<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1" ?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>washingtonpost.com - Business Class</title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/business/columns/workplace/businessclass?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</link><description>Business Class</description><language>en-us</language><ttl>15</ttl><image><title>washingtonpost.com</title><width>140</width><height>20</height><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com</link><url>http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/hp/image/wp_web.gif</url></image><item><title><![CDATA[Acela Riders, Missing the Fast Track]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64637-2005Apr18.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64637-2005Apr18.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:24:13 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[  For the past four months, real estate adviser Ken Hoskins left Union Station every Monday morning aboard the Amtrak Acela Express to New York's Penn Station for three days of work, with a return to Washington on Wednesday.]]></description><author> Keith L. Alexander</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Frequent Fliers, Dreaming of Adequate Sleep]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45456-2005Apr11.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45456-2005Apr11.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:24:13 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[ When frequent flier Marie A. Sherrett of Upper Marlboro heads for the airport, she carries a secret weapon to help her battle fatigue on the road: her bedroom pillow. Sherrett, a legal secretary and frequent lecturer on autism, knows how air travel and hotel life wrecks her needed slumber.]]></description><author> Keith L. Alexander</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Is the Airline Terminal Club Still Viable?]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26670-2005Apr4.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26670-2005Apr4.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:24:13 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[  For nearly 20 years, Mary Duffy led a pampered life when she traveled, thanks to her memberships in exclusive airport clubs. Behind the polished wooden doors of the club, a hostess would greet Duffy by name, hand her a complimentary latti and usher her to the nearest leather sofa.]]></description><author> Keith L. Alexander</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Puzzling Over Expressions of Faith in Flight]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8361-2005Mar28.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8361-2005Mar28.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:24:13 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[When United Airlines Flight 991 landed at Los Angeles International Airport on March 14, the flight attendant welcomed the passengers to their destination and thanked them for flying the airline.]]></description><author> Keith L. Alexander</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Frequent Fliers Call for Better Air Security]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55578-2005Mar21.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55578-2005Mar21.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:24:13 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[  The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI concluded in a recent report that the nation's airlines were still vulnerable to terrorist attacks despite the government's expenditure of more than $12 billion on security enhancements.]]></description><author> Keith L. Alexander</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Fliers Find Buying Onboard Food  Hard to Digest]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35422-2005Mar14.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35422-2005Mar14.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:24:13 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[ Whenever Sandra Wilson has a flight of more than two hours out of Reagan National, she races to California Pizza  Kitchen inside the terminal for a small cheese pizza to take aboard.]]></description><author> Keith L. Alexander</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Computerized Calls Test Fliers' Patience]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15594-2005Mar7.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15594-2005Mar7.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:24:13 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Many airlines are cutting the number of reservation agents and adding voice recognition systems to save money. Many frequent fliers, however, are not quite ready to give up human contact.<br><FONT face="verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica" size="-2" color="#666666"><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>]]></description><author> Keith L. Alexander</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[In-Flight Perks Are Steadily Disappearing]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61750-2005Feb28.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61750-2005Feb28.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:24:13 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Pam Rhodes is willing to make a deal with her airline: If the carrier agrees to cut $50 off her fare, she promises not to order a soda, accept a bag of pretzels, check a piece of luggage or use a pillow or blanket during the flight.]]></description><author> Keith L. Alexander</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Consumers Exercise Their Growing Clout]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42687-2005Feb21.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42687-2005Feb21.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:24:13 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[   Consumer clout -- it's a potent weapon these days for bullying travel-related companies into changing policies. Competition is so tight that airlines, hotels and car rental agencies are listening -- and responding -- to customer complaints with renewed vigor.]]></description><author> Keith L. Alexander</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hertz Blames Web Options For a New Fee]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24923-2005Feb14.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24923-2005Feb14.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:24:13 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[ Renting a car at Hertz just got more expensive. <br>You won't see it in the daily rate you're charged  for a Mercury Marquis or a Volvo sedan. But starting tomorrow, your total bill will be $2.50 higher than it was last week because one of the nation's largest car rental companies will now...]]></description><author> Keith L. Alexander</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[It's Two for The Money in Bush's Budget]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6460-2005Feb7.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6460-2005Feb7.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:24:13 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[  Business travelers could get hit by at least two proposals in the Bush administration's 2006 budget.]]></description><author> Keith L. Alexander</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hotels Change More Than Sheets on Beds]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52862-2005Jan31.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52862-2005Jan31.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:24:13 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Whenever Elizabeth Pearson checks into a hotel, one of the first things she does is pull off the bedspread and hurl it into the nearest corner.]]></description><author> Keith L. Alexander</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[US Airways Must Win Over Wary Customers]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34044-2005Jan24.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34044-2005Jan24.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:24:13 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[  US Airways cleared some important financial hurdles last week, culminating with the approval Friday of its last remaining renegotiated labor agreement. Now it has to clear another critical hurdle: winning back a customer base wary of the struggling airline's future.]]></description><author> Keith L. Alexander</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Saving Money One Leg At a Time]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16845-2005Jan17.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16845-2005Jan17.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:24:13 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[  Many savvy price-conscious travelers and travel agents have adopted a secret strategy for finding the cheapest airfares: Book one-way flights to and from a destination on two different airlines.]]></description><author> Keith L. Alexander</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Firms Rush To Act While Fare Cuts Last]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64538-2005Jan10.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64538-2005Jan10.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:24:13 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[   For more than a decade, travel groups have petitioned the nation's airlines to change their fare structures and move away from charging business travelers five times more than other passengers just because they have to take trips at the last minute.]]></description><author> Keith L. Alexander</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Delta Proposal Could Signal Shift in Pricing]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46054-2005Jan3.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46054-2005Jan3.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:24:13 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Airline's planned overhaul of its fare structure could trigger the biggest shift in ticket pricing since Congress deregulated the industry in 1978.]]></description><author> Keith L. Alexander</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[TSA Intends To Lace Up Its Shoe Policy]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15183-2004Dec20.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15183-2004Dec20.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:24:13 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Few topics seem to rile frequent business travelers these days as much as the Transportation Security Administration's shoe policy.]]></description><author> Keith L. Alexander</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Fliers Fear Cellular Blab, Hot-Air Planes]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62417-2004Dec13.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62417-2004Dec13.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:24:13 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Airline passengers are bracing for the eventual introduction of cell phones on commercial flights, as the Federal Communications Commission begins a review of its 20-year-old rule prohibiting cell phone chatter at 30,000 feet.]]></description><author> Keith L. Alexander</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Toeing the Line At the Airport Shoe Check]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41857-2004Dec6.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41857-2004Dec6.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:24:13 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[   "Travelers are not required to remove their shoes at security checkpoints."]]></description><author> Keith L. Alexander</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[More Fliers, Fewer Workers For the Holiday]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6123-2004Nov22.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6123-2004Nov22.html?nav=rss_business/columns/workplace/businessclass</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 13:24:13 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[   Airlines and airports are bracing for their busiest Thanksgiving weekend in history as passengers flock to the skies thanks to the lowest airfares in 17 years.]]></description><author> Keith L. Alexander</author></item></channel></rss>