Q: Does an airplane handle differently when it’s empty? 
Daniel Asuncion, Halifax

Usually, pilots only fly an empty aircraft to reposition it for another flight, to send it off for a fresh coat of paint or to pick up a new addition to the fleet. And, yes, an empty airplane handles differently. A light airplane taxis quicker, gets airborne sooner and climbs faster. It’s also more susceptible to surface winds, so getting a smooth landing takes a little more finesse as flight controls are more sensitive.

Voice recorders have always been handy for remembering things, thinking aloud through business challenges or sending to-dos to your assistant. In the past few years, these devices have come a long way. The Olympus LS-10 Linear PCM Recorder, which features 2 GB of built-in memory and has a slot for an additional SD card, is nothing short of a portable digital audio studio. For the past few months, this is the tool I’ve been using to record my audio podcast. And that’s the other fun part: Now, if you’re feeling like you’re constantly in the air and not spending enough time with your teams, you can use this to share your stories – it’s like your own internal podcast. The hand-held device records in WAV, MP3 and WMA file formats, making the content easy to transfer, edit and share.

Location The Boca Beach Club is 1.5 kilometres northeast of the main resort on South Ocean Boulevard in Palm Beach County. Highlight Each of the Pool Oasis’ three gorgeous beachside pools has a different themed umbrella design. Dining SeaGrille, by a decorative pool in the main lobby, offers fresh fish of the day, like Gulf swordfish. Order it with a side of chef Donna Wynter’s Gruyère potato gratin. Giving back In partnership with Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, turtle-friendly beach lighting has been installed to protect the 15 endangered-turtle nests. Room to book Atlantic-facing rooms promise superb morning sunrises, while inland waterway-facing rooms give great sunset. Rooms 203. GM John Carns. 

561-447-3000, bocabeachclub.com

When you travel, you can’t ignore what’s going on in the airline industry. It affects you in a very basic way. As I write this, one airline is contemplating yet more fare hikes. Another drops first class. Pilots are on strike in Europe. And 2009 is announced as the “worst year ever” – it’s endless and it’s a lot of bad news. And let’s not whitewash things: the airline industry is facing difficult times. As are many industries and many people.

A few days ago, a friend posted a photo of her hotel room on Twitter. The view was spectacular: a vast beige tableau framed by a room that seemed to integrate itself perfectly with the natural world outside. And that was enough to make the doom and gloom vanish, for a little while at least. It was a reminder of what travel affords us, of its possibilities. And why we imbue certain business (like the airline industry) with qualities it does not even seek to possess. Airlines make us emotional on so many different levels. The industry itself ignores this fact at its peril. And so lately, with the economic turbulence rocking all fronts, the industry has looked to the bottom line at the expense of the emotional experience of travel itself – even while using that emotional tug in their marketing. That’s the disconnect right now but I’m almost certain this will right itself.

Being in the media myself, I know that bad news is big news. But good news? Well, that’s not news at all. I understand why, both as a writer and as an avid consumer of news. It’s just not as interesting. A quick look at what you’re watching on TV will confirm this.

In the next month, I’m flying at least once a week. Mostly for business. And the airports will not be full of grumps (except, perhaps, for LGA, but I don’t see how it’s possible to be cheerful there). Things will move along efficiently. More often than not, I’ll get to my destination on time. The service onboard will be friendly. I won’t have much to complain about. And so there will be no news of my travels. Someone will ask me how my trip went, and I’ll reply that it went fine. I almost never have anything exciting to report about a flight except if I see something especially fine on the in-flight entertainment (I discovered HBO’s Bored to Death on a recent flight and can’t stop telling people about it) or if I spill something on my pants. I tend to spill things.

I’m an optimist about the industry. I remain confident that the industry will continue and thrive again. Why? Because travel is in our nature, and tourism isn’t about to disappear. It’s going to boom again when the economy picks up. It always does. And as much as businesses are relying on video conferencing or even things like Second Life (!) for their meetings (yes, IBM uses Second Life to stage regular meetings with its far-flung workforce), the face-to-face meeting is not an extravagance: it’s a human necessity.

For travelers, it’s a good idea to remember that most of the time, the airline industry does exactly what it says it’s going to do: it gets you where you want to go. And it does it well.

