buzzbishop
on - last edited on
The temperature dropped and snow fell for the first time in Calgary this weekend. Winter is coming and I'm getting the h- out of here.
I've booked a trip to Mexico in the new year. One week at a Barcelo resort on the Mayan Riviera.
I love booking my own travel online. I often wonder if travel agencies who deal in individual consumer travel, feel like home milk delivery drivers. Milk delivery is still required - to big companies and stores, but it's gone on the domestic front. Big companies still need agents to handle booking travel for sales teams and executives, but it's dying on the consumer level.
The web has really empowered the consumer to do the research and book the trip themselves. Booking travel is an easy DIY adventure that I love.
This time round my best deal was with Air Canada Vacations and I've noticed something curious now as I count down for my trip - the company has gone social.
Never mind Facebook Places for a chance for everyone to stalk your every move, Air Canada Vacations has a new tool that will let you invite your entire contact list into the planning process of your vacation.
The image at the right shows your options. Click that button in your browser and your entire itinerary goes to Facebook or to Twitter. You know those stories they report about Twitter robberies after people announce their vacations? Yeah, you just did that if you click these buttons.
You can choose to share on Facebook via a DM to your travel pals, or by posting a link to your full itinerary on your wall.
Everyone who has access to your profile will get to check out where you're going and what you'll be doing on your vacation. They will also have access to your itinerary which will be helpful for those who need to know when you'll be departing and arriving.
The site acknowleges it's going deep into social with a warning:
If you do not wish to share all of your trip and travel information, it is recommended that you do not forward My Travel Planner using the above system.
So be careful where you click.
Now that's not to say that the social aspect of travel is a bad thing. Emailing the itinerary to all members of the group is a great idea, and if you have a private Facebook group set up where you can work on the itinerary and share ideas together, that's a brilliant place to share as well.
It's just the sharing of all names, all flight times, and all hotel info instantly with a click that I find a little over the top.
The photo section is a nice idea too - provided you know where the photos are going. Air Canada Vacations is trying a little upsell by allowing people to upload photos and create a photobook - perfect if the site was used to book a large group heading off on a destination wedding.
The world is going social. Twitter and Facebook are being integrated into websites in new and intriguing ways every day - just be careful where you click.
How do you plan your travel online?
catch the buzz ... pass it on.
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