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Shbobdb posted:So . . .
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Jan 4, 2014 10:00
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Seems interesting. I assume with the reciprocal status it gives me the priority security line and early boarding when on an American or Delta ticket?
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Jan 4, 2014 14:56
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So we had a sudden death in the family, had to buy an emergency airline ticket for another family member and I haven't flown without status for a long time. With the price of your ticket, that DOES include one free checked bag, one carry on, and one personal item (i.e. purse) right? I'm questioning myself.
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Jan 4, 2014 23:00
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Morby posted:So we had a sudden death in the family, had to buy an emergency airline ticket for another family member and I haven't flown without status for a long time. With the price of your ticket, that DOES include one free checked bag, one carry on, and one personal item (i.e. purse) right? I'm questioning myself. Depends on the airline.
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Jan 4, 2014 23:04
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Also depends on the fare class booked. The price of the bag if it's not free is pretty small in comparison to a last minute ticket, no?
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Jan 4, 2014 23:08
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FrozenVent posted:Depends on the airline. sellouts posted:Also depends on the fare class booked. Yeah, should have mentioned that it's Delta and I didn't think to use SkyMiles in my haste to book the ticket. At worst, it'll be $25, but the ticket isn't for me, it's for my aunt coming from FL.
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Jan 4, 2014 23:11
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P.D.B. Fishsticks posted:I've got the same issue where I don't usually have a choice in carrier. I wish this were an option for me, but being based out of DAY, Alaska's nowhere near me. Yeah the point here is not that you have to go to Alaska (or even ever fly on an Alaska flight) - you can earn Alaska elite status with flights on AA/Delta/Emirates which then gives you reciprocal benefits with those airlines plus you can redeem Alaska miles to fly those airlines. So Alaska Air is only your FF program, you never need to actually fly on them.
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Jan 4, 2014 23:55
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Morby posted:Yeah, should have mentioned that it's Delta and I didn't think to use SkyMiles in my haste to book the ticket. At worst, it'll be $25, but the ticket isn't for me, it's for my aunt coming from FL. Delta charges for a checked bag if you don't have status or thier Amex. They don't charge for carry ons though. And rarely enforce carry on size limits as long as you can stuff it in the bin.
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Jan 5, 2014 00:18
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You can also board later. On many flights, they'll run out of overhead space and you can gate-check at no charge.
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Jan 5, 2014 01:14
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Ynglaur posted:You can also board later. On many flights, they'll run out of overhead space and you can gate-check at no charge. I never understood the whole "Gate checking bags is free!" strain of advice. This only actually works if you would've been able to carry on the bags in question in the first place. At which point, the advantage of gate checking is pretty minimal really. The only reasons I check a bag are if: 1) I'm carrying a bag that is clearly too large to fit into an overhead compartment; even hauling it past security would be pointless/an ordeal, if they even let me. 2) I'm carrying more bags than I am allowed to carry on. Meanwhile, the advantage of gate checking your carry on bag is... what, you don't have to futz with the overhead bin, and you can just grab your suitcase from the jetway on your way out? I mean, that's nice and all, but it's not such a massive QoL improvement that it needs to be brought up every time anyone ever mentions needing to spend 25 bucks to check a bag; after all, how many people are honestly bitching about the bag check fee for a suitcase they could've carried on anyway?
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Jan 5, 2014 01:32
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I guess it's nice if they are checking it through, which is pretty common if they are asking for volunteers to check. Saves you the $25 but now there is a risk of losing it.
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Jan 5, 2014 03:38
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If you're flying a particular airline at least a few times a year, you ought to consider signing up for the airline's credit card and making use of all the associated benefits.
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Jan 5, 2014 03:45
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CaptainPsyko posted:I never understood the whole "Gate checking bags is free!" strain of advice. This only actually works if you would've been able to carry on the bags in question in the first place. At which point, the advantage of gate checking is pretty minimal really...
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Jan 5, 2014 22:06
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Ynglaur posted:I don't disagree. I only check if I'm traveling with the family; I much prefer to carry on. I was merely providing one method to get around the fee, short of having status, a special credit card, etc. But the point is it's not a way to get around the fee. Any situation in which you can gate check a bag is a situation in which you don't need to check a bag in the first place. It's nice if you've got a long layover and they'll check it through for you and you didn't want to haul it all day; board late and roll the dice, sure. But it's just flat out not valid advice to people concerned about the cost of checked luggage.
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Jan 5, 2014 22:37
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CaptainPsyko posted:But the point is it's not a way to get around the fee. Any situation in which you can gate check a bag is a situation in which you don't need to check a bag in the first place. It's no trick at all to bring more stuff through the TSA horseshit than the gate will let you actually carry onto the airplane, though the gate staff will sometimes try to charge you for the checked bag at that point. Depending on your feelings toward haggling you can get that fee waived. It's worth the twentyfivebux to me not to do that but the option is there if you want that real cheapskate thrill.
