the art of negotion...

Living in Asia is living in a series of negotiations. From jobs to classes, wages, prices and all of the details of a contract: everything should be negotiated. Now, to be clear: negotiating is different from bargaining. When you bargain, the goal is to try and get the best deal/price by your skills at wearing down the other person and it's set up as a sort of "friendly war". Negotiating on the other hand is about questions and information: the more information that you have, the more likely you are to be able to reach a satisfactory solution for both parties. In bargaining there is often a clear winner and a loser, but in a good negotiation both parties can be winners.

An example? Well, last week I suddenly decided to go to New Delhi and then to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. I booked the ticket by phone the next morning as soon as the office opened. (For those of you who know me as NOT a morning person, you'll be surprised to know that I was their first caller at 08.01). I was told that this was a direct ticket from Male to Delhi for USD $620. "Cool," I thought," that will be easy". Later, as I was confirming the times and such along with all of the information given to me, I asked, "Ok, so that's a direct return flight from Male to Delhi?" to which the man on the other end of the line replied, "um...err, no. That's direct from Male to Trivendrum and then a direct flight from Trivendrum to Delhi." I briefly wondered if it was possible to TWO direct flights in one trip, wouldn't that make it a flight with a stopover?

Today, at the ticketing office, I understood why they classify it as two direct flights...it's because although the first flight is only 1 hour and the second flight is between 2 and 3 hours...you have to wait a full 23 hours between the flights! Because they are both "direct flights," the airline doesn't have to pay for your hotel as you wait. "Thank you. I'm going to look at my other options," I said as I left.

Over the next hour, I walked into and called all of the airlines around. The next best flight was Male-Colombo (Sri Lanka), then Colombo-Delhi in the same day over the course of about 10 hours, but it was $100 more, and I was already $300 over my budget for the ticket by going all the way to Delhi instead of somewhere closer and more affordable. (I only make USD $700 a month...and that's up from the $500 a month I was bringing home up until January because I was paying off my diploma).

There was another Indian Airlines office down the street. I tried them on a lark. "Yes madam, we can give you a return ticket, Male-Trivendrum-Delhi for only USD $850, special price.
"Are you the same as the Indian Airlines up the stree?" I queried.
"Yes, madam."
"Then why is your 'special price' $230 more than their normal price?"
"Because this is a special price, madam."
"$230 more than your same offices down the street"
"Special price madam, limited time offer."
"Hmm..." To my credit I didn't laugh or insult the poor man but instead, investigated further.
"What are the times?"
The times were the same as the other office: one hour flight, 23 hour wait, and 2-3 hour flight.
"Is there a faster way?"
"Oh, well, you can go the Madras route in the same day."
"Price?"
"Special price, madam: $1050"
At this point, I DID start laughing and said my thank you's and goodbyes.

Now, I was aware that there WAS a route that would get me there in the same day. All of my questions in the first office had availed me nothing because I didn't already know this information. Armed with my new tidbit, I went back and purchased a same day ticket from Male-Trivendrum-Chennai-Delhi which will arrive in the same day, only 10 hours and four airports after I've begun my 4 hour journey for the original price of USD $620 instead of the special fare of $1050.

It's all about negotiating the facts: the more facts you have, the better hand you can play.