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P.D.B. Fishsticks posted:Chiming in to say that this was a big help for me. On layovers, I now try to walk laps of the airport. Before they walled off the disused former TWA concourse here in STL in like 2009, they put a big sign up advertising it as a walking path. Walk to one end and back, you've got a mile. It was a depressing mile, though. When AA pulled up their stakes in 2003 the airport never did anything else with the place, not even taking down ad billboards, so you'd pass a lit-up ad for Expedia pushing it as "top rated travel site for 2002."
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Dec 5, 2014 16:38
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Wish I could have seen that. I recently saw a photo tour of CVG's Concourse C, which I flew through back in high school, and it's odd seeing such large structures frozen in time.
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Dec 5, 2014 17:25
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Question for the Marriott folks in the thread. I'm a decently regular Marriott guest (30-40 nights a year on business). In 2015 I'm going to be working a project that'll have me staying 4-5 nights a week for the foreseeable future. I'm looking to get the Marriott Chase card to maximize my points while I stay. Currently I'm participating in two Marriott promotions: MegaBonus - 10/18 nights Taste of Gold - 3/6 stays I've also got 43 stays on the regular year - 7 away from actual Gold status. As I'm going to be mostly living out of a Marriott for 2015 I'd like to keep Gold for the next year. Does anyone know if the 15 night credit upon signup of Marriott card can go towards the MegaBonus?
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Dec 8, 2014 02:36
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P.D.B. Fishsticks posted:Wish I could have seen that. I recently saw a photo tour of CVG's Concourse C, which I flew through back in high school, and it's odd seeing such large structures frozen in time. at the gate.
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Dec 8, 2014 06:14
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kitten smoothie posted:It was a depressing mile, though. When AA pulled up their stakes in 2003 the airport never did anything else with the place, not even taking down ad billboards, so you'd pass a lit-up ad for Expedia pushing it as "top rated travel site for 2002." I'm from St. Louis and just started the frequent travel thing about six months ago. Six or seven overnights a month, pretty mild by the standards around here. Still, I weep dreaming of how easy my life would be if STL was still a real hub.
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Dec 8, 2014 07:17
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What are the chances of United giving me Gold if I call them up and ask nicely? I will be about ~800 miles short, but I will have nearly double the PQD requirement (~$10K). I will be booking a few last minute full-fare J flights next year, and if I don't have Gold, I might as well fully make the switch to SkyTeam since they are more convenient from my closest airport (SVO). Worth mentioning? edit: I also have a flight January 5 (JFK to SFO in PS BusinessFirst) that would easily put me over the threshold, but it's 5 days late... This sucks. Pissingintowind fucked around with this message at 09:19 on Dec 8, 2014 |
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Dec 8, 2014 09:09
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friendly gentleman posted:Question for the Marriott folks in the thread. I'm a decently regular Marriott guest (30-40 nights a year on business). In 2015 I'm going to be working a project that'll have me staying 4-5 nights a week for the foreseeable future. I'm looking to get the Marriott Chase card to maximize my points while I stay.
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Dec 8, 2014 11:34
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Actually, a question. With HHonors, do the premier qualifying nights/stays/points count on the check-in date or the check-out date? I've got a stay that will cross the new year upcming, and while I'm already well into Diamond, I was just curious which year it would count in. In more  news, a month or so ago work booked me a trip which had a layover at BWI yesterday. My sister, who's in the army, is moving to Germany - and it turns out that her final US layover was at BWI, last night. So I got to meet up with her and my nephews for a quarter hour one last time for quite a while. Best layover I've had!
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Dec 8, 2014 12:59
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Checkout.
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Dec 8, 2014 13:25
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I had my first DYKWIA moment with Hilton last week. I had called to book a room at the Hilton Austin under a group room rate the day the rate was released. Guest services took a message for me because their "systems weren't updated" then they never called me back. I called them back a week later only to find that the whole reserved block had been booked. I bitched at the rep and threw around my diamond status and asked to speak with a manager. Needless to say, it worked. So I guess I'm that guy. But now I also know why people play the DYKWIA card. It works
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Dec 8, 2014 17:41
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I think that's an acceptable use of it.