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Jan 5, 2014 23:19
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Midjack posted:It's no trick at all to bring more stuff through the TSA horseshit than the gate will let you actually carry onto the airplane, though the gate staff will sometimes try to charge you for the checked bag at that point. Depending on your feelings toward haggling you can get that fee waived. It's worth the twentyfivebux to me not to do that but the option is there if you want that real cheapskate thrill. It's all the inconvenience of carry-on (Have to meet TSA standards, get your bag searched because the scanner dude has never seen a metal shirt collar stay) and all the inconvenience of checking your bags (Have to wait at the carrousel, bag might get damaged or lost, have to wait forever at the drat carrousel, also you have to wait for the bag to come out at the carrousel) But hey, $25 bucks. Just carry on. (That being said, gate checking is the best idea when it's your last flight that day and it's loving packed with business travellers who are going to fill up the bins before your row gets called. Don't be the rear end who has to walk the entire plane three time trying to find a spot in the bin.)
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Jan 5, 2014 23:40
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FrozenVent posted:But hey, $25 bucks. Just carry on.
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Jan 5, 2014 23:47
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Got 25 trips scheduled this year so far. Could get as high as 35 weeks on the road. Should be able to swing at least 75% of em on Southwest. Will get A list for sure. Hotels... Currently have 250k points with Hilton and currently gold. Hoping to make diamond this year. Any of you guys seeking any interesting goals this year? I'd like to take a trip to French Polynesia sometime in the next few years and stay in an over water hut at a Conrad Hilton. Only 2 million or so points to go 
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Jan 6, 2014 04:19
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Just a random factoid for Delta flyers that I picked up today from one of the chillest / nicest flight attendants I've ever met (Steve from LGA -> ATL). For US Domestic first class routes that serve meals, they do the meal manifest from front to back on flight numbers that end in an even number. For flights that end in an odd number, they start the meal manifest from back to front. So if you're super picky about getting the meal that you want, you'll want to select your seat location accordingly. Even = front to back / Odd = Back to front This could be common knowledge, but after being Platinum for 5 years on Delta, I never knew about that rule.
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Jan 6, 2014 08:48
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Yeah, FEBO is a pretty standard acronym and it applies to most US airlines but still good to know and share!  For Conrad, the points are killer at that level of resort. I would encourage you to look at the Conrad in the Maldives. Their overwater suites look incredible. I wish they did some sort of points + cash on those.
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Jan 6, 2014 10:28
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oxsnard posted:Got 25 trips scheduled this year so far. Could get as high as 35 weeks on the road. Should be able to swing at least 75% of em on Southwest. Will get A list for sure. drat, I wish I knew about my travel that much in advance. I rarely know more than a week before I'm going somewhere. I think my travel will continue a downward trend this year though. I'd be surprised if I'm on the road more than 20-25% of the time.
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Jan 6, 2014 15:50
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Thoguh posted:drat, I wish I knew about my travel that much in advance. I rarely know more than a week before I'm going somewhere. I think my travel will continue a downward trend this year though. I'd be surprised if I'm on the road more than 20-25% of the time. Yep it's definitely an advantage. And I have some control over when I'm out so one week in, one week out is the ideal situation to aim for. Plus i can schedule stuff in Texas/California/Arizona/the south for winter and save New England and the other more northern stuff for summer and fall. That all can go to hell over the course of the year but it's pretty nice.
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Jan 6, 2014 16:21
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Anyone have airline alliance suggestions for someone living in Moscow, Russia? I'll probably be making 2-3 round trips to the US per year and then an additional "fun" trip (Brazil this year), and maybe some additional travel to Singapore and the Ukraine. I am currently *A Silver through United but I fear that I might not be able to hit the PQD/4 segments requirements because United doesn't really operate anything flying into Russia. Worth switching to OW and starting over? Edit: my flights to the US will mostly be to SFO and NYC. Pissingintowind fucked around with this message at 23:01 on Jan 6, 2014 |
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Jan 6, 2014 22:58
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OneWorld has S7, but I don't believe they fly to the US. So you would have at least one connection.
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Jan 7, 2014 00:45
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Small White Dragon posted:OneWorld has S7, but I don't believe they fly to the US. So you would have at least one connection. poo poo, I thought Aeroflot was OW, but they're actually SkyTeam. I'm assuming switching to SkyTeam through Delta is a massive no, given how badly Delta sucks.
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Jan 7, 2014 01:21
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Pissingintowind posted:poo poo, I thought Aeroflot was OW, but they're actually SkyTeam. I'm assuming switching to SkyTeam through Delta is a massive no, given how badly Delta sucks.
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Jan 7, 2014 02:23
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Yeah Delta has a lot of flights and has Aeroflot, but the costs for a flight to SFO from Moscow were pretty comparable across alliances. Lufthansa has a flight that would be pretty nice and would be more comfortable to fly than Aeroflot.
