Hotels, airlines scramble to satisfy business travelers

From Jim Morelli
CNN Correspondent

ATLANTA (CNN) -- Business travelers tend to make more money and spend more of it, and their numbers keep growing. So it's no surprise that the travel industry is catering to them with a variety of timesavers, comforts and conveniences.

Among the most enticing is Northwest Airlines' plan to offer virtually line-free travel by allowing passengers to check in online and print tickets and boarding passes off their computers. It hopes to use the system on all flights by early next year.

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On Air Canada, the era of sky-surfing will begin in a few months, when the airline tests in-flight Internet access and e-mail on six of its aircraft.

High-speed wiring is the selling point at some hotels, but even that's becoming old hat.

"You know, the hotels are going to go to all this expense of getting a hard wire into each room, and by the time they do that, everyone's going to be using wireless modems," said Chris McGinnis of Travel Skills.com.

Delta Airlines has seen that light, and is planning to install wireless antenna nodes in its Crown Room Clubs and at gates.

More surfing, better sleeping

Even travelers not carting laptops will be able to leap online. Stay Online.com expects to install networked computers in 300 United States hotels by the end of the year.

"When you have a computer in the room, 60 percent, if it's business travelers, will take advantage of this," said Cary Evans of Stay Online.com.

Of course, not every travel innovation runs on electricity.

Westin Hotels just spent $30 million re-engineering that most humble of hotel features -- the bed. The hotel wants its custom-designed "Heavenly Bed" -- complete with plush pillows -- to be the best in the hotel business.

The chain says a recent survey suggests the bed has contributed not only to higher customer satisfaction, but to an increase in wake-up calls. Guests, it claims, are asking for two calls -- just in case they oversleep.

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Air Canada
Northwest Airlines
Delta Airlines
Westin's Heavenly Bed
Travel Skills
Stay Online

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