Air Travel – The New First Class Dining Experience
With first-class air travel reaching enormous amounts in regards to cost, what are the airlines doing for their first-class passengers in exchange for such hefty dues? For one, they are upping the ante when it comes to the onboard first-class dinging experience. As we all know, airfare has sky rocketed recently as the average first-class round trip flight is around $13,000. Yes, a much more comfy seat and more leg room may be worth the price, but airlines are beginning to do away with those pre-determined menus and beginning to go so far as to hiring their very own on-board chefs.
Yes, you heard it correctly. With several airlines, your very own first-class chef is available on your flight. Of course, much of this sort of activity is being done on more foreign flights, but it seems to be quite a popular trend these days. The number one and number two rated best on-board meals currently go to Gulf Air and Cathay Pacific (Gulf Air being the airline with the personal chef aboard, of course.) While this all may be a bit ‘overdone’, like a fresh egg made to order at Cathay Pacific, it really only costs the airlines about $30-50 per traveler. This all seems like a pretty good deal for the airline, as well as the traveler. That is, if this is what they expect out of a $13,000 flight. But it does not end here.
Airlines, such as Singapore Airlines is providing first-class travelers heir choice of beverage, including champagne including Dom Perignon upon boarding the flight. This pleasant experience in accented with a lovely serving of world famous caviar with travelers’ meals. While all of this seems a bit overdone, one may begin to wonder if it is really a bit over the top. In the United States, many of us have not experienced such pleasantries on our flights. We are pretty lucky if we get a free box of snacks, like Southwest Airlines has been so kind as to provide on several flights. Are airlines going to be jockeying for such positions in the future in the US as they have been on foreign airlines? If so, then how far? Today it sounds as if our airlines are really having some trouble dealing with things such as oil prices and rising costs in order to do business.
It is actually a very interesting point in time in regards to the airlines as competition is heating up as well as airfare prices. How high will they go? Who knows? What I wonder about is if the first-class upgrades will really propel the airlines into better profits, ultimately cost them more money, or if they actually have more money than we think? All I know is this is getting very interesting; however, not interesting enough to raise prices for airfare even more just to suit the personal chefs on board. So, what will happen next with the airlines seems to be headed towards raising the bar in terms of quality of experience. But, how will this affect everyone? Hopefully, it will allow airlines to pick themselves up across the board and provide a pleasant flying experience for everyone in the air.
Time Travel – Undo Your Past and See Your Future
When I was a kid my dad told me that there is really a time machine. He said that it is in a very secret place because the government doesn’t want it to be used. He added that when somebody will be caught using it, the police will get them. I know my dad was just making a story to stop my imagination about time travel. And yes, as a kid I was really afraid of the police. They use it to scare me whenever I act like a brat.
But that story didn’t stop me to imagine and wonder what if I can travel. When I was kid, I often dream about going to the future. In the future, I will be able to see how and what I’ve become and then I will go back and tell myself about what to do in the present so that my future will happen or not if it’s not what I want. In the contrary, I guess the thought of time travel when I was young was just about the adventure I could get out of it.
When I started my teenage years, the thought of travelling through time changed. During those years, I desperately wanted to turn back the time to change my mistakes. I thought about the decisions I made, actions I’ve done and words that I had spoken.
For example; during a math quiz bee when I failed to win the first prize because I didn’t follow my intuition of how to solve the tie-breaking problem; for eagerly answering the question of my teacher but then my answer was wrong, for helping my pregnant teacher with her heavy stuffs that caused me to fall in a canal and be seen by my schoolmates and my crush, when I failed to be a part of the Top 10 in class because my attention was already focused to my boyfriend (I started young..I know! But I thought I was mature); and the list goes on.
I wished to change those things. I thought I could have a better life if those things didn’t happen.
But I was wrong.
When I was still 17, I thought about going to the past and changing it but then as I was imagining I’ve noticed that each event in my life in the past has something to do to my present or other people’s present.
The things that occurred in my past molded my present. The things that I have done in the past which I once regret did something to somebody’s life.