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Jan 7, 2014 04:21
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American Airlines posted:You can now earn and redeem AAdvantage miles when flying on American or US Airways. All eligible travel on either airline will count toward elite status qualification in the program of your choosing. I have a ton of east coast trips I need to book that tend to be a huge pain on just AA, so I am pleased that the points merger is starting so soon. Edit: I recently got suckered (??) into buying one of those Hilton Grand Vacation things in Hawaii. Basically, I got a pretty decent hotel discount, points, and a bunch of travel vouchers but I have to go to a presentation of their timeshare program. Has anyone done this promotion before? taco show fucked around with this message at 18:00 on Jan 7, 2014 |
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Jan 7, 2014 17:57
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Pissingintowind posted:Anyone have airline alliance suggestions for someone living in Moscow, Russia? I'll probably be making 2-3 round trips to the US per year and then an additional "fun" trip (Brazil this year), and maybe some additional travel to Singapore and the Ukraine. If your MileagePlus account address is waived, the PQD requirement is waived as well. If you don't mind connecting in Europe, United is not a terrible place to have status, other issues notwithstanding. The only down side is having to watch any intra-Europe LH fares you buy as most of the LH cheap fare buckets don't earn miles in MileagePlus.
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Jan 7, 2014 19:52
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Anyone get stuck anywhere this week? I'm like 85% sure my flight out of DCA to CLE tomorrow (united) will be canceled. They've canceled them all the last 3 days. At least its only $200 and 7 hours by rental car...
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Jan 8, 2014 20:58
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mim posted:Anyone get stuck anywhere this week? Things are starting to roll again so I dunno about that. I had to call the elite desk at UA and get a friend moved to a flight one day later earlier this week, but everything else has been mostly ok, and she was routing through ORD.
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Jan 9, 2014 22:33
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Big storms suck. When I had to call the AA EXP desk during the snow storm in Dallas, it took me over three hours to get through. 
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Jan 10, 2014 00:05
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Mackieman posted:Things are starting to roll again so I dunno about that. I had to call the elite desk at UA and get a friend moved to a flight one day later earlier this week, but everything else has been mostly ok, and she was routing through ORD. Yeah, ended up getting on it, though it was delayed 2 hours. Started to get concerned when the early morning flight got canceled.
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Jan 10, 2014 04:39
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So Delta has announced that Lounge membership -- purchased or via card -- will no longer include guests (unless you want to pay an extra fee for guest privileges). In addition to the loss of AA and US lounges (and US Elite status for Centurions), it's a bad time for Amex Platinum/Centurion card holders.
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Jan 10, 2014 23:55
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Small White Dragon posted:So Delta has announced that Lounge membership -- purchased or via card -- will no longer include guests (unless you want to pay an extra fee for guest privileges). On the positive side, the Amex lounge in DFW is pretty awesome. Small consolation, really.
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Jan 11, 2014 19:08
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i81icu812 posted:On the positive side, the Amex lounge in DFW is pretty awesome. Small consolation, really. I have the amex hhonors platinum card. Comes with a priority pass. I know they have a list of lounges with a $29 dollar entrance fee. Are there any free access lounges for amex members?
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Jan 11, 2014 20:11
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So I just booked a 23 day mega-vacation this. Partly paid for by conference travel (which covers travel to Toronto and 5 days hotel/meals), the rest w/ points. I'm a grad student, so I always flew United and saved my points. Booked early due to the devalutation. I just have one hitch: I have a late flight into IND, and I live in Bloomington. I'm arriving after the cheap shuttles close. What would you do if you had to spend your own money - get a hotel and catch a shuttle? One way rental? Taxi? I'd like to get back to Bloomington ASAP if possible since I fly into IND from FRA on Monday night, and fly back out to leave for a 3 month internship the following Saturday, so I kind of wanna sleep a little and pack.
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Jan 12, 2014 04:55
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GregNorc posted:So I just booked a 23 day mega-vacation this. Partly paid for by conference travel (which covers travel to Toronto and 5 days hotel/meals), the rest w/ points. The easy answer is "beg ride from friend" but if that's not available, in order I'd explore: - dump your car somewhere near airport with free or cheap parking, taxi to retrieve it when you return - check all the car rental places that have offices in Bloomington for one-way rates - cheap hotel followed by cheap shuttle the next day - taxi is distant last because you'll get hit hard for a 50-mile ride if the cab will even go that far
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Jan 12, 2014 05:17
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oxsnard posted:I have the amex hhonors platinum card. Comes with a priority pass. I know they have a list of lounges with a $29 dollar entrance fee. Are there any free access lounges for amex members? Free amex branded lounges in DFW and LAS that have just opened. Free for Platinum/centurion cardholders. Superior to an domestic product, attempting to match the best international offerings. Also making up for losing access to AA/US lounges with the cards.
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Jan 12, 2014 10:24
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