A Decade of Change in Travel

[flopnfly]

A Decade of Change in Travel

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/decade/decade-life/travel-trends-hello-mapquest-goodbye-rand-mcnally/article1403116/

Hello bank card; goodbye traveller's cheques

1999 A savvy traveller has a stash of American Express or Barclays.

2009 Why carry a cash substitute when your bank account can follow almost anywhere you go?

Hello online booking; goodbye travel agents

1999 Your friendly neighbourhood agent hands you a ticket stapled in a handy little folder.

2009 Print your ticket at home or don't print it at all if you have a smartphone. There are still agents that specialize in good service but those that just book your ticket are going the way of the traveller's cheque.

Hello Garmin and MapQuest; goodbye Michelin and Rand-McNally

1999 No one leaves home without a decent guide book and roadmap.

2009 If you're not carrying a GPS device or at least have it on your phone, an Internet cafe and access to online mapping is always a block or two away.

Hello weigh scales; goodbye free baggage

1999 They say they'll charge extra for overweight bags, but how often do they?

2009 Sure, we're headed for Hawaii, but with the price of jet fuel, maybe carry-on is enough?

Hello 100 ml containers; goodbye conditioner

1999 Water bottle is perfect for rehydrating in flight.

2009 Potential explosive; will be confiscated at security, along with contact-lens fluid and other liquids we forgot to put in our checked luggage.

Hello expensive in-flight snacks; goodbye free meals

1999: Perfect for shampoo, nail clippers and tweezers. If your luggage is lost or delayed, at least you can freshen up. You could pack a snack, but why? Airplane food isn’t great but the price is right.

2009: With the toiletries now outlawed, you can pack shoes and other bulky things – or why not a lunch? Just leave out the juice box (too much liquid).

Hello decent audio-video; goodbye Yanni and ceiling screens

1999 If watching the movie gives you a sore neck and eyes, pull out those CDs you brought along.

2009 Screens are eye level now, or just pull out that iPod Touch.

Hello laptop; goodbye airport novel

1999 You could have brought the Thinkpad but it weighs a ton and the battery won't last.

2009 Use the MacBook for a DVD if the inflight movies are lame, or catch up on your e-mail.

Hello passports; goodbye easy border crossings

1999 For exotic and exciting trips to places like Europe and Africa.

2009 For exotic and exciting trips to places like Port Angeles, Wash., and Buffalo, N.Y.

Hello slip-on shoes; goodbye lace-ups

1999 Flying hasn't entirely lost its air of elegance and sophistication.

2009 When you have to take your shoes off at security, who needs elegance or sophistication?

Hello cellphone, goodbye phone card

1999 Useless almost anywhere other than home.

2009 Expensive, but will work almost anywhere. Also can double as MP3 player, TV, compass, currency converter, universal translator and many other things.

Hello carbon offsetting; goodbye guilt-free travel

1999 You can look at those vehicles spewing emissions on the highway and sniff.

2009 You fly across the country and pay to plant a tree in Botswana.