Gadgets and Gizmos

I was surprised by how many readers contacted me last month after I plugged a small global plug adapter. It's a sign that business travelers are still slightly flummoxed by the global electrical-plug game. The model I use costs $22 and accommodates most of world's plugs in a 2-by-2.5-by-3-inch block. It also has a USB port for recharging music players and smartphones. It makes a nice stocking stuffer. A similar model from Hammacher Schlemmer sells for $35 and has two USB recharging ports. That's not a bad upgrade for the times.

My friend Phil Baker invents smart stuff like portable folding keyboards, so I pay attention when he recommends travel gear. Last week he pointed me (and the readers of his blog) to a rechargeable battery and power stand for iPods and iPhones. It not only provides up to eight additional hours of talk time and 72 extra hours of music, it doubles as a stand to allow easier viewing of videos on your Apple device. It's $70 from Brookstone.

About the only given for business travelers these days is that hotels and airports haven't kept up with our insatiable need for power outlets and other charging ports. To the rescue comes the $20 Outlets to Go, a compact, lightweight, portable power strip. It offers three three-pronged power outlets and a USB port, and it all fits in the corner of a carry-on bag. It another terrifically thoughtful stocking stuffer for the business traveler who's crawled under one too many desks looking for unused power outlets.

Finally, a Flight of Fancy

JetSuite is one of about a million (I counted) companies offering corporate jet-rental services. But JetSuite has two advantages over its competitors. It exclusively uses the new Embraer Phenom 100, a four-seat jet that hits the sweet spot of most private-aircraft missions. And it sells its services by the day for prices as low as $999 a hour. If you want to give the gift of a private-jet experience, JetSuite has created the $1,995 gift card. It's valid for a one-way flight between four California or Nevada airports, and the price includes landing fees and champagne.

The Fine Print…

Here's a little "Bah! Humbug!" for your holiday travel. British Airways and its cabin staff are engaged in an untimely game of chicken. BA has imposed new work rules and concessions, and the union representing the airline's 12,500 cabin crewmembers has called a 12-day strike for December 22 to January 2. If the work stoppage occurs, nearly a million flyers could be stranded, and travel between the United States and Europe, especially London, will be thrown into chaos. BA says it will permit passengers booked to travel between December 20 and January 4 to change tickets without charge.