My belt and watch have made it through the old scanners on my body without a hitch ever since 9/11; now they must come off. I am allowed to carry my wallet in my hand for the new scan but if I do so it is subject to an automatic secondary search. Non-metal objects such as lip balm must now come out of my pocket along with my computer, liquids, shoes, etc. It only adds a couple of extra minutes to retrieve and rewardrobe that which formerly remained on my person but I can see this backing up security significantly at busy times.

If the terrorists’ aim is economic as well as physical damage, they must consider these new scanners a success. They are expensive to install and will bolux up air travel yet further.

However, we seem to like tangible equipment — we can see it and touch it. It’s likely designed or built in someone’s Congressional district. The Israelis have long shown that behavioral targeting is the most efficient and effective preventative measure yet we seem reticent to adopt it widely (though I did experience a bit of it when in NOLA recently).

But, once again, we are engaged in another act of expensive security theater — and we business travelers are the comic relief in the performance.

I thought I’d add some tips of my own:

My suitcase of choice is an expanding Hartmann roller. The telescoping handle seems to take up less space in the inner compartment than in other models and I can carry on sufficient gear to travel on business for a week without expanding it (that handy feature is generally used to haul home some fine wine — up to six bottles at a time have made it home safely). I’ve dragged it across North America, Asia, and Europe for several years and it has held up well. For overnights, a smaller roller by TravelPro — about the size of a large computer case — has enough room for a spare shirt, tie, underwear, socks, toiletries, laptop, and a couple of files.

The case is the easy part. I used to work at Mark Cross, the storied manufacturer and retailer of fine leather goods including travel gear (it has since been sucked up into a conglomerate and vaporized). There I learned a number of critical packing tips: First, take less — you always can get by with less than you think. Make a commitment to one color and make sure that everything goes with everything else to give yourself more possible combinations. Use accessories like ties and scarves that are light and take up minimal space to spice things up. Keep paring down until you have the bare minimum. That will make the CEO of Spirit Airlines smile.   If you get bored with what you brought, shop (see expanding roller above). Second, use plastic dry cleaner bags over your pressed garments to keep them from wrinkling. It really works. Roll or weave garments together to avoid creases where you don’t want them. Third, gentlemen, bring a blazer or sport coat that can work with dress pants or jeans — think multi-functional.

Now for those little tricks that can make a big difference. Stain removing wipes can save the day after you’ve dripped puttanesca sauce on your pants. Keep a couple on hand. Similarly, moist towelettes can clean up your face and hands in a hurry. New disposable teeth cleaners (see the Wisp in the photo) are invaluable if you need to freshen and don’t have access to your toiletries. I find that the scissors in the Victorinox TravelCard come in handy though the nail file was confiscated by the TSA; I guess there had been threats of offering manicures as a way to get access to the cockpit. If not traveling by air, a pocket knife with a corkscrew will inevitably be in my bag so as to be ready for any wine and cheese that might cross my path. A notebook — never travel without a notebook that can fit easily into a jacket pocket so that you can take — or pass — notes without firing up your computer or looking like you are e-mailing on your PDA. Finally, I invested in an after-market charger that can handle both my laptop and Blackberry at the same time. It is lighter and smaller than the original that came with the computer and lets me leave the PDA charger in the office.

So you are packed. You’ve made it to the airport. You’re set. Not quite: with the increase in airport delays, I suggest that you pick up an analog publication or two, some chocolate, perhaps some crackers in case you get stuck on the tarmac. You’ll be able to be productive and nourished — and can smirk at the Kindle lovers who aren’t allowed to turn on their precious babies. Offer a copy of The Economist or a bite of 64% cocoa Ghiradelli to strike up a conversation with the charming passenger you’ve had the luck to find next to you. Business travel, after all, can still be an adventure.

They had lots of good explanations: passengers bring too much into the cabin because checking bags now costs money (and, largely left unsaid, they want to put cargo in the belly because it is more profitable), the high cost of fuel, where else would you expect cargo to fly free, passengers pack too much (Do I get a discount if I fly naked?), etc. All true — but I say “baloney.” It demonstrates to me how broken the basic airfare pricing model is and how dysfunctional our general infatuation with low prices has made us. This starts out being touted as an attempt to change customer behavior but winds up being an addictive revenue stream (see, “Fees, credit cards”). They don’t really want to change behavior; they want to charge you as much as they can.

As an airline passenger, I expect that a reasonable amount of luggage to travel with me as part of the cost of a ticket. There are size restrictions on carry-ons set by the FAA — enforce them and people won’t bring too much onto the plane. The airline should be able to calculate the weight that the average passenger brings on board and integrate that cost into the ticket. Unless you are traveling in your skivvies and tucking your toothbrush into the waistband, chances are that the super-cheap ticket really won’t be in the end.

Spirit does position itself as a no-frills carrier and they are free to do as they please. I, in turn, am free not to fly with them which I can assure you (and them) I won’t. Fees and cost-cutting schemes, however, tend to attract imitators. Service levels and amenities on the so-called full-service airlines have been in full retreat for almost a decade and I’m in no rush to see flying get any less enjoyable. I don’t want to need a detailed, itemized receipt for each flight — seat cushion: $22.50, armrests: $18.95, etc.

The industry has trained us to expect fares that are lower than the cost to fly us from point A to point B (they try to make it up on business and first-class fares and those endearing fees and extras). That’s a really dumb business model and the fact that most airlines are in rough financial shape is evidence of that. They should worry less about nickel-and-diming us and more about how hard it is to find someone who describes flying as “pleasant,” “fun,” or “something to look forward to.” Southwest and JetBlue are doing a pretty good job of that and still keep costs low, but the others seem to do all they can to make a flight something to endure rather than enjoy.

Later in the week I’ll be posting on how to pack like a Nomad so you can travel lighter and still look great. That should make Spirit’s CEO happy. Until then, how’s that high speed rail coming?

If New Zealand is on your itinerary (and I sorely wish that it was on mine), you’ll be delighted to learn about the new skycouches that Air New Zealand is offering in coach. Not only do they turn three seats into a single bed-like arrangement but a second panel pops from the footrest area to give the skycouch room for two. They call it “cuddle class.” It may be a bit public to qualify as an entry point for the Mile High Club but we are talking about business travel here, not pleasure. Still, the ability to stretch out and have something close to a real bed is a welcome innovation.

Meanwhile over at the New York Times, Joe Sharkey has recently revisited the topic of exit row seats. They are, of course, highly desirable thanks to the few inches of extra leg-room that they offer and so many airlines have begun selling them as mini-upgrades.  As Sharkey reports, “In the third quarter of 2009, the top 10 domestic airlines raised an extra $1.95 billion from fees for things like checking bags and allowing passengers to change reservations, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics has reported.”

Sharkey raises the safety issue: these seats do require that those who sit in them assist the flight crew in case of emergency. A willingness to shell out a few more bucks does not guarantee that you have the ability to wrangle the 35 – 40 lb. hatch or take on other necessary duties. That is why this Nomad has long advocated a certification program that would qualify one for preferred seating in an exit row because one would have obtained the skills necessary to assist. Passengers would pay to attend this course, thus providing some income to the airlines if they offered it or the FAA, and would get some hands-on experience deploying emergency chutes and the like. The certification could be good for a year or two and would enhance the safety of the flight.

Annoying to this 6’3″ traveler is the new practice of requiring an upcharge to even sit in some aisle seats. For the long-legged among us, an aisle seat is the one chance to make a flight free of leg cramps. I’ve long relied on SeatGuru as a basic guide to seat configurations (Joe Sharkey recently interviewed SeatGuru’s founder) though it is getting more difficult with the ever-changing policies of the various airlines.

One proposed innovations that promises to bring more comfort is a bunk bed set-up in business class. The design, offered by Boston-based Jacobs Innovations and reported by The Economist, aims to provide greater flexibility in cabin configurations by allowing business-class space to transformed into economy on demand. I can just see it happening after I’ve scored an upgrade: “Sorry, sir, we’re converting this row back to steerage.”

I’m on JetBlue this week and they tend to offer a fairly comfortable experience. I’ll be sure to report upon my return. Until then, cuddle up — and share your airline seat tips with your fellow Nomads.

Matt Courtland, CEO of The Natural Strategy, has compiled a list of the sustainability statements of the major hotel chains in a post at Environmental Leader. Among the things that I learned was that Fairmont was among one of the earliest official adopters of concern for the planet among hoteliers and the foundations of Kimpton’s efforts were laid 30 years ago.

