ELLIOTTCABLE changed the topic of #elliottcable to: a -pretty terrible- cult
sharkbot has quit [Remote host closed the connection]
sharkbot has joined #elliottcable
BaronSamedi has quit [Quit: Connection closed for inactivity]
BaronSamedi has joined #elliottcable
BaronSamedi has quit [Quit: back later]
<ELLIOTTCABLE> whitequark: hahah well I'd like to get used to talking to you over the phone if we're gonna meet in person! :P
<ELLIOTTCABLE> whitequark: no pressure *shrug*
<purr> ¯\(º_o)/¯
<whitequark> ELLIOTTCABLE: it's apparently fine in person. phones just make this 1000x more anxious
<whitequark> hell, it's the same with russian, though not to that degree
Aria is now known as ARia
ARia is now known as Aria
<Aria> Hi, ELLIOTTCABLE!
<whitequark> ELLIOTTCABLE: also lol my phone died
<purr> lol
Willox has joined #elliottcable
audy has quit [Changing host]
audy has joined #elliottcable
<ELLIOTTCABLE> Aria: it's been foooreeeever
<ELLIOTTCABLE> whitequark: oh yeah phones are dumb in general. video-chat sometime mayb's? we can get devyn and micah in on it too, make it a whole thang
<Aria> Indeed!
pikajude has quit [Quit: ZNC 1.6.1 - http://znc.in]
<whitequark> ELLIOTTCABLE: ok it's back alive
<whitequark> ELLIOTTCABLE: what do you use to book domestic flights at US?
pikajude has joined #elliottcable
<ELLIOTTCABLE> A combination of Hipmunk and Google Flights is great for finding prices / times / options,
<ELLIOTTCABLE> and then I use Orbitz (or maybe switching to Expedia soon) to book.
<whitequark> holy crap that seems contrived.
<whitequark> i always just used onetwotrip.com for flights and accomodation
<whitequark> oh, hipmunk ~ onetwotrip
pikajude- has joined #elliottcable
pikajude has quit [Ping timeout: 256 seconds]
<ELLIOTTCABLE> whitequark: well, I fly. a *lot*. All over. Often on very short, or no, notice.
<ELLIOTTCABLE> ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
<ELLIOTTCABLE> here's some logic if you want it:
<ELLIOTTCABLE> Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity, etc, all have deals with the airlines: they show the prices the airlines *want* them to show.
<ELLIOTTCABLE> (and you think you've seen corruption and market manipulation … wait until you read about the shit U.S. airlines pull. O_O)
<ELLIOTTCABLE> (actually, you're from russia. okay. let me rephrase.)
<ELLIOTTCABLE> (U.S. airlines are the closest you're going to feel to being ‘at home’ while you're over here. :P)
<ELLIOTTCABLE> whereas third-party services that operate *without* the airlines' approval / business deals, like Google Flights and Hipmunk, actually pull/scrape/aggregate the airlines' *own* website, and preform nasty tricks to get around the airlines' nastier tricks, and so on so forth
<ELLIOTTCABLE> so, 1. Hipmunk, specifically, with *much* experience, always manages to show me the lowest available prices.
<whitequark> lol. as a citizen, i'm comparatively unexposed to corruption. you know, need to keep the masses happy
<purr> lol
<ELLIOTTCABLE> however, Hipmunk can only show results for a very precise search: my travel-plans are often flexible, and last-minute; which is very at odds with 90% of travellers. Most people plan far ahead, buy far ahead, and don't expect to change their plans once having paid for the ticket.
<whitequark> however if you try to, say, start a business. you will feel the true wrath
<ELLIOTTCABLE> so my *first* stop is often Google Flights: despite the ways I feel about Google and giving them info for fun, their info shows me the most info in the least effort.
* ELLIOTTCABLE 2. in other words, this chart: http://i.ell.io/19Qer+?.png
<ELLIOTTCABLE> and finally, I *really, really, really* don't like dealing with the airlines' websites, and their support policies, and their … everything. they're fucking hellish.
