Murley blog

Seth Godin, an exceptional marketing mind, writes about the recent changes in airport security that should have air company executives shuddering:

When you need an additional 90 minutes, can’t bring your laptop (or even a book on some routes) and can’t have a bottle of water, the calculus for most trips is fundamentally changed. Years ago, Tom Peters argued hard and long for the value of showing up, of being there in person, of establishing a face to face relationship with the person on the other side.

The prevalance of online video, constant skype connections and the multiple threads of data we get online, combined with the enormous overhead that flying now brings might just change the story for a long time to come.

I know that I was not too thrilled about the long wait at airports *before* this recent incident. Now, knowing that I won’t be able to use a laptop or iPod for the duration of a trip (not to mention worrying about what’s going to happen to that sensitive electronic equipment once it’s stowed under the cabin) makes me even less a potential customer for the airlines.

Many of my trips have been made in rental cars just because I don’t want the hassle of an airport. I suspect car rental companies are going to see booming business in the coming months, even with the high gas prices.