Do you know who Josh Wilson is? He may not be a household name yet, but thanks to his guitar, The Beatles‘ “Hey Jude” and a security breach at Newark International Airport, he may just become one.

On Sunday night, Newark was shut down for about six hours when an unticketed passenger slipped into the secured area of Terminal C. Obviously, being trapped in an airport with the threat of a security breach would get to anyone, so I am sure passengers were cranky, angry, tired and scared, especially in light of the attempted attack on Christmas Day.

Well, Christian singer-songwriter Josh Wilson helped raise the spirits of the frustrated passengers. He grabbed his guitar and led the terminal in a rousing sing-along to one of the Beatles’ most beloved hits. Watch the clip here. As you watch, you can definitely notice the faces of passengers beginning to brighten and break into smiles.

Wilson, hailing from El Dorado, Arkansas, has released five contemporary Christian CDs since 2004. With the video garnering more and more hits every day on YouTube, it may not be long before his career really takes off.  All this because of one simple act — Wilson tried to make people smile and engage a disgruntled crowd. He did wonders for their spirits, and he may have just done some wonders for his career.

Maybe the TSA should hire Wilson to sing on planes stuck on the runway for three-plus hours and there will be no need for all these new regulations!

Speaking of entertainment in airports, check out this video. TAP Air Portugal sure knows how to wish its passengers a Happy New Year!

– Kim Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executive

I arrived back home in southern Oregon just after midnight this past Tuesday morning after a wonderful vacation with my sisters in the Mediterranean. I’ll continue to share my adventures and impressions of the ports we visited on our cruise in upcoming blogs, but today my body and mind are still recovering from the epic return portion of my journey. I was really quite fortunate in that all of my flights were smooth and on time, but the number and length of the legs of my trip really tested my endurance. I have lovingly informed my husband, who booked my flights (but who did not get to go on the trip . . . hmmmm . . . I don’t think I’ll pursue that train of thought . . . ), that in the future the extra cost for a more direct route is definitely worth the price.

My day began at 3 a.m. in Barcelona after four hours of sleep (or, at least, of being horizontal). My flight on British Airways wouldn’t depart the airport until just after 7 a.m., but my sister’s flight was leaving earlier, and we decided to share the cab ride to the airport. After paying 38 euro to check my second bag (definitely worth it to avoid schlepping that piece of luggage onto four different planes), I had a comfortable wait for my flight as I watched the sky brighten and the corridors begin to bustle with travelers.

I enjoyed the two-plus-hour flight to London’s Heathrow, looking down over France’s Gironde Estuary and the vineyards of Bordeaux between short naps and a light breakfast. I wasn’t concerned about negotiating the transfer from Terminal 3 to Terminal 4 at Heathrow, as I had at least three hours to do so and had accomplished the same task in reverse on my way to Venice. I collected my bags, checked them in with Continental and got through security again — no problem. I did learn that I would have to go through customs control in Houston (I had naively hoped it would be Seattle, at the end of my Continental flights), where I only had a one-hour, 15-minute layover before my next flight. The ticketing agent told me I would have plenty of time for that (REALLY?!!)  and not to worry, which I proceeded to do off and on for the next several hours. A flight attendant on the nine-and-a-half hour flight also assured me that they had the process down to a science, so I felt a little better. I did make a note, however, in the future to not book a seat that is directly in front of the bulkhead, because it cannot be reclined — a definite minus on a lengthy flight.

Arriving in the customs hall with what appeared to be thousands of other people, I was thankful that our flight had arrived a bit early and had deplaned quickly. For a while, as my line stalled, I reflected on the fact that I seem to have a singular talent in picking the slowest line, be it at Costco, the bank or customs! I zinged through at last, with 50 minutes before my next flight was to take off, picked up my luggage at baggage claim (no wait), but at the next stage was told I needed to have my bags inspected. Directed into that area, I, huffing and puffing, dragged up to the only other person waiting, a tall, elegantly dressed gentleman with a British accent. He glanced at me with some concern, and I realized how I must look. I explained with wavering voice that I had less than 40 minutes to my next flight, and he graciously urged me to go ahead of him.

We watched as four agents manning the site became two (shift change, curse my luck!), and those two seemed to be moving in slow motion. As one stood tapping at his monitor, I explained my timetable and inquired as to whether I could still make my flight. He typed away and explained as soon as he was finished he or someone else would help me. After what seemed another eternity, he called me up. As I struggled to get my bags on the conveyor, I asked (again, quavering voice; I did not voluntarily use that tactic; I was 20 hours into my day, 16 of which was travel time) if there was any hope of me making my flight. He took a quick look in my folder, decided the pittance I would have to pay on being slightly over the customs limit was not worth having this middle-aged woman fall apart on him, and sent me on my way. I dumped my luggage at the bag-check, not caring whether it’d make it on the plane (it did) – at least it was in the U.S.! — and tore off to go through security (again) and hop a train to my gate. I made it with minutes to spare, and once on the plane made a quick call to let Harry know I had made it that far. He sounded very relieved, but it was only while I waited for my last flight at SeaTac Airport that I fully understood why. A woman in the seat next to me mentioned that an Air France flight flying from Rio to Paris had been reported missing over the Atlantic. Suddenly my very mundane travel difficulties slipped into perspective, and I said a prayer for those missing and their loved ones, and one of gratitude for my own safe transit.

