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HOG ILLUSTRATIONS posted:I've lurked this thread for a while now, but any general advice for someone who is going to be starting a new job that requires travel 4-6 days a week? I'll be mostly flying out of LAX and BUR, and I'll have to check a bag with tools every time. I have my frequent flier/rental car/hotel rewards accounts set up, and all booking is handled by the office travel coordinator. I'm really looking forward to the free travel and large per diem, but I'm sure I'll soon be extremely jaded! What are some little things I can do to enjoy it as much as possible? Get precheck. What airline are you flying? It may be worth doing a gold or platinum challenge depending on expected butt in seat miles.
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Sep 19, 2014 05:17
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sellouts posted:Anyone ever gotten compensation for an emergency landing? I got ~3700 for a diverted landing (I guess not emergency since it wasn't anything imminent AFAIK but one of the engines wasn't working midflight) and a small delay. Also a couple comped meals and free alcohol. I didn't have any connections or I'm sure it would have been more. Just this past week.
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Sep 19, 2014 05:49
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New travel guy: exercise and eat right.
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Sep 19, 2014 12:29
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The toiletry advice for sure and keep your health in mind, watch your diet and exercise. Get Global Entry/Precheck ASAP.
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Sep 19, 2014 12:49
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:New travel guy: exercise and eat right. This. A thousand times this. It is much harder than it sounds and will take some effort on your part.
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Sep 19, 2014 12:58
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HOG ILLUSTRATIONS posted:I've lurked this thread for a while now, but any general advice for someone who is going to be starting a new job that requires travel 4-6 days a week? I'll be mostly flying out of LAX and BUR, and I'll have to check a bag with tools every time. I have my frequent flier/rental car/hotel rewards accounts set up, and all booking is handled by the office travel coordinator. I'm really looking forward to the free travel and large per diem, but I'm sure I'll soon be extremely jaded! What are some little things I can do to enjoy it as much as possible? See if you can get instant status through the company for some rewards. The rental car is especially important - avoiding the desk and the desk agent saves the most amount of time.
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Sep 19, 2014 13:26
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:New travel guy: exercise and eat right. Alternatively, kill yourself right now Serious answer: get dedicated luggage, toiletries, usb cables, etc for your travel bags. Buy a good bag. Get some packing cubes or compression bags to help keep stuff in order. I keep my clothes in the bag and that's the only thing I take out of my suitcase each week. Get a good pair of headphones. Also get one of those big usb power banks to stick in your bag oxsnard fucked around with this message at 13:37 on Sep 19, 2014 |
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Sep 19, 2014 13:33
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taco show posted:Probably only tangentially related to many of us, but SAP just bought Concur I work tangentially to this field, and I think this deal is mainly about improving SAP's enterprise expense reporting. IBM left the market and so there are some Fortune 50 companies out there that need a new tool.
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Sep 19, 2014 13:36
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Tai-Pan posted:ORD is downright wonderful compared to CDG, which is some sort of Kafka-eqsque Panopticon hell-mouth. And Heathrow is probably directly responsible for a number of suicides. CDG is awful, but LHR highly depends on the terminal. I just connected through LHR in Terminal 2, which is brand new and quite nice. The worst connection I ever had to take was LHR to CDG on Air France. The LHR departures for that are in Terminal 4, which I suspect is intentionally kept lovely to torture the French. I missed my flight because the security line up took hours and had to spend a night at the "Yotel" in Heathrow. Should have taken the train instead.
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Sep 19, 2014 15:21
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Finally took care of getting precheck. Since my job change last year I travel EWR to MCO about 6 times a year. Bypassing the families going to the Orlando parks is going to be sweet. I did the walk in interview thing at a strip mall in Newark and was out of there in a half hour. Kicking myself for not doing this sooner.
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Sep 19, 2014 16:18
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oxsnard posted:Alternatively, kill yourself right now A few times I've asked to share an outlet with someone with just 1 thing plugged in, and no one has ever complained... yet. I was once powering like 5 people at O'Hare, so it's totally worth it. Real question. If I'm looking at my flight, and most seats are able to be "changed" into, does that mean the plane still has those empty seats?
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Sep 19, 2014 16:32
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TLG James posted:
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Sep 19, 2014 19:09
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Aristotle Animes posted:Not necessarily. Codeshares, discount travel sites, lazies and amateurs often don't pick seats. Yeah, I've been on flights that were 80% empty according to the seat map but actually oversold!
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Sep 19, 2014 19:57
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MickeyFinn posted:Yeah, I've been on flights that were 80% empty according to the seat map but actually oversold!
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Sep 19, 2014 20:38
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Aristotle Animes posted:Including one family with kids scrambling around trying to get seats together. "Excuse me, sir. Would you be willing to sit in a middle seat on a 5hr flight because I wanted to save 30 dollars and go through orbitz and now I can't sit by my teenager!" I don't even understand the thought process of asking about switching if you aren't offering a comparable or better seat.
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Sep 19, 2014 20:43
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Thoguh posted:I don't even understand the thought process of asking about switching if you aren't offering a comparable or better seat.
