Coming Soon to Planes: Shopping at Our Seats

Airplane passengers will soon be able to fly and shop--using individual touch-sensitive screens that let them make credit-card purchases from their seats. Northwest is introducing this interactive communications system, called WorldLink, in planes beginning this fall. For sale will be typical airline duty-free items such as crystal and china, but also art work, clothing, plane tickets and hotel reservations. Passengers will also have a choice of movies, TV news, sports, video games, connecting gate information and other consumer information. Screens are being installed on arm rests in first- and business-class and all seat backs in coach; they “read” credit cards and arrange shipment. The first equipped plane will debut this fall on a mixture of flights between the United States and Pacific Rim countries, including trips out of LAX. Nearly 50 other planes equipped with WorldLink will be added to the fleet in about 15 months.

Travel Quiz: Switzerland’s flag is a white cross on a red background. The flag of the International Red Cross is a red cross on a white background. What is the connection?

Getting a Handle on Bike-Friendly Cities: Bikers may want to get in gear and head for the world’s top five biking cities, recently by Bicycling magazine. The May issue names Groningen, the Netherlands; Tianjin, China; Copenhagen; Harare, Zimbabwe, and Seattle, in that order, as the most biker-friendly places. What makes for good biking, said the magazine, are such factors as safety, supportive governments, active biking communities, favorable terrain and climate and traffic at “manageable” levels. Groningen, for example, provides a place at traffic lights for bikes to stop in front of cars so bicyclists don’t breathe fumes, has separate lights for cyclists that give them a jump on cars, and allows right turns on red only for bikers.

Riding to Eat: If you want to catch a ride--and a meal--with the best chef on Amtrak, take the Coast Starlight between Los Angeles and Seattle. Jerome White of Canoga Park and Las Vegas, a Coast Starlight chef, recently won the annual culinary competition between Amtrak’s chefs. White prepared grilled salmon in a sauce of white wine, lemon and cream with rice pilaf and fresh vegetables using foods normally found aboard Amtrak trains. While that exact dish won’t necessarily be on the menu, others he has created might be.

Sailing on a Viking Ship: Tourists to Scandinavia have always been able to see Viking ships at museums. Now visitors can actually ride on one. Four-hour sails are being offered on weekdays, June 29-Aug. 14 (closed July 20-25), aboard the Helge Ask, a replica of a 1,000-year-old ship. The sails are part of a full-day program by the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde (about half an hour by train from Copenhagen), which also includes a museum tour and film viewing. Cost of the trip is $80 per person. The ship only holds 20 passengers, so reservations are required. Write to Viking Ship Museum, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark.

Tanzania Caution: Americans are being advised to exercise caution when traveling in Tanzania, where crime continues to be a major problem in both urban and rural areas, according to a U.S. State Department advisory issued June 1. Visitors should use extreme caution in safeguarding documents and valuables such as passports, traveler’s checks, cameras and jewelry--and should not put them in luggage checked with airlines or other transportation. Thieves often pose as passengers on buses and trains in order to steal valuables from inattentive riders. In some cases, the advisory said, victims are first drugged with tainted food or drink offered by strangers or casual acquaintances. Visitors driving in Tanzanian game parks are advised to have an experienced driver or game park official accompany them, and those walking on the beaches should avoid any isolated areas due to the dangers posed by muggers and pickpockets. Travel by night in the countryside is considered dangerous because of crime and hazardous road conditions, the advisory said.

Travelers to Tanzania should also be aware that Air Tanzania has been suspended from the International Air Transport Assn. for failure to meet financial obligations. Air Tanzania is the major airline for flights to game parks within the country, and also offers service to some neighboring countries. The State Department is advising travelers that those financial difficulties could affect the airline’s maintenance and overhaul capabilities. Travelers are being advised not to purchase tickets from Air Tanzania for flights on that carrier or others, as such tickets may not be honored.

Quick Fact: Nickname of the annual 128.5-mile Tour of the California Alps bicycle ride near South Lake Tahoe (this year, July 11): “The Death Ride.”

No Traffic Gains in April: Airline passenger traffic remained flat in April as U.S. carriers added capacity but didn’t attract more passengers, according to Air Transport Assn. figures. U.S. carriers increased their capacity by 6.7% in April, over April, 1991, but picked up a marginal gain of 1.3% in passenger miles. Domestic traffic dropped 4.8%, while international traffic showed a 23% increase over April, 1991, a somewhat distorted figure considering last year’s Persian Gulf War, the ATA said. U.S. airlines lost about $600 million in the first quarter of this year, according to an ATA spokesman.

German Railroads Taking Cards: Germany’s two railway companies, Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) and Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) this month began accepting Visa, marking the first time a payment card has been accepted for rail travel in that country. Travelers can now use their credit cards to buy train tickets at 155 major railway stations in Germany and at travel agencies where train tickets are sold.

Comparatively Speaking: Price of a movie ticket in Switzerland: $9.51. In Australia: $8.28. In Belgium: $6.52. In Hong Kong: $4.43. In Fiji: $1.10. In the Philippines: 62 cents. (Source: Business Traveler magazine.)

Fair Warning: A hot-air balloon rally, Army parachutists and aerobatic teams will be part of the 23rd annual Truckee Tahoe Air Show at Truckee Tahoe Airport, June 27-28. In addition, there will be military helicopters; antique, classic and experimental airplanes, other aeronautical displays and refreshments. Cost is $8 for adults; children under 13 are free. For more information, call (916) 587-4119.

Quiz Answer: The Red Cross was founded by a Swiss philanthropist, Jean Henri Dunant.