At last, after 26 hours of flight and layover time and 30 hours after I arose from my bed in Barcelona, my Horizon flight touched down at Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport. I have never been more thankful to be home and safe.

Again, my thoughts and prayers go out to the 228 souls on Air France flight 447 and all those who knew and loved them.

Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

Over the course of the week, news and stories of Air France flight 447 continue to unfold. The terrible tragedy has captivated the attention of the world and brought many questions to the forefront. As I was starting my morning yesterday, I turned on Good Morning America and caught a segment on one such question being raised: Should families travel together on flights or split up? To be honest, I had never even considered this question. In reality, plane crashes are so rare. No one questions if families should be splitting up and driving two cars when they are all going somewhere together, and fatal car crashes are far more common.

The segment continued to recount many different stories and opinions on this subject. A young European couple, with two young children, took two separate flights to use up airline miles. The young mother and her son were passengers on that fateful Air France flight. The father and daughter were on a separate flight, which raised another question: Is it better to live without half your family? For this family, safety was not the issue for splitting up and, sadly, their lives have been forever changed as a result.

Other stories included a woman who lost both her parents in a plane crash when she was a girl. Today, when her family (her husband and two kids) go on a trip together, they all fly together. When she and her husband travel without the children, they travel separately. Another family profiled also always travels together, but the parents travel separately — even if they are going to dinner with friends at a local restaurant on a Saturday night. The segment continued for several minutes, even spotlighting airline employees and other frequent travelers and their opinions on the subject.

I found the segment to be very interesting. I didn’t fly too much as a child, but we always flew together as a family. I wonder if my parents ever thought about splitting up on flights. Perhaps when I have children of my own, this will be something I will start to consider. I began to wonder what other precautions I never consider that many people do. Over the past three years, travel has become a more regular, normal thing in my life — something I do without even thinking twice.

Does your family split up when traveling? What other safety considerations do you put in place before trips? Have you considered this and other precautions in the past? What are your thoughts?

My heart truly goes out to all those who have lost family and friends in the recent tragedy.

-Kim Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executive

On Saturday night, some relatives flew into JFK from California. I met them in NYC for a night out on Broadway, which is one of my favorite activities in the city. Their flight was scheduled to land at 5 p.m., but was delayed a half hour and forced to circle because of a VIP on the ground.

Luckily, they made it from JFK without traffic, and we made it to the theater with five minutes to spare. After the show, we expected to see Broadway crowded. We were also curious to glimpse the city’s new arrangement — Broadway is closed off to traffic between 42nd and 47th streets; it is for pedestrians only.

Instead, we were quite surprised to see an enormous number of police on 44th street, blockaded off by two cement trucks. I became nervous at first, as I thought something violent had happened. I ushered my relatives through the crowds, only to hear that President Obama and Michelle were in town, attending theater. My first reaction was, “That’s nice; good for them.” Then I wondered what event had brought President Obama to New York. I hadn’t heard about any official meetings.

I later learned that it was date night for the Obamas; a fulfillment of President Obama’s campaign promise that he would take his wife to Broadway once the election was over. Now, I, personally, would love to meet a man who keeps his promises. I imagine it is equally as hard to find those men in Washington as it is in New York. However, I can’t say I’m pleased with my tax dollars going to the President’s security detail for his date night. Not to mention, we can’t forget the accommodations they made to get to NYC in private aircraft.

Why again was it such a problem for CEOs to fly private jets when they were actually conducting business and helping the economy? Mr. Obama couldn’t be bothered to take Amtrak to NY, or, at the very least, combine his leisure plans with an official visit to NYC? That is, after all, common practice for most other business travelers when they are on the road. I doubt I, or the general public, will ever get answers to such questions. At least the show we saw, Blithe Spirit, was worth the extra commotion!

I would also like to extend my thoughts and prayers to the friends and family of those who have disappeared on Air France Flight 447.

-Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher

I never really thought of myself as a female business traveler, just as a business traveler. I also never thought I would be the type to check myself into a hotel’s ladies’ floor. To tell you the truth, until a reservation was made for me, I didn’t even know what the ladies’ floor was, or why I believed it to have negative connotations. I have now stayed on a hotel’s ladies’ floor twice and would happily request it my next time around.

My first time on a ladies’ floor was at the Chopard Ladies’, “Floor at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai about three years ago. When I was told I was on the ladies’ floor, my immediate reaction was a regular floor will do.” The receptionist suggested I try the floor, as I could always change. I’m glad she did — I didn’t want to leave the room! I was greeted by pink sheets and a pink bathrobe, not to mention Chopard amenities throughout the floor. Plus, only female staff were allowed on the floor, and extra security was needed to get on the floor. It did give me an extra sense of security.

Most recently, I stayed on the ladies’ floor at the Hotel Lotte while in Seoul, Korea last week. The Lotte has just gone through renovations, and the rooms were wonderfully designed. The amenities were not Chopard, but L’Occitane, and the room was bright, spacious and comfortable. To get on the floor, I needed my key to go through sleek sliding doors and enter the floor off the elevator. In addition to the club room, the floor offered its own lounge, which was peaceful and quiet — a great place to stretch out or read a book. The ladies’ floor did not yet offer wireless Internet, but broadband was available.

Whenever a ladies’ floor is offered, I encourage female business travelers, or those just looking for a girls’ weekend, to reserve a room on the special floor.

-Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher