Business Travelers Find Comforts Of Office In Airports

<B>Business Travelers Find Comforts Of Office In Airports</B>

By Megan Hjermstad

Thanks to a plethora of companies offering airport cyberkiosks, mini offices and full office space for rent, lugging laptops may not be necessary for business travelers anymore.

United Airlines, for instance, announced that by early 2000 it will offer free Internet access at terminals, gates and concession areas at 22 U.S. airports served by United Shuttle.

The carrier is teaming up with Get2Net, a provider of out-of-home Internet services, to offer United Shuttle customers free access to e-mail and the Internet at airport NetStations. "As e-commerce continues to grow, people will rely on e-mail as a means of communication," said Kurt Ebenhoch, United spokesman. "This especially will help business travelers."

United is the first carrier to offer the units solely to their customers. "It is pretty visionary on the airline's part," said Pam Osborne, manager of marketing and communications for Get2Net. Travelers will be able to link directly to United Airlines Web site (www.ua.com) from all Get2Net terminals to receive up-to-the-minute flight information, local weather and airport maps and to purchase tickets online.

The carrier currently is offering this service to its short-haul customers and is deploying the units only in cities served by United Shuttle. "Our international customers are more concerned with inflight amenities. Our short-haul customers are more concerned with experience on the ground," said Ebenhoch. The airline in the future will determine whether to expand the service to other destinations served by United.

Get2Net currently has 160 NetStations deployed at airports throughout the United States, including 32 new terminals at Denver International Airport. The units are distributed near gate areas on all three concourses and can be accessed free of charge by travelers on all airlines.

"It is really helpful for business travelers because they don't have to carry a laptop and find a place to plug it in," said Osborne. "Travelers can get online easily even if they only have a few minutes before a flight."

Meanwhile, other startups, such as QuickAid, PayNet and Touch Net, as well as major telecommunications companies, have installed fee-based cyberkiosks in major airports that allow the traveler to slide a credit card through a slot to get online.

For travelers seeking a more private place in airport terminals to log on for an extended period of time, Laptop Lane offers enclosed personal workspace away from noise and congestion.

"There are two main values: enhancing productivity and relaxing," said Wendy Boehm, vice president of marketing for Laptop Lane. The individual workstations are designed to help people manage layover time wisely and get a jump-start on work. "The concept is so simple. People are just thrilled to be productive. It helps them so when they get to their next destination they are ahead."

Each cubicle contains an Internet- ready Pentium computer, standard software programs, laser printer, fax machine, connections to a printer, a modem for laptop users and a multi-line phone with incoming-call and conference calling capabilities.

Laptop Lane offers onsite support from a Cyber concierge, who is trained to help people set up laptops, use computer software and operate the facility technology.

For $2 for the first five minutes and 38 cents per minute thereafter, customers have unlimited use of all the services within private 36 to 48-sq.-ft. workstations with 7-ft. walls and locking doors. "They can close the door, have some privacy and multi-task," said Boehm. The main business centers also offer larger conference rooms that seat four to eight people.

Laptop Lane offers a corporate card that allows travelers to charge use to an account number. The corporation receives a monthly billing statement, with itemized charges separated by employee. With a corporate card account or a pre-authorized American Express card, checkin and checkout is instantaneous. Individuals can create personal profiles that recognize their preferences every time they visit a Laptop Lane site to speed the process.

Laptop Lane most recently opened facilities in Philadelphia International Airport and currently offers services in seven other major airports: Chicago O'Hare, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Denver, Hartsfield/Atlanta, Phoenix Sky Harbor, Seattle/Tacoma and Tampa, Fla. The company intends to offer workstations at New York's LaGuardia and JFK airports, Detroit, Raleigh/Durham, Dallas/Ft. Worth and Portland by the end of this year.

The company in 2000 also plans to expand to airports worldwide and enter convention center space as well. According to Boehm, the convention center is a valuable market because "it is another captive audience."

For travelers who would benefit from a workspace outside of airports with greater services and amenities, executive suite companies such as Vantas, Regus and HQ/Carr offer short- and long-term leases. Corporations and/or individuals can rent out suites on an hourly basis, as well as lease space for days, weeks or even months at a time.

New York-based Vantas offers mobile workers access to flexible workspace, private offices and professional conference rooms in which they actually can conduct business. Each office has a useable address, a phone number with a telephone answering service and state-of-the-art technology with onsite technical help.

"This will become an increasingly important part of business as people become more virtual and travel more," said Steven Haden, spokesman for Vantas. "With more demands placed on them, people wonder how they are going to get all this done and still maintain some sanity."

Vantas in one day can set up customers with private office space specially suited to their needs. Vantas by next year will have an area on its Web site to submit requests online for office space at any of its business centers worldwide.

"Large national corporations with people on the road a lot don't want to make the investment in that kind of real estate. This gives them places they can do business in various cities around the world," said Haden.

Vantas offers executive suite centers in more than 200 cities in the United States, France and Mexico. According to the Executive Suite Association, executive suites are in 5,500 locations worldwide and 4,000 locations within the United States.