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Welcome

Friends,

I love the above picture, as it is unmistakably from an airplane bathroom. Their features are nearly identical across aircraft types.

Lavatories may not have a lot to do with booking flights, but they are an important part of most airplanes. Because as Ian Malcolm eloquently said in the 1993 film Jurassic Park, “when you gotta go, you gotta go”.

502 words today.

Let’s get going.

Links

United announces three new destinations (plus an extra Manila frequency).

The UK’s new-ish ETA program is soon to cost £16.

This is rich—and makes you wonder.

Story

Let me tell you what you already know: travel planning takes effort. Once you have an idea of where you want or need to go, you have to find a way to get there.

Plus a place to stay.

Then, when you think you have it all figured out prices might change.

I recently spent at least an hour researching flight options to go from Dallas to New York on a day trip. That may have been overkill, but admittedly I enjoy the process. I also got a great deal.

I would have spent double that time and more money if it was not for GoogleFlights. I use it near ubiquitously, and when someone asks me where to look for airfare options I virtually always send them to GoogleFlights.

It is the tool I use to find low fares, whether on a simple itinerary or a more complex trip. And what I like best about it is (more often than not) it just sends you directly to the airline to complete the booking.

And that is my rule: whenever possible, book directly with the airline and not a 3rd party. It makes it easier to do simple things like assign seats, get upgrades, and make changes. It can also be a lifesaver in irregular operations (like a delay or cancellation).

Booking a trip is like inviting your friends over for dinner: it is a blast to talk about, but actually pulling it all together is stressful. GoogleFlights is like a sous-chef who does the food prep for you—which makes it much easier to actually make the meal.

Or something like that.

Big Picture: I use GoogleFlights when I am trying to book a flight with cash, and whenever possible I book directly with the airline. This saves me all sorts of time and money—I hope it helps you, too.

Happy flying.

Remember, this life you are living has meaning. Thank you for reading. I am grateful you are here and would love to hear from you. If you'd like to write me a note, simply reply to this email. Otherwise I'll see you in the next one.

Be well today. -Tommy

P.S. If I can ever help you plan your next travel adventure (slash help make your points go farther), I’d be delighted. You can schedule time together here.