<whitequark> onetwotrip insulates me from that entirely
<ELLIOTTCABLE> So *depending on* the ‘Orbitz surcharge’ (the quiet increase in price you see on official aggregators like Orbitz), I'll *usually* then actually book through Orbitz
<whitequark> (which is to say, i could just stick to international airports and use onetwotrip...)
<ELLIOTTCABLE> so, whole flow I generally use for the last two years or so:
<ELLIOTTCABLE> 1. check Google Flights for the *cheapest days* to fly, when planning.
<ELLIOTTCABLE> 2. get *accurate* prices, and the Agony Rating, off Hipmunk.
<ELLIOTTCABLE> 3. check the corresponding price for the same flight on Orbitz.
<whitequark> "Agony Rating"?
<ELLIOTTCABLE> hipmunk does some simple algorithmic analysis to decide whether a cheaper price is worth it if it's got extra stops, or really long layovers, or whatever
<ELLIOTTCABLE> it'll put more expensive flights first if they're much preferable in some obvious way.
* whitequark sighs
* ELLIOTTCABLE laughs
<whitequark> can we get teleportation already
<ELLIOTTCABLE> you can ignore most of that and just use Hipmunk, honestly
<whitequark> i'm even ok with the whole 'you die every time' part
<ELLIOTTCABLE> you're gonna fly two or three times, not two dozen
<whitequark> BECAUSE YOU DIE A LITTLE EVERY TIME YOU BOOK AIR TRAVEL
<ELLIOTTCABLE> I've thought about that so much when I was a kid
<ELLIOTTCABLE> I always came out thinking, basically, “well maybe the new one will be better. fuckit.”
<whitequark> meh. it's a matter of making dying every time culturally accepted
<whitequark> the power of lying to yourself is immense. never underestimate lying to yourself.
<whitequark> so
<whitequark> if i do everything as planned
<whitequark> it's going to be something like SVO→HEL→JFK→DCA→DEN→SNA→SFO→SJC→SEA→DEN→DFW→HKG→SVO
<whitequark> that's... a lot of places
<whitequark> 11 flight segments ;__;
<ELLIOTTCABLE> lemme read that twice
<ELLIOTTCABLE> DCA? wat why oh wait Arlington is by DC
<ELLIOTTCABLE> weird,
<ELLIOTTCABLE> SNA, SJC, can't parse plz restate
<whitequark> SNA is LA apparently
<whitequark> and SJC is SF
<whitequark> (SFO→SJC is not a flight, hence 11)
<ELLIOTTCABLE> SJC whaaaaaat
<whitequark> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Jose_International_Airport? i dunno, haven't really looked closely at anything between the first and second denver
<whitequark> ELLIOTTCABLE: wait i forgot you
<whitequark> add two flights to and from... wherever you are
<whitequark> where, in fact, are you right now
<ELLIOTTCABLE> still Chicago. leaving in a couple days. hopefully tomorrow.
<ELLIOTTCABLE> I suck. /=
<ELLIOTTCABLE> I'll be in Montana at least two weeks
<whitequark> ok so montana
<whitequark> amazing
<ELLIOTTCABLE> @VanguardVivian wants me to come visit Virginia, though, so, ugh idk
<ELLIOTTCABLE> nah, Chicago
<whitequark> hm?
<ELLIOTTCABLE> Montana flights are expensive, and I won't be there that long. Don't you know somebody else in Chi-town, anyway?
<whitequark> hm no
<whitequark> well not that i have planned
<whitequark> i *think* i'll spend late 10s learning blacksmithing near LA
<whitequark> then there's everyone in the valley, since close. then washington, and you, in whatever order. then i have to be in boulder for business, then hong kong
<whitequark> where chicago even IS
<whitequark> i suck at geography
<whitequark> oh
<devyn> I'm going to be in SF Aug 16-18
<whitequark> that sounds about when i was planning to be in sf
<devyn> cool