I failed the math quiz bee before but somebody won and celebrated. I gave a wrong answer to my teacher but somebody was given the chance to answer it and received a point. I fell in the canal for helping my pregnant teacher but if I didn’t do it and fell for her maybe she’ll be the one who will fell and have a miscarriage. I failed to be in the top 10 but somebody else made it. I had a boyfriend very young but I learned something about responsibility and knowing your limitations.
As of these days when I start to imagine about time travel, I only get tired. I can’t do anything about my past and I don’t want to know my future because knowing it might cause me to alter it in my attempt to live “normally” knowing what will happen next.
The best thing to do is to live life in a good way so that your future will be good. Stop acting stupid, stop doing that things that you know is dangerous and value time. Time is a precious gift and our freedom to choose what we want to do in our life is our responsibility.
The Benefits of Using an Online Travel Agency
Most people who go on vacation like to book trips through a travel agent in order to take some of the stress out of the planning process. Travel agents can also help you save money on flight, hotel rooms, cruises, and more; but what about online travel agencies? While people worry that Internet travel agencies could scam you or provide low-quality service, there are actually a number of benefits to choosing an online travel agency, providing that you pick the right one.
First and foremost, with an online travel agency, you can work with the place that has the lowest prices without geography limits. In other words, you have more options! When you opt to choose a travel agency in an offline setting, you are limited to the handful of companies that operate in your neighborhood, or at least within a reasonable distance. People who live in major cities might especially be affected by the high prices of brick and mortar travel agencies. Online, there are not proximity limits. The travel agency with which you work might actually have headquarters thousands of miles away, but if they have the lowest prices, you can still work with them over the Internet.
The increased number of choices does not just help you save money. It also means that you have limitless possibilities when it comes to travel. The travel agencies in your areas probably can book dozens or even hundreds of different trips, but there will be limitations. Even if an offline travel agent can plan a vacation to an obscure destination for you, it is not likely that he or she will be an expert in travel to this location. Online, you can find a family or an individual who has been there and will plan an amazing vacation for you. There are few places in the world where you can’t travel if you work with an online travel agency.
Another great aspect of working with an online travel agency is that you can shop for your vacation package any time of the day or night. Brick and mortar business usually close soon after the end of the regular business day, and many are not open for long hours on the weekend. The Internet is open 24 hours a day. While you may not always be able to call a customer service representative, especially if you like to do vacation planning at three in the morning, you can always check out packages offer on travel websites. This is especially handy for parents who need to plan after the kids are in bed, people who work odd hours, and those living in rural locations where the nearest travel agency office is a fairly far drive.
One of the often-overlooked benefits of an online travel agency is the control you have to make your own choices without outside influences or pressure. When you visit an office, many travel agents have the same tone as used car salesmen. You have to remember that these people are often working under some kind of commission program. Instead of making an hourly wage, they earn a percentage of your total vacation price, and even if they do have a salaried job, they may get incentives from travel companies (hotels, cruise lines, etc) for selling amount every month. Many travel agents get to go on free trips for every ten or twenty vacation packages they sell. So, you might feel pressured to book a trip when you are not done exploring your options or upgrade certain aspects, even though you do not have the money. Online travel agencies typically take a more hands-off approach. That does not mean that they won’t help you, of course. Most are more than willing to answer questions via email or over the phone. However, when it comes to working with an online travel agency, you do not have someone looming over your shoulder, trying to make a sale as you check out your vacation options.
Also, when you work with an online travel agency, you usually have more payment choices. Today, some offline travel agencies offer payment plans, credit card payments, and so forth, but this is not always the case. When you work online to plan you vacation, however, you can always find a type payment that will work for you. Some even have payment programs that allow you to earn points for every dollar you spend, which can go towards gift certificates or future trips.
Be aware that there are still scammers posing as online travel agencies and other travel sites, and you always need to read the fine print of any website where you make a purchase. However, online travel agencies are often a less expensive, easier, and more convenient way to book a vacation.