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Hollywood star reacts after Trump bans her book

Actress Julianne Moore has spoken out after her children's book was banned in US schools under new regulations of Trump's administration. The Hollywood legend shared a lengthy post on Instagram as she reacted to the news that her book, a semi-autobiographical work called Freckleface Strawberry that was released almost two decades ago, was banned. The book was released in 2007 and follows a girl who wants to get rid of her freckles but ends up learning to accept them. The book is one of the thousands of titles US President Donald Trump's administration has reportedly banned from schools run by the Department of Defense. In her Instagram post, Moore said it was a "great shock for me to learn" that her book was being banned, saying she wrote the book "for my children and for other kids to remind them that we all struggle, but are united by our humanity and our community." <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DGJBA9LvfX7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DGJBA9LvfX7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Julianne Moore (@juliannemoore)</a> </div> </blockquote> "I am particularly stunned because I am a proud graduate of Frankfurt American High School a #DOD school that once operated in Frankfurt, Germany," she continued. Speaking of her father who was a Vietnam veteran, Moore said it was "galling for me to realise that kids like me, growing up with a parent in the service and attending a [Department of Defense Education Activity] school will not have access to a book written by someone whose life experience is so similar to their own." "And I can't help but wonder what is so controversial about this picture book that cause it to be banned by the US Government." Moore concluded her thoughts by expressing she was "truly saddened" by the move and "never thought I would see this in a country where freedom of speech and expression is a constitutional right." The post was inundated with comments from many stars, including Halle Berry, model Helena Christensen, Ellen Pompeo and Michelle Pfeiffer, who expressed confusion over the ban and offered their support to Moore. Image credits: Shutterstock / Instagram

Legal

Pete Evans opens up on 'neo-Nazi' controversy

Pete Evans has opened up on the 'neo-Nazi' controversy that saw his books pulled from shelves and his career in the TV and culinary world stall. The former My Kitchen Rules host was dropped from the show in May 2020 over his outspoken and skeptical views on Covid and government restrictions to curb the spread of the pandemic, such as telling people not to wear masks and not to trust vaccines. In November the same year, Evans found himself embroiled in another controversy after posting a cartoon on Instagram featuring a Nazi “black sun” symbol. The image, showing a caterpillar wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat speaking to a butterfly with the black sun on its wing, was quickly deleted with Evans saying he was unaware of the symbol’s meaning. Responding to the backlash, major retailers including Woolworths, Kmart and Target remove his books, while other businesses including publisher Pan Macmillan and kitchenware brand Baccarat also cut ties with Evans. On the Secrets of the Underworld podcast, Evans spoke out about the tumultuous year, saying it was a "coordinated attack" from businesses to cut ties with him. “It was a coordinated attack, it wasn’t just f**king out of the blue,” Evans told podcast host Neil Cummins. “Within the space of 24 hours, the 15 business partners I was involved with all pretty much publicly denounced me. For that to happen it has to be a co-ordinated effort from some party. I don’t know who or what, but it wasn’t like, ‘Pete f**ked up’, it was like, ‘Pete f**ked up, let’s put the attack dogs onto this.’” Evans suggested the cancellation was intended “to dissuade anybody else that may want to stand up against the vaccine or this that and the other thing”. “This is what we can do to somebody, so be good boys and girls, just go along with the agenda, don’t stick your head up because we will financially destroy you,’” he said. Evans admitted that he did share the Nazi symbol but its true meaning was “unbeknownst to me”. “I just saw the Donald Trump hat and thought it was funny, I had no idea it was a f**king neo-Nazi sign,” he said. “It was like, ‘Got him! We’ve been waiting for this moment. Now we can bring out the whole neo-Nazi, white supremacist [thing]. We’ve got him now. We’re going to use this and pressure all his business partners, that you cannot be associated with this man anymore.’” Evans stressed that “just for the record, I’m not a neo-Nazi, never have been, never will be, I love all cultures, all cuisines, I respect everybody, every race”. “It’s so ridiculous people fell for that … that anybody could ever consider that I would be a neo-Nazi, it’s beyond ridiculous,” he said. Image credits: Instagram

Legal

Supersonic jets are making a comeback – but despite the hype, don’t expect to book yet