This list is just a beginning but it an excellent start both for seeing what specific companies are doing and also to further your understanding of what it takes to be green in the hospitality industry. Those of us who travel for business frequently have larger-than-average carbon footprints by definition but there are concrete steps we can take to minimize our impact.

Do you base your travel decisions on the sustainability policies of the companies you frequent while traveling on business (and we must acknowledge that sustainability often incorporates economic and social impact along with environmental efforts)? Does your company let you? Which are your favorites airlines, hotels, restaurants, and the like in this regard?

There’s craft, too, in making sure that you wind up on the concierge floor at the hotel. Sometimes it requires demanding and other times a bit of flirtation much like a woodworker will vary technique when working with different kinds of wood. Of course, one can brandish a frequent guest card but that’s no fun at all.

The agenda must be massaged of course in order to create small pockets of down time for sneaking off to a museum, a massage, or a bit of shopping. I find it useful to block off two hours for each meeting to judiciously allow for various delays and detours. Inevitably, some time opens up and a good crafts person knows what to do when opportunity arises.

The seasoned business traveler knows the beauty and power of routine. Routine frees the mind from the mundane by eliminating some needless decisions. When the dopp kit and the shoes always go in the same place, one needn’t think too much when packing.

I generally try to find a local place where I can be a regular – sometimes for breakfast, other times for a night cap — that gives me a sense of being at home. New Orleans has been particularly good for this: I once ate lunch at the restaurant at the Hotel Monaco every day for a week. I made friends with the barkeep, Arianna as I recall, and we’d chat while I enjoyed their fabulous pan fried chicken. On another trip I spent three nights in a row watching baseball at bar called Ryans. They didn’t serve food but one of the locals would go out and get me take-out from down the block. I met different people each night and had great conversations. Rolling Rock was two bucks a bottle.

Travel is a craft that is fine and noble and rewarding. The art, that comes when filling out the expense report.

Three cheers, then, for 3floz.com. They bring you great products and top brands for hair, face, and body that all will slide through the security scanner. If you have to fly, fly beautiful.

This Nomad is thrilled to find The Art of Shaving, Pangea Organics, and Archipelago Organics. Delicate skin, that dry airplane climate, and the the unsightly effects of fatigue: it’s a brutal world out there. The right products can make all the difference and thanks to these entrepreneurs, looking good on the road is easy at last. Read more at The New York Times.

I do enjoy Jermyn Street whenever I am in London: it is the home to a greater concentration of fine menswear and related accessories than any other street I’ve ever found anywhere. I guess it is a bit of a competitive cluster, as Michael Porter might say. I’ve purchased shirts and found some wonderful pocket squares however I have not (yet) indulged in haircuts or toiletries purchases as has Ebert.

The essay is a bit long but quite wonderful. It’s worth the read and has me longing to rack up some miles on BA or Virgin soon.

What are your hidden gems in London (or elsewhere)? I will say that I have a similarly romantic attachment to The Main House in Notting Hill though it doesn’t have near the charmth and warmth as Ebert’s description of Eyrie Mansion.

Thanks to Katherine, a fellow Nomad from Brussels for passing along the link to Ebert’s blog.

Delta’s service is provided by GoGo. I found the log-in process a bit cumbersome in part because of a game they offer through which one is guaranteed a discount on the session. One bets on one of three whirly gigs that race to 35,000 feet. I chose “news” which finished last — great, my first experience on GoGo is that I’m a loser — but I did get a consolation prize of a 25% discount that dropped the cost of my one-time pass from $9.95 to under $8. The whole process, including the game, burned about six minutes of battery time. It will be faster in the future as I had to create an account on this my inaugural visit.

It took seven tries to log into Executive Nomad’s admin page but things seem to be going well now. I’ll check e-mail shortly and report back in a comment. I was able to open a second browser window and download the stock photo that appears with this post in about the same amount of time time it takes on the ground.

The biggest complaint is not with GoGo but with Delta. As I am still a man of the people, I am in coach and that is a cramped place to be on an MD88. My small laptop can barely balance on tray table and my arms are cramped as I type.