Location Set in 350 acres of idyllic countryside, the resort is just 10 kilometres west of London Heathrow Airport. Highlight Sports facilities are outstanding, including the 27-hole Harry Shapland Colt golf course (seen in the movie Goldfinger), 13 tennis courts, indoor and outdoor pools and a 4,845-square-foot Technogym. Wellness The 13-room SPA SPC uses its own glass-packaged organic products. Room to book Choose between an antiques-filled museum room in the 18th-century Mansion and a 21st-century room in the new Pavilion block. Rooms 49. GM Giammario Ragnoli. 

44-1753-717171, stokeparkclub.com

Sure, the latest tech can help you get down to work wherever you are. But time on the road (and in the air) is also the perfect opportunity to let loose and play. Sudoku was never my thing, and lugging around a hardcover of Dan Brown’s latest just isn’t in the cards. So, in the spirit of March Break, here are two of my favourite ways to kill time when not strapped to e-mail or grappling with a smartphone.

Have you ever dreamt of becoming the mayor of Yorkville or Yaletown? Now is your chance. One of the hottest games, applications and online social networks – yes, it’s all three and more – is Foursquare. This app for the iPhone and Android phones (though it can also be accessed by any mobile device with a browser) allows you to “check in” and tell your friends where you are, so they can recommend where to shop and eat and what to do nearby. As more and more people connect, you learn more about the best spots to frequent, and the more you go to a specific place (and tell your social network), the more status you earn for that locale. And yes, you can be named “mayor” of your favourite bar, restaurant or hotel. You can also receive hyper-local offers (like free appetizers at certain restaurants) and, as with the best of video games, you can unlock badges that give you real-life street cred (and some additional goodies).

For those of you who’d rather stay in your hotel room, the Cinemin Swivel lets you project a crisp 60-inch image from over eight feet away. This amazing multimedia pico projector is about the size of two packs of cards but still lets you get that movie theatre experience for around $300. It pulls your video files right from your iPod or iPhone (or you can use a VGA-to-AV adapter to connect a laptop). The coolest part about this mini-projector is the 90-degree swivel hinge that makes it simple to project on any surface – even the hotel-room ceiling.

Write to us: letters@enroutemag.net

Q: How does an airline pilot become a captain?
Richard Stilwell, Toronto

Captaincy, awarded on seniority, takes about two months of training. To become captain of the Airbus A320, I completed a three-day introductory command course followed by ground school, simulator training and a flight test. Then came 50 hours of line training on a real airplane with a line indoctrination training captain. The final step saw me back in the simulator for “command sims,” ending with a memo­rable moment as my fourth stripe was awarded during the command final line check.

Location On Fifth Avenue and Broadway, the hotel is handy to the financial, Gaslamp and Theater districts. Highlight David Rockwell’s 10 x 10-foot solid bronze door leads to a lobby with Calder-like mobiles dangling from the ceiling. Dining Don’t miss the living wall of plants in chef Christopher Lee’s Dodd Mitchell-designed Suite & Tender restaurant. Wellness Opt for a Sè Spa facial. Room to book Suite 906 looks down Fifth Avenue. Rooms 161. GM Craig Waterman. 

619-515-3000, sesandiego.com

Q: Where can I sign up my husband for a fear-of-flying course?  
Patricia Cardoso, Barrie, Ontario

I know of one fear-of-flying course (deplour.com) led by an experienced Air Canada pilot and a psychologist. It’s a two-day seminar that combines behaviour modification techniques with aviation education. Besides managing your anxiety, knowing what causes aircraft noises or understanding turbulence goes a long way toward treating aviophobia (fear of flying). To increase your knowledge – and reduce your fear – there are countless websites, CDs and books, including mine: From the Flight Deck: Plane Talk and Sky Science (ECW Press).

Location This hotel on the west side of historic Place Vendôme is a five-minute walk from the Palais Garnier opera house and the Tuileries. Highlight Sunday brunch attracts regulars from former French prime ministers to young Parisians in the latest gear. Dining Michel Roth’s L’Espadon has two Michelin stars. For a truly sublime experience, book the chef’s table in the kitchen. Wellness Try the Daniela Steiner facial followed by a simultaneous manicure and pedicure. Room to book Room 417, one of the stunning new Pierre-Yves Rochon suites, overlooks a quiet garden. Rooms 175. GM Omer Acar. 

33-1-43-16-30-30, ritzparis.com