A few things to consider before booking a flight

With fuel costs rising and airlines finding more fees to impose on travelers every day, airfare isn’t getting any cheaper. Since you can’t drive to all your dream destinations, flying is the only way to go sometimes and, undeniably, the fastest. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to find the most affordable fares and also avoid paying as many extra charges as possible when you plan ahead.

Getting the best fare

Airlines put out their fare sales on Tuesday morning, making this day the best day to book a flight for less.

Fly during the least popular times

Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday are the slowest days to fly, which means cheaper deals than the rest of the week. You can also find reduced rates on early morning flights, since many people don’t like to get up before the sun to get to the airport. Earlier boarding times can also considerably cut down your chances of getting bumped(取消已预定的飞机座位)on an overbooked flight or delayed because of other delayed flights or mechanical issues.

Choose your seat later

Some airlines charge you to pick your seat when you book online, adding even more to the bottom line of your ticket cost. If you show up early on your travel day, you can still get suitable seats. Some of the best seats get held back until flight day, unless others are willing to pay extra for them ahead of time, so you still have the chance at one of those.

Fly on holidays

You already know that summer is the most expensive time to fly, and even though most other times are more affordable, the days surrounding holidays can be crazy. Save big if you’re willing to travel on major holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Don’t wait until the last-minute to book

Many travelers don’t know that there’s a sweet spot for booking and getting the best price on your tickets. Book too early or too late and you could end up paying more than you need to. The best time to book is between three months and six weeks from when you want to travel.

Avoiding extra fees

Airlines will charge for just about anything these days. Some have even toyed around with charging customers for using the restroom. All those extra fees can certainly add up, but there’s no reason to pay them if you don’t have to. Here are some tips to keep money in your wallet once you get to the airport.

Avoid the upgrade it's not necessary

Sometimes upgrades are free, but mostly you will be charged for seeking a last-minute bump to first class, and the cost can be large.

Fly carry-on only

Baggage fees vary wildly, but almost all airlines charge them and charge big. Why pay for your clothes to fly with you? If everyone in your travel party checks a bag, your bill can be astronomical before you ever even get to your destination. It’s easy to reduce the amount of stuff you pack: Make sure all your clothing coordinates, so you can take less and still make more outfit combinations, take only two pair of shoes, plan to do a bit of laundry on your trip and bring only travel-sized toiletries.

Pack your own snacks

Unless you’re flying internationally, it’s rare your flight comes with a free meal. Snacks on the plane are not cheap and almost never healthy. Don’t rely on what’s on the small menu and instead tuck some of your own snacks – granola bars, homemade muffins, fruit and trail mix all make fantastic travel foods – into your bag and eat a lot better, and cheaper, than other passengers.

Do you have a tried and true method of getting the best deal on your flights? Let us know.

The train driver completed his journey to the station and climbed down from the train to get a cup of coffee. Suddenly, the train started on its own to the garage for servicing. Not to worry; programming of trains to prove automatically from stations to railway garages is a practice that has actually been in place for over 25 years. particularly in the fully automated urban rail network.

The next big stage, the evolution from automatic to truly autonomous (自主的) trains, is already here. It will take train autonomy to a new level, meaning that the next generation of trains will be able to locate themselves in their environment and interact with other train traffic without human assistance. They will have the ability to detect and manage on their own all element s of their environment, operated by a connected traffic management system.

The shift toward train autonomy is speeding up due to digitalization. Digital technologies include artificial intelligence, big data, connectivity—such as the Internet of things connecting trains to intelligent railway switches—and built-in information security. Collectively, they will enable the train to achieve true autonomy for safe and efficient operations. With these digital technologies, Rail Management Systems can automatically set routes, visualize the condition of the railwav network in real time, optimize(优化) resources, and calculate forecasts based on actual data. In addition, Driver Advisory Systems provide a continuous flow of comprehensive information to enable drivers to make safe decisions.

Beyond the clear benefits for rail operators and passengers, autonomous trains will bring significant benefits to society. That is because more efficient traffic management will mean increased train frequency and improved services in crowded areas. With more than 55 per cent of the world’s population in cities today—and with nearly 70 per cent projected by 2050, addressing urban transport issues is critical.

For those who make journeys across the world, the speed of travel today has turned the countries into a series of villages. Distances between them appear no greater to a modern traveler than those which once faced men as they walked from village to village. Jet planes fly people from one end of the earth to the other, allowing them a freedom of movement undreamt of a hundred years ago.

Yet some people wonder if the revolution in travel has gone too far. A price has been paid, they say, for the conquest (征服) of time and distance. Travel is something to be enjoyed, not endured (忍受). The boat offers leisure and time enough to appreciate the ever­changing sights and sounds of a journey. A journey by train also has a special charm about it. Lakes and forests and wild, open plains sweeping past your carriage window create a grand view in which time and distance mean nothing. On board a plane, however, there is just the blank blue of the sky filling the narrow windows of the airplane. The soft lighting, in­flight films and gentle music make up the only world you know, and the hours progress slowly.

Then there is the time spent being ‘processed’ at a modern airport. People are conveyed like robots along walkways; baggage is weighed, tickets produced, examined and produced yet again before the passengers move to another waiting area. Journeys by rail and sea take longer, yes, but the hours devoted to being ‘processed’ at departure and arrival in airports are luckily absent. No wonder, then, that the modern high­speed trains are winning back passengers from the airlines.

Man, however, is now a world traveler and cannot turn his back on the airplane. The working lives of too many people depend upon it; whole new industries have been built around its design and operation. The holiday maker, too, with the limited time to spend, patiently endures the busy airports and the limited space of the flight to gain those extra hours and even days, relaxing in the sun. Speed controls people's lives; time saved, in work or play, is the important thing — or so we are told. Perhaps those first horsemen, riding free across the wild, open plains, were enjoying a better world than the one we know today. They could travel at will, and the clock was not their master.