The totally off-topic thread

[anat0l]

CCU - DAC (Dhaka) on IC (Indian Airlines).

And I think that game is cactus....

I was hoping someone would go CCU-DEL, in which case DEL-EWR was a possibility.

Standby: new game with new rules coming....

(I have to put that message otherwise by the time I get the posting correct another umpteen posts will flutter by....not that that is necessarily a bad thing...)

 

[QF WP]

How about changing the game rules that we can skip letters like Q, U and X, I think the other letters are okay to find airports.

Also, people should try to use hubs or larger airports...not keep using places that are out of the way. I like Europe because of the variety of capital names....

I wouldn't mind trying to do one which is continent-based

 

[anat0l]

[FONT=&quot]New game: Triple million mile challenge

Objective of the game: Obtain 1 million miles for each of the major alliances in the world:[/FONT]

• [FONT=&quot]oneworld[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Star Alliance[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]SkyTeam[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Rules[/FONT]

• [FONT=&quot]Each alliance initially starts with 10,000 miles.[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Post an IATA code which represents the next destination to fly to, including the flight number (or at least airline) required to get to that location.[/FONT]
  • [FONT=&quot]The destination must be able to be flown in only one flight number (but stops are allowed, e.g. SYD-LHR is OK since it can be ticketed on one flight number, even though it may stop in SIN).[/FONT]
  • [FONT=&quot]You can’t fly back to where you just came from.[/FONT]
  • [FONT=&quot]You can[/FONT][FONT=&quot]’t[/FONT][FONT=&quot] fly a sector which does not use an airline within the alliance. (For example, EK does not fall into any of the alliances above. Also, for example although some JQ flights can give status to QF, JQ isn't part of any alliance so JQ sectors aren't allowed.)
    [/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Use Great Circle Mapper to find the distance between the two locations (ignore stops, so in the example above use GCM to calculate the mileage of SYD-LHR).[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Apply any applicable bonuses (see below), then choose the alliance to credit against according to the airline flown for that sector. Only one alliance may be credited at a time.[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]The other alliances' mileage balances decreases due to attrition rules (see below).[/FONT]

"Fair Use" Rules

• One sector per poster.
• No consecutive posts by the same author.

[FONT=&quot]Mileage Bonuses[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Bonuses are applied by adding up the applicable bonus percentages, then apply this to the base mileage.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
Terminology to help explain the rules:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Previous IATA code: abc
Destination IATA code: def[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
Bonuses (with codes)[/FONT]

• [FONT=&quot]IDA: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Destination IATA code starts with the initial of the previous IATA code, i.e. d = a. For example, IAD-IAH.
  20% bonus mileage.[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]IDC: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Destination IATA code starts with the trailing letter of the previous IATA code, i.e. d = c. For example, CNS-SYD.
  60% bonus mileage.[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]JDA[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: Destination IATA code starts with a letter which is either side of the initial of the previous IATA code, i.e. if a was the letter M, then d could be L or N. For example, IAH-JFK.
  40% bonus mileage.[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]JDC[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: Destination IATA code starts with a letter which is either side of the trailing letter of the previous IATA code, i.e. similar to above, except we now consider c is M and then d could be L or N. For example, ADL-MEL.
  100% bonus mileage.[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]INT[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: International flight (as long as it’s a different country, it’s international, even though some domestic flights are ticketed as international, e.g. flights between West and East Malaysia).
  10% bonus mileage.[/FONT]

The percentages for bonuses increases by 5% every 10 posts in the game.

[FONT=&quot]Attrition Rules[/FONT]

• [FONT=&quot]The balances of miles on the alliances of which a flight is not credited against is reduced by the attrition rate after every post.[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]The initial rate of attrition is -1000 miles per post.[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]The attrition rate increases by 250 miles after every 10 posts in the game (i.e. on post 11, the attrition rates will be -1250 miles for non-credited alliances).[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Once an alliance reaches 1,000,000 miles, the attrition rate for that alliance is reduced by 80% (even if its balance drops below 1,000,000 miles after that point, although the alliance must eventually get over 1,000,000 miles again to end the game).[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The Game Ends When...[/FONT]

• [FONT=&quot]All three alliances reach 1,000,000 points (good ending), or[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]The mileage balance of one alliance drops to or below 0 (bad ending!)[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Example Calculation:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
LHR-MEL on QF[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
GCM gives 10503 miles.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
Then bonuses JDA (LHR-MEL) and INT (international) apply, so that is 40% + 10% = 50% bonus mileage.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
So total creditable to the oneworld alliance would be 10503 * 1.5 = 15754 miles (round down any decimals). The balances of the Star Alliance and SkyTeam alliances decreases by the current rate of attrition.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
So... let the flying begin![/FONT] Start Location: LHR (London-Heathrow)
[FONT=&quot]
(use the following text as a template)[/FONT][FONT=&quot]

Post #0[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
Attrition Rate: -1000 points/post
Bonus Rates (IDA/IDC/JDA/JDC/INT) %: 20/60/40/100/10
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Location: LHR London-Heathrow[/FONT]
Destination: ??? via ???
Base Mileage: ???
Bonuses: ???
Credited Mileage: ???
Alliance: ???
[FONT=&quot]New Balances:
oneworld: 10,000
Star Alliance: 10,000
SkyTeam: 10,000[/FONT][FONT=&quot]

[/FONT]

 

[NM]

And I think that game is cactus....

I was hoping someone would go CCU-DEL, in which case DEL-EWR was a possibility.

I considered using DXB, but thought that was a little easy

 

[anat0l]

I considered using DXB, but thought that was a little easy

So end of the previous game we had the following routings:

1. ADL-BNE-CNS-DRW(-EMD)... cactus.
2. ANC-BOS-CUN-DFW-EWR-FRA-GRU... cactus.
3. AMS-BOS-CUN-DEN-EWR-FCO-GVA-HAM-INN... cactus.
4. AUH-BAH-CAI-DXB-EBB... cactus.
5. ATL-BWI-CLE-DTW-EWR-FLL-GSO... cactus.
6. ABZ-BRS-CDG-DUS-ESB-FRA-GVA-HEL-ICN-JFK-KWI-LHR-MUC-NRT-ORD-PHL... cactus.
7. ATL-BOM-CCU-DAC... cactus.

Make a nice trip for only the daring at heart ... and the purse strings...

 

[NM]

OK, let me be lazy. lets fly LHR-MEL on QF10

GCM gives 10503 miles.

Then bonuses JDA (LHR-MEL) and INT (international) apply, so that is 40% + 10% = 50% bonus mileage.

So total creditable to the oneworld alliance would be 10503 * 1.5 = 15754 miles (round down any decimals). The balances of the Star Alliance and SkyTeam alliances decreases by the current rate of attrition.


Post #1
Attrition Rate: -1000 points/post
Bonus Rates (IDA/IDC/JDA/JDC/INT) %: 20/60/40/100/10
Location: LHR London-Heathrow
Destination: MEL via QF10
Base Mileage: 10503
Bonuses: 5251
Credited Mileage: 15754
Alliance: OW
New Balances:
oneworld: 25,754
Star Alliance: 9,000
SkyTeam: 9,000

 

[Keith009]

I have to bow out of this one because I'm thoroughly confused....

 

[anat0l]

I have to bow out of this one because I'm thoroughly confused....

Hmmm....was a bit scared of that happening......

In a nutshell: fly to get miles for each of the alliances. Bonus mileage is obtainable by flying internationally, and by selecting destinations with particular IATA codes. After each post, some mileage is lost due to attrition (since you can only post to one alliance at a time in a post). Get to 1,000,000 miles for each alliance = we win. If one alliance's mileage balance drops to 0, we lose.

Personally I've read T&Cs in the airline industry that are tougher than my rule set.

 

[JohnK]

How about MEL-LAX on UA840?

GCM gives 7921 miles.

Then bonuses JDC (MEL-LAX) and INT (international) apply, so that is 60% + 10% = 70% bonus mileage.

So total creditable to the Star alliance would be 7921 * 1.7 = 13465 miles (round down any decimals). The balances of the Oneworld Alliance and SkyTeam alliances decreases by the current rate of attrition.

Post #2
Attrition Rate: -1000 points/post
Bonus Rates (IDA/IDC/JDA/JDC/INT) %: 20/60/40/100/10
Location: MEL
Destination: LAX via UA840
Base Mileage: 7921
Bonuses: 5544
Credited Mileage: 13465
Alliance: Star
New Balances:
oneworld: 24,754
Star Alliance: 22,465
SkyTeam: 8,000

 

[QF WP]

I will soooooo second that...don't have the time to try and wade through the complexities...the last game was simpler. Still, others here will enjoy it, so play on...

I have to bow out of this one because I'm thoroughly confused....

