Expert Article 1 Final

Travel hacks: The art of flying

Getting more for less out of your air ticket

Have you ever flown long distances sandwiched between, say, a gossipy fellow and that one person who always nestles their head onto your shoulder as they sleep? Yes, it’s quite an experience. What about that feeling when you glance into First or Business class, as those lucky travellers get cozy in their private pods and snooze the flight away, meanwhile wishing you could trade seats with them? Yes, I’ve been there too. There are so many factors affecting the travel experience of one’s’ flight, and many of them aren’t often in your favour. What if you could alter the circumstances to benefit your flight experience? Oh, did I mention that you could do so without paying more? Sounds too good to be true, eh?

Be it for business, school, or leisure, flying is becoming more popular today than ever before. As competition between airlines has become more intense, so too has vying for an “OK” flight experience. Although getting the discount tickets can often lead to a miserable experience, there are actually ways to improve ones’ flight with neither discount tickets, nor paying a premium. Simply knowing the tricks and many hidden benefits can make for a cheaper ticket and a better experience.

The typical flight deals

Most people probably already know about the “holiday deals” and so-called “special fanfares”, but are these prices really cheaper? The answer is simple; yes, these are discounted prices, but only relative to peak-season high prices. That begs the question, are these actually good deals? Again, the answer is simple; no, they are not.

A common trick that travellers use to find a cheap flight deal is to book tickets at specific times of the week. Although timing of this strategy varies by airline, many offer a limited amount of significantly discounted tickets on the first and last Tuesdays of each month between the hours of 8:00AM and 12:00PM.

Want a less competitive option? A lesser-known trick that researchers at cheapair.com have come up with is to book a ticket precisely 7 weeks before your intended flight (Johanson). Although this technique isn’t 100% accurate, the logic behind it makes sense. Imagine a reverse bell-shaped curve. When a flight is initially scheduled, prices start out high but generally decrease towards the 49th day before departure. After this point, prices are again bumped up to exploit a surge in demand from people who begin to finalize their plans.

Less is more; fly further with cheaper tickets

Yes, you read that right. A trick that many frequent travellers use to save large amounts on tickets is to fake their location (Ho). As tickets are regionally priced, flights will be cheaper in a country with lower standards of living (Hoeller). Let me give you an example; A round-trip business class ticket on Cathay Pacific Airways direct from Hong Kong to LAX costs roughly US$7,000. However, if you book and start your journey in Taiwan, you would take a round trip business class flight from Taiwan to Hong Kong in addition to the exact same flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles for just US$4,500. The only problem is that you would have to fly from Hong Kong to Taiwan in the first place. These tickets cost under US$100 (or can be redeemed with mileage), and the flight is under an hour long; if it’s going to save you 33% of the price and allow you to travel more, why not!?

Sure, I’ll take a ‘freebie’

It doesn’t take a top-tier frequent flyer to receive a complimentary upgrade. A flight cabin typically consists of First, Business, Premium Economy, and Economy Class; did you know that each respective class is then separated further into letter categories? The best shot of receiving an upgrade on an Economy ticket is to book a seat in either the ‘Y’ or ‘B’ category (Hoeller). These are the two primary sections that are eligible for upgrades and passengers in these seats are automatically waitlisted for upgrades in the airlines’ system.

Redemption tickets are often not eligible for the ‘Y’ or ‘B’ category. If you happen to be using mileage and still want that upgrade, the next best option is to simply ask NICELY for upgrades at check-in and again at the gate. This tactic fails more often that not so don’t get your hopes up. But from personal experience it’s worked enough times to keep me trying!

Getting the most of your in-flight experience

If all else fails and an overpriced Economy Class ticket is inevitable, then personalizing your trip is the next best option. Most importantly, pick your seat as soon as seat-specific reservations become available (usually the week leading up to a flight but varying per airline). Whether you are an avid flyer or a first time traveller, a useful tool in helping one decide where to sit is Seatguru.com. Not only does the website give you passenger feedback on their seat and journey, but it also has an intricate seat map (suggesting the good and bad seats) for most airlines and their respective fleet of airplanes.

With that said and done, it’s now time for the in-flight experience. As ridiculous as it sounds, being nice to a flight attendant can go a long way. Being nice is an ambiguous term so I’m going to be more specific; kind gestures that a passenger could carry out to a flight attendant range from tipping, assisting with overhead baggage, voicing their appreciation, and striking up a friendly conversation. By being an enjoyable passenger to serve, it’s not too unusual for a flight attendant to show their appreciation, too; Flight attendants have been known to give free chocolates, and even bring food, beverages, and amenity kits from higher classes!

