It’s a Wireless World at Hotels, Airlines

Online service by hotels and airlines continues to get more sophisticated. Recent examples:

* Wireless reservations: Wyndham International, in what it says is a first in the industry, lets travelers make reservations for the chain’s hotels from wireless Internet devices such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs). The Internet address is https://www.wyndham.com.

* Wireless check-in: In what it claims is a first for a U.S. airline, Alaska Airlines is letting e-ticket customers check in for domestic flights using wireless, Web-enabled cell phones and PDAs. Introduced in Seattle, the service is being added to other regions. It expands on wireless access to flight information, flight schedules and frequent-flier accounts, introduced by Alaska Airlines last fall. Internet https://www.alaskaair.com.

* Online check-in: Cathay Pacific lets frequent fliers check in for flights and get confirmed seat assignments via its Web site, https://www.cathaypacific.com. Passengers can check in up to 48 hours before departure. On arrival, they pick up a boarding pass, check in their luggage (if any) and go directly to the departure gate.