Staying ubiquitously connected in today’s world is quickly becoming a necessity for mobile business professionals. I was recently planning a trip to New York City, and the need to be connected factored greatly into my decision on how to get there. Other factors were the climbing price of gasoline, the cost of overnight parking in the city, and the time spent driving several hundred miles. I was looking for a way to travel that allowed me to spend my travel time productively and stay connected to the outside world via phone and the Internet. I had considered taking a high-speed train, but the known delays and lack of connectivity to cell phone towers and the Internet presented a problem. I also considered the air shuttle between Boston and NYC. However, the time spent in security checks, the expense of airport overnight parking, lack of access to a phone and to the Internet, and the long cab ride from the airport made it ineffective and cost prohibitive. I also looked at the cheap alternative of taking the bus, which would give me access to my cell phone. But there was no real guarantee of a seat, and I would still have to drive to the bus station in Boston, pay for parking, and take a cab to my hotel in New York.

LimoLiner outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan.

LimoLiner: fast, comfortable, and affordable

I had heard of an alternative solution called LimoLiner (http://www.limoliner.com), a luxurious, 28-passenger, state-of-the-art shuttle bus traveling between New York and Boston. LimoLiner, the brainchild of Fergus McCann, pampers you with the utmost in comfort and business services. The front cabin is outfitted with comfortable “business-class” seats with plenty of leg room. The rear cabin includes two folding tables and room for small meetings. LimoLiner includes personal amenities, unlimited Internet access via Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi connectivity, power outlets at every seat, constant cell phone reception, and Direct TV for business and news channels. In addition, the shuttle offers five channels of digital music and a DVD movie on every trip. To top things off, there is an onboard attendant to provide snacks, beverages, and help you with rental car reservations during your trip, plus a comfortable restroom complete with fesh flowers. The LimoLiner combined all the features I was looking for in an affordable ($69 one way), fast, comfortable mode of transportation. It allowed me quality time to get some work done on the Internet as well the ability to send and receive phone calls.

Booking the trip was as simple as pointing my browser to the LimoLiner Web site and selecting a seat from their Advanced Seat Selection option. LimoLiner has three departures from Boston and from New York scheduled each day, plus one departure from each city on Saturday and two departures each on Sunday. Check their Web site for their current schedule. LimoLiner departs from the Hilton Boston Back Bay with a quick stop at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel (a MetroWest area with free parking) and arrives at the Hilton Hotel New York in Midtown Manhattan. All locations provide complimentary Wi-Fi access in their lobbies, allowing you to get work done while you wait in comfort.

Accessing Wi-Fi and connecting to the Internet

I began my LimoLiner trip by unloading my gadgets from the pockets of my Scott eVest (http://www.scottevest.com) and firing up my Wi-Fi enabled HP iPAQ 4350 Pocket PC. Broadband Wi-Fi service as well as Direct TV is provided via a satellite dish mounted on the roof of the bus. I easily picked up the Wi-Fi signal by using the Pocket PC’s built-in Wi-Fi configuration utility, but had trouble establishing a connection. I resolved this with the help of a product called Pocket WinC by the Cirond Corporation (http://www.cirond.com/site/products/wifispotter.htm).