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chris-james-1178340">Chris James</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> Late last week, American company Boom Supersonic flew faster than the speed of sound with its XB-1 supersonic demonstrator aircraft. It’s now the first <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/press-release/boom-supersonic-achieves-supersonic-flight">piloted non-military aircraft to break the sound barrier</a> since the Concorde was retired from service in 2003. It’s the first step in Boom’s ambitious goal to have <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/united">supersonic airliners carry passengers by 2029</a>. But what exactly is supersonic travel? There are good reasons why it’s not more common, despite the hype. <h2>What is supersonic flight?</h2> The Mach number is defined as a plane’s speed divided by the speed that sound waves move through the air. To “break the sound barrier” means to fly faster than the speed of sound, with Mach numbers greater than 1. The Mach number is an important ratio: as a plane flies, it disturbs the air in front of it. These disturbances move at the speed of sound. In supersonic flight these disturbances combine to form shock waves around the vehicle. When people say you can see a fighter jet before you hear it, they’re referring to supersonic flight: <a href="https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/top-10-worlds-fastest-fighter-jets">fighter jets can travel at around Mach 2</a>. The sound from the fighter jet is trapped inside its shock wave; until the shock wave moves to your position on the ground, you won’t hear the plane. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>Illustration of how disturbances propagate in subsonic, Mach 1, and supersonic flow. <a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Transonico-en.svg">Chabacano/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></figcaption></figure> <h2>The allure of supersonic travel</h2> For efficiency reasons, most passenger jets cruise slightly slower than the speed of sound, at around Mach 0.8 (this is subsonic flight). Boom plans to build <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/overture">an airliner called Overture</a> that can fly at Mach 1.7. Flying supersonically can drastically decrease flight times. The company claims a trip <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/flyby/summer-travel-trends-future-travel-onboard-overture">from New York to Rome</a> on Overture could take just four hours and 40 minutes, instead of eight hours. Boom isn’t the only company working on this lofty goal. American firm Spike Aerospace is also developing a supersonic business jet, <a href="https://www.spikeaerospace.com/spike-s-512-supersonic-diplomat/">with the tagline</a> “delivering the world in half the time”. This is the value proposition of supersonic passenger travel. In limited ways, it did already exist in the 20th century. However, due to timing, bad luck and the laws of physics, it didn’t continue. <h2>Remember the Concorde?</h2> Designs for supersonic airliners began in the mid-20th century, and by the 1970s we had supersonic passenger flight. There was the little-known <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-144">Russian Tupolev-144</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/Concorde">Concorde</a>, a Franco-British supersonic airliner operated by British Airways and Air France from 1976 to 2003. Concorde had a capacity of <a href="https://www.heritageconcorde.com/concorde-cabin--passenger-experience">up to 128 passengers</a> and cruised at Mach 2. It regularly travelled from London to New York <a href="https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/what-happened-concordes">in around three hours</a>. The flights were expensive, mainly shuttling business people and the rich and famous. <h2>Why supersonic passenger flight didn’t take off</h2> Concorde was designed in the 1960s when it seemed like supersonic passenger transport was going to be the next big thing. Instead, the Boeing 747 <a href="https://www.boeing.com/commercial/747-8">entered commercial service in 1970</a>. Cheap, large and efficient airliners like it blew Concorde out of the water. Designed to cruise efficiently at supersonic speeds, Concorde was extremely fuel inefficient when taking off and accelerating. Concorde’s expensive, “<a href="https://phys.org/news/2019-03-concorde-technical-feat-financial-fiasco.html">gas guzzling</a>” nature was a complaint levelled against it for most of its lifetime. A catastrophic <a href="https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/tu-144-crash-puzzle-persists-50-years-after-fatal-paris-display/153782.article">1973 Paris air show crash</a> of the competing Russian airliner, Tupolev Tu-144, also shifted public perception on supersonic flight safety at a time when many airlines were considering whether or not to purchase Concordes. <a href="https://www.heritageconcorde.com/airframe-detail">Only 20 Concordes were manufactured</a> out of the <a href="https://simpleflying.com/concorde-orders/">planned 100</a>. It is still disputed today whether Concorde <a href="http://www.concordesst.com/faq.html">ever made money for the airlines who operated it</a>. <figure class="align-right zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>Illustration of a shock wave propagating from a supersonic aeroplane and hitting the ground to produce a sonic boom. <a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Supersonic_shockwave_cone.svg">Cmglee/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></figcaption></figure> <h2>Noise is a real problem for supersonic flight</h2> Remember the fighter jets? When a plane travels supersonically, its shock waves propagate to the ground, <a href="https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104540/sonic-boom/">causing loud disturbances called sonic booms</a>. In extreme cases they can shatter windows and damage buildings. In the early 1970s, sonic boom concerns led the United States government to <a href="https://aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/features/supersonic-travel-dead-on-arrival/">ban supersonic passenger flight over land in the US</a>. This hurt the Concorde’s potential market, hence its only two regular routes were trans-Atlantic flights principally over the water. The Concorde was also a very loud plane at take off, since it needed a lot of thrust to leave the ground. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3x9hO7n5WiA?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Video footage of the final Concorde takeoff from New York’s JFK airport.</figcaption></figure> <h2>The future of supersonic travel</h2> A future for supersonic travel relies on solving some or all of the issues Concorde faced. <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission/quesst/">NASA and Lockheed Martin’s Quesst project</a> aims to show sonic boom can be dissipated to manageable levels. They plan to fly their X-59 supersonic aircraft over US cities and gauge responses from citizens. Quesst aims to use the geometry of the X-59, with a long elongated nose, to dissipate sonic booms to a weak “thump”, hopefully allowing supersonic airliners to travel over land in the future. Spike Aerospace’s Spike S-512 Diplomat concept also aims to be a <a href="https://www.spikeaerospace.com/quiet-supersonic-flight/">“quiet” supersonic aircraft</a> with a less disruptive sonic boom. <h2>Can Boom surpass Concorde?</h2> Boom Supersonic don’t plan to fly supersonically over land. Their plan is to fly over land at Mach 0.94, which they claim will allow <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/overture">20% faster overland travel</a> than standard passenger airliners, even subsonically. They also claim the design of their engines will ensure Overture is <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/flyby/the-new-sound-of-supersonic-q-a-with-booms-principal-acoustic-engineer">no louder than modern subsonic airliners when it takes off</a>. In terms of gas guzzling, they plan to use up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel to reduce emissions and <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/press-release/boom-supersonic-and-dimensional-energy-announce-sustainable-aviation-fuel-offtake-agreement">their carbon footprint</a>. Concorde was made of aluminium using design tools available in the 1960s. Modern design methods and modern aerospace materials such as titanium and carbon fibre should also allow Overture and similar craft to weigh much less than Concorde, improving efficiency. While Boom are currently receiving a lot of interest, <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/overture">with orders from many airlines</a>, Concorde did have similar commitment before it become available. <a href="https://www.heritageconcorde.com/concorde-orders-and-options">Most of it didn’t eventuate</a>. Additionally, Concorde was the product of an analogue era when the idea of flying to London or New York for the day for an important business meeting seemed like a necessary thing. In a world of remote work and video meetings, is there still a need for a supersonic airliner in the 2020s? For now, supersonic airliners like Overture are likely to remain in the realm of the rich and famous, like Concorde did. But with modern technological advances, it will be interesting to see whether supersonic passenger travel once again becomes reality – or even goes mainstream. Only time will tell.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/248656/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chris-james-1178340">Chris James</a>, UQ Amplify Senior Lecturer, Centre for Hypersonics, School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> Image credits: Boom Supersonic This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/supersonic-jets-are-making-a-comeback-but-despite-the-hype-dont-expect-to-book-yet-248656">original article</a>. </div>

International Travel

Booking a summer holiday deal? Beware ‘drip pricing’ and other tactics to make you pay more than you planned

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jeannie-marie-paterson-6367">Jeannie Marie Paterson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Have you ever spotted what looked like a great deal on a website, added it to your “basket” and proceeded to checkout – only to find extra fees added on at the last minute? It’s frustratingly common when making airline, hotel and many other kinds of bookings to see an advertised price get ratcheted up at checkout with additional fees – perhaps “shipping insurance”, “resort fees” or just “taxes”. The practice is known as “<a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/pricing/price-displays">drip pricing</a>” and it can <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/WH-Junk-Fees-Guide-for-States.pdf">distort</a> consumer decision-making and affect competition. Nonetheless, there is no specific ban on this conduct in Australia. Some companies have, however, effectively been prosecuted for it under the Australian Consumer Law, which contains some strict rules about misleading consumers through advertising. Many of us have already begun booking flights, hotels and more as we head into the summer holiday season. Here’s what the law says about companies changing prices in the lead-up to checkout, and how you can protect yourself as a consumer. <h2>What’s wrong with drip pricing?</h2> The tactic that underpins drip pricing is to draw a customer in with an attractive “headline” price but then add in other fees as the customer approaches the checkout. It’s reasonable to ask whether there’s anything wrong with this practice: after all, the customer still sees the final price at checkout. Why might that be seen as misleading conduct under Australian Consumer Law? The reasons lie in views about consumer buying behaviour and the nature of the statutory prohibition. Typically, the closer a consumer gets to a sale, the less likely they are to pull out or even fully notice any additional fees. They may then end up paying more than they intended and also have lost the opportunity to deal with other suppliers of the same product at a better price. In the relevant section of Australian Consumer Law, there’s no requirement of an intention to mislead. It’s also not necessarily relevant that the true pricing situation is eventually revealed to the consumer or that it’s in the “fine print”. Thus, in the eyes of the law, it can be enough that consumers were enticed by an attractive headline price. <h2>Price surprises</h2> This legal position is well illustrated by a <a href="https://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/cth/HCA/2013/54.html">case</a> settled by the High Court in 2013, after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) took on telecom provider TPG Internet in <a href="https://www.mondaq.com/australia/advertising-marketing-branding/282802/advertising-and-the-acl-fine-print-couldnt-save-tpg-internet-in-the-high-court">2010</a>, alleging misleading conduct. In this case, TPG had been advertising broadband internet services for $29.99 per month. But on reading the fine print, you’d have discovered this deal was only available with a landline service costing an additional $30 per month. The case moved up through Australia’s court system, but ultimately, the High Court majority held that the telco had engaged in misleading conduct. The High Court recognised that the very point of advertising is to draw consumers into “the marketing web”. It is therefore not enough to disclose the true (higher) price only at the point the transaction is concluded. TPG was fined $2 million in this case. Since then, the maximum penalties have increased, now the higher of: <ul> <li>$50 million</li> <li>three times the value obtained from the contravention, or (if the benefit can not be determined)</li> <li>30% of the business’s adjusted turnover during the breach period.</li> </ul> <h2>Dynamic pricing</h2> Other pricing complaints have been in the news recently, including concerns about point-of-sale dynamic pricing. Basically, this means using an algorithm that adjusts ticket prices in response to demand, as consumers wait in a virtual purchasing queue. Recent media reporting has centred on <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-14/ticketmaster-live-nation-dynamic-pricing-tickets-class-action/104469646">concerns</a> about the use of point-of-sale dynamic pricing in the events ticketing industry. A form of dynamic pricing is used by hotels and airlines. They increase prices seasonally and according to demand. But these “dynamic” prices are clearly visible to consumers as they start looking for a deal. Some bodies even publish helpful tables of likely prices at different times. The kind of dynamic pricing that happens at the very point consumers are waiting to buy is very different and arguably creates an “unfair surprise”. Whether these kinds of practices also fall within the category of misleading conduct remains to be seen. But it is arguable that consumers could reasonably expect the real-time movement of prices to be disclosed upfront. Earlier this year, the government announced <a href="https://theconversation.com/albanese-government-promises-to-ban-dodgy-trading-practices-234142">plans</a> to address both drip pricing and dynamic pricing as part of a broader ban on unfair trading practices. <h2>What can consumers do?</h2> While all this law reform and litigation is playing out, here are some things you can do to avoid pricing shock. 1. Slow down. One of the strategies that online markets often rely on is “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/oct/12/accc-suing-coles-woolworths-pricing-strategies-allegations">scarcity signalling</a>” – those clocks or numbers you see counting down as you move through a website. The very purpose of these is to make a consumer rush – which can mean failing to notice those additional fees that may make the buy not a good deal. 2. Take screen shots as you progress. Remember what it is you thought you were getting. Doing this also provides a basis for lodging a complaint if the headline and actual price don’t match up. 3. Check. Take a close look at the final bill before pressing pay. 4. Report. Tell your local Fair Trading Office or the ACCC if the advertised deal and the final price don’t meet up. A recent action taken by the ACCC against <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/sep/23/accc-suing-coles-woolworths-discounts-misleading">Woolworths and Coles</a> alleging “illusory” discounts was launched because of consumer tip-offs.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/244825/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jeannie-marie-paterson-6367">Jeannie Marie Paterson</a>, Professor of Law, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/booking-a-summer-holiday-deal-beware-drip-pricing-and-other-tactics-to-make-you-pay-more-than-you-planned-244825">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Trouble

Hotel booking sites actually make it hard to get cheap deals, but there’s a way around it

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-martin-682709">Peter Martin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/crawford-school-of-public-policy-australian-national-university-3292">Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University</a> Booking a place to stay on holidays has become a reflex action. The first thing many of us do is open a site such as <a href="https://www.wotif.com/">Wotif</a>, <a href="https://au.hotels.com/?locale=en_AU">Hotels.com</a> or <a href="https://www.trivago.com.au/">trivago</a> (all of which are these days owned by the US firm <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-will-not-oppose-expedia%E2%80%99s-proposed-acquisition-of-wotif">Expedia</a>), or their only big competitor, <a href="https://www.booking.com/">Booking.com</a> from the Netherlands. Checking what rooms are available – anywhere – is wonderfully easy, as is booking, at what usually seems to be the lowest available price. But Australia’s Assistant Competition Minister Andrew Leigh is concerned there might be a reason the price seems to be the lowest available. It might be an <a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/media-releases/supporting-tourism-and-accommodation-providers-set-their">agreement not to compete</a>, or the fear of reprisals against hotel owners who offer better prices. <h2>Agreements to not compete</h2> Leigh has asked the treasury to investigate, and if that’s what it finds, it may be the booking sites have the perverse effect of keeping prices high, especially when the substantial fees they charge hotels are taken into account. For now, the treasury is seeking information. It has set a deadline of <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/consultation/c2022-338978">January 6</a> for hotel operators and booking sites to tell it: <ul> <li> the typical fees charged by online booking platforms </li> <li> the details of any agreements not to compete on price </li> <li> whether hotels that try to compete get ranked lower on booking sites. </li> </ul> What’s likely to come out of it is a ban on so-called price-parity clauses that prevent discounting, or a ban on “algorithmic punishment,” whereby hotels that do discount get pushed way down the rankings on the sites. But in the meantime, there are things we can do to get better prices, and they’ll help more broadly, as I’ll explain. <h2>Flight Centre precedent</h2> <figure class="align-right zoomable"></figure> Back in 2018, in a case that went all the way to the High Court, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) forced <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/flight-centre-ordered-to-pay-125-million-in-penalties">Flight Centre</a> to pay a penalty of A$12.5 million for attempting to induce airlines not to undercut it on ticket prices. That the ACCC eventually won the case might be an indication price-parity clauses are already illegal under Australian law. But it’s a difficult law to enforce. This is why the treasury is considering special legislation of the kind in force in France, Austria, Italy and Belgium. The ACCC has known for some time that Expedia and Booking.com have included clauses in their contracts preventing hotels offering the same room for any less than they do, even directly. Rather than take the big two to court, in 2016 the ACCC “reached agreement” with them to delete the clauses that prevented hotels offering better deals <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/expedia-and-bookingcom-agree-to-reinvigorate-price-competition-by-amending-contracts-with-australian-hotels">face-to-face</a>. <h2>The concession that conceded little</h2> From then on, hotels were able to offer better deals than the sites over the phone or in person, but not on their own websites. Given we are less and less likely to walk in off the street or even use the phone to book a hotel, it wasn’t much of a concession. Then, in 2019, with the Commission under renewed pressure from hotel owners for another investigation, Expedia (but not Booking.com) reportedly <a href="https://www.smartcompany.com.au/business-advice/competition/expedia-allow-hotels-undercut-prices-online/">waived</a> the rest of the clauses, giving hotel owners the apparent freedom to advertise cheaper prices wherever they liked including on their own sites without fear of retribution. Except several appear to fear retribution, and very few seem to have jumped at the opportunity. <h2>Algorithmic punishment</h2> An Expedia spokesman gave an indication of what might be in store when he was quoted as saying a hotel that undercut Expedia might “find itself ranked <a href="https://www.smartcompany.com.au/business-advice/competition/expedia-allow-hotels-undercut-prices-online/">below its competitors</a>, just as it would if it had worse reviews or fewer high-quality pictures of its property”. Being ranked at the bottom of a site is much the same as not being ranked at all, something Leigh refers to as “algorithmic punishment”. It’s not at all clear the present law prevents it, which is why Leigh is open to the idea of legislating against it. Although you and I may not often think about what hotels are paying to be booked through sites such as Wotif and Booking.com, and although what’s charged to the hotel isn’t publicised, it appeard to be a large chunk of the cost of providing the room. One figure quoted is <a href="https://www.smartcompany.com.au/industries/tourism/online-travel-booking-fed-up-small-businesses-call-accc-action/">20%</a>. Leigh says hotel owners have told him the fees are in the “<a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/transcripts/interview-geraldine-doogue-abc-saturday-extra">double digits</a>”, something he says is quite a lot when you consider the sites don’t need to clean the toilets, change the sheets or help on the front desk. <h2>‘Chokepoint capitalism’</h2> What this seems to mean (the treasury will find out) is almost all bookings are more expensive than they need to be because firms that sit at the “<a href="https://theconversation.com/chokepoint-capitalism-why-well-all-lose-unless-we-stop-amazon-spotify-and-other-platforms-squeezing-cash-from-creators-194069">chokepoint</a>” between buyers and sellers are squeezing sellers. A hotel could always abandon the sites and offer much cheaper prices, but for a while – perhaps forever – it will be much harder to find. In their defence, the operators of the platforms might say they need to get the best offers from hotels in order to make it worthwhile for the operators to invest in their sites, an argument the treasury is inviting them to put. In the meantime, with some hotels reluctant to put their best rates on their websites, but with them perfectly able to offer better rates over the phone, there’s a fairly simple way we can all get a better deal – and help fix the broader problem by weight of numbers. If we look up the best deal wherever we want online, and then phone and ask for a better one (or a better room), we might well find we get it. We might be saving the owner a lot of money. Leigh reckons the more we do ring up, the more the sites might feel pressure to discount their own fees, helping bring prices down even before he starts to think about writing legislation.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/196460/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-martin-682709">Peter Martin</a>, Visiting Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/crawford-school-of-public-policy-australian-national-university-3292">Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/hotel-booking-sites-actually-make-it-hard-to-get-cheap-deals-but-theres-a-way-around-it-196460">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Trouble