Many of us have had to endure too many unpleasant journeys. It’s time to change that! Hopefully with these new insights, you too will be able to make the most out of your travel experience – all the while spending less!

Don’t believe me? Try for yourself.

Works Cited

Joanna Chiu. “Travel agents call Cathay Pacific’s cheap fares website a ‘gimmick’”. South China Morning Post, 23^rd April 2015. <http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1220878/travel-agents-call-cathay-pacifics-cheap-fares-website-gimmick>.

Sophie-Claire Hoeller. “29 travel hacks that even frequent fliers don’t know.” Business Insider, 16^th June 2015. <http://www.businessinsider.com/travel-hacks-for-frequent-fliers-2015-6#ixzz3dXFD7Kzg>.

Mark Johanson. “When is the best time to book a flight?” International Business Times, 21^st January 2015 <http://www.ibtimes.com/when-best-time-book-flight-1028160>.

Erica Ho “Map Happy”. “Use a ‘fake’ location to get cheaper plane tickets.” Huffington Post, 16^th December 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/map-happy/use-a-fake-location-to-ge_b_6315424.html>.

Expert Article 1

Travel hacks: The art of flying

Getting more for less out of your air ticket

Ever flown long distances sandwiched between, say a gossipy fellow and that one person who always nestles their head onto your shoulder as they sleep? Yes, it’s quite an experience. What about that feeling when you glance into First or Business class, as those lucky travellers get cozy in their private pods and snooze the flight away, all the time wishing you could trade seats with them? Yes, I’ve been there too. What if the person sitting next to you got an equally bad seat on the same flight for half the price you paid for your ticket? You’d probably try and find out for next time too, I’d assume. There are so many factors affecting the travel experience of ones’ flight, and many of them aren’t often in your favour. What if you could alter the circumstances to benefit your flight experience? Oh, did I mention that you could do so without paying more? Sounds too good to be true eh?

Be it for business, school, or leisure, flying is becoming more popular today than ever before. As competition between airlines becomes more intense, so too has vying for an “OK” flight experience at the least. Although getting the discount tickets can often lead to a miserable experience, there are actually ways to improve ones’ flight with neither discount tickets, nor paying a higher price. Simply knowing the tricks and many hidden benefits can make for a cheaper ticket and a better experience.

The typical flight deals

Most people probably already know about the “holiday deals” and so-called “special fanfares”, but are these prices really cheaper? The answer is simple; yes these are discounted prices, but only relative to peak-season high prices. That begs the question, are these actually good deals? Again, the answer is simple; no they are not.

A common trick that travellers use to find a cheap flight deal is to book tickets at specific times of the week. Although timing of this strategy varies by airline, many offer a limited amount of significantly discounted tickets on the first and last Tuesdays each month between the hours of 8:00AM and 12:00PM.

Want a less competitive and more precise target? A lesser-known trick that researchers at cheapair.com have come up with is to book a ticket precisely 7 weeks before your intended flight. Although this technique isn’t 100% accurate, the logic behind it makes sense. Imagine a reverse bell-shaped curve. When a flight is initially scheduled, prices start out high but generally decrease towards the 49th day before departure. After this point, prices are again bumped up to exploit a surge in demand from people who begin to finalize their plans.

Less is more; fly further, save more

Yes, you read that right. A trick that many frequent travellers use to save huge amounts on tickets is to fake their location. As tickets are regionally priced, flights will be cheaper in a country with lower standards of living. Let me give you an example; a round-trip business class ticket on Cathay Pacific Airways direct from Hong Kong to LAX costs roughly US$7,000. However, if you book and start your journey in Taiwan, you would take a round trip business class flight from Taiwan to Hong Kong in addition to the exact same flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles for just US$4,500. The only problem is that you would have to fly from Hong Kong to Taiwan in the first place. These tickets cost under US$100 (or can be redeemed with mileage) and the flight is under an hour long; if it’s going to save you 33% of the price and allow you to travel more, why not!?

Sure, I’ll take a ‘freebie’

It doesn’t take a top-tier frequent flyer to get a complimentary upgrade. A flight cabin typically consists of First, Business, Premium Economy, and Economy Class; did you know that each respective class is then separated further into letter categories? The best shot of receiving an upgrade on an Economy ticket is to book a seat in either the ‘Y’ or ‘B’ category. These are the two primary sections that are eligible for upgrades and passengers in these seats are automatically waitlisted for upgrades in the airlines system.

Redemption tickets are often not eligible for the ‘Y’ or ‘B’ category. If you happen to be using mileage and still want that upgrade, the next best option is to simply ask NICELY for upgrades at check-in and again at the gate. This tactic fails more often that not so don’t get your hopes up, but from personal experience it’s worked enough times to keep me trying!

