We all know that the price of airline tickets fluctuate and that the idea of an airline flight sale has to be taken with a pinch of volcanic dust and that booking a flight at the moment is a bit like playing Russian roulette with a loaded Eyjafjallajokull but some of these airlines need all the marketing and luck they can create.
Take Easyjet, which announced today that the volcano will wipe around £75m off its profits this year = bad luck.
And in the wake of the volcano shower, it announced a 20%-off sale = marketing.
But then BA announced 20 days of strikes = good luck (for Easyjet, not so great for British Airways).
But the sale doesn't finish until midnight tonight, thus reducing any extra income by up to 20% = bad luck (for Easyjet).
Still what do we care. The sale runs until midnight. Just remember the 'up to' monsters are at play but we did find one or two great offers.
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Nice pic of Sicily:
Anyone else go to the Jacques Dutronc gig in Lille on Saturday night? Thought not, but it would be great to hear if you did. His voice has matured superbly and the band, I thought, sounded rather like the band Morrissey toured with recently.
Showing off? Moi? Well maybe but as a regular gig goer since the age of about 13, I am often asked how I get tickets for the shows that no one else gets tickets to - without ever using the secondary ticket agents and apart from going to shows of minority interest in provincial foreign towns.
I suggest adding these two sites to your amory. They both show which agents are sellings tickets for which shows.
Or it you're crossing the Channel, try Fnac, Francebillet or Ticketmaster international (for Amsterdam).
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Coming to terms this week with my role as former stranded holiday volcano man and still recovering from a terrifying, dusty night flight from Egypt to Lithuania, I find that I have come through the ordeal with a restored faith in the human condition.
While stories abound of car hire companies doubling prices and the like, my journey has been one of kindness and understanding. Even the Gatwick airport car park waived any excess charge for showing up six days late.
But not everyone is so philanthropic.
One company trying to cash in by paying Google for the term Volcano is www.vacuumcleanerbags.co.uk. But hey, it made me laugh.
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Something to do with the roof, maybe?
Here's a reminder for Avis of what convertibles used to look like.
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For a song written in the 1970s, this is remarkably prescient. In fact, it could be the only song in history that not only deals with coping with economic misery, car scrappage, supermarket overcharging, oil prices and inflation but is also very good; uplifting even.
Check out the story of The Fast Flying Vestibule on this great American poetry site or listen below.
The Fast Flying Vestibule: I’m Glad I’m Prepared for the Recession
Im-glad-im-prepared-for-the-recession-1
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Apart from almost everything ever imagined in the whole history of the world ever, what better way is there to start the week than knowing that today is the first day of British Pie Week?
The great thing about pies is that, apart from HP Sauce, gravy and fish 'n' chips, it is the only dish the French can't make. We have apple pie, they have tarte aux pommes - like pie but without the top (or the soul).
Another thing about pies is that you only have to say the word and for the rest of the week the only thing you can think about is pie. Hence pie week. The same applies if you read the word pie often enough. Right?
And such is the power of pie that even in spite of the best efforts of the pie marketing people I'm not put of by the fact that pie of the day - 'Monday's pie' - appears to be made of raw asparagus (see pic).
So hats off to the pie PRs I say. Job well done.
But this piece isn't about pies or pie week. It's about dancing. But never being somone to shirk abdominally painful, tenuous links, it must surely be no coincidence that pie week ends with another marketing event aimed at the victims of pie week.
For this Saturday and Sunday change4life, the NHS body that promotes healthy living, is offering the whole family a chance to try out dancing for free. There are clubs and gyms across the country offering free lessons, including many where you live that you may not know about.
To top it off* the event is being backed by that cute, talent show pop dance act Diversity (see pic).
Enter your postcode and book a free lesson here:
The change4life site also offers tips on healthy eating, which I have read.
For people with more discerning musical tastes than this lot ↑ and who find that dancing at home provides for a less humiliating experience, here's a pie-related diversion.
Ram John Holder, who played Porkpie in 80s comedy show Desmond's, was a quality musician in his day.
Brixton Blues is raw class.
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* yeah, sorry, pie reference
Me I know it's red. An apposite blast from the past from Hollywood Beyond. Enjoy:
Search for 'rip off' on This is Money or Google for that matter and you'll be encouraged by Woolworths and Amazon.co.uk to visit their sites for a rip off.
OK, so it links to a DVD called Rip-Off but as my search coninutes for genuine offers it's worth bearing in mind that they're getting harder and harder to find - unless you want to buy stuff that you don't want.
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Continuing my series of 'there is no such thing as a special offer any more' today I bring you the Russell Hobbs Belmont stainless steel kettle.
It's available at Argos for £19.99
Or, ta da, at Robert Dyas you can bag the boiler for but HALF PRICE!!!
So how much, then, does it cost at Robert Dyas?
Thanks Bob.
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Check out our Bargains and rip offs section