follow this link to the 1.5 min video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRHRzSzaBU4

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The older I get, the more I’m affected by jet lag, which is not a good thing for someone who makes his living in the travel industry.

Over the years, I’ve tried every drug from Ambien to Xanax; gone the homeopathic route with melatonin and herbs; tried starving myself, avoided alcohol, and experimented with caffeine. I’ve tried sleeping with hotel room drapes open and taking long walks in the sunshine upon arriving. I even tested an oversized visor with a battery-operated light under the bill that was supposed to offer some sort of “light therapy.”

The sad news is that none of them really worked. I still get that prickly, woozy, sweaty feeling on my first few days overseas. I sleep soundly for an hour or so, then lie awake in bed for the rest of the night, and then feel sorta hollow the next day. YUCK!

So every time I hear about a new substance or practice (other than denial) that might help ease the pain of jetlag, I’m eager to learn more.

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Introducing Nuvigil

There was much talk among the international travel crowd this month when the New York Times ran a story about a new jetlag drug called Nuvigil, on the market since last June.

Nuvigil is not a sleeping pill. Instead, it is a stimulant that travelers can take to treat the daytime sleepiness associated with jetlag—it does NOT help shift the body’s clock to a new time zone. (Nuvigil and its precursor, Provigil, are frequently used by people who suffer from narcolepsy and sleep apnea.)

Nuvigil’s maker, Cephalon, has plans to sell the drug to frequent business travelers—those who might pop over to Europe for a couple of days of meetings and then return. The Times article reports that in clinical trials among adults flying to Paris from the east coast, those who took Nuvigil did not nod off during the day as quickly as those who took a placebo.

I asked physician Jim Braude, who travels to Europe several times each year, for some insight and he said, “These drugs work by somehow stimulating the brain (although the mechanism is not clearly defined), and can cause heart palpitations and raise blood pressure. So as much as I personally want to eliminate jet lag, I’m not ready to try these given the risk/benefit formula.”

Several readers have used Provigil, but not the new Nuvigil. BAT reader Matt reports, “I use Provigil. It works well at keeping you up with out giving you the jitters. I can see how it can help when you first get some place and need to make it through the first few days until you get adapted to the new time zone.”

Another reader, MG, wrote, “I have used Provigil for almost a year now, and find it to be a ‘miracle’ drug for jetlag as well as many other ailments. It is astonishing! Somewhat like a stimulant in its results, it has almost no side effects and is a completely beneficial option for dealing with stresses to both the body and mind. Insurance companies (mine, two different ones) are reluctant to pay for it and it is quite expensive.”

Hmmm. I’d still like to try Nuvigil, but I think I’d experiment first on a trip that did NOT include an important meeting.

Since I’m alway curious to try anything to help with my jet lag issues,  I’m considering trying a new herbal concoction for an upcoming trip to Tokyo made by Mountain View acupuncturist and herbalist Ted Ray. He says he’s “tested his Jet Lag Formula on Silicon Valley executives for about seven years  and almost all notice an improvement in how they feel in the days after arrival– though some more than others.” The formula consists of a round of capsules containing a cocktail of various herbs that you take before during and after your flight.

How about YOU? How do you deal with jetlag?

Please leave your comments below! Or leave them on the SFgate by clicking here

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The headline on my recent post about this week’s storm-related delays at Bay Area airports prompted a question.

Why does San Francisco International seem to suffer so many more weather-related delays than airports in Oakland or San Jose?

There are two main reasons:

1>Parallel Runways

SFO is designed to handle up to 60 aircraft arrivals per hour in good weather. That’s because the airport operates two sets of parallel runways—one set for takeoffs, the other for landings. These parallel runways intersect at their midpoint forming a giant “X.”

The problem is that planes are only allowed to land side-by-side on these parallel runways during clear weather. When inclement weather strikes, the FAA forbids parallel landings. So all planes must land in single file, which cuts the airport’s arrivals capacity in half– from 60 down to 30 or 38 per hour, depending on the severity of conditions.

And when planes arrive late, they most likely end up departing late, compounding the frustration level at the airport, and leading to poor on-time performance numbers.