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Sep 19, 2014 20:49
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smackfu posted:"What's the harm in asking?" Because if you ask someone to switch 12c for 15d you show little regard for anyone else but you and your own. You are trying to sucker someone because you are cheap or cannot properly plan. There are exceptions and I have gone out of my way to accommodate children that are scared. Or there is a fair trade, I'll do it willingly. But mommy and the 14 year old will just have to suffer 5hrs apart because its just not necessary and maybe you should plan a little better if its that Important.
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Sep 19, 2014 22:31
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Kids and parents on flights is always a blast. The most awkward thing that ever happened to me on a flight: I was on a 5 hr redeye in the window seat, and a dad on the aisle was traveling with his ~16 year old daughter in the middle seat. The cabin lights turned off and she ended up putting her head on my shoulder. I dunno if she was asleep or not but I did the arm move around thing to get her off. Then I went to sleep, but I always sleep rough, so I woke up about every hour and her head would always be on my shoulder again. The last time when they turned the lights on she had practically fallen into my lap. Then her dad started admonishing her in a harsh whisper about not being flirty with guys all the time and man I just wanted to be the hell out of there.
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Sep 19, 2014 23:15
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TLG James posted:A few times I've asked to share an outlet with someone with just 1 thing plugged in, and no one has ever complained... yet. I was once powering like 5 people at O'Hare, so it's totally worth it. Don't buy a big one, just get the dollar store cheap three way splitter that is way smaller. Better yet get a bunch for when you inevitably forget one somewhere.
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Sep 20, 2014 00:58
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Aristotle Animes posted:Because if you ask someone to switch 12c for 15d you show little regard for anyone else but you and your own. You are trying to sucker someone because you are cheap or cannot properly plan. What kind of trade is fair trade though? I don't know, I just don't have the guts to say "well if you planned better you would be sitting next to each other!". In my experience, you just get folks talking across isles and I find that even more annoying 
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Sep 20, 2014 02:21
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A simple, "No, thank you," is an appropriate and polite response to such queries. Like you I'd rather not be confrontational, but I'd also rather not take a terrible seat. I make exceptions for younger children, of course. (Fun fact: the FAA requires that airlines sit parents next to children below a certain age.)
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Sep 20, 2014 02:40
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I've switched to a middle seat on SW to accommodate a family with young kiddos before. That's only when they're transferring flights and it's been a short layover or inbound flight delay. When families show up to the airport too late to get in on family boarding are horrible and almost universally trashy as gently caress. gently caress em. Next time show up to the airport sufficiently early, assholes. We always do when we travel with our 3 year old
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Sep 20, 2014 02:52
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oxsnard posted:When families show up to the airport too late to get in on family boarding are horrible and almost universally trashy as gently caress. Yet that's true of just about any WN flyer.  Good on you for planning. This flyer appreciates parents that have their poo poo together.
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Sep 20, 2014 18:24
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There were two middle seats available, one in front of the other. A mother asked me switch from my aisle seat to one of the middle seats so she and her ~10 year old could sit next to each other, rather than in essentially adjacent middle seats. I gave up my seat for her, but still feels like a grey area to me whether that's a necessary switch. Then again, maybe her daughter is super afraid of flying or is autistic or feels sick or one of 100 other extenuating circumstances that I shouldn't automatically assume aren't the case. Anyways, some dude called me a gentleman for making the switch and that's all I need In other news, hit Hilton Diamond for the year and go check southwest.com cause there's a double/triple points promotion going for the next two months! Might push me to A-List Preferred again this year. I love Southwest, since I can buy Business Select fares for work, and I have gotten 10+ flights on points already this year and have many points to spare Nifty fucked around with this message at 18:46 on Sep 20, 2014 |
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Sep 20, 2014 18:44
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I had reservations for my family's seats on my last trip, but they moved them around on me between checking in online and getting to the airport. Also Air Canada decided that 40 minutes before the scheduled flight time was a good time to switch the gate status to "Closing" so we had to book it, which meant me carrying a 40lb child as well as my carry-on and arriving covered in sweat. Then we get on and find someone camped in one of our seats. Fine, wait for him to get his poo poo moved then get the kids set up. Turns out we ran for nothing since we had enough time, and then the flight ended up waiting for other people anyway. Fortunately the flight itself was awesome. There were several empty seats so I had a guilt free seat recline, no one in front of me, and each of the kids were able to sleep across two seats for nearly half of the flight. Also Air Canada's new TV interface is much better than the old one, even though the buttons on the armrest are way too easy to hit.
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Sep 20, 2014 18:48
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Thoguh posted:I don't even understand the thought process of asking about switching if you aren't offering a comparable or better seat. I was flying intl and my SWU didn't clear so I am in Y (3-4-3) config and this woman asks this guy if he'll switch his aisle for her middle "up a few rows" so she could be closer her to her family. He declined so she asked one further row back and the guy just goes "OK sure, families should be together". This was a long haul 11+ hr flight. Turns out she was offering a middle seat in J which she neglected to mention. Guy was ecstatic when she hand him her business BP. The woman had moderate English skills so it may have been a communication issue, but I swear she purposefully neglected to mention the J aspect on purpose as a way of karma.