Jamie Oliver's book pulled from shelves over Indigenous Australian subplot

Jamie Oliver has had his new children's book pulled from shelves after a subplot about Indigenous Australians was deemed "disrespectful" and "damaging". The celebrity chef and author released his second children’s book in May, titled Billy and the Epic Escape, in which the protagonist takes a brief detour from England to Alice Springs, where the villain of the story abducts a young Indigenous girl living in foster care in an Indigenous community. The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Commission (NATSIEC) led the calls for the book to be withdrawn, accusing Oliver of perpetuating harmful stereotypes and “trivialising complex and painful histories”. NATSIEC chief executive Sharon Davis told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/nov/10/jamie-oliver-pulls-childrens-book-from-shelves-after-criticism-for-stereotyping-indigenous-australians-ntwnfb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a> that the book implied Indigenous families “are easily swayed by money and neglect the safety of their children”, adding, “[It] perpetuates a racist stereotype that has been used to justify child removals for over a century.” “This portrayal is not only offensive but also reinforces damaging biases.” Oliver, who is currently in Australia promoting his latest cookbook, said in a statement, “I am devastated to have caused offence and apologise wholeheartedly. It was never my intention to misinterpret this deeply painful issue. Together with my publishers we have decided to withdraw the book from sale.” Penguin Random House UK also released a statement on the book, conceding, “It is clear that our publishing standards fell short on this occasion, and we must learn from that and take decisive action. With that in mind, we have agreed with our author, Jamie Oliver, that we will be withdrawing the book from sale.” Both Oliver and Penguin Random House UK revealed that during the writing of the book, no consultation with Indigenous Australian individuals or organisations had taken place. Indigenous children’s author Cheryl Leavy told The Guardian the decision to pull the book from shelves was the right one, saying, “It makes it possible for Penguin Random House to build relationships with First Nations communities and tell better stories.” “It’s time now for Penguin Random House to work with First Nations advisers to put structural measures in place that prevent this from ever happening again.” Image credits: Penguin Random House UK/Ken McKay/ITV

Books

Readers response: What’s the best book you’ve read recently, and what did you love about it?

With hundreds of new books on the market, it's hard to know what are the best to recommend. We asked our readers what the best book they've read recently is and what did they love about it, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. Helen Ulgekutt - The Venice Hotel by Tess Woods, loved it start to finish. Zoy Crizzle - The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. Great book, so easy to read and an interesting story line. I loved it. Keralie Stack - I have just finished Fallen Woman by Fiona McIntosh. A good read. Karen Peardon - The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston. A great story. Nola Schmidt - The Perfect Passion Company by Alexander McCall Smith. It was clever, witty, and gentle. June Lennie - People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. Interesting story set in different historical periods. Brilliantly written and researched. Christine Hayes - Where the Crawdads Sing, just beautiful. Sandra Moores - All That's Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien. A great debut based in Cabramatta, very compelling read. Greg Cudmore - 'To Alpha From Omega'. Although very much Australian, its themes are universal. Denise Zephyr - The Days I Loved You Most. Such a beautiful story and a beautiful ending. Marie Chong - Minding Frankie by Maeve Binchy. I love all her books, she tells a good story. Yvonne Bercov - The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, couldn’t put it down. Image credits: Shutterstock

Books

New details about Queen Elizabeth's final hours revealed

The final hours of Queen Elizabeth's life have been shared in a tell-all new book about the royals, detailing how Her Majesty was forced to pull out of an important meeting before she died. In his book, Charles III: New King, New Court, author Robert Hardman shared that the day before her death, Queen Elizabeth had met the departing British prime minister, Boris Johnson, and his replacement, Liz Truss, at Balmoral and attended a drinks party that same evening. Hardman wrote that the Queen felt "buzzy" at the event, but her health quickly took a turn for the worst. “She was quite buzzy over pre-dinner drinks,” one guest at the party told Hardman. “But then she said she was going upstairs to have dinner alone.” The monarch then spent the next day in bed, but reportedly arranged with the Privy Council to dial in via video link for an important meeting. As her health deteriorated throughout the day, that was changed to allow for her to call from her bedroom in an audio-only capacity, according to Hardman. But just moments before the meeting was set to get underway, the Queen reportedly made the difficult decision to cancel entirely on “medical advice”. It was that evening that then-Prince Charles was advised by Princess Anne and his private secretary to make his way urgently to his mother’s bedside, with fears that the end was near. Hardman writes that the following day, Charles was told his mother had died over the phone, having briefly left her bedside to have a moment to himself outside. Sadly, most of the royal family didn't make it to Balmoral in time to see the Queen before she passed, with Prince William, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward and his wife Sophie all landing 40 minutes later. Prince Harry shared in his own memoir Spare that he learned of his grandmother’s death by reading it in a BBC breaking news alert, moments after his own flight landed. The Queen died at 3:10pm on September 8th 2022, after more than 70 years on the throne. Image credits: Shutterstock