 

[serfty]

Socceroos 2 nil at the ½

Delayed ½ hour due to a down pour; I've rarely seen that much black on the BOM rain radar!

You BNE'ites - did you get washed away? Much ? 13mm between 6:30pm and 7:30pm

 

[Mal]

Re: Socceroos 2 nil at the ½

Delayed ½ hour due to a down pour; I've rarely seen that much black on the BOM rain radar!

Didn't rain that much here - and I'm only ~3-4Kms from where they were playing. The BOM were originally predicting hail etc, but that never materialised.

 

[Bundy Bear]

The venue is in Wickham Terrace. You can stay at the Metro Hotel Tower Mill or Best Western Astor Metropole which are close to each other, the Grand Chancellor around the corner, the Best Western in Gregory Terrace or even the Holiday Inn which is only 5 minutes away.


Yes you do know the location. We have a few possible starters already.

JohnK
Mal
Anat0l
Wallacej
Lindsay Wilson

What happened to my inclusion.

And this Lindsay Wilson character: I met him over 5 years ago at the Brisbane Airport but since then he dissppeared from the other board. be good to see him again.

Oh and I have another interested attendee. Not saying who just mark them as Mr X.

 

[Mal]

The venue is in Wickham Terrace. You can stay at the Metro Hotel Tower Mill or Best Western Astor Metropole which are close to each other, the Grand Chancellor around the corner, the Best Western in Gregory Terrace or even the Holiday Inn which is only 5 minutes away.

Plenty of other hotels around that area (ie within about 10 mins walk). eg:

Novotel - Spring Hill/City boundary.
Holiday Inn - Spring Hill/Roma St end of City boundary.
Sofitel - City / Spring Hill boundary.

Let alone the numerous "Serviced apartments" that have been popping up in Spring Hill/CBD in the last year or so.

Even a CBD hotel is only 10-15-20 mins walk from Spring Hill.

 

[Mal]

Oh and I have another interested attendee. Not saying who just mark them as Mr X.

Hmmm. Do I know them? I think I can guess who it is, if I do...

 

[QF WP]

Re: Socceroos 2 nil at the ½

I was at the match and I can tell you that getting there dry was an impossibility. Absolutely pelted down from 6.15pm to 7.15pm and huge lightning and thunder show. Match was delayed by 30 minutes because of the lightning. Cleared for the first half. Bit of light rain at the end of the second half.

Great match and result for Australia 4-0

Delayed ½ hour due to a down pour; I've rarely seen that much black on the BOM rain radar!

You BNE'ites - did you get washed away? Much ? 13mm between 6:30pm and 7:30pm

 

[anat0l]

Re: Socceroos 2 nil at the ½

Great match and result for Australia 4-0

Home ground advantage?

Can't imagine there's too much rain in Qatar....

Some JQ trivia today: seems something happened in Mackay involving a bird and a JQ aircraft. A couple of my colleagues were supposed to get a flight from Mackay to Brisbane on JQ but the aircraft was delayed due to this bird incident thing. (Don't know if it splatted itself on the coughpit window or was churned up in an engine or when it happened, but the passengers were told something along the lines of that it involved a bird). They had to fly up an engineer from Brisbane because Mackay had no engineers (notwithstanding there were a number of pax that were engineers (maybe of the "wrong type"), and there was also a vet amongst the pax!). Engineer arrived, something happened, delay of 2hrs+ flutted by and our mates managed to make it to the office with some time left in the day to spare.


Looks like my last game is too complicated - was trying to work in mileage as a counter there.

Need to think of something new, but something simple.....

 

[QF WP]

I wouldn't say it's too complicated for all, just two of us have expressed our inability to understand the convoluted rules (or maybe we are just slow on the uptake). Seems that there were 2 "players" at this early stage - I'm happy to sit on the sidelines and watch others play the game.

 

[QF WP]

And this Lindsay Wilson character: I met him over 5 years ago at the Brisbane Airport but since then he dissppeared from the other board. be good to see him again.

Just been quiet over the past 6 months with work and my daughters social life. Not as much time to post and less to post about (as travel has slowed).

 

[Tortuga]

Bit of a rant. I was SUPPOSED to be going to Brazil to work offshore, so I opened a HSBC account since they seem well accepted in South America. The company turns around and says I am now going to the US. Not sure if HSBC atms are widely accepted over there? Any other banks in Australia that have good coverage in the US.

One good piece of news is that I will most likely get to fly on the A380.