Getting the most of your in-flight experience

If all else fails and an overpriced Economy Class ticket is inevitable, then personalizing your trip is the next best option. Most importantly, pick your seat as soon as seat-specific reservations become available (usually the week leading up to a flight but varying per airline). Whether you are an avid flyer or a first time traveller, Seatguru.com is a useful tool in helping one decide where to sit. Not only does the website give you passenger feedback on their seat and journey, but it also has an intricate seat map (suggesting the good and bad seats) for most airlines and their respective fleet of airplanes.

With that said and done, it’s now time for the in-flight experience. As ridiculous as it sounds, being nice to a flight attendant can go a long way. Being nice is an ambiguous term so I’m going to be more specific; kind gestures that a passenger could carry out to a flight attendant range from tipping, assisting with overhead baggage, voicing their appreciation, and striking up a friendly conversation. By being an enjoyable passenger to serve, it’s not too unusual for a flight attendant to show their appreciation too; flight attendants have been known to give free chocolates, and even bring food, beverages and amenity kits from higher classes!

Many of us have had to endure too many unpleasant journeys. It’s time to change that! Hopefully with these (new) insights, you too will be able to make the most out of your travel experience, all the while spending less!

Don’t believe me? Try for yourself.

Works Cited

Sophie-Claire Hoeller. “29 travel hacks that even frequent fliers don’t know.” Business Insider, 16^th June 2015. <http://www.businessinsider.com/travel-hacks-for-frequent-fliers-2015-6#ixzz3dXFD7Kzg>.

Mark Johanson. “When is the best time to book a flight?” International Business Times, 21^st January 2015 <http://www.ibtimes.com/when-best-time-book-flight-1028160>.

Erica Ho “Map Happy”. “Use a ‘fake’ location to get cheaper plane tickets.” Huffington Post, 16^th December 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/map-happy/use-a-fake-location-to-ge_b_6315424.html>.

Omnivore's Dilemma: Food Post 2

Omnivore's Dilemma: Blog 2

After such deep insight into corn in the opening chapter, it's intriguing to see how Pollan expands back from a historical context to bring us into the modern age of corn. What really stood out to me was the significance of corn that many often overlook; I must admit, I never bothered to think about the history of corn either. In the early 20th Century, Naylor's farm produced simply enough corn to "feed his family and twelve other Americans besides". Fast forward to the early 21st century, and it's amazing to even think that Naylor's grandson now feeds "some 129 Americans" with his produce, though much of this is through the industrial food chain. I found this interesting as it's a reminder of how humans have developed so many forms of food from a once household staple.

However, despite the massive increase in production (due to leaps in technology), farmers like Naylor are making less than ever before; despite increases in supply and an ever-growing demand for corn, its value continues to drop which has rendered many farmers broke. I particularly enjoyed the reference of the production of corn in relation to the Laffer Curver as it allowed me to relate a real-life example to content that I had learned in my Economics classes and gave my further insight into the case. Farmers today are forced into producing more, despite decreasing revenue, in order to make ends meet. This reminded me of the struggle to adapt with changing times, and how the effects of modernisation are really taking a toll on such a significant part of our history.

Drawing on from the adaptation to modern times, I particularly enjoyed Pollan's analogy of corn fields "settled as densely as Manhattan for the same purpose: to maximise real estate values". It's interesting to think of the similarities between scarcity of land to live on, and scarcity of land to grow food on. Both are man-made but the only difference is that one has is inhabited, whilst the other is not. I enjoyed this because it managed to tie two different aspects of life together in order to best satisfy the basic Economic concept of satisfying unlimited wants with limited resources. 

After such an in-depth look at corn, I really enjoyed how Pollan then grabs my attention by relating the history of corn to how we as people have adapted along with the production of it. I never thought about the parallels between agriculture and economic ideas; getting further into this book has given me new insight into how all forms of life have adapted along the way.

Omnivore's Dilemma: Food Post 1

Omnivore's Dilemma: Blog 1

When I look at this book, the first thing that strikes me is the title. The introduction to the book ties in nicely with the title in bringing out attention to two main questions; where does our food come from, and what should we eat? The comparison of us, omnivores, to that of specialty eaters like the Koala, draws our attention to the question "what we should eat?". In the introduction it states how "the koala doesn't have to worry about what to eat" but that for omnivores "a vast amount of of brain space is and time must be devoted to to figuring out which of all the many potential dishes nature lays on are safe to eat". When thinking about the specific causes of anxiety when deciding what to eat, these descriptions immediately sparked many ideas as to peoples' anxiety; I often thought that it might simply be deciding between how much to eat and choosing the food that provides the most satisfaction, but I never thought of the evolutionary aspect of deciding between safe and unsafe foods as main cause of our anxiety. 

