Travel Technology News.

New York (AirGuide - Travel Technology News) Aug 9, 2009

The Wi-Fi trade group has over the last 10 years kept together the notion that every device with Wi-Fi on the label should work at the greatest point of agreement with one another. This has continued in spite of a new elements and enhancements to the 802.11 family of standards, including 802.11n. The recent news that the IEEE had approved 802.11n within the 802.11 Working Group, and ratification was likely a few months away led the Wi-Fi to explain its roadmap for adding more steps to the certification process. When the Wi-Fi group certifies a device, it runs it through tests that are supposed to ensure that the equipment responds in a standard manner. When the word hit, the alliance identified four optional areas of certification that it would add. I knew about some of these areas, but spoke with the group today to clarify what this meant for both equipment makers and for end users. The Wi-Fi Alliance said it would offer tests for coexistence in 2.4 GHz, space-time block coding, transmit MPDU, and three spatial streams. Scratching your head? After 8 years of covering Wi-Fi, I admit I was in that position over a couple of those. Coexistence has to do with the use of double-wide channels--40 MHz instead of the roughly 20 MHz regular channels--in both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. The 5 GHz band isn't a problem, because 20 MHz channels don't overlap; Wi-Fi selectable channels in 5 GHz are staggered by intervals of 4 band channels (5 MHz each), such as 36, 40, 44, and 48. In 2.4 GHz, channels are staggered only by a single 5 MHz band channel, meaning that the use of 40 MHz will nearly always conflict with other existing networks. Aug 7, 2009

Costa Rica

Costa Rica has created an Internet-based digital map for tourists, tourism authorities said on Tuesday. The National Chamber of Tourism said the service would provide information on Costa Rica's borders and roads, main tourism destinations and available services to a global audience of potential tourists. The map shows localities, beaches and national parks in each province, as well as the most popular recreation activities in each area, including surfing, bird-watching and turtle sanctuaries. Aug 5, 2009

Expedia.com

Expedia.com customers can now select the best airline seats, based on user-generated reviews from real flyers, through a partnership with TripAdvisor's SeatGuru. The partnership integrates SeatGuru flyer reviews of airplane seats into the seat maps for most flights sold on Expedia.com. This development marks the first time user-generated airline content is available on an online travel booking site. SeatGurus reviews helps Expedia.com customers select better airplane seats, such as those with additional legroom, and avoid bad seats, such as those with limited recline. For more information, visit www.expedia.com. Aug 3, 2009

Lufthansa

Lufthansa said it is expanding its online services at www.lufthansa.com . Not only can customers make flight bookings online, they can now obtain any necessary ticket refunds on the Internet. The booking service has also been enhanced with the additional option of paying for flight tickets through the PayPal e-commerce payment system. To improve their travel preparations, customers now also obtain a pre-flight email containing useful information about their flight and destination. Aug 5, 2009

Mobil Travel Guide

Mobil Travel Guide and Forbes Media LLC announced today that Mobil Travel Guide will become Forbes Travel Guide effective October 1, 2009. This exclusive licensing agreement between two industry leaders with more than 140 yearsO combined experience, transfers the hospitality industryOs premier star rating and travel guide brand from ExxonMobil to Forbes. In addition, the Mobil Four and Five Star Award designation will transition into the new OForbes Four and Five Star AwardO designation for hotels, restaurants, and spas beginning with the 2010 ratings announcements. Aug 5, 2009

ResorTime.Com

ResorTime.Com, known as an online travel site for spacious timeshare resort condominium rentals, is touting autumn as the best time for older couples to get away from it all. Aug 3, 2009

TravBuddy

TravBuddy, the leading social networking website for travelers, announced that it has reached over one-million unique visitors in the month of July, making it one of the most popular travel communities on the Internet, http://www.travbuddy.com Aug 4, 2009

Travelzoo

Travelzoo, an Internet media company, said it has surpassed 17 million subscribers to its global publications, and saw its largest increase in subscribers in company history in the second quarter of 2009. OWe have seen a phenomenal increase in the number of subscribers over the past three months,O said Holger Bartel, CEO of Travelzoo. OOur rapid growth is the result of a winning combination of efficiencies in subscriber marketing campaigns, deals with exceptional value, enthusiastic word-of-mouth and an engaged and active subscriber base.O Aug 3, 2009

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor said the results of its camping and OglampingO survey of more than 2,000 U.S. travelers found that 88 percent of travelers surveyed have been camping, while 15 percent have been Oglamorous camping,O and only 13 percent claim to be familiar with the term glamping. Couples seem to be most attracted to glamping, as 41 percent of reviewers of properties on TripAdvisor that mention glamping visited as part of a couple, while 17 percent visited with their family. Of travelers surveyed, 44 percent say camping is best for family vacations. Looks like couples are happier to have amenities that camping doesn't always afford -- like, say, a bed. Of those who have never been glamping, 65 percent -- more than 1,100 travelers -- said they were more attracted to the idea of glamping than traditional camping, once given a definition. Forty-eight percent of those said the reason was that glamping is a good compromise between camping and staying in a hotel. For more information, visit www.tripadvisor.com. Aug 3, 2009

United Airlines, JetBlue Airways

United Airlines and JetBlue Airways have introduced Twitter-exclusive promotions: "twares" in the case of United and "cheeps" for JetBlue. These deals reward the companies' Twitter followers, or those who sign up to receive the airlines' updates via the site. The deals are announced on Twitter and can disappear within hours -- which means consumers either need to be glued to their screens or have great timing. The gimmick also helps the airlines fill flights that might otherwise fly with empty seats. JetBlue set up a new account, "JetBlueCheeps," that posts fresh deals each Monday morning. The airline recently offered a USD 9 one-way fare from Burbank, Calif., to Las Vegas this Saturday, for example. Customers must book by 6 p.m. Eastern time the day of the offer to get the deal. Aug 5, 2009

ZZ AirGuide 090810

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