Live data from Hacker News

One Man's Quest to Make Business Travel a Lot Less Awful

theatlanticcities.com

11–20 of 47 posts

Re: One Man's Quest to Make Business Travel a Lot Less Awful

#11
post #4

I need this for daytime naps

I have always wanted to see those capsule boxes that the Japanese salarymen use when they miss the last train home installed in airports and the like. Why can we have a small quiet box to lie down in and rest between flights?

Some North American airports have sleeping pods.

I think I last saw them at YVR (Vancouver).

Re: One Man's Quest to Make Business Travel a Lot Less Awful

#12
I once attended a conference in NYC early in my career where I stayed with friends in NJ to save on costs (I was just starting a fledgling business). The conference would end in the afternoon around 3-4PM or earlier and then have social events a few hours later around 8PM. For 3 days I faced the dilemma of making the commute back to Jersey to get maybe 1 hour of solid rest (minus the commute time) or hanging around a cafe in the city and networking later with an exhausted mind and body. I tried both and neither was optimal. I would have loved to have a service like this around at the time and would have gladly paid $25 for a solid hour to decompress and rest.

Re: One Man's Quest to Make Business Travel a Lot Less Awful

#13

I'd be very surprised if less than half the bookings were for sex, amateur or professional.

It doesn't seem optimal for sex because there's no bed or bathroom in the room. Especially regarding the bathroom - who wants to get dressed and walk through a commercial space right after having sex just to use the restroom?

Meanwhile, in NYC there are plenty of options for "hourly" hotels that get you a room for 2-3 hours for 50-60 dollars, which is about the rate of Breather.

Re: One Man's Quest to Make Business Travel a Lot Less Awful

#15
post #8

Great idea. At first, by reading the title, I thought it was about making flights more comfortable. I really would like to see planes where instead of selling 200 seats at $500 each, they sell 100 seats at $1000 with double leg room and bigger seats. Or even 50 mega seats at $2000 each. First class seats go for 10k a pop which makes them really expensive only affordable by big corporations. So something in the middle…

All business-class planes (and airlines) have been extensively tested as an idea. They tend to only work on the longest routes (1).

I too try to get business class on anything above maybe 6 hours and certainly on overnight flights, but I think you'd have to be pretty rich to not flinch at spending 2x or 4x your normal fare just to sit in a larger seat for a couple of hours on a domestic flight.

(1) http://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/flying-with-us/business-li...

Re: One Man's Quest to Make Business Travel a Lot Less Awful

#16

I'd be very surprised if less than half the bookings were for sex, amateur or professional.

"To discourage hanky-panky, there are no curtains, and no overnight stays; cleaners refresh the rooms at the end of every booking"

Though, uh, as Ian Malcom put it in Jurassic Park: "Life finds a way"

Re: One Man's Quest to Make Business Travel a Lot Less Awful

#18
post #12

I once attended a conference in NYC early in my career where I stayed with friends in NJ to save on costs (I was just starting a fledgling business). The conference would end in the afternoon around 3-4PM or earlier and then have social events a few hours later around 8PM. For 3 days I faced the dilemma of making the commute back to Jersey to get maybe 1 hour of solid rest (minus the commute time) or hanging around a…

Reading between the lines it sounds like the company you work(ed) for was public, and like(s/d) saving costs by housing you across flowing water. I am, of course, unsure if you considered putting this to your advantage, but I don't think it's too difficult to envisage! Start by imagining what you would do on vacation. IFF they are going to make you come to the office by 9AM then don't get there then. 11AM would be more appropriate if you now have to commute like that. Don't come out and say it though -- blame it on the trains. Also, smoke a joint and listen to your ipod on the train so you can really enjoy your business trip (which is not a home trip so make it one). Use the whole trip to relax, and remove your problems one at a time.

Re: One Man's Quest to Make Business Travel a Lot Less Awful

#19
post #18
post #12

I once attended a conference in NYC early in my career where I stayed with friends in NJ to save on costs (I was just starting a fledgling business). The conference would end in the afternoon around 3-4PM or earlier and then have social events a few hours later around 8PM. For 3 days I faced the dilemma of making the commute back to Jersey to get maybe 1 hour of solid rest (minus the commute time) or hanging around a…

Reading between the lines it sounds like the company you work(ed) for was public, and like(s/d) saving costs by housing you across flowing water. I am, of course, unsure if you considered putting this to your advantage, but I don't think it's too difficult to envisage! Start by imagining what you would do on vacation. IFF they are going to make you come to the office by 9AM then don't get there then. 11AM would be mo…

The company he worked for was his - from what I understood of the post he was freshly self employed:

    (I was just starting a fledgling business)

Re: One Man's Quest to Make Business Travel a Lot Less Awful

#20
post #8

Great idea. At first, by reading the title, I thought it was about making flights more comfortable. I really would like to see planes where instead of selling 200 seats at $500 each, they sell 100 seats at $1000 with double leg room and bigger seats. Or even 50 mega seats at $2000 each. First class seats go for 10k a pop which makes them really expensive only affordable by big corporations. So something in the middle…

A very low percentage of people in first class actually pay full price for it. Most people seated there are frequent flyers who were upgraded for free or travelers on award tickets.
Post reply on HN