Vancouver Ends Preferential Treatment For US Bound Connections

For the longest time - I have used Vancouver as a gateway to Europe and Asia from my home in Seattle. And this sometimes gets me a better price and a reasonable connection. There used to be a great back door that you could use that bypassed the whole process and gave you a quick access to the commuter terminal.

Well not any more. Despite being assured that I would not have to "land" in Canada - sorry yes now you do. Those nice days of a connection are over.

Welcome to another bureaucratic mess.

UGH

Cheers

Once Again No choice - The Arrogance of Facebook Signup

I am one of these people who doesn't take too kindly to being told what to do. Must be the rebelling against authority or something similar.

So I am not a happy bunny these days.

I cannot understand why external websites who are using Facebook or Twitter to get the sign ups done and then we don't get a choice about the information or the manner in which I can control these apps access to my information.

Once again we find our choice limited and our data controlled.

And when was the last time you actually read the terms and conditions....

So here is an exercise. Just try and match up the T&Cs of Facebook with the T&Cs of the website you just signed up for.

Never mind what they can now do with your data.

Cheers

Google Flight Search - Assessed

So I have been watching reading and using the Google Flight Search product. I have discussed it with my friends and colleagues

It is really fast (for obvious reasons). It has a different not necessarily better UX.

I like it in general but I cannot find a compelling reason to really like it a lot more than what I have today.

But the biggest criticism I have of it... is it doesn't work very well.

I have tried several routes and focused the routes on different hubs so that I could force a particular airline who should be present to appear.

Oops AND I THINK GFS is biased

It only delivers quality results for the airlines who use the ITA engine. You can get an answer for the other airlines and I know I will hear howls of protest about my methodology... but I know how it works and well Delta and Southwest (two of the largest brands in the USA Market) - you are going to be disadvantaged.

Thus part of the problem will be that Google's flight search will still suffer from the same level of issues that contribute to the poor experience we already get from the Meta Search engines and the OTAs.

Sure I can do more because I am an experienced power user. But sadly I do come away feeling like I have been drinking lite beer.

Cheers

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Cheers

The Professor and the Gang