Buying cheap air tickets in real-time can be problematic

You've probably had such a situation at least once when buying a ticket online: you found a really good fare and are just about to book it when all of a sudden the system gives you an error telling that there's no such ticket in the system at the moment. What follows next in most cases is that you book the same flight for a higher price just to get the flight in general. Such problems are not that rare and are actually one of the main reasons for customer complaints in the USA. But despite the common belief that it's an intentional practice set up by airlines to make it impossible for you to buy cheap air tickets the root of the problem is a bit different and lies in the difference between the online and the actual booking networks that aren't very well synchronized.
Different kinds of booking networks
When you enter a site that carries airline tickets you are consulting with an online source that in turn has access to an international booking network carrying all the ticket details and the prices. The main problem is that while this international booking network works in real time the Internet doesn't. As much as we love the web for its instantaneous access to any information it is still subject to a considerable lag that becomes rather apparent when dealing with real time systems such as the booking one. So it's rather common for a ticket booking site to still feature information on a ticket that has already been sold in the actual booking system. Needless to say, such a state of affairs is rather annoying and there are increasing demands to review both the standards and the method operation to put these two kinds of databases into a perfect sync. But things aren't as simple as they seem.
An initiative for new booking standards
The International Air Transportation Association has come up with a new proposal entitled New Distribution Capability, which would impose new standards for air flight booking that would make it possible for all travelers to access real-time information on all flights and tickets. This initiative is still pending US Government review and approval but there are already voices speaking in favor and against the NDC. The proponents of the new set of standards are rather optimistic in regards to the possibilities the NDC will offer to both the airlines and the passengers. IATA state that by sharing some personal information with the system travelers will be able to choose from different airlines and flights in real time, while all airlines including the ones with weaker presence will make part of the real-time booking system and provide more intense competition that would allow for cheap air tickets to appear more often. However, the opponents to NDC in the form of Open Allies for Airline Transparency, which consist of technology experts and agents, have a different view on the possible outcomes of this new initiative.
The possible pitfalls of the new proposal
The OAAT coalition states that cheap air tickets will actually be harder to find since the system will lack flexibility and transparency. The fact that the customer will have to share his or her personal information with the airline implies a rather likely scenario that the company will only offer air ticket prices if you share your personal information and not a moment sooner. This means that you will have to do this over and over again with each airline while comparing airfares from different carriers in real-time will be impossible. Taking such criticism into account, the NDC initiative becomes more of a killer of cheap airline tickets than a savior. But it will only be clear once the US Government reviews and decides on this new proposal that is still pending.

Cheap car rental and driving in Europe

Wars often force big changes. Some produce bigger countries by conquest, others turn the borders into fortresses. Before World War I, people could travel all around Europe and into Russia without having a passport. There might be a mass of smaller countries nestling in the midst of larger Empires, but there was trust between the people. Even though Britain and Russia fought each other, this did not change. But, come 1918, there was a complete loss of trust, and both passports and visas became necessary to pass from one country to another. After the end of World War II, there was a general sense that nationalism was a bad thing, so people came together and formed the United Nations. Trust between countries improved and many allowed people to pass across borders without passports. In Europe, the key moment came in 1985 with the signature of the Schengen Agreement.

Now you can drive through twenty-six European countries without having to stop and produce any identity documents. Although this is only about half the land mass of the United States, it allows the 400 million population to move freely (there are just over 300 million Americans). This is a very big plus for American visitors. Once you have passed through the immigration controls at the airport, you can pick up your cheap car rental and drive it more or less wherever you want. Obviously, if you break any of the traffic laws, the police will want to see documents proving who you are and showing you have the right to drive this particular vehicle. Other than that, you can enjoy nonstop travel.

This freedom may come with a price tag. You have to pay an additional fee to pick up at one point and drop off at another. So unless you are going to drive a big circular route, you may have to pay a little extra on the rental. However, since most of the companies with branches in multiple countries offer cheap car rental, this is not a problem. You should, however, check whether there's a cap on the milage. It's best to avoid shocks when you hand the vehicle in and the service staff check the odometer reading.