A coffeehouse at 35,000 feet
Terminal 1 is the busy home to 16 airlines. I found Austrian’s check-in area quite easily and checked in without any waiting.  The agent invited me to visit Alitalia’s lounge, where I watched a Euro 2008 match with a glass of wine and a salad.
BOARDING
Austrian allowed early boarding for business class passengers and within minutes I was comfortably ensconced in my business class seat.  The crew was very welcoming and I was offered newspapers and a beverage as well as an amenity kit that contained a …

If you want to feel more like a 21st century Kaiser, Le Méridien may be what you are looking for.  One of the first of the chain’s Art + Tech designs, the hotel features artwork that challenges you from the moment you enter, including a rug, with footprints from the hotel’s very first guests, hanging on the wall.
ROOMS
Don’t let the Art + Tech concept put you off.  The rooms are comfortable and inviting.  The bed was so comfortable it made me understand why some people purchase hotel beds for their …

16 days later, I’m back.  (See Part I as well.)   I found a few things rather useful for those traveling on business and wanted to share these with you.
Skype Pro
Skype Pro is a relatively new offering that costs only $3 per month but offers many features particularly useful to the road warrior.  Most notable is the international traveler calling plan.  Users pay no per minute charges for calls to landlines within the same country or region (a connection fee per call, $0.045, may apply).  Coverage includes 28 countries, all …

I’m writing this from Hamburg, at least I think that’s where I am.  Sometimes trips can be just plain boring.  This one was most decidedly not.  In a 16 day whirlwind tour I would stay in seven hotels and would span 9 cities to cover, however briefly: Munich, Vienna, Munich (again), Hamburg, Flensburg, Sønderborg, Brugge, Düsseldorf, Bremen, and Bremerhaven.  Countries: Denmark, Germany, Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.
Normally my trips last four to five days.  With meetings and events spread out across half a month, this trip would be more than …

The majestic Hotel Imperial, built originally as the residence of the Prince of Württemberg in 1863 and transformed into a hotel in 1873 in time for the World’s Fair, is for business travelers accustomed to staying at the best addresses.  It is renowned for impeccable service and discretion.
Guests are treated like regulars, even on the first visit.  The hotel is also the official residence for visiting heads of state,  Charlie Chaplin, who visited in 1931, reportedly said “Stay at the Imperial and feel like an Emperor.”
WHERE IS IT?
The Imperial is …

Business travelers frequently bring home a souvenir or two for family members when visiting interesting destinations.  Twice in the past year I’ve brought home something a bit different – and much larger – but I couldn’t pack it in my rollerboard.
In recent years, savvy business travelers have joined the thousands of Americans who each year take a trip to Munich, Germany with one goal in mind.  Unlike other tourists, they are not there for the beer, the Schnitzel, the museums, and art galleries.  The real reason for the trip: …