The New Digital Life
Nicole Simon asks a pretty good question about the digital lifestyle. She is looking for what it means to people. I’m not sure I can give a great answer but here is a nice story about what is happening all around you.
While traveling from Orlando to Las Vegas, I was faced with a very ugly flight delay. It seems there was an in-flight medical emergency whereby the America West flight out of Phoenix had to drop into Jackson, Miss and, once there, get fuel and oxygen for the in-flight system.
The AW team on the ground did a reasonable job getting people lined up with whatever flight connection information they could, etc. The one thing they couldn’t do was tell people what the flight delay was really going to be like and would they actually get the plane in here and go to Vegas.
First, they put up the departure delay from 8:30 to 11:45p. Rule is they never go earlier once they commit to a time. Then it was endless, sorry no information, annoucements.
I have my Motion Tablet PC and I am watching TV on my sling box on my Verizon, all you can drink/one price, edge card. Almost full screen, watching HBO.
After some time, I’m thinking, this is stupid, I can go get some food outside the airport instead of sitting here.
Step one: http://www.flytecomm.com/cgi-bin/trackflight, type in my flight number and track it. Gee, still on ground in Jackson, heh, they ain’t making it here by 11 anything.
Step two: Find a local Steak -n- Shake by the airport.
Step three: I walk up to the counter and say, look do you have a real time for this plane’s status? No, sir, sorry. Well, I do. I show him my live flytecomm tracking page which now shows the flight airborne, 34,000 feet with a landing time of 12:09a in Orlando. I say, I’m going to Steak and Shake, grab a burger, some fries, and a shake, can I bring you anything? ( I felt bad for all the crap this guy was taking..) Shocked look. Uh, sure, but I can’t promise the plane won’t leave without you. Trust me, I say, I’ll track it while in the Cab and if it comes in for a landing, we’ll high tail it back. Cheeseburger, no onions, small shake. No, problem, my treat, I say.
Step four: Head out, grab some chow. 8 hr battery, Verizon card, etc, never failed/dropped connection. I’m hitting refresh a couple of times, and still watching HBO on demand, catching up on Rome. I come back to airport, bring the guy his food, plane lands at, surprise, 12:09a, taxiing around for whatever, offloads people, cleans up plane, etc, etc.
Step five: Mr. Segal up to the counter, plz. Uh, oh, homeland security is gonna arrest me for the flytecomm stuff, damn. Uh, nope. Guy slips me a first class seat, sorry for the delay, thanks for the food, and can I get that website address again?
Into Vegas around 3a. Surprisingly, no taxi lines, no traffic, and no line up at hotel check in.
Oh that is a wonderful story and it shows exactly what I want for everyday people to experience.
And of course challenge programmers to make such things happen ...
Posted by: Nicole Simon | January 06, 2006 at 04:19
Good story, and I see you're still picking up the tab for peoples' meals (I do remember all the lobsters at Legal Seafood in Boston!) - but, America's Worst? Have you learned nothing about flying???
:)ave
Posted by: David A. Kearns | January 06, 2006 at 13:46
great story, Rick.
Posted by: Rob Bushway | January 09, 2006 at 01:27
Awesome story. As a guy who's flown all over the country on business for the past 7 years, I live for these things. It's amazing what a little knowlege and tact can get you. I'm king of the car rental upgrade for nada...turns out you just gotta ask the rental car guy/gal...do it in a funny way and you'll be surprised at the result ;)
Posted by: John Walker | January 09, 2006 at 02:00
Great story, Rick. Glad it worked for you. I ran into a delay leaving St. Louis for LV on American, started tracking the plane while I was eating in the concourse and came within minutes of missing it because the departure time changed again and the info was out of sync.
Posted by: Staci Kramer | January 09, 2006 at 02:07
Lovely tale - and I though I'm jealous of the upgrade, I applaud your reaching out to the guy who gets stuck in all flight delays, the help.
Technology can often be used to catalyse human contact and human kindness; thanks for the demonstration!
Posted by: Eric Sinclair | January 09, 2006 at 07:53
great story - you may enjoy a post I did a few weeks ago about flight tracking on and off the ground...
http://dealarchitect.typepad.com/deal_architect/2005/11/technology_inno_1.html
Posted by: Vinnie Mirchandani | January 09, 2006 at 08:52
Great post, I use Flytecomm on my Pocket PC, shows the power of a connected lifestyle...
Posted by: Stephen Skarlatos | January 09, 2006 at 10:30
Sad thing is that the public is more informed than the folks who work for tha airline. The gate agent usually isn't keeping you in the dark because they have some mission to do so. The reality is that the airline keeps them in the dark. You got your seat because you probably just gave that guy the tool he's wanted his whole career - access to information so he can better serve customers.
Posted by: Derek | January 09, 2006 at 10:37
Wonderful! If this post had pages, it would absolutely qualify as a page-turner. I actually had to plug Motion Tablet into the search box... Nice. Very nice.
Posted by: David Hambric | January 09, 2006 at 13:24
While it is all very cool that you can wirelessly watch TV, track your flight, and find restaurants via the New Digital Life, I question whether it is the Wow! factor of the technology that got you first class seats.
Or was it the simple fact that for once, someone offered to do something kind for the counter-person instead of demanding that they do something for them?
I love technology just as much as the next guy and believe that it can bring a lot of good to the world. However, sometimes just being nice to someone having a bad day can positively affect a person's day even more.
Posted by: Matt Smith | January 09, 2006 at 13:57
I have to agree with Matt that it was the personal touch that got you the upgrade. OK, the technology gave you the ability to make to happen, but if you'd be a jerk, that alone wouldn't have been enough.
As someone who has had to endure endless delays, I can tell you that the airline keeps us as much in the dark as anyone. Passengers who have access to tecnology frequently know more than the flight crew. Sad, but true. In times like that we can be of little help.
Posted by: Fly Girl | January 09, 2006 at 14:53
Flight checking status, is only one factor in determining when a plane takes off, you have to factor in STMP’s, the AAR and EDCT/GDP too, and they reschedule and rejump things, and you’d miss out on some of the bump and delay freebies (if you’d be so inclined). Still flight intelligence is a great idea, whose time has come, and I love FlyteComm, but when dealing with airlines and the FAA, the unpredictable is the norm.
Posted by: Christopher Coulter | January 09, 2006 at 20:14
Rick,
Thanks for the "plug" you can now get real-time info right on your cell phone from the cell phone carriers, go to the link posted above......Flytecomm data without a PC just your cell phone! The new service will return alternate scheduled flights between city pairs if you query it......... That may be the easy part, paying for a day of flight fare now that is likely to create a nose bleed!
Posted by: Maurice Bailey | April 06, 2006 at 19:37