And the best time to buy airfare is...

I wanted to share this recent article from Conde Nast that goes in-depth on when to find and buy the best airfare deals.  This type of thing is not an exact science and there are many different theories  about the best strategy to employ.  The way they present this particular info, though, seems to be based on research they've done from IATA and other sources that lend weight to their numbers.

Best note of the article: At least we can all agree on one thing: "Tuesday appears to remain the best day of the week to find low fares on air travel booked at least three weeks in advance," according to the study.

The Tuesday myth is busted!  (sort of)

Another notable item to me is the 30/60 day split for purchasing domestic vs international flights.  Their recommended times are probably larger than most would feel comfortable agreeing to unless you have a confirmed schedule.

First week almost complete

Greetings from New Jersey and Princeton!

This week has flown by - I can't believe Friday is almost here.  My first week in OIT at the University has been excellent and filled with many meetings, personal greetings, and individual conversations.  We have a lot on our plate in the coming months, including building projects, and I'm excited to see how the processes work.  I'm also working on our reorganization plan and building the team with the inclusion of the Broadcast Center.  Nonstop activity but I wouldn't have it any other way!

I'm looking forward to being in the air this weekend home to celebrate my dad's new Call and Principalship in Bangor.  And also looking forward to a brief mileage run over Labor Day weekend.  More info on that to come!

One week until departure

As I'm sure you saw in a previous post, my time here in San Diego is wrapping up.  Less than one week from today I will be making my final preparations to depart SoCal for sunny New Jersey.  It's been quite the ride over the past 8.1 years here in SD - a lot of ups, and some downs.  The memories that I've been able to take from all of the things that have happened will be with me forever. 

In reflection, I'd like to believe that I've grown as a person, more confident in my own style and with the teams I've been able to be a part of and lead at SDSU.  I've had many good mentors and friends share in that success and no doubt will keep in close contact with everyone.  I never thought I'd live in California, let alone San Diego, but it truly is a special place (and yes, with fantastic weather) and I can't wait to return in the future for fun or otherwise.

While here I had an opportunity to gain experience and knowledge as part of USD's Leadership Studies PhD program.  I can't recommend it enough to anyone looking for the next educational part of their journey.  It exposed me to new ideas and theories behind leadership, and I consider it to be one of the best programs in the country.  The professional and personal friendships I've gained I will cherish as I go forward.

Princeton will be a new and interesting challenge, and I'm excited to be able to share my experience and knowledge with the teams there.  I feel as though it is a culmination of many years of hard work and experiential opportunities that have come together...all of the mentors and projects I've been a part of will be a part of this new journey.  I look forward to seeing where it leads me and what new paths emerge!

Swiss Fleet Upgrade to Boeing 777-300ER

Fleet upgrades continue!

American has been making a conscious effort to upgrade and replace aging MD-80's across their fleet, and other airlines continue to do the same.  I was excited to see the newest update from Swiss Airlines and their brand new Boeing 777-300ER planes.  I suspect these will transition in while other Airbus A340 and A330's are retired.

They have a pretty good video about the new planes here.

I really enjoyed the last time I flew Swiss Business class to Zurich - the seat was amazing and service was excellent.  I wouldn't mind trying out the service on these new planes in the future!

You can find the official site here.

Career Update

After a lot of fun in the sun here in San Diego working with many talented friends and colleagues at ITS and SDSU, I'm excited to share that I have accepted an administrative position in the Office of Information Technology at Princeton University.

At Princeton I will be serving as Associate Director overseeing classroom, lab, media support, and events related to the academic areas. I anticipate making the move to New Jersey early next month and look forward to contributing to the academic excellence and reputation of Princeton in support of teaching and learning.

I can't say thank you enough to everyone who has supported me throughout this journey so far. Blessed to have the opportunity and looking forward to the adventure!

Don't worry...I will be continuing my efforts to write here on the blog about travel topics and other fun.  I'm hoping that it will be easier for me to leverage my location to get in more trips to Europe or other far flung locations.