Caring

Jackie O donates profits from her new memoir

Jackie O has revealed that she plans to donate all the profits from her book, just days after going public with the details of her past <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/tearful-jackie-o-reveals-past-drug-addiction" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drug addiction</a>. The radio host shared the news of her past addiction live on air last week, admitting she was abusing prescription drugs and also had an alcohol addiction, which led to her checking into the Betty Ford Centre in Palm Springs, California to seek treatment. In a lengthy statement on her Instagram, Jackie O shared that she had received messages from people who are also battling with addiction, but are financially unable to get the same level of help. "Since sharing my story last week, I've been deeply moved by the thousands of messages I've received from people facing challenges similar to mine but unable to afford rehab," she wrote online. "I was fortunate enough to have access to treatment and I recognise how privileged that makes me. Unfortunately, not everyone has the same opportunity. Which is why all my profits from my book which is on sale tomorrow will be donated to Odyssey House Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre." Jackie O's memoir, The Whole Truth, shares more information about her battle with addiction, while also revealing secrets about her private life and extensive career. She ended the post with a message of thanks for the many people who have supported her and opened up to her with similar stories. "Thank you to everyone who has shared their personal stories with me. I'm still reading through your messages and will do my best to respond to each one. Your honesty and support means the world to me." Henderson opened up about her experience with addiction in a planned reading from her memoir on The Kyle and Jackie O Show last Thursday, where she told her co-host Kyle Sandilands, "I was scared to tell people and say this out loud, I know people will look at me differently and judge me, but I was in a really dark place." Image credits: Instagram

Money & Banking

"So ashamed": John Farnham opens up about years of abuse

John Farnham has shared explosive claims that he suffered years of abuse at the hands of his former manager at the beginning of his career. Revealing all in his new memoir The Voice Inside, which is set to be released on October 30th, the Aussie music legend opened up about the mistreatment he endured from former manager Darryl Sambell when he was a teen pop idol in the 1960s with hits like Sadie the Cleaning Lady. In an excerpt of the book published by <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TAWEB_WRE170_a_NEW&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Farts%2Freview%2Fhe-drugged-me-for-years-john-farnham-reveals-predatory-industry-life-after-cancer-in-memoir-finding-the-voice%2Fnews-story%2Fc1dfc413b3bee553a0bda380bc3bec01&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=HIGH-Segment-2-SCORE&V21spcbehaviour=appendend" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Australian</a>, Farnham wrote that Sambell “drugged me for years and I had no f**king idea,” until he found a half-dissolved pill at the bottom of a cup of coffee. Asked what it was, Sambell told Farnham: “That’s just something to keep you awake.” Farnham also writes that his manager, who was openly gay, was “aggressively sexual” towards him and he was constantly fending off his advances. He wrote, “I said it often enough that I can see now that this rejection turned his attraction into jealousy, hatred and a desire for control.” The toxic relationship went on for years, with Sambell controlling “where and when I worked, what I sang, what I wore, what I ate,” as Farnham ended up “isolated from friends and family,” even from wife Jill, who he married in 1973. Farnham finally sacked Sambell in 1976, later forming one of Australian music’s most successful partnerships with music manager Glenn Wheatley, who helped Farnham become a household name with his major hits of the 1980s and 90s. After Sambell died in 2001, Farnham wrote that he was forced to reflect on the early years of his career, and was overcome with a mixture of sorrow and shame: “I feel so ashamed of myself for not realising what Darryl was up to or speaking up more often to put him back in his place.” He admitted he had found it hard to “unpick” what had happened to him, until forced to confront it while writing his memoir. “But now that I’ve confronted it, I look back on that time with sorrow. I’m annoyed at myself for being so gullible and trusting,” he writes. Image credits: news.com.au / Facebook

Caring

We know parents shape their children’s reading – but so can aunts, uncles and grandparents, by sharing beloved books

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emily-grace-baulch-1399683">Emily Grace Baulch</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> <a href="https://creative.gov.au/news/media-releases/revealing-reading-a-survey-of-australian-reading-habits/">Over 80%</a> of Australians with children encourage them to read. Children whose parents enjoy reading are <a href="https://www.booktrust.org.uk/news-and-features/news/news-2023/new-research-from-booktrust-reveals-the-impact-of-parental-reading-enjoyment-on-childrens-reading-habits/">20% more likely</a> to enjoy it too. My research has found parents aren’t the only family members who play an important role in developing a passion for reading – extended family, from grandparents to siblings, uncles and great-aunts, also influence readers’ connections to books. I surveyed 160 Australian readers about their home bookshelves and reading habits. More than 80% of them acknowledged the significant influence of family in what and how they read. Reading to children is often <a href="https://www.booktrust.org.uk/globalassets/resources/research/booktrust-family-survey-research-briefing-2-reading-influencers.pdf">the invisible workload of mothers</a>: 95% of mothers read to children, compared to 67% of fathers. Yet intriguingly, those I surveyed – whose ages ranged from their early 20s to their 70s – collectively talked about books being passed down across eight generations. Family members were associated with their most valued books – and their identities as readers. <h2>Treasured possessions</h2> Books passed down through generations often become treasured possessions, embodying a shared family history. One person discussed an old hardcover copy of <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9780732284350/blinky-bill/">Blinky Bill</a> by Dorothy Wall. Originally given to her father and his siblings by their great-aunt in 1961, the book’s pages are now discoloured and falling out. “Although I always think of my mother as having been my reading role model,” she wrote, “actually my father had an equally big impact, just in another way.” Her father is a central organising figure on her home bookshelf: she has dedicated a whole shelf to the books he liked. The story she tells about his old copy of Blinky Bill, however, crosses generations. The book’s battered state is a testament to its longevity and well-loved status. Its inscription to her family members makes the copy unique and irreplaceable. Another person remembered a set of Dickens’ novels, complete with margin notes and century-old newspaper clippings, carefully stored with her most special books. These volumes, initially owned by her great-great-grandmother and later gifted by her great-aunt, represent a reading bond passed down through generations. Such books can never be replaced, no matter how many copies might be in circulation. These books are closely associated with memories and experiences – they are invaluable for who they represent. A third person has her father’s “old” Anne McCaffrey’s <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/40323-dragonriders-of-pern">Dragonriders of Pern</a> series: he read it to her as a teenager, then passed it down. The book “sparked” her interest in science-fiction, and she now intends to pass it on to her own teenager. Her book, too, is “battered”, with “chunks falling out when you read it”. The cover is falling off. The deteriorating state of a book is part of the book’s legacy. It shows how loved it has been. Reading passions can be deliberately cultivated through family, but their value is less connected to reading comprehension or literacy than a sense of connection through sharing. Inherited, much-loved books bind families together. They can anchor absent family members to the present. These books can come to symbolise love, connection and loss. The family members who’ve passed down their books might not be physically present in children’s lives – they may not be reading aloud to them at bedtime – but through their books, they can have a strong presence in their loved ones’ memories. That indelible trace can be sustained into adulthood. <h2>Buying books for the next generation</h2> Another way relatives contribute to a family reading legacy is by buying new copies of much-loved books for the next generation. Theresa Sheen, from The Quick Brown Fox, a specialist children’s bookstore in Brisbane, notes that customers often ask for copies of books they had when they were younger. They may have read them to their children and now want them for their grandchildren. For example, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/40767-the-baby-sitters-club">The Babysitters Club series</a> by Ann M. Martin was mentioned multiple times as a nostalgic favourite, now being sought after by grandparents. Readers’ habits of re-buying favourite books can affect the publishing industry. With older children’s classics still selling, publishers seek to update the text to reflect contemporary cultural mores. Enid Blyton is one author who endures through intergenerational love and nostalgia. However, her work is regularly <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/books-magazines/books/enid-blytons-famous-five-books-edited-to-remove-offensive-words/news-story/47a63bb79a5d870f19aed58b19469bb5">edited and bowdlerised</a> to update it. Books can be imbued with the voices and emotions of others. They are more than just physical objects – they are vessels of shared experiences that can be passed down, up and across generations. This enduring bond between family members does more than preserve individual stories. It actively shapes and sustains a vibrant reading culture.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/232372/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emily-grace-baulch-1399683">Emily Grace Baulch</a>, Producer at Ludo Studio & Freelance Editor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-know-parents-shape-their-childrens-reading-but-so-can-aunts-uncles-and-grandparents-by-sharing-beloved-books-232372">original article</a>. </div>

