100 Fine.” While these signs were spotted as early as last Monday, the law didn’t go into effect until this past Saturday, March 1, 2008. The law states that drivers talking or texting on their cell phones could receive a $100 fine with a $250 surcharge unless they are hands-free.


Since 2004, it has been an offense to drive and use your handset, but it was a secondary offense up until now. A secondary offense means an officer can only fine you for being on your phone if he pulled you over for driving recklessly and places your cell phone as the culprit. Now it is a primary offense meaning you can get fined for just being on your phone and not driving recklessly at all.

As this is frustrating for many of us, there is a solution—Bluetooth®. I, too, am guilty of not owning a headset, but I’ve begun browsing our awesome selection of Bluetooth® headsets. I’ve got my eye on the Jawbone and the Motorola H700. Both have fantastic noise reduction and an abundance of talk and standby time. All of our headsets are easy-to-use and are compatible with most AT&T phones. Your headset will be worth every penny, saving you a traffic ticket and possibly your life.

We believe in keeping our customers not only happy, but safe as well. Please be careful while out on the road and remember to go hands-free. We hope to “connect” with you soon!

Kimberly Salesky
Marketing Assistant