I know things have been a little slow on the old blog, but dang….I am still up to my neck in work. I wonder if it will ever end? The good news is, I have my eyes on 2 new lenses when I get back- very excited to try them out. I’m pretty sure I am going to take the plunge on both of them and do some tests. One is a specialty lens I am looking to incorporate into my look.

There is a popular TV network doing a special on Mark. His family invited me to come out for the few days that the film crew is going to be there, which means I need to get back to bama this week, I will be there from Wednesday to the following Monday. When I get more details about when it will show I will post it and you should be able to watch it on TV.

In the mean time, I wanted to share what I have learned about Priceline.com when it comes to airline tickets. There are 2 ways to order airline tickets from them, the regular “listed” way and the auction way, called “Name your own price” which you see all those silly commercials about on tv. If you are unfamiliar with how it works, you essentially make a bid on an airline ticket. If they find your price, you have to buy it.

If at all possible, wait until the last day before you bid. The reason you want to do this is because it seems airlines are willing to lower their prices even more in the last 24-48 hours before a flight leaves. That empty seat is lost money, therefore, any extra passengers they get will help their bottom line. Strangely, you cannot get these low prices if you are looking more than days in advance.

I do know that on occasion this is a really bad idea, say if you are going to a big sporting event or convention- its not going to work. But if it’s off peak and you are willing to fly with a few hours or days of flexibility in your schedule, this will save you hundreds of dollars per flight.

While I don’t think I saved $800, I know I saved at least $600 because the cheapest fare I could find was in the $1300 range, which I was willing to pay if I had to. That said, i am not going to throw that money way (and many people do when they book through the other websites).

Always, Always, Always, try “Name Your Own Price” on priceline before paying full price.

Here is a copy of today’s transaction: