The totally off-topic thread

[anat0l]

There is a dress rehearsal tomorrow night in preparation for the BNE monthly drinks gathering later on in the month.

The venue is The Mill Hotel Bar & Restaurant. It is located on Wickham Terrace, on the corner of Bartley St, next to Brisbane Private Hospital, opposite the old Tower Mill and ~100 metres from Jacobs Ladder....

The dress rehearsal will start ~5:00-5:30pm and should be finished ~8:30pm or whatever time the thirst dies down.

Confirmed attendees are

JohnK
munitalP

Everyone is welcome to come along and any excuse will do. Yes I know the Amex promotion is over but the bar does accept cash....

I might drop by for a chat, since I'll be out of the country when the "real" drinks takes place.

Everyone make sure you've reviewed the script before arriving.

 

[anat0l]

[rant]

Why am I not surprised?

• I can't find any F award (Classic, not Any Seat) seats for SYD-SIN-LHR (any or all of the sectors) for QF31 on A380 at all in the second half of 2009.
• I can barely find J award seats for the aforementioned routes on the same equipment in the same dates.
• There's only a mere smattering of F award seats on non-A380 equipment.
• If I really wanted F to LHR, the best "chance" is to fly BA metal - plenty of availability there. I wonder why

[/rant]

I guess that now I have some points to throw around I'm playing the game everyone else is: finding the elusive prime Classic award seats.

In case you were wondering on context: I'm thinking of doing a QF F Award on A380 (SYD-SIN-LHR-... up to 15k mi), then VS Upper Class LHR-HKG (short stop)-SYD. (I was thinking of a Y or J oneworld "RTW" award.)

EDIT: Just to have some more fun, the going rate of a F Any Seat Award for SIN-LHR on A380 in December is 1,152,488 points. :!::shock: And I've found a couple of dates where that rate is actually labelled "Hurry!". :shock::shock::!:

 

[simongr]

I just recently (before Xmas) a J award syd-lhr-syd with not much trouble - no A380 though (I was constrained by dates and minimum transits though) - so I am hoping for an equipment swap

 

[anat0l]

Well not much better in the awards thing. Logged on this morning to see any classic awards SYD-LHR on 26/12/2009 and got SFA in J and F; only one Y+ award (SYD-JNB-LHR) and the rest in Y.

Is it possible that QF aren't opening up any Classic Award seats for F on A380 equipment (a la SQ not offering R awards)? Either that or some cunning people have snatched the seats as soon as they were released this morning.

[aside]

Just realised that I've passed 500 AFF posts. Woot.

[/aside]

 

[anat0l]

And just for kicks about posts, here's the top ten authors of this thread:

Total Replies (not including this post): 2783

[FONT=Courier New][U][B]Handle            Posts       [/B][/U]
JohnK             467  16.78%
oz_mark           311  11.17%
straitman         276   9.92%
serfty            257   9.23%
Lindsay Wilson    163   5.86%
Kiwi Flyer        152   5.46%
NM                146   5.25%
anat0l            140   5.03%
Flashware         105   3.77%
QF009              81   2.91%[/FONT]

More crazy stats:

• The top ten posters account for 2098 of 2783 posts so far, or 75.39% of all posts.
• If an average post takes 5 minutes to write, then the top ten posters have collectively spent a total of 7 days, 6 hours and 50 minutes writing posts in this thread.

 

[turtlemichael]

And just for kicks about posts, here's the top ten authors of this thread:
anat0l 140 5.03%
[/code]

I reckon you deserve an extra one percent for working that out

 

[JohnK]

Is there a date for the February gathering yet ? I'm in Brisvegas again 23/2 - 27/2

The FT AGM will be on the 21st and the AFF Golf tournament will be on the 22nd. I can't see any reason why we can't have a BNE drinks gathering on the 25th. Not sure how many people will turn up but there will always be someone around....

 

[Alanslegal]

Anatol, you seriously have too much time on your hands Congrats on the 500 mark!

I have seen F/R 380 awards but in the SYD to LAX direction. I was in a dilemma a couple of months ago when I saw availability in F availability for dates in April/May/June 09. Given I am in J already, the award is for my partner, so it was a dilemma. Let her travel solo in F or with me in J. Of course I chose the J option.

Now I can't find those awards - must have been snapped up!

