Travel costs (was Re: Comments on the survey ...)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: kumiko yvonne watanabe
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With the current events the last two months, specifically the price on
barrels of oil, I'm would like ask this question, though it way too late
to add it to the survey.

The cost of aviation fuel and/or even gasoline prices are going higher
and higher very quickly (daily?), resulting in higher prices on
everything, and tighter budgets for many of us.

Specifically I'm seeing a rapid increase in air fare travel costs.
Airlines are also now adding more restrictions of only 1 luggage and 1
carry-on, with new costs attached to the 2nd luggage (and no free bag
of pretzels with your drink). Postal cost are also rising.

Would the already or future higher (price to travel) overall cost and
restrictions on luggage prevent one from attending DLV in 09?

For me, if the prices continue the way its predicted, and the cost goes
higher, then the answer is yes, it will affect and prevent me from going
to DLV in 2009.

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(This posting was entered by kumiko yvonne watanabe, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Mary Beth
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For me, if the prices continue the way its predicted, and the
cost goes higher, then the answer is yes, it will affect and
prevent me from going to DLV in 2009.

I unfortunately have to agree with you. If next April it costs
$1000 just to fly round trip from the East Coast to Vegas then
I will not be able to afford to go.

mb

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(This posting was entered by Mary Beth, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: annie
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>Would the already or future higher (price to travel) overall
>cost and restrictions on luggage prevent one from attending DLV
>in 09?

We really won't know what our turnout will be until April of
2009.

We had a record turnout this year, a definite spike above any
trends or predictions. I think there's a significant chance that
we will see a decrease in turnout between 2008 and 2009, mostly
attributable to the variance, which has become more significant
than the growth in recent years.

Should a decrease happen, there will be a tendency to select
one of several reasons, other than the natural variance, to
explain it. One of these will most likely be the economic
downturn. That's all from a macro perspective.

Now from a micro perspective, if you ask the typical non-attendee
why he or she did not attend, the most common answer you will
get by far is money, or more specifically, the lack of it.

Yes, in some cases, the lack of money will be the primary reason
somebody does not attend.

However, speaking very freely, money is often times used as the
excuse to not attend, when the real more significant reason is
something else.

Why do I know this for a fact?

Because {blush} I'm very guilty of doing it myself! I've used
that very excuse, not for DLV, but to explain why I would not
be attending another event.

It's a lot easier to say that money is tight than to say that
I really don't care to attend for some other reason.

With money, very few will press you for details.

Even fewer will offer to give or loan you the money!

For DLV, I know in one specific case where money was cited,
for not attending, the real overriding reason was a bad taste
in the mouth from being a passive victim of a restroom incident
the year before.

I know that for another several cases, money has been cited,
but the real reason is that they moved on with their lives
and had other priorities, not only for money.

For those for whom DLV is indeed a priority, they will find
a way to make it. They may have to stay at the Sahara instead
of the Mirage (or maybe even the Western instead of the Sahara)
but they will be there. I'm quite confident that most of the
regulars will be able to afford DLV 2009 if they really have
the desire to attend.

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(This posting was entered by annie, an external user of MyDLV.)