Executive Travel : Business Travel Notes

* When it comes to travel, women feel the industry treats them strictly second-class, according to a survey released this week. A poll of 650 women by the travel magazine Endless Vacation found that most women believe they receive inferior service to men when on the road and even pay higher prices in some cases. The survey found that 69% of those polled believe the travel industry treats men better than women. In addition, 35% said they attribute negative experiences they have had while traveling to being female.

* A company that has been testing free-standing private rooms at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport since August, 1992, says the idea is a winner and that it is negotiating with other airports. Business travelers can use the rooms for catnaps or to catch up on work. Eight Ziosks made by Ziosk Inc. of St. Petersburg, Fla., are scattered throughout the terminal, each equipped with a sofa, worktable, credit card phone, fax machine, television and clock radio.

To gain access, the traveler picks up a phone outside the unit. An 800 number is automatically dialed, which puts the customer in touch with an operator, who takes a credit card number as well as the length of time for which the unit is to be reserved. The user then gets a four-digit code that allows entry and re-entry during that period. The cost: $12.95 for the first hour, $6.98 for each additional hour. So far about 2,900 people have used the units at the test site, with their stays averaging about 90 minutes, Ziosk said.