I’m sure that I’ll grow to love in-flight wifi though I may still choose to say that it was unavailable on my flight if I’m more attracted to a good book. And speaking of which, Walter Kiechel’s new look inside corporate strategy as practiced by the big consulting firms, The Lords of Strategy, is in my bag and I’ll be tucking into it as soon as I log off.

Now as long as I can avoid cell phone service…

What is your experience with in-flight wifi? Love it? Hate it? Your fellow Nomads want to know.

We need to learn from the Israelis and engage in greater behavioral screening (which is not racial profiling). Terrorists’ methods will change as they adapt to our defensive measures. What remains much more constant, however, are the wiring of the human brain, the body’s reactions to stress, and the signals that reveal someone is lying or being deceitful. Teaching airport security personnel to identify the behavioral cues consistent with illegal activity will be far more effective than investing in another generation of super scanners. New scanners and other technologies should be deployed randomly to keep terrorists guessing but universal deployment is a waste of time and money. The “thing” will never be foolproof and under-investing in human capabilities in order to buy more machines is short-sighted at best.

Further, we the traveling public must take seriously the role we have as first preventers and first responders. It was passengers who saved the Northwest flight and any of us may be called upon to take similar action. We are not merely along for the ride: we are part of the security system. While the TSA can be an easy target for our rage, we must accept some responsibility ourselves.

Meanwhile as the lines grow longer for the masses, airlines are rolling out more perks for those who have achieved the most elite status in their frequent flier programs. As the New York Times reports:

“Members at these levels, in addition to getting bragging rights, might be offered free access to airport clubs and automatic check-in, might get fees for extra bags waived, and might be allowed to go to the front of any line — and sit in the front of the cabin — even when other travelers paid more for their tickets.

Once inside those airline clubs, these elite fliers can get free cocktails and buffet meals, perhaps a shower, and in the case of some Delta clubs, practice time on putting greens.”

I have no issue with those who rack up buckets of miles getting extra benefits. Flying enough to get to that status takes a toll on the body, mind, home life, and more so a couple of free cocktails is small compensation. What bothers me is that these additional perks seem to come at the expense of even minimal levels of service in the main cabin. I don’t begrudge anyone their pass to the Red Carpet Club unless it comes at the expense of my on-board pillow. (Full disclosure: I have enjoyed elite status with various airlines from time to time though because of my varied travel schedule and preference for direct, non-stop flights as well as an editorial interest in sampling various carriers, hotels, car rental companies, etc.,  I’m not a mile slut who will do whatever it takes to get the most miles on a single airline. I generally fly steerage plus domestically).

One of my hopes for 2010 is that frequent flier programs get more rational. For example, the airlines shouldn’t encourage everyone who flies to become a member (it’s expensive to maintain those memberships and people who fly only a few flights a year won’t earn any free travel). Set a threshold for membership. This is what we did when I helped launch the first retail frequent buyer program (Mark Cross Preferred around 1984) and the threshold helped ensure that only frequent buyers were in the program and allowed us to make the benefits more generous because we avoided the expense of tracking purchases of occasional customers.

Second, the programs need to wean themselves from the sale of miles to be “given away” through marginally related third parties (like credit card companies). I know that the airlines like the cash as it helps them to offer seats at below cost (this twisted business model is fodder for another post) but it pollutes (and dilutes the effectiveness of) the program by mixing those who actually fly frequently with those who buy groceries using their Delta Amex card so they can get a free flight once a year to see the grandchildren. Keep the mileage accumulating opportunities related to the behavior you hope to enourage.

Third, and this is really a combination of the first two: it’s time for a giant flush of the system because there are far more miles accumulated than there are seats to fulfill them. Thus we find airlines sending us catalogs through which one can buy cameras and televisions using miles. Get back to a point where those loyal fliers who can’t make it to the double-dip elite super status still have some chance of deriving actual benefits from the program.

But enough ranting. Let’s end 2009 on a high note. If you haven’t yet seen Up in the Air, the new film staring George Clooney as an uber-traveler, fly on down to the nearest theater and grab a seat on the aisle. It’s well-written, well-acted, and quite thought provoking. And Vera Farmiga is a shoo-in for the Academy Award for best shot involving a neck tie. It might even encourage a resurgence in men’s neckwear (though perhaps more as lingerie then office attire).

Happy New Year! See you in the 10.

Photo: George Clooney in Up in the Air.