2>Volume

When bad weather strikes and the arrival rate at SFO is restricted to just 30-38 per hour, problems arise when the number of arrivals exceeds that ceiling.

Before 9 a.m., arrival volume at SFO remains below 30 per hour. But after 9 a.m., just over 30 aircraft are scheduled to land. The arrivals rate peaks between 12 noon and 2 pm when over 40 aircraft per hour are scheduled to land at SFO.

So that means that if a storm blows through SFO mid-day, you can expect major delays, which will ease later in the afternoon when arrival volume falls below 30 per hour.

The main reason that airports in Oakland and San Jose don’t face such on-time performance issues is that their volume is low…they rarely exceed their capacity for arrivals in good or bad weather.

As of today, Canadian authorities have relaxed the  onerous ZERO carry-on bag policy enacted after Christmas Day bombing attempt over Detroit. Passengers on flights bound for the U.S. from Canada can now carry on a single bag, plus a personal item like a purse, briefcase or laptop bag.

This is more or less a return to the rules in force before the Dec 25 incident, but a spokesperson at Transport Canada told The BAT that travelers should expect tighter enforcement of the one-bag rule.

This is VERY good news for Vancouver Winter Olympics-bound travelers headed north in February.

A barrage of winter storms coming in off the Pacific Ocean is affecting on-time performance at SFO this morning. With several storms expected for the rest of the week, similar delays are expected. Prepare by checking on airport updates below, bring along a good book, a laptop with wi-fi and your patience.

SFO: At 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, arrival and departure delays at SFO vary from a few minutes to about two hours with the greatest impact on short haul flights (those less than two hours in duration), says SFO’s Mike McCarron.

SFO Updates here

SJC: Mineta San Jose International Airport spokesman David Vossbrink reports no delays for arrivals or departures. He said that SJC has actually had to accommodate a couple of flights diverted from SFO over the last 24 hours.

SJC updates here

OAK: The duty manager at Oakland International reports that nearly all flights are taking off and landing on time on Tuesday morning with no significant arrival or departure delays.

OAK updates here

photo: life.com

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Love what Virgin America as done for flying from the Bay Area? (There are a lot of chihuahuas that sure do! See video below) Then you’ll be glad to know that it’s cleared an important challenge to its U.S. citizenship. This just in from the AP:

The Transportation Department has rejected an Alaska Airlines challenge to the U.S. citizenship status of privately held carrier Virgin America.

The agency said Friday that Virgin America remains a U.S. citizen and remains under the actual control of U.S. citizens. Under U.S. law, foreign ownership in a U.S. air carrier is limited to 25 percent of the voting interest in the carrier.

The Virgin Group, controlled by British billionaire Richard Branson, is a minority holder in Virgin America. DOT said the Virgin Group holds a 25 percent equity stake in Virgin America.

Here’s a link to the complete AP article

And Virgin America’s public statement on the decision

YO QUIERO VIRGIN AMERICA:

And here’s a very cute Chihuahua story that was a publicity coup for Virgin America…it got the brand on ALL the big morning talk shows in New York, plus tons of Bay Area and national media coverage. It was a feel good travel story in the midst of a bad travel news week!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rjmRSHemqs

(Too bad the voice over says “Virgin ATLANTIC” instead of Virgin America! I bet the PR’s are cringing down in Burlingame!)

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Frequent international travelers must rely on “pictograms” to find bathrooms in countries where they may not speak the local language. I know I have. But what I did NOT know is how these images can vary so widely. Artist  Gregor Turk has actually studied this phenomenon, collected a sampling, and made it into a unique public art display at Jacksonville (FL) International Airport. VERY interesting!

Turk notes that even the most standard pictograms vary in their width, cut of the arms, broadness of the shoulders, and distance or connectivity of the head to the body. At facilities that employ a greater sense of design, highly stylized pictograms reflect a much greater range in variations of body types, shapes, proportions, and activities. When the images of the respective figures are shown collectively, their typological differences become apparent, even amusing. The pictograms used as a source for this installation come from Brazil, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Israel, Lebanon, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, Syria, and the United States.