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Dec 8, 2014 18:57
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oxsnard posted:I had my first DYKWIA moment with Hilton last week. I had called to book a room at the Hilton Austin under a group room rate the day the rate was released. Guest services took a message for me because their "systems weren't updated" then they never called me back. I called them back a week later only to find that the whole reserved block had been booked. I bitched at the rep and threw around my diamond status and asked to speak with a manager. I would've tried calling the Diamond line first when the rate opened vs the property directly, just expecting them to have access as well to the rate, and if not, the reps on the Diamond line tend to go above and beyond. That's the best part I liked about Diamond, but I'm also a biz traveler that has to stack up stays at lower tier category brands, so I can see how the benefits from Diamond can be more meaningful at the high cat properties. Think you did the right thing.
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Dec 8, 2014 19:02
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Pissingintowind posted:What are the chances of United giving me Gold if I call them up and ask nicely? I will be about ~800 miles short, but I will have nearly double the PQD requirement (~$10K). For anyone that cares, I called in and said I'd have to consider switching my spend to Delta, and they said that would give me gold after the January 5th flight! It's "noted" in my account and I have the representatives ID and name saved for when this inevitably goes wrong.
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Dec 8, 2014 20:30
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BA give you a 2 week window if you're just short of making status at the rollback date.
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Dec 9, 2014 14:43
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Well, unless something comes up next week I'm done traveling for the year. Ending with... Delta: MQMs: 86,542 / MQS: 77 / MQDs: $10,417 National: 64 days (I think they're missing something because they should match up a lot closer to my hotel nights) Hilton: 75 nights Marriott: 11 nights Not a bad year, I think next year I'll drop a little bit but not much. Still haven't decided yet if I'm going to switch over to American for my flights.
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Dec 9, 2014 17:27
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Trying to find the time to squeeze in a mileage run or two. I've never been Delta Diamond before and with the constant devaluation, this may be the last feasible year to do it... Delta: MQMs: 115,889 / MQS: 46 / MQDs: $12,305 SPG: 109 nights Marriott: 25 nights and 4 crummy nights in a Hilton
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Dec 9, 2014 19:17
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At least for now, Delta isn't changing the way you qualify for SkyRuble Medallion tiers. I'll make Diamond on DL, I'll miss Plat on AA by five segments, but don't give enough of a gently caress to do MRs. I made some stupidly high tier on Marriott and National. Next year, I'll do pure DL for travel.
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Dec 9, 2014 19:29
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sink the biz posted:Trying to find the time to squeeze in a mileage run or two. I've never been Delta Diamond before and with the constant devaluation, this may be the last feasible year to do it... Have you found any benefit from the SPG Ambassador service? I'm only going to hit 75 nights this year but most of the stories I've heard are not overly stellar.
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Dec 9, 2014 20:10
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Mackieman posted:Have you found any benefit from the SPG Ambassador service? I'm only going to hit 75 nights this year but most of the stories I've heard are not overly stellar. not really. I've had several ambassadors over the past several years and they're either unavailable when I need to call them (they typically respond by email in one business day), they screw up complex reservations, and they've never been able to get me preferential treatments when I tell them I'm celebrating a special event. The SPG mobile app is 1000x more useful than my ambassador.
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Dec 9, 2014 20:17
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Got scolded by a very flustered little man today in the club for being too loud on my phone. Good for him.. I moved to a phone booth. Came back and offered to buy him a drink. Then I saw this other guy fill a gallon zip lock with crackers, cookies and a smaller baggie full of trail mix lmao. Clubs are full of classless people. Yours truly included. Muuuah! *blows kiss*
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Dec 11, 2014 22:25
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I just got assigned my first travel of 2015... to Toronto... in mid January.  Can I get Global Entry in time? It might be worth it anyway even if I miss the dates because I don't have precheck either. Schlepping it with the plebes keeps me humble, you know?
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Dec 12, 2014 06:46
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taco show posted:I just got assigned my first travel of 2015... to Toronto... in mid January. Check if NEXUS works better for you. 50 bucks and good for 5 years, and gives you global entry and precheck so it's the cheaper option too.
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Dec 12, 2014 06:52
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Just tried to get Precheck put on my boarding pass on a JFK-HKG flight and duh moment here: no surprise that it's not even in their system. The people at the Cathay counter just gave me a blank stare when I mentioned adding my known traveler ID, and makes sense since they're not a US based airline. Not like it matters since the flight is delayed until 4:30a
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Dec 12, 2014 07:19
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Gooooooooooon Meet! Damnit forgot to ask for about getting some peanut butter cups giant size
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Dec 12, 2014 07:57
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Do not meat goons.