With thought going into what we should eat, that leaves us with the question "where does our food come from?". In The Omnivore's Dilemma, there are three principal food chains: the industrial, the organic, and the hunter-gatherer. Despite the variations in these three food chains, it is important to note they all have more or less the same purpose of channeling energy up the food chain. While the organic and hunter-gatherer food chains are marvels in their own respective way, it is interesting to focus on the industrial food chain when seeking a reason as to why no-one really seems to dig too deeply into the question of where our food comes from anymore. With leaps in innovation in processing food, it is difficult to trace the exact roots of ingredients that exist in some way or form in the modern days industrial food chain and as a result, some of us are dissuaded from finding the origins of what we're eating. Yet with all the health standards set about today, this got me thinking as to why people are simply resorting to the processed and artificial foods instead of the healthy and organic ones. Although I try to stay health conscious, I admit that I too have given in and often lean towards foods without thinking where it even comes from or what's in it. Prices, tastes and physical appeal are what I can think of as significant reasons, but I hope to learn more as to why I subconsciously pick the industrial food chain over the organic when they can often provide me with the same utility.

What I found the most interesting about the first chapter, was the fact that regardless of which question we ask or answer, the answers are often ecologically connected. I would never have imagined how many of our daily food products contain at least some traces of corn. As I think of more and more foods, and how they all relate back to the simple kernel of corn, I'm amazed at the abundance of corn in even our extremely processed and artificial of foods. In some way it makes sense because growth revolves around the transfer of energy from sun, to earth and life; that makes me wonder, what else can be a root of so many things today? 

Summer Analyst at Atlantic-Pacific Capital

Summer analyst at Atlantic-Pacific Capital

During the summer of 2014 I interned as a summer analyst at Atlantic-Pacific Capital. Due to the nature of the work as well as the small team in Hong Kong, this was one of my more interesting internships as it provided me with an opportunity to get hands-on experience on live projects and client meetings as opposed to the simple office/paper-work and data analysis that other internships assign.

Atlantic-Pacific Capital is the largest independently owned Global Placement Agent and Advisory firm that works closely with Investment Banks and Private Equity Funds. As an established brand within global private equity communities, Atlantic-Pacific Capital is dedicated to raising capital for alternative investments. Atlantic-Pacific Capital works closely with General Partners and Limited Partners to perform the following:

For General Partners

• ·      Advise on general market conditions, including the minimum and maximum amounts of investor subscriptions to be raised
• ·      Consult on strategy and tactics with prospective investors
• ·      Identify and arrange meetings with qualified institutional investors
• ·      Assist with preparation of offering memoranda, other marketing materials and limited partnership agreements
• ·      Coordinate logistics associated with investor roadshows
• ·      Process all due diligence
• ·      Drive investors’ processes to final closing

For Limited Partners

• ·      Introduce high quality and unique opportunities to institutional investors
• ·      Use internal stringent fund selection process
• ·      Build relationship with manager to understand the reasons a limited partner should consider fund offerings
• ·      Add value to Limited Partners by running an organized fundraising process
• ·      Help investors in evaluating opportunities
• ·      Discuss overall portfolio composition and specific investment strategies within the framework of the broader private equity market

During my stint at Atlantic-Pacific Capital, I was primarily tasked with the following:

·      Conduct research and preparation for analysis of private equity market transactions

·      Attend client meetings and assist in facilitating respective overview reports for stapled secondary transactions

In chronological order of a project, the first step was to meet the potential client. Prior to this experience I had only attended meetings in which a company was pitching their services or products. As a result, I simply took notes and learnt on the go but enjoyed it and learnt so much nonetheless.

In the next step of a project, we conducted many lengthy deliberations. In short, I compiled a risk analysis to determine whether or not Atlantic-Pacific Capital would take up this client or not. I tabulated data trends and created a forecast for the client to see if they were compatible with market standards. If the results proved promising, then Atlantic-Pacific Capital would take the client onboard. If the results underperformed, then the client would be rejected.

I then assisted in processing due diligence reports, power point presentations, finding the right investments and chiseling out deals for all parties involved. From that point on, there’s constant pitch making, negotiating and fundraising to reach the agreed upon goal until the projects’ closure.

The coalition of constant interaction and data analysis from this internship has provided me with a much stronger foundation from which to continue to grow professionally 

Readability Statistics

Passive Sentences: 7%

Flesch Reading Ease: 39.8

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 12.0