If you come across unusual pictograms, he’d appreciate it if you’d take photos and email them to him: info@gregorturk.com More info at www.gregorturk.com

MORE AIRPORT ART…HERE AT SFO. Harriet Baskas has a terrific blog that focuses on airports around the world. She’s got a great new post about the Pinball Machine display now appearing at United’s Terminal 3 Walkway at SFO. Check it out here.

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Since the attempted bombing of Delta/Northwest flight 253 over Detroit on Christmas Day, airport security has been turned on its head (once again).

While we expect changes, here are SIX things you need to know right now:

1>Most increased security is on inbound-to-U.S. flights. As far as we can tell, the only changes you may notice for domestic U.S. flying are more frequent pat-downs at airport security and the possibility of a random screening of your carry-on bags at the gate. (If you were traveling post 9/11 you may remember this procedure where a handful of passengers, usually those near the front of the boarding line, were chosen “randomly” to have the contents of their carry-ons displayed to everyone boarding the plane…)

2> Canadian authorities have lifted the onerous complete ban on carry-on luggage (except personal items like a purse or laptop) for flights departing Canada for the U.S. Updates here.  British Airways tells The BAT that travelers inbound to the U.S. from the U.K. are restricted to a SINGLE carry on that must conform to normal size standards. (one bag only…which means you need to put your purse or briefcase INSIDE your carry on suitcase)

3>When returning from another country to the U.S., you will go through TWO security checks: First, when checking in for your flight at the airline counter, you will face possible frisking, baggage inspection and questioning BY THE AIRLINE. Second, local authorities at airport security checkpoints will screen you as you make your way to the departure gate.There is also the possibility of random checks at the departure gate.

A remarkably quiet United Terminal at SFO. Sunday, Jan 10 at 5 pm

4>REMEMBER: We are entering the SLOWEST travel period of the year, so don’t expect ongoing huge delays or long lines. Despite media reports, you should not expect chaos at the airport. As a matter of fact, you could probably roll a bowling ball through airport concourses this month and not hit anyone! Just how dead is it at SFO? Check out this photo taken at United’s security checkpoint on SUNDAY Jan 10 at 5 pm. It’s super dead!

5>Expect to see more frequent use of the full-body scanners at the 19 U.S. airports where they are in operation. More international airports are said to be fast- tracking installation of these devices. (Full body scanners are in use at SFO’s International Terminal only. If you are flying United and a full body scan scares you, just go through security at United’s domestic terminal 3, and then take the new “connector walkway” to the international gates.) Silver lining? Check out the 6-month stock price chart below that shows the jump of OSI Systems, which owns Rapiscan, the manufacturer of such devices.

6>Restrictions on on-board activities (such as getting out of your seat or using electronics during the last hour of the flight) that were mandated last week are now left up to cabin crew—and from what we’ve heard, are essentially no longer in effect.

Bottom line: Terrorist incidents, like airplane crashes, happen. No matter how hard we try to prevent them, they are going to happen. No airplane is 100% safe. No airport is 100% secure. We should do our best to be vigilant, but not make long term decisions based on reactive fear.

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The following new airlines and routes will be added at San Francisco International Airport in upcoming months:

January 5:

• Jetblue adds second daily A-320 nonstops to/from Boston and New York-JFK
• JetBlue adds two daily roundtrips to Long Beach for a total of five daily.

February 11: United adds new roundtrip A320 nonstop to/from St. Louis

March 28:

• United reinstates second daily  flights to: London,  Frankfurt and Tokyo (all Boeing 777 aircraft)
• United adds two more flights per week to Osaka for daily nonstop service

May 4: WestJet adds seasonal nonstops to/from Calgary with B737 aircraft.

May 10: AirBerlin starts Weds and Fri roundtrips to/from Dusseldorf using A330 aircraft

June 1. Swiss begins 6x per week roundtrips to/from Zurich with A340. (no Tuesdays)

June 22: Air France adds second daily seasonal flights to Paris on Tues, Thurs and Sat.

Boeing's New "Dreamliner." Squint and look at that coach section at the back. Familiar?

