Nixing business travel?

This may just be a passing thing, but long lines at airports and the inconvenience of checking in bags have made some business travelers think twice about making that trip to Chicago or Dallas. Bloomberg columnist Matthew Lynn, who is based in Europe, suggests different ways be found to get business done.

The Internet has made video conferencing more practical. It may not have the intimacy of physical contact. Yet it is fast and reliable, and you can include a lot more people. It isn't even clear that we need so many meetings. Do they really achieve anything or do they just happen because no one stopped to ask why? If business can have leaner workforces and shorter supply chains, why not fewer conferences as well?

A Newsweek poll found that 54 percent of respondents opposed banning all carry-on baggage on commercial flights, while 26 percent say they "definitely favor" such a move, and 18 percent say they would "probably favor" it. Paul DaSilva, a Los Angeles engineer who flies more than 100,000 miles a year, tells USA Today, "It's a touchy subject to folks like myself, and I can guarantee a drop-off in travel if more restrictions are enforced.".