The National Business Travel Association has released a white paper on the overall impact of CAPPS II and security-related privacy issues on travel. Some of the conclusions:

-CAPPS II will likely cost airlines “significantly more” than the current $150 million they spend annually on CAPPS. Implication for us? Undoubtedly, prices will have to rise to keep pace, and/or more airlines will dive into bankruptcy.

-Longer wait times and costs for visas to enter the U.S., plus a long appeal time for those whose visas are denied due to stolen identity or other errors. Implications for international attendees coming to U.S.-based meetings are pretty obvious.

In short, says the white paper, “The forthcoming implementation of CAPPS II augurs further challenges for already beleaguered road warriors.” And, I would add, for U.S. meetings with a large percentage of international participants. *sigh*

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Accordiing to Saturday’s New York Times, the release of airline passenger data in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks airlines including American, United and Northwest gave the FBI millions of records on their customers.

The point was for the agency to be able to analyze and develop a kind of travel profile that would help them identify future terrorists, says the article.

But it was all for nought: “There is no indication that the passenger data produced any significant evidence about the plot or the hijackers, the F.B.I. official said.”

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Ever hold a family program only to watch in horror as the kids refuse to eat anything but fat-laden macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, or french fries? With obesity such a growing concern among our youngsters nowadays, we can’t afford to let them chow down on junk anymore, even when on the road.

That’s why I applaud the chefs at 57 Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts in and outside of the U.S. for coming up with Healthy Taste” Ritz Kids Menus that will debut—but of course!–on Mother’s Day, May 9.

According to the press release, “Many of the chefs are also parents and understand better than most the importance of eating the right foods…Lawrence McFadden, the company’s executive chef. [says] ‘This does not mean taking hamburgers or macaroni and cheese totally off the menu and substituting bean sprouts….we want them to eat their meals. What it does mean is taking another look at what we cook, how we cook it, and ways we can appeal to kids’ appetites, while not adding extras they don’t need like fat, sodium, and food additives.’”

One of the creations they came up with that’s sure to appeal to kids’ sense of fun, with a little gross-out for spice: “ants on a log” (celery stuffed with peanut butter and studded with raisins). Another cute idea: for dessert at Tysons Corner, Chef Coleman crushed granola, placed it in a mini plastic sand box, with tiny shovel to use in place of a spoon.

Hey, can I get one of those too?

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