Family & Pets

Things to remember when booking a group tour

When it comes to travelling abroad, many people opt to take part in a group tour to get the most out of their holiday. However, there are always a few logistics to iron out before you book your trip, because running into issues on a tour can make or break your vacation. Thankfully, travel expert Dilvin Yasa has shared her go to tips for getting the most out of your group tour. Budget accordingly When planning your group tour, budgeting is one of the most important factors, as these trips are rarely all-inclusive. Dilvin Yasa told <a href="https://travel.nine.com.au/latest/things-first-timers-get-wrong-on-group-tours/61fa10d2-ce80-40bb-ab92-9008b3d9296d">9Travel</a> it’s important to “read the itinerary carefully before you book and add up all the exclusions until you arrive at your 'real figure'.” Extra costs on a group tour could include lunches, dinners, attractions and additional activities, so make sure you factor these potential costs in. Know your geography Yasa advised against skipping between different destinations, as strict time constraints could prevent you from partaking in back to back tours. “If the itinerary doesn't list distances or time between destinations, hit up Google Maps to get an idea of how long you're expected to be in transit during each leg of the tour.” Don’t arrive at the last minute The travel expert said if you’re heading on a group tour, don’t leave it until the day the tour departs to arrive at your destination. “The last thing you want is to miss a connecting flight or hit any other sort of delay that could see you miss the first or two of the tour you've paid for,” Yasa said. “Aim to arrive the day before at the very latest and give yourself a little extra free time at the tail end as well - just in case.” Keep some cash on hand While most of your tour should already be paid for before you depart, you should always be prepared for extra expenses. Especially when travelling to more remote locations, or if you’re visiting smaller food vendors or markets, you shouldn’t assume everywhere will take card payments. Yasa said, “Make sure you have local currency on you at all times and you're good to go.” Image credits: Shutterstock

Travel Tips

So when should you book that flight? The truth on airline prices

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yuriy-gorodnichenko-144556">Yuriy Gorodnichenko</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-california-berkeley-754">University of California, Berkeley</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/volodymyr-bilotkach-145437">Volodymyr Bilotkach</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/newcastle-university-906">Newcastle University</a> How airlines price tickets is a source of many <a href="http://airtravel.about.com/od/travelindustrynews/a/mythticket.htm">myths</a> and urban legends. These include tips about the best day of the week to buy a ticket, last-minute discounts offered by the airlines, and the conspiracy theories suggesting that the carriers use cookies to increase prices for their passengers. None of these three statements is entirely true. Studies have suggested that prices can be higher or lower on a given day of the week – yet, there is no clear consensus on which day that is. Offered prices can in fact drop at any time before the flight, yet they are much more likely to increase than decrease over the last several weeks before the flight’s departure. Further, the airlines prefer to wait for the last-minute business traveler who’s likely to pay full fare rather than sell the seat prematurely to a price conscious traveler. And no, the airlines do not use cookies to manipulate fare quotes – adjusting their inventory for specific customers appears to be beyond their technical capabilities. What is true about pricing in the airline industry is that carriers use complex and sophisticated pricing systems. The airline’s per passenger cost is the lowest when the flight is full, so carriers have incentive to sell as many seats as possible. This is a race against time for an airline and, of course, no company wants to discount its product more than it has to. Hence, the airlines face two somewhat contradictory goals: to maximize revenue by flying full planes and to sell as many full-fare seats as possible. This a process known in the industry as yield or revenue management. <h2>Airlines and their bucket lists</h2> Here is how <a href="http://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1522&context=jaaer">yield management</a> works. For each flight or route (if we are talking about multi-segment itineraries), the airline has a set of available price levels – from the most expensive fully refundable fare to the cheapest deeply discounted non-refundable price. The industry jargon for these prices is “buckets.” Then, seats can be interpreted as balls that are allocated among these buckets. Initial allocation of seats between the price buckets is determined by historical data indicating how well a certain flight sells. For example, fewer deeply discounted seats will be offered on a flight on Thanksgiving week than on the same flight during the third week of February. As the seats on a flight sell, yield managers monitor and adjust the seat allocation. If, for instance, the sales are slower than expected, some of the seats might be moved to lower-priced buckets – this shows up as a price drop. As noted above, such price drops can occur at any time before the flight. However, the general trend of price quotes is upward starting from about two to three weeks before the flight departure date. Of course, an average traveler wants to know when he or she should buy the tickets for the next trip. Another important question is where to buy this ticket. Airlines distribute their inventory on their own websites and on several computer distribution systems, meaning that prices can sometimes differ depending on where one looks. We are not entirely sure what precipitates this phenomenon – likely explanations include differences in contracts between the airlines and the distribution systems/travel agents, implying that different travel agents may not have access to the airline’s entire inventory of available prices. <h2>When to book</h2> The airlines’ yield managers start looking at flight bookings about two months before the departure date. This implies that it generally does not pay to book more than two months in advance: studies show that initially the airlines leave the cheapest price buckets empty, and yield managers may move some seats into those buckets if a couple of months before the departure date the flight is emptier than expected. Between two months and about two to three weeks before the flight date, the fare quotes remain mostly flat, with a slight upward trend. However, and perhaps paradoxically, there is a good chance of a price drop during this period. We tend to monitor prices for several days – sometimes up to a week – hoping for a potentially lower quote. It does not always pay off, but sometimes we do manage to save a considerable amount of money. Two to three weeks before the flight date, the price quotes start increasing. This is the time when business travelers start booking. While price drops are still possible, a chance of a price increase is much higher if you wait to book within this time period. This is also the time when one can find significant differences between price quotes, depending on where one looks and what contract they have with the airlines. Thus, if we book a trip earlier than three weeks before the flight date, we tend not to delay the purchase. At the same time, we check quotes from multiple travel agents, or go directly to a site that allows for a quick comparison of prices (such as <a href="https://www.kayak.com">kayak.com</a> or <a href="http://www.skyscanner.net">skyscanner.net</a>). Or check the airline itself. As for answering the original question we posed, here are some simple tips. First, if you have to travel during a peak period, such as Thanksgiving week, it is generally best not to delay buying that ticket. Otherwise, it might pay to monitor the offered prices for some time before committing. The best strategy for booking within the last couple of weeks before the flight, however, is not to delay the purchase, but to try getting quotes from several agents, which is easy to do in the internet age.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/34033/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yuriy-gorodnichenko-144556">Yuriy Gorodnichenko</a>, Associate Professor of Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-california-berkeley-754">University of California, Berkeley</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/volodymyr-bilotkach-145437">Volodymyr Bilotkach</a>, Senior Lecturer in Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/newcastle-university-906">Newcastle University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/so-when-should-you-book-that-flight-the-truth-on-airline-prices-34033">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Tips

