Inflight Plug-ability Problematic

<B>Inflight Plug-ability Problematic</B>

By Annalise Bomenblit

Until business travelers seamlessly can manage their work on their wireless devices without going blind, the dinosaur laptop still will come along for the ride.

While airlines seek to provide onboard laptop power for their valuable business travelers, the service still remains exclusive to certain classes and planes--more typically intercontinental flights or shuttles.

Chris McGinnis, director of Atlanta-based Travel Skills Group, said standardization and wider availability of in-seat laptop power sorely is needed. "Laptop power is not where it needs to be," he said. "The airlines went to great lengths to publicize the fact that they had power, but it's not a service that travelers can rely on. There is no standard expectation, as at a hotel."

For now, the standard expectation is that travelers need to come armed with a power adapter, a snaky coil that runs from the laptop's port to the power source.

Owners of new laptops from Apple, Compaq and NEC won't need to purchase a separate adapter, however, since the new models are designed to run directly off an airplane's 15-volt power supply. In this case, only a connector cable is required, said Rory Briski, general manager of business development with Va.-based General Dynamics, formerly Primex, the provider of seat power sources for commercial airlines.

For more typical notebooks, the adapter type needed will depend upon the computer. Standard adapter kits come with two types of plugs to suit both onboard connector standards--one for American Airlines' pioneering "cigarette lighter" standard, also of use in cars, and a smaller version more commonly used by other airlines. While a simple cable can cost $5, the typical notebook adapter will run about $90, Briski said.

Meanwhile, some foreign airlines are moving in the direction of AC plug installation--the standard plug used for electrical outlets--in seats, rather than the current DC plugs. Lufthansa is transitioning to AC power, with China Airlines and Air Canada considering a switch. Still, Briski doesn't expect this to be the norm any time soon. Some even argue that the apparent ease of AC plugs could pose some challenges, should multi-tasking passengers get creative.

"Obviously, there is a concern," said Daniel Wong, senior product developer for Targus, a leading auto-air adapter supplier. "What if I wanted to put in a blender? DC power keeps the plug's use proprietary for certain things. With AC, you don't know what people are plugging in and if it interferes with Federal Aviation Administration standards."

With a financial climate pushing business travelers into economy class, many of the major airlines are broadening the accessibility of power-sourced seats. American Airlines is trying to move to the forefront of laptop power services by expanding its service to include 99 percent of its fleet by year-end.

Currently, the DC power outlets only are available at first and business class seats on the carrier's larger aircraft.

Continental Airlines provides power in every first class and BusinessFirst seat on its Boeing 767-200s, 767-400s and 777-200s. Within economy class on Boeing 767s, power is available in the first seven rows, and in the first six rows on the B777, said spokesman Ben Clark.

United Airlines supplies in-seat power for all first and business class passengers on B767-300 aircraft and the majority of its B747-400s. United's North American B777, B757s and Airbus A320s also have the service, with existing B777s undergoing installation or modification for power access.

Delta Air Lines, which has made power ports available on its long-haul flights to Brazil, Europe, India and Japan, has power ports accessible to all Business Elite passengers, said spokeswoman Tracy Bowen. Power ports also are available in all classes within its B777, B737-800 and B767-400 aircraft serving domestic flights.

British Airways provides ports in first class, business and new World Traveler Plus cabins, while Virgin Atlantic offers power aboard its A340-300 and new A321 aircraft in first and business classes.

US Airways provides laptop power for all seats on its new Airbus aircraft, as well as its A330 and A320 narrow-body jets, via an in-arm connector. The plug-at-every-seat service has been very well received by customers, said spokesman Dave Castelveter, particularly those on business traveler-rich shuttle flights.

Passengers on lower-cost Southwest Airlines and America West Airlines must rely on their laptop batteries, which, according to McGinnis, will have more of an impact on the way travelers work than the power source offerings of airlines. With three or four hours of work available on a good battery, McGinnis said, that may be all an average traveler may need.