A good start, but I think this could be taken much farther.
If we look back 20+ years, we built up very strong rituals around scheduling because we couldn't make the system work any other way. But in-person plans have become much more dynamic as we become better connected. Air travel is still very much in the old world there: we book far in advance, slotting ourselves into fixed-schedule, fixed-capacity options, even though we are often much more flexible.
For example, every August I go back for a big camping trip with extended family. I could fly from a few different airports into a few different cities over a few days. Since working remotely for a day or two isn't a problem, the return's even more flexible. Why do I have to buy a specific down-to-the-minute ticket now if I want a good price?
I'd be happy to commit now, and then let the airlines (or airlines negotiating automatically with my booking agent) work out exactly when I'm going. They could use much more data to maximize efficiency, giving us lower total prices.
If we look back 20+ years, we built up very strong rituals around scheduling because we couldn't make the system work any other way. But in-person plans have become much more dynamic as we become better connected. Air travel is still very much in the old world there: we book far in advance, slotting ourselves into fixed-schedule, fixed-capacity options, even though we are often much more flexible.
For example, every August I go back for a big camping trip with extended family. I could fly from a few different airports into a few different cities over a few days. Since working remotely for a day or two isn't a problem, the return's even more flexible. Why do I have to buy a specific down-to-the-minute ticket now if I want a good price?
I'd be happy to commit now, and then let the airlines (or airlines negotiating automatically with my booking agent) work out exactly when I'm going. They could use much more data to maximize efficiency, giving us lower total prices.