UNITED ORDERS NEW PLANES. While they won’t be touching down at SFO until at least 2016, United recently announced that it’s placed orders for 50 new wide-body aircraft. It split the order 50/50 between the Boeing 787 “Dreamliner” and the Airbus A350. Both are about the size of current Boeing 767 or 777 aircraft and will eventually replace them.

NOT SO DREAMY. We’ve got an issue with the whole “Dreamliner” name… and get irritated when we see reporters get all wistful and dreamy-eyed thinking that everyone’s going to get a massage and a flat bed for sleeping (and dreaming) on every flight. Sorry folks—the plane is a dream to the airline, because it purportedly uses about 20% less fuel. But it’s not so dreamy for passengers sitting in coach– it’s just another twin-aisle, wide-body plane…okay, with bigger windows, maybe, but still…. (See photo above. Look beyond those dreamy first class seats!)

LOOK RIGHT>>> AND CHECK OUT OUR NEW ADVERTISER! Cavallo Point, located next to the Golden Gate Bridge (down and to the right if you are headed north) has been on our list of must-see Bay Area hotspots since it opened last year. While it’s a gorgeous, historic and luxurious resort, locals should visit to sit in the winter sun on the veranda at it’s Farley’s Bar, soak in the rays and the views, have a great meal and a bottle of wine….and look for your BAT editor! I’ll be there! Really, folks, if you like what you are reading on The BAT, please support our advertisers! It helps us help you! –cjm

UAL: BEST ON TIME PERFORMANCE—EVER? Yep, it’s true. According to the DOT, United was on time 91% of the time this past November, its best performance since the government starting tracking it in 1987. How did this happen? It’s all about the money according to gadling.com. Since last winter, United has offered all employees a $100 bonus each month the airline tops the DOT on-time ranking. They get $65 for second place.

MORE JETBLUE TO THE BAY. Starting May 13, JetBlue will add new nonstop flights between San Jose and Boston. (Introductory fares start at $99 each way.) JetBlue already offers nonstops from San Jose to New York-JFK. It also offers nonstops between Boston and SFO and Oakland.

CONNECT IN THE BART TUNNEL…EVENTUALLY. If you take BART to/from the airport or to/from work, you’re gonna like this: AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint/Nextel and Verizon flipped the switch on their wireless networks in the Transbay Tube on Dec 20. However, the Chronicle reports that despite the announcement, the service did not work as well as expected, so seamless use of mobile devices in the tunnel could take a while…

FLOWN LOW COST LATELY? Did you know that just 10 years ago, 90% of all air travel in the U.S. was on so-called “legacy carriers” like United, Continental, Delta, etc. Only 10% was on low cost carriers such as Southwest, AirTran or JetBlue. Well, what a difference a decade makes. Legacy dominance has declined to just 74% of the market this year…low-cost carriers have 26% of the market and low-cost giant Southwest owns 64% of that market.

NO MORE THAN THREE. Lengthy tarmac delays are a rarity at Bay Area airports, thank goodness! But they do happen (but mostly back east and most often due to snow and ice or de-icing.) Nonetheless, the feds have enacted new rules (effective later this winter) that will force airlines to provide food and water after two hours on the tarmac and a mandated return to the gate if they’ve been on the tarmac for more than three hours. If they don’t, they are fined $27,000 per passenger (that’s $5.5 million for a planeload of 200 pissed off passengers). Ouch! While the airlines are saying that the new rule will do more harm than good, the reality is that when faced with a fine like that, they will be forced to make operational changes that, in the long run, will prevent the horror stories we’ve all heard about folks stuck in stinky planes for hours on end. Your BAT editor has a comment about the whole brouhaha in this ABCNews.com article.

NEW MEMBERSHIP REWARDS PARTNER. Got a big bank of American Express Membership Rewards points that you are aching to redeem? You’ve got a new option: British Airways Executive Club recently became the 17th participating frequent flyer plan in the program. BA flies to 150 destinations worldwide from SFO via its two flights a day to London. (Stay tuned for a first hand BAT report later this winter from the Maldives…BA’s newest, and perhaps sexiest destination ever!)

VEGAS WILL BE PACKED. All indications are showing that this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (Jan 7-10) is going to be full to overflowing. Why? Pent up demand. This time last year we were all in economic shock. Attendees for CES and many other conventions were forced to cancel their plans. With things looking up this year, everyone wants to go back. So expect FULL flights between the Bay and Vegas, full hotels, and the necessity of restaurant reservations. The city is expecting in excess of 100,000 visitors for this, the city’s largest event of the year.

NEW ARRIVALS TAX IN ARGENTINA. Effective immediately, all U.S. citizens arriving at Buenos Aires Ezeiza Airport must pay a one-time “reciprocity fee” of USD $131.00 upon arrival. Why? Because that’s the amount the U.S. charges Argentines applying for entry into the U.S. (Several other South American countries such as Chile, Brazil and Bolivia already require such fees.) While the fee might make travelers wince, the Argentine government stands to pull in a cool $52 million from the 400,000 or so Americans that arrive each year.

REGIONAL UPGRADES ARE BACK FOR 1K’s. United is getting very good at listening to their best customers. After the backlash surrounding the elimination of regional upgrades, this announcement recently appeared on the UAL site: “Sometimes no change is good news. After our last announcement, we heard from our 1K members how much they value their Regional Upgrades. To thank them for their ongoing loyalty, we’ve decided to continue issuing regional upgrades to 1Ks, even after the unlimited domestic upgrades program launches.” Regional upgrades are considered more valuable than the newer “unlimited upgrades” because they can be applied at the time of reservation.

HILTON HHONORS—GOOD AND BAD NEWS. First the good. Members of Virgin America’s Elevate program can now earn miles for stays at Hilton’s family of hotel brands. Now the bad: Hilton is increasing the number of HHonors points required for award redemptions starting on January 14. Most reward categories will require an additional 5000 points for a free night stay. Stays at Hilton’s poshest brand, the Waldorf=Astoria Collection, are now pretty much standardized at 50,000 per night in the low season and 60,000 in high season.

SOUTHWEST BUMPS UP AT OAK—REINSTATES NASHVILLE. In May, Southwest will restore a single daily nonstop service between Oakland and Nashville, Tennessee. It will also add frequency between OAK and the cities of Albuquerque, Denver, and Seattle-Tacoma.

WHICH BAY AREA AIRPORT DO YOU USE? From a VERY interesting article in the San Jose Mercury News: “Among domestic passengers departing or arriving in the Bay Area, 57 percent use SFO, up from 43 percent just three years ago. By contrast, Oakland’s portion of the region’s passengers has dipped from 33 percent in 2006 to 23 percent now, while San Jose’s share dropped from 24 percent to 20 percent during that span. The analysts contend that the turning point arrived in 2007, when SFO landed low-cost carriers Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Virgin America. Southwest and JetBlue have long been Oakland territory, with nearly six of every seven passengers taking those two airlines, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. About half of San Jose’s passengers fly Southwest. Now, Southwest has quickly become the third-most popular airline at SFO, even though it does not fly international routes.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khIytDRus58

Delta’s now offering a schwanky new transcon Business Elite service for flights between SFO and New York-JFK.  Fares run in the $1000 to $3000 range.

I have only flown United P.S Business and Delta on this route and would love it if someone could chime in with some comments below about American’s premium classes or Virgin America’s first class on the route.

Delta’s upgraded service brings it up to par with rivals on the busy route.

Like United’s PS flights, Delta flies only Boeing 757’s on the route. However, Delta offers 16 Business Elite seats in the front section of the aircraft (forward of the galley and to the left when you enter the plane). The rest of the plane is coach (no first class.)

United P.S. offers 12 first class, lie flat seats and 26 business class, cradle style seats which are similar to Delta’s. (On United, first and business class comprise about two thirds of the on-board real estate.)

Delta Transcon Business Elite offers a wide range of entertainment options, but no live TV on its in-seat AVOD system. United passes out portable, individual inflight entertainment units that offer more limited choices than Delta’s.