Bindi Irwin to release children's book

Bindi Irwin is releasing her debut children's book - and it involves her adorable three-year-old daughter, Grace Warrior. The wildlife warrior took to Instagram to share the news, saying: "Today is one of the very best days of my entire life." "I officially get to share with you my new children's book, You Are a Wildlife Warrior! Woohoo! Crikey" According to Bindi, the book will take readers on an "amazing journey" with her "wonderful daughter" Grace. "You'll explore our home, Australia Zoo and the conservation work we do all over the world," she shared. "I hope this book will inspire the next generation to love, respect and protect our natural world... it means the world to share our journey with you!" she added. The book will feature illustrations from Ramona Kaulitzki and take readers on an adventure with the mother-daughter duo. You Are a Wildlife Warrior! will be available in the US and Australia on February 4, 2025. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8sdavsSBof/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8sdavsSBof/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin)</a> </div> </blockquote> Bindi's mum, Terri, couldn't hide how proud she was, commenting: "I am tremendously proud of you, @bindisueirwin. You are a wonderful mama and a true Wildlife Warrior! Your book is beautiful and brilliant. A fantastic, fun story for everyone!" Fans were quick to follow, congratulating the wildlife warrior on her latest project. "Well that's every child's birthday present ever sorted... congratulations Bindi, what a fantastic project!" one wrote. "Congratulations!!! I'm so happy I get to share a part of your world at Australia Zoo with my daughter!!" another added. Images: Instagram

Books

Travel agent arrested after allegedly selling fraudulent bookings

A Sydney travel agent accused of taking the money of dozens of customers has been arrested by police. Footage obtained by A Current Affair showed the moment police finally caught Zahra Rachid, who is accused of ripping of customers and leaving them hundreds of thousands of dollars out of pocket. Officers in Sydney's south established Strike Force Bail to investigate reports of a travel agent that had allegedly failed to honour customer bookings. Rachid, who ran Travel World Sydney, allegedly cancelled bookings made by customers without their knowledge, and did not issue any refunds, pocketing the money for herself. NSW Fair Trading received complaints about Travel World Sydney totalling more than $230,000. Nicole Vris, claims she used Rachid as a travel agent to book a trip to Greece for herself and 34 family members. She thought that her dream family holiday was booked, but when she checked her flights with the airline, they had no record of her booking. "It's very hard to round everyone up to go on a holiday at the same time, it's so hard," Vris told A Current Affair. "Zahra has ruined that dream for many people." Her family has allegedly been left about $160,000 out of pocket. She has since paid for new flights to Greece, going with only a handful of family members who are able to afford to pay for the trip twice. "Your face value matters in life ... and she's definitely lost that," Vris said. "This was going to happen and she needs to be held accountable for her actions." Rachid is facing 16 fraud charges and is due in court in July. "I think everybody having their funds returned to them would be great and I think by Zahra being put away it might just shake her foundations a little bit," Vris said. Images: A Current Affair

Legal

Man books 58 flights for free

A Jetstar passenger has become locked in a legal battle with the Aussie airline after exploiting a promotion to get 58 flights for free. Lawyer Tyrone Barugh was one of many travellers who made use of Jetstar’s promotion that offered people a free return fare. Barugh booked a flight from Auckland to Sydney for $260 and received the free return, although he soon cancelled the outbound flight and was given credit with the airline. However, he did not cancel the return trip. Mr Barugh then used the credit to book another flight, before doing the same thing a further 57 times. The would-be passenger told n<a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/travel/man-locked-in-tribunal-battle-with-jetstar-after-booking-58-free-flights/news-story/1e3f67324c952ce232f3a583575d7ddc">ews.com.au</a> that he had not planned to board any of the flights, and has taken Jetstar to the Disputes Tribunal of New Zealand, claiming he is entitled to approximately $4,500 in taxes owed on the flights. “They’re [Jetstar] not out here with the most saintly of intentions,” he said. “They have terms and conditions that are designed to potentially avoid having to do the right thing by a lot of their customers and limit their liability to their customers, and they’re pretty happy to pull those out when it suits them.” He claims he is owed the money as he has paid the Passenger Movement Charge, which is a $60 fee the Australian Government collects when a person leaves the country. Mr Barugh says he would accept a settlement of a “small flight credit and a toy plane”. “There is a spirit of larrikinism,” he said. A spokesman for Jetstar declined to comment on the case, saying, “As this is a matter before the Tribunal, we won’t be making any comment.” Image credits: Shutterstock

