So, if you are planning to travel, and want to use points, you may want to think about booking now.

FORBES: Your Frequent Traveler Points are Losing Value. Act Now!

Whether or not Shell's bosses made an honest mistake in booking those four billion barrels of oil now matters less than how they handle what has happened.

ECONOMIST: Assessing the seriousness of Shell's crisis

The same fare, however, is now available through Cathay's own online booking service, though for some reason, only if the passenger stays three nights, instead of just two.

CNN: Technology: Flight Planning 101

About 1, 000 Sabre employees will eventually have access to at least some of the data, as will the airlines that now buy tapes of Sabre's raw booking data, says warehouse manager Kathleen Wayton.

FORBES: Database evangelist

The survey is based on 7, 000 booking requests for two seats at the lowest mileage level, now often called "saver" awards, at 25 airlines.

WSJ: Frequent-Flier Miles: Best Airlines for Cashing In

Last week, The Next Web reported that the company acquired the taxi-fetching app maker TXXI in an effort to roll out a TomTom cab-booking service, and today the site reports that the theory is now confirmed.

ENGADGET: TomTom confirms new taxi-ordering service, beginning trial rollout in Amsterdam

Now let me address some of the other arguments made against booking losses.

FORBES: Should You Take A Tax Loss In December?