United currently has in-flight wi-fi on ALL P.S. flights. Delta says that its wi-fi installation on these flights should be complete by the end of Dec 2009. Both United and Delta offer in-flight power plugs for laptops.

Anyway, The BAT recently went along for a test ride— see our 2.5 min video review. Enjoy! Take a look and let us know what you think. LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW!

From BART to The BAT:

BART is nearly doubling the number of Airport/Long-Term parking spaces this holiday season and is urging the public to purchase their parking permits early as the agency expects a heavy demand from people who are getting ready to fly out of town.  Permits are available now, but only online at www.bart.gov/parking . BART does not sell permits at any stations.

540 ADDITIONAL AIRPORT/LONG-TERM SPACES
Through Sunday, January 3, 2010, BART is setting aside an additional 540 spaces system-wide for Airport/Long-Term parking, bringing the total spaces for Airport/Long-Term parking to 1435. Airport/Long-Term parking is available at all East Bay stations with parking lots (excluding West Oakland and Coliseum/Oakland Airport stations) for $5/day.  West Bay stations with available Airport/Long-Term parking are Colma, San Bruno and Millbrae . Permits there cost $6/day. BART Airport/Long-Term parking rates are a much better deal than airport parking fees, which are as high as $20/day.

Drivers who do not have Airport/Long-Term parking permits are subject to the 24-hour weekday time limit on parking in all BART lots. The fine for violating this provision is $100. First-time customers can learn how to purchase a ticket by watching Malou Nubla’s segment on how to buy an Airport/Long-Term parking permit on BARTtv News atwww.BART.gov/BARTtv .

BEST TO PARK BEFORE 10:00 A.M.
BART guarantees customers an Airport/Long-Term parking spot if they get to the parking lot before 10:00 a.m.  After 10:00 a.m., customers can park in any available space, but BART cannot guarantee them a spot when they arrive.

PARKING RULES IN EFFECT ON CHRISTMAS EVE & NEW YEAR’S EVE
Although both Christmas and New Year’s days are BART parking holidays, BART considers Thursday, December 24, and Thursday, December 31, normal weekdays and BART Police will enforce all parking regulations.

ABC-7 reporter Lillian Kim called on your BAT editor Chris McGinnis for commentary about the British Airways strike, which was thankfully called off by court injunction the following day. The story was mostly about a high school band’s plight, but Chris supplied the expert opinion (See 1:20) ….this is great publicity for the blog! GO BAT!

See BA statement re: strike cancellation below….

BA STATEMENT RE: STRIKE CALL OFF:

We are delighted for our customers that the threat of a Christmas strike
has been lifted by the court.

It is a decision that will be welcomed by hundreds of thousands of families
in the UK and around the world.

There was never any need for a strike and we hope that Unite will take this
opportunity to reflect before deciding its next steps. We believe the
public would want that too.

In recent days, we believe Unite has formed a better understanding of our
position and of the ways in which we could move forward.

It has also become very clear that our customers do not believe that
old-style trade union militancy is relevant to our efforts to move British
Airways back toward profitability. Financial success is essential to build
the kind of business our customers want and provide long-term opportunities
for our staff.

It seems as though Southwest Airlines’ big “Bags Fly Free” campaign might be helping it snare more flyers than its competitors.

While most major airlines reported continuing declines in passenger loads in November, Southwest reported a healthy INCREASE of 12% year over year. Continental was the only other carrier to report an increase (2.8%). (See chart below)

What do you think? Would you fly Southwest because of it’s free baggage policy? I’m usually not one to check bags anyway, but if I had two bags to check, and a one carrier wanted to charge me $20 for the first, $30 for the second (so $100 round trip!) I’d sure give my biz to Southwest.

Airline, rank    Percentage gain (loss) Percentage gain (loss)
                 in November traffic    in year-to-date traffic

1. Delta         (8.3)                  (7.7)
2. American      (0.5)                  (7.6)
3. United        (0.6)                  (9.3)
4. Continental    2.8                   (4.4)
5. Southwest     12                      1.2
6. US Airways    (1.8)                  (4.5)
Total            (1)                    (6.2)