This blog update should have been written in Singapore, but I am still in Chicago. The travel angels are not with me on this trip, at least not yet.

My plane from Chicago to Singapore via Hong Kong decided to throw a wobbly. Something to do with the fuel pump not working. Lots of revving of engines and mechanics, but the gist was the same. We ain’t going anywhere. Usual problems, that even if they managed to fix or replace the pump the crew would be out of flying hours so they cancelled the flight! Ironic really, since our last edition of Business Traveller looked at how airlines decide to cancel flights when things go wrong. Well, they are going wrong for me on this trip.

I have had to spend another night in Chicago, which I was rather pleased about, since it is one of my favourite cities. I think it is magnificent place. I especially love the way people actually live downtown. It gives a great feeling to the city.

Shame today it is more windy than warm. Oh, and that I don't have my suitcase. O'Hare airport was also having a bad day so it was going to be impossible to get our luggage back. Good old Macy's! Look out United, you’re getting a bill for underwear, a pair of socks and a clean T-shirt. (Well, would you want to sit next to me on a 15-hour flight when I'm wearing clothes I've sweated in for the previous 36 hours?)

My situation gets worse. I checked back into my hotel (thank you Park Hyatt, I do prefer green apples to red ones) and my laptop decided it would join the United fuel pump and refuse to work. The laptop has done sterling service having racked up well over a quarter of a million miles with me. Our tech guys response to my predicament sums up my feeling: "It had a good innings. I guess this is an appropriate answer in the baseball city of Chicago.

Anyway, I am now flying to Singapore via Tokyo Narita and doing my best to keep cheerful without laptop. So, poor me, I guess I will just have to watch movies, read a book, sleep and eat more food. I can tell the boss: “Honest guv'nor, I'd have worked much harder on the plane, but what could I do? My laptop died!” I know. Dreadful isn't it. Oooh, the canapés look tasty... I'll have another instead.

Richard Quest, CNN, stuck in Chicago, en route to Singapore, without my laptop.

Posted by Richard Quest: 1:27 PM

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For instance despite the Virgin hot air, this flight wasn’t strictly speaking an inaugural at all because Virgin ran the route in the 1990s only stopping after the airline crises following 9/11. It was a Return to Service, but only a pedant would point that out.

So, Virgin is running the route in competition against United (who is based in Chicago) American and British Airways. Not that that will worry Richard Branson, he has made a career of going after the legacy carriers so I expect a good down and dirty fight, entirely appropriate to the Windy City with its history of political shenanigans.

Anyway, that’s not what’s on my mind. Today Virgin along with Boeing announced they are beginning experiments with biofuels for aircraft. Biofuels generate far less carbon dioxide emissions and are much better for the environment.

But can it be done? Some fuels like ethanol freeze above 15,000 feet – not a good idea for a jetliner cruising across an ocean. Others simply couldn’t be made in anything like the quantity necessary to fill thirsty plane tanks.

So they are looking at soya and other forms of agricultural products to see if they are more suitable.

Branson has offered to test a blend of these fuels on one of his Boeing 747-400’s. This could be an expensive experiment. The planes cost more than $140m. The engines cost at least $5m each!

Clearly this plane won’t be allowed to fly until they are pretty sure the fuel works and even then there won’t be passengers on board (although, if they are looking for volunteers then I will sign up to be one!) Sir Richard is always being bashed when he makes these environmental announcements. After all he’s the owner of an airline, so isn’t that a bit like Dracular popping into the blood bank to see how things are going? I have a lot of time for his standard response that we still have to travel so we are going to have to find the most effective and environmentally friendly way to do it.

I sympathize. Many of you have taken me to task for all the air travel I do, and the detrimental effect it must have on the environment. I try to be carbon neutral, I have tried offsetting, I take flights when necessary. But at the end of the day, I can’t make a television program about somewhere without actually going there. And if I am going to report on business travel issues that means getting on planes.

Sir Richard and I have had our differences in the past, and I don’t always like the way his airline has so many gimmicks that it forgets the business is getting from A to B. But he is trying to make a difference. Whether it’s starting grids to cut the emissions of taxiing planes, buying more fuel efficient aircraft (not that he had much choice – they are all going that way) donating the profits of the airline to environmental causes or instigating biofuel research, it is a start. And before we start bashing him over the head, let’s ask ourselves what the other carriers are doing?

Okay other carriers – here’s your free shot – respond to this blog or drop us an e-mail about your top five environmental measures you have initiated or taken and will put them up on this blog. Simple. Now over to you.

Posted by Richard Quest: 11:45 AM

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He joined other journalists at the Virgin Clubhouse early this morning as the airline added another feather to its cap with an inaugural flight to Chicago. Will the daily service be successful? Do other airlines have anything to fear? Are there more VS transatlantic routes in the pipeline but from other European destinations? Good thing Richard's on board to interrogate Branson.

Sir Richard is expected to make a big announcement at tomorrow's press conference in Chicago. Just about everybody is stumped but we all have our suspicions. So watch this space.

After Chicago, it's no rest for the wicked as the Business Traveller team has a long, hard week ahead.

They will be filming for two shows from four cities in five days.

Chicago-Singapore-Hong Kong-Vancouver-Chicago... a killer road trip.

Be prepared for the blogs that follow!

Posted by Richard Quest: 2:01 PM

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