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Sep 20, 2014 20:21
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Aristotle Animes posted:Yet that's true of just about any WN flyer. My wife freaks out if we're not at the gate 1.5 hours before takeoff. Lots of trips up and down the escalators and moving sidewalks ha
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Sep 21, 2014 05:29
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RIP SEA-KIX forever. I was in biz once next to this girl, and her boyfriend asked to switch seats and I agreed (he was also in biz). It ended up that there was like 5 people in biz that flight, kind of unlucky that. That route was great, the times I didn't get biz I had a whole row of econ comfort to myself, which was in a way nicer. The flight was always a ghost town so I can see why they cancelled it. I've heard it was because Delta has a shitshow reputation in Japan but honestly KIX is kind of a business unfriendly airport because it takes forever to dig out to the shinkansen station.
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Sep 21, 2014 05:37
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KIX is a bit far, and Osaka's nick name is Osucka. The city is trashy, like Chicago  Ok I was kidding, but Osaka is a really terrible ho-hum city.Japan goons swear by Delta though 
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Sep 21, 2014 10:55
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I always have fun in Osaka, everyone is a lot more outgoing there. 
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Sep 21, 2014 14:45
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Good: Just regained Diamond on Hilton after being lost in the wilderness due to not a lot of travel last year. Bad: Was going to book some nights at Oktoberfest for next year but the all three Hilton's in Munich are showing completely sold out already (exactly a year in advance). I went in 2013 and had no issue booking a reward stay about 10 months out. Hopefully they are just delaying on opening up space or something. Because right now they don't even have rooms for cash, and if I do flexible dates they are showing sold out on days that aren't even available to book yet. Thoguh fucked around with this message at 02:41 on Sep 22, 2014 |
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Sep 22, 2014 02:39
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Use the (diamond) force...
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Sep 22, 2014 05:05
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Aristotle Animes posted:Use the (diamond) force... They got rid of that for award stays but I tried checking actual paid rates for a force and all three Hiltons in the area have zero rooms for the entire length of the festival. I'll keep looking over the next few months and wait for them to release inventory, I guess. Big events mean high demand but not "everything sufficiently overbooked that Diamond Forces aren't allowed a year out", especially since I could get a points room right now for this year's festival. I've been there before and already checked it off my bucket list. So it isn't the end of the world if I can't get in. I'll just do something else with the vacation/points. Just annoying that they're blocking out all those dates so far in advance. The only way they're actually that sold out is if some company rented out the entire hotel for their employees. Thoguh fucked around with this message at 12:54 on Sep 22, 2014 |
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Sep 22, 2014 10:39
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About a quarter left... how is everyone doing for reups? Delta DM - 103K/125K miles AA Platinum - 51/60 segments Marriott Platinum - made this already National Emerald Exec Elite - made this already Unless there are massive changes to my travel schedule, which seems unlikely, I should hit both AA plat and DM again this year.
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Sep 22, 2014 13:56
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Delta PM: 66k/75k miles (spend already met) Hilton Diamond: Already Met Marriott Silver: 7/10 nights National Emerald Exec Elite: 60/85 days I should hit PM with some rollover, not sure if I'll get to Exec Elite with National but I've already cleared Exec so that won't be a big deal.
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Sep 22, 2014 14:11
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Thoguh posted:They got rid of that for award stays but I tried checking actual paid rates for a force and all three Hiltons in the area have zero rooms for the entire length of the festival. I'll keep looking over the next few months and wait for them to release inventory, I guess. Big events mean high demand but not "everything sufficiently overbooked that Diamond Forces aren't allowed a year out", especially since I could get a points room right now for this year's festival. Highly likely that they don't have inventory loaded yet because they're waiting to see the outcome of this year's festival before they load pricing. Give it a couple of weeks and watch it closely.
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Sep 22, 2014 14:17
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US Airways: 50k miles, Gold for 2015, will hopefully hit platinum Marriott: Gold IHG: Gold Already have travel planned through most of October although it won't be that many miles since I'm going to Oklahoma and then to Ohio twice. Hoping to get one more international trip in before the weather turns totally (if I'm lucky on the scheduling).
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Sep 22, 2014 14:21
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:About a quarter left... how is everyone doing for reups? UA 1K - 107K/100K miles, booked to 122K and likely closer to 150K after booking a trip to CTU in the next week or so. SPG Platinum - requal complete with 50 nights for suite certs, will be close to 75 nights by year end. I've got Marriott Gold, Hyatt Gold, and Avis President's Club via credit card so those aren't going anywhere. All in all, great travel year.
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Sep 22, 2014 14:22
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Delta PM: 68k MQM's but $2k short on MQDs. I've got a few trips to LAX and a trip to ICN planned so should be good by EOY. SPG Plat: 78 nights YTD w about 15 more nights in the pipeline Marriott Plat: 5 nights YTD. Im giving up on Marriott sink the biz fucked around with this message at 17:23 on Sep 22, 2014 |
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Sep 22, 2014 17:16
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American: 2997 miles left for Exec Platinum (so god drat close) Hilton: Made Gold, but won't make Diamond it seems
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Sep 22, 2014 18:21
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