{"items": [{"author": "BDan", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/382230515206361?comment_id=382236718539074", "anchor": "fb-382236718539074", "service": "fb", "text": "My thinking is that the person who travels more tends to be the one with the resources to do so (time and money), or at least the one more willing to spend them. People also have different travel costs (in terms of money, time, and utility), so I think it mostly balances out.", "timestamp": "1358392480"}, {"author": "Cory", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/382230515206361?comment_id=382239385205474", "anchor": "fb-382239385205474", "service": "fb", "text": "In my experience, people often have either time or money, but rarely both.", "timestamp": "1358393131"}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/382230515206361?comment_id=382242411871838", "anchor": "fb-382242411871838", "service": "fb", "text": "@BDan: \"the person who travels more tends to be the one with the resources to do so (time and money)\"
Currently, yes. It takes time and money so it's not surprising that we mostly see people traveling when they have both. But that doesn't mean it's ideal.", "timestamp": "1358393785"}, {"author": "Rachel", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/382230515206361?comment_id=382243148538431", "anchor": "fb-382243148538431", "service": "fb", "text": "there is a value to hosting, too", "timestamp": "1358394010"}, {"author": "Cory", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/382230515206361?comment_id=382245051871574", "anchor": "fb-382245051871574", "service": "fb", "text": "Also there are different reasons for travel, like when I go to visit my brother and his family in Houston, I am going purely for the reason to see them and spend time with them and I would definitely prefer to not be in Houston while doing that; whereas, when I go visit my friends in CA, I'm going 50% to visit CA, so there is value in traveling to the place, not just the people.", "timestamp": "1358394391"}, {"author": "Josh", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/118273920476267337216", "anchor": "gp-1358396102797", "service": "gp", "text": "People in asymmetrical relationships do this somewhat, like parents paying for their children's travel, even when the children are adults and able to afford it themselves. It's a little more complicated between peers.", "timestamp": 1358396102}, {"author": "Rebecca", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/108076092316272654620", "anchor": "gp-1358398584795", "service": "gp", "text": "Also, depending on the type of travel, it is often a convention that the host provides the visitor's lodging and food (and sometimes other things too, like transportation to events and attractions). This is a way of partially subsidizing someone's visit without getting into the awkwardness of handing over cash to pay for their travel.", "timestamp": 1358398584}, {"author": "Christopher", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/382230515206361?comment_id=382268255202587", "anchor": "fb-382268255202587", "service": "fb", "text": "I think the system isn't too bad. As others have noted, the host provides a non-negligible deduction in costs. even one night of free lodging, if the alternative is a hotel, could be equivalent to the travel costs. Also, I believe there is value in both parties investing (literally and figuratively) in the trip, as it shows both are willing to sacrifice some other good(s) for the experience -- no freeloading. That being said, I do know hosts who have paid for guests' plane tickets to travel long distances, when it was clear that the guest could not afford it and would not come otherwise.", "timestamp": "1358400035"}, {"author": "Cecile", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/382230515206361?comment_id=382361235193289", "anchor": "fb-382361235193289", "service": "fb", "text": "I could imagine buying a plane ticket for a family member to come see me if they couldn't afford it.", "timestamp": "1358420441"}, {"author": "Chris", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/382230515206361?comment_id=382402618522484", "anchor": "fb-382402618522484", "service": "fb", "text": "I've been very tempted to pay for my single friends' costs of coming to visit me since it costs much more for my wife and I to travel to them (2 plane tickets, usually a car rental) than for my single friends to travel to us (1 plane ticket, an airport that's within 20 min. of my home).", "timestamp": "1358428559"}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/103013777355236494008", "anchor": "gp-1358438286008", "service": "gp", "text": "@Becky\n\u00a0\"the host provides the visitor's lodging and food\"\n
\n
\nTrue, and I try to be a good host, but at least for me hosting tends to be much less hassle and money than visiting.", "timestamp": 1358438286}]}