Headline Oct. 13/ ''' TOURIST -STUDENTS- *TEMPEST* '''

''' TOURIST -STUDENTS- *TEMPEST* '''

*GOD WILLING*   -IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME     -the World Students Society will have the honor to invite every single students in the world-

To consider   'a very economical, and a delightful  holiday'    in Pakistan, and then also, eventually,  country by country.  

!WOW! has set into motion a grand touring design for you all.  See Ya all, -on the World Students Society and  right here, very soon. 

MARWIN  & HUSSAIN -NOW 5th day away, traversing and tempest-ing glaciers, trekking  dangerous crevasses, on bare rations, but super bonding-

Each following a very difficult trek with Hussain relying  more on  astro-navigation and his responsibilities for the World Students Society. Marwin is in the great hands of a fearless and ferocious local guide.

But these two great friends, have one thing in common : They find the fellow earthlings back down on the plains, not really worth returning too, with any great zeal. 

They both agree with with the former great editor of The Express Tribune, Kamal Siddiqi, that the Pakistani students and students of the world in general, are being so very much........

Transformed, into Bleating Sheep  and even worst Robots. Kamal Siddiqi than adds, :  I personally think that in most cases, YES!  

When I teach university level students, what I see is a lack of spirit in many. All they want to do is to graduate and move on. For them university is about classes and nothing else. 

Few participate in anything. And those above 18, if they ever vote, they vote as per the directions and whims  of their parents.

There is  No Fire in the belly. There is zero zeal and enthusiasm. There is no nothing except the bleat of..... *mayn, mayn, mayn, bahyn, bahyn*....''  

The learned professor teaches at Institute of Business Administration, Karachi. And in that case, and in which case,  professor, see ya on !WOW!  -the World Students Society.      

''It's our strategy, not just a  computer's,'' said Mr. Rowan, describing the service as managing airline and hotel bit to accrue status with travel companies.

''The downside of working with is is the onboarding is intense. We get to know you as a human, not just a set of  data points.''

Membership fees start at  $1,000  a month for unlimited travel planning, which they say eliminates the conflict of interest inherent in a commission-based system, where revenue rises with more expensive bookings.

They recommend  status-conferring  credit cards, and help manage the programs to use points for free travel.

ON DEMAND SERVICES

More accessible to casual travelers, free travel planning services, like brick-and- mortar travel agencies, make their money through commissions.   

Originally launched in 2015 as a personal assistant tackling tasks like shopping and travel booking,  Mezi shifted to handling travel exclusively last year.

The company's chief executive, Swapnil Shinde, who is also a founder, and its  chatbots  handle most transactions in five or fewer messages.

In complex cases that  robots cannot handle, human agents act as trouble-shooters who, after solving  problems,  train the bots in that resolution.

''We've built it so that every morning it's smarter than the previous night,'' he said. 

The more travelers use  Mezi, the more it knows about their preferences, making it likely that Mezi will suggest a boutique hotel in a museum district for those who have shown an interest in design and art.

The online  agency Hipmunk operates  Hello Hipmunk a free messaging system for travel planning using Facebook Messenger, Skype or Slack-

That can start with a flight request, wander into a conversation  about hotels and resume  flight booking in a style that mimics human conversations.

One  entertaining  aspect of Hello Hopmunk  is probing it for planning tips, asking questions like what's the cheapest week to travel in October and where can I fly direct to the tropics from Chicago in February?

Expedia now offers  messaging-based  searches and bookings on Facebook Messenger, Skype and other platforms.

Flightfox, which books airfares only,  works differently. Founded in 2012, it originally tried to   crowdsource  flight savings by distributing requests to freelance bookers who would compete to find the best fare for a fee.

''It was nice in theory, but we realized we needed someone to be responsible for your trip,'' said Todd Sullivan, a founder.

Now users submit flight request, and  Flightfox's network  of agents take on the booking task, usually for a  $50 fee, though it can go to $100  or more for complicated itineraries.

The agency specializes in knowing the  ins and outs  of point systems to maximize value, especially for  business-class flights or complex itineraries.

Instead of booking the trip for you,  agents provide links for self-booking to maintain transparency about costs and to avoid  collecting personal information like   passport numbers.

FREE- AND- FEE HYBRID

Entirely powered by  chatbots ,  Hello Gbye  introduced its  app in March, offering both a  free service for booking hotels and flights and $19-a-month subscription that offers preferred hotel rates, 2% cash back on hotel bookings and change fees on itineraries.

''It's like the Costco model,'' said Greg Apple, the marketing chief for  Hello-GBye, which targets frequent and business travelers.

''You get saving in bulk, and if you spend a lot you get a check back at the year end.''   

With respectful dedication to the Leaders, Students, Professors and Teachers of the world. And many thanks to research author Elaine Glusac. 

See Ya all on !WOW!  -the World Students Society and Twitter-!E-WOW!  -the Ecosystem 2011:

''' Fire & Fumes '''

Good Night and God Bless

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless