the watch of time

As a member of the baby boomer generation, I have begun taking more seriously the issue of arranging travel plans on-line.

It should be appreciated that the painstaking nature of the experience, enhanced by the omnipresence of the internet and search sites, could be little envisaged as our cohort developed its work traction in the years surrounding Canada’s turning 100 years of age. These were times anecdotally providing evidence of stable jobs with seemingly long-lasting benefits and dependable pensions. Given subsequent evolution of the workplace, this was probably the apex of a bubble.

With the internet both providing and encouraging use of its search engines, people are increasingly prone to, if not actually shopping, at least searching for information on-line. That said, clearly more and more of us are shopping there.

The rampage of technological evolution can only partly be laid at the feet of youth. In any event, this embodies the adage that the only constant is change. However, it is the rapidity and ever-increasing pervasiveness which is the hallmark, so far, of the twenty-first century.

Thus, activities such as shopping for flights or accommodation are caught up in these continually reinventing modus operandi.

Based on my recent experience, and considering the advice of numerous professionals along with available statistics, I conclude the following:

• Since ‘bundling’ trip modes and destinations is supposed to provide savings, adding more and more should keep knocking the total cost down
• The best time literally to book a flight is 6:00 am Saturday, since nobody wants to get into any hassles at that hour
• Be careful of the information context when reviews are identified as from ‘users’
• Remember that eligibility for hotel club rewards means that you are a member of a club that would have you as a member
• Knowing prices in the future provides distinct advantages in budgeting flight and hotel rates
• Marketing is the background CGI buffeting any parade of details
• Each decision has more potential considerations to juggle than a professional busker with three arms
• There is no single moment when one can declare “The price is right!”

At least at the end of the process one can at least feel in control of the printer used to generate the hard copies.