Travel Trouble

10 questions you must ask before booking a tour

A tour can be a memorable experience, for the right and wrong reasons. Here are 10 questions you must ask yourself before booking one on your next holiday. 1. Are there minimum or maximum group sizes? This applies for two reasons. Firstly, you need to decide how many people you’d like to travel with. Small group tours will have no more than a dozen or so while larger tours could be up to 50. The size will drastically impact your tour experience, affecting everything from the mode of transport to the type of meals. Secondly, you need to know if there’s a minimum group size needed for the tour to run. If you’re the only one who books you may find it cancelled. 2. What is your cancellation/refund policy? As a rule of thumb, you should ask this question about any kind of travel you book before you hand over your cash. With a tour, make sure you find out their policies around inclement weather, too few passengers or if you need to cancel. And as always, travel insurance is your best friend. 3. Are you available for support throughout? One of the good things about travelling with a tour is that you’ll have the services of at least one guide. It’s also good to know if the tour office itself is available for assistance when you’re on the road. This comes in handy if you have to make changes, get sick or are unhappy with the experience. 4. Do you have any reviews I can read? If you can’t find the tour company on TripAdvisor or a similar review site, ask the company if they have any testimonials from previous customers. Before you make your final decision, it’s nice to know what other people have said about the tour and its style. 5. What experience/qualifications do the guides have? Many tour companies now pride themselves on using locals or people who have lived in a country for many years to guide tours. You don’t want to be stuck with someone who just reads from a guidebook – you can do that yourself for half the price. Find out what they know before you go. 6. How active is it? There is a huge spectrum when it comes to tours, ranging from coach journeys with very little walking to active treks where you cover hard ground every day. Make sure you find out exactly what will be involved and if that suits your abilities and fitness level. And be realistic – you and the tour group will suffer otherwise. 7. What is the demographic? You don’t want to get stuck on a tour with a bunch of 25 year olds who are just looking for the pub. Most people prefer to travel with people around their own age and in similar demographics (such as solo travellers, seniors, families etc), so make sure you find out who is likely to be in your group before you book. 8. Is everything included or will I have to pay for extras? You should be able to get a detailed break down of exactly what is – and what isn’t – included in the price. What looked like a good deal can quickly become very expensive if you have to pay for day excursions, admission fees, alcohol or other surprises. 9. How much time do you spend in each place? Are you looking to tick many famous sites off your list or do you want to have the time to immerse yourself in a destination? When you’re looking at an itinerary, ask questions about how long you will actually be spending at each place to ensure that you get enough time to really enjoy it. 10. Will I get any free time on my own? After many days as part of a group, it’s nice to have some time on your own. You can explore sites that aren’t on your itinerary, try a new restaurant or just have a well deserved nap. Find out how rigid the schedules are and if there will be some time to do your own thing. Image credits: Shutterstock

Travel Tips

"Finally felt like the right time": John Farnham's huge announcement

John Farnham has announced his triumphant return one year on from his cancer surgery, sharing the news of a highly anticipated project. The 74-year-old Aussie music icon is set to tell his story in his own words with the release of his own candid memoir titled The Voice Inside. The autobiography, which will be released on October 30th, is co-written by Poppy Stockwell, who is the award-winning writer and director of the critically acclaimed biopic Finding the Voice. The book documents Farnham's early life and stardom growing up in Melbourne in the 1960s, to his comeback 1986 album Whispering Jack. It will recall the highs and lows of fame, including when his stellar career stalled, record companies turned their backs and he faced financial ruin. The Voice Inside will also detail his shocking diagnosis of mouth cancer in 2022 which turned his life upside down. The book was announced on Farnham's Facebook page, with a statement sharing how he felt it was "the right time" to tell his story. <iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fjohnfarnham%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02tZwog7QbEW6AxDUxNMp3Kn5msAghjd9yUQe56optBdyX8ZL1DQFm4qvpUYsSjo2Rl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="728" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> "Having been asked many times, it finally felt like the right time to sit down and tell my story," he said. "It is a very strange feeling looking back on my life, on the good and the bad, and now that I have started, it is all rushing back. I hope the book engages and entertains, because that’s what so much of my life has been about." The book will "chart John Farnham’s very personal and public journey, told in his own words and with his inimitable humour, insight, and humility." The post was quickly flooded with comments from fans eager to get their hands on the memoir, while many shared their well wishes as he continues his lengthy recovery from cancer. Image credits: Getty Images

Caring

Rebel Wilson's memoir "pulled from shelves"

Fans hoping to get their hands on a copy of Rebel Wilson's memoir have been left disappointed after the book has been pulled from shelves in Australia. The book, titled Rebel Rising, was released on Wednesday, although numerous retailers have removed the book from their websites, halting sales indefinitely. One of Australia’s biggest book retailers, Amazon, have made the memoir unavailable to order, and noted to customers: “We don’t know when or if this item will be back in stock.” On Booktopia.com the book is currently listed as “Unavailable” with no date listed as to when the memoir will be back on-sale. Wilson took to Instagram to celebrate the release of her book, but her post was inundated with comments from frustrated fans in Australia and New Zealand who were questioning why it was no longer available in the region. “I am in Australia and can’t get a copy,” wrote the frustrated fan. “Just went to my local book store and they said it has been recalled to be possibly be re-printed and have parts redacted!! Can we get it in the US?” Fans in the UK appeared to be having the same issue, with many questioning why they couldn’t pick up the book in their own country either. Many were quick to speculate that the reason the book has been pulled from shelves was due to ongoing legal issues with actor Sacha Baron-Cohen, who Wilson named and shamed in the book for acting inappropriately while they were working on a movie together. When the news broke that Wilson was calling out Baron-Cohen for his alleged behaviour, the Aussie actress claimed that Baron-Cohen "threatened" her over the book's release. Taking to her Instagram, Rebel wrote, “I will not be bullied or silenced with high priced lawyer or PR crisis managers. The ‘a**hole’ that I am talking about in ONE CHAPTER of my book is Sacha Baron Cohen.” "Now the a**hole is trying to threaten me. He’s trying to stop press coming out about my new book. But the book WILL come out and you will all know the truth.” Image credits: Getty Images

Legal

Rebel Wilson exposes A-lister who "threatened" her over book release

Rebel Wilson has slammed a Hollywood A-lister for allegedly threatening her over the release of her new memoir. The Aussie actress is set to release her autobiography Rebel Rising on April 2nd, which details her rise to stardom from Australia to the US. In the book, she has dedicated a chapter to one particular actor who she had an unfortunate experience with on the set of a movie in 2014. Now, Rebel claims Sacha Baron-Cohen, husband of Aussie actress Isla Fisher, has "threatened" her about the release of such information in the upcoming book. Taking to her Instagram, Rebel named and shamed the actor, writing, “I will not be bullied or silenced with high priced lawyer or PR crisis managers. The ‘a**hole’ that I am talking about in ONE CHAPTER of my book is Sacha Baron Cohen.” "Now the a**hole is trying to threaten me. He’s trying to stop press coming out about my new book. But the book WILL come out and you will all know the truth.” Sacha Baron-Cohen was quick to release a statement in response to the allegations, with his representative sharing the statement with <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2024/03/25/rebel-wilson-calls-out-sacha-baron-cohen-book-memoir/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TMZ</a>. “While we appreciate the importance of speaking out, these demonstrably false claims are directly contradicted by extensive detailed evidence, including contemporaneous documents, film footage, and eyewitness accounts from those present before, during and after the production of The Brothers Grimsby,” the statement said. Wilson and Baron-Cohen worked on the comedy film The Brothers Grimsby in 2014, where Rebel alleges that Baron-Cohen acted sexually inappropriate towards her for the duration of the shoot. Image credits: Getty Images

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