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Dec 12, 2014 08:43
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air- posted:Just tried to get Precheck put on my boarding pass on a JFK-HKG flight and duh moment here: no surprise that it's not even in their system. The people at the Cathay counter just gave me a blank stare when I mentioned adding my known traveler ID, and makes sense since they're not a US based airline. Hope you're in J! One of my fav flights. Sometimes it's not even the airline. AA passes printed at LHR won't print a valid barcode on any connections. It'll say precheck but never scan LLL. Gotta get them reprinted once your stateside
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Dec 12, 2014 09:42
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spoof posted:Check if NEXUS works better for you. 50 bucks and good for 5 years, and gives you global entry and precheck so it's the cheaper option too. Note that for Nexus you have to go for your interview at an actual border crossing to Canada/Mexico. If that is convenient (enough) definitely do Nexus.
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Dec 12, 2014 13:26
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Aristotle Animes posted:Do not meat goons. People from the internet are not real.
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Dec 12, 2014 15:02
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taco show posted:I just got assigned my first travel of 2015... to Toronto... in mid January. There is no chance in hell of you getting that within a month. A few of the people I work with have been waiting months for their background checks to clear and to be able to get an interview.
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Dec 12, 2014 15:09
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DJCobol posted:There is no chance in hell of you getting that within a month. A few of the people I work with have been waiting months for their background checks to clear and to be able to get an interview. I was done with the Global Entry process in about 10 days. One week for the background check and then 3 days for an appointment. Your coworkers need to live less interesting lives I guess.
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Dec 12, 2014 15:34
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My background cleared in about 24hrs. Granted I have not visited Somalia or Yemen but I don't think it has anything to do with whether you have flags or files but rather what their case log is like. Those types of filter checks you either pass or fail, they aren't hiring you so they don't scrutinize.
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Dec 12, 2014 15:45
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DJCobol posted:There is no chance in hell of you getting that within a month. A few of the people I work with have been waiting months for their background checks to clear and to be able to get an interview. GE was quick once I got my interview scheduled and I have a dirty foreigner name and lots of addresses of record.
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Dec 12, 2014 16:25
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Yeah I had a bunch of addresses and a misdemeanor. I came so prepared with documents to prove my residence, which seems to be a concern on the application, but they didn't even want to see them. That said, I would never go to something like that anything less than over prepared. My take away was that CPB has a little more mature view of security. My interviewing officer even joked about TSA changing how they do things every twenty minutes so don't count on your KTN clearing you for Pre next month.
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Dec 12, 2014 17:00
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I had what should be a simple application, and it took 2 months before I got invited for a NEXUS interview. I got in the next day, and there were plenty of openings. I only brought my passport and drivers license. The guy walking out as I was walking in gave me the sports page, but the wait wasn't all that long. Between my enhanced license, passport, and nexus card, I will never be unprepared to enter Canada, just in case I make a wrong turn and end up there. That's a thing that can happen where I live.
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Dec 12, 2014 17:15
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:GE was quick once I got my interview scheduled and I have a dirty foreigner name and lots of addresses of record. Maybe I mis-spoke then. My personal experience and my co-workers experiences were with the Nexus process, and I was led to believe that Global Entry functioned the same way.
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Dec 12, 2014 17:46
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My wife and I took less than 5 days each and that was through lax interview center which was booked 3 months solid at one point. You just gotta check constantly and snipe the daily cancellations and openings.
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Dec 12, 2014 17:48
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Aristotle Animes posted:My interviewing officer even joked about TSA changing how they do things every twenty minutes so don't count on your KTN clearing you for Pre next month. The  terrorists can't learn and exploit your procedures if you change them every 20 minutes.  The officer that did my GE interview expressed surprise when I told him that I was signing up for GE because it would get me Pre-Check, and indicated he knew nothing about Pre-Check's details. Sure they're different organizations, but I would have thought he would have known basic details about it. I have to imagine that a large portion of the people getting GE now are there for Pre-Check and the speedy line at Customs is just a bonus.
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Dec 12, 2014 18:36
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Considering the premium for GE over PreCheck is only $15 and however much of your time you waste on the interview and preparing documentation, it's well worth it.
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Dec 13, 2014 02:18
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Considering the premium for GE over PreCheck is only $15 and however much of your time you waste on the interview and preparing documentation, it's well worth it. You do have to have a passport, whereas you don't for Precheck.
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Dec 13, 2014 07:31
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Bisty Q. posted:You do have to have a passport, whereas you don't for Precheck. Are there really that many people flying regularly enough that Precheck would be good value that don't have a passport?
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Dec 13, 2014 13:54
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