 

[Alanslegal]

Update in FOREX rates;

1AUD buys 71.98UScents or 67.66JPyen or 5.58HKdollars and over 25THbaht.

 

[JohnK]

If an average post takes 5 minutes to write, then the top ten posters have collectively spent a total of 7 days, 6 hours and 50 minutes writing posts in this thread.

Thanks for reminding me where most of my time is wasted. :-|

 

[anat0l]

I have seen F/R 380 awards but in the SYD to LAX direction. I was in a dilemma a couple of months ago when I saw availability in F availability for dates in April/May/June 09. Given I am in J already, the award is for my partner, so it was a dilemma. Let her travel solo in F or with me in J. Of course I chose the J option.

Now I can't find those awards - must have been snapped up!

Thanks Alanslegal for that advice. That actually raises the possibility of, e.g. MEL-LAX-LHR or SYD-LAX-LHR, with a possible stop over in the US for some travelling before going onto Europe. Might be easier to find premium availability that way rather than going across Asia.

If LAX-LHR, then does anyone want to vouch for the merits of AA F (on 772 or 773 equipment) vs. BA F (on 744 equipment)?

 

[serfty]

...
Kiwi Flyer 152 5.46%
...

• If an average post takes 5 minutes to write, then the top ten posters have collectively spent a total of 7 days, 6 hours and 50 minutes writing posts in this thread.

Kiwi Flyer has not logged into this forum in over 1½ years.

oh, and nothing so long as 5 minutes was put into most of my posts in this thread ... thought or otherwise ...

 

[straitman]

EDIT: Just to have some more fun, the going rate of a F Any Seat Award for SIN-LHR on A380 in December is 1,152,488 points. :!::shock: And I've found a couple of dates where that rate is actually labelled "Hurry!". :shock::shock::!:

anat0l,

.... and did you "Hurry" :?:

 

[straitman]

oh, and nothing so long as 5 minutes was put into most of my posts in this thread ... thought or otherwise ...

Nor by me :!:

 

[anat0l]

anat0l,

.... and did you "Hurry" :?:

Of course not. I don't have 1.1m points.

 

[Nigelinoz]

I had some "Fun" with Qantas telephone sales the other day.,here's the story.
OH has been invited to a friends wedding in Sydney in May and decided to
fly up from ABX to SYD and back a week later,so
as she was at work asked me to book the flights for her.
Ok so I jump on the Qantas website ,found a good flight and booked the seat,payed with CC.All going swimmingly,received the E Ticket etc.Fine.
Until said OH gets home ,looks at the ticket and notices I had booked for
25 April not 25 May! AAARGHH,Oh well,thought I I'll just check the website again and see if there is much difference in the fare,then I'll ring QF and change it.
Imagine my surprise on checking the website to find seats for 25 May priced at $20.00 less than I had already paid.
Rang Qantas and after waiting in the queue for 23 minutes at 7.00 pm finally got through to someone and explained the situation and asked them to change the booking,I was fully expecting that I would be able to change the booking to the later date .,I was not expecting a reduction in the fare,although I thought I might have to pay a fee for the change but thought it would come out about even or maybe that I would be up for a few dollars.,however after having been placed on hold the agent came back and said yes they could change the date but I would have to pay the difference as the fare was HIGHER.I politely pointed out that the fare was actually lower for the date selected.
No Sir,said the agent,that can't be!my system is showing the fare is $100.00 higher,you must be mistaken! I told her that all I could go by was the QF website.oh well we dont use that so you will have to wear the increase.at this point I demanded to speak to a supervisor,who after verifying what I had said was correct offered to refund my original fare and re-ticket for the later date at the lower price.,which was a good outcome for me as the mistake was mine,I just didn't expect to be told I was seeing things!
All this took nearly 50 minutes on the phone,just goes to show that you should always make sure you are booking the correct date or you can get yourself in all sorts of bother!

 

[serfty]

...
Until said OH gets home ,looks at the ticket and notices I had booked for
25 April not 25 May! AAARGHH,Oh well,thought I I'll just check the website again and see if there is much difference in the fare,then I'll ring QF and change it.
Imagine my surprise on checking the website to find seats for 25 May priced at $20.00 less than I had already paid.
Rang Qantas and after waiting in the queue for 23 minutes at 7.00 pm finally ...

... No Sir,said the agent,that can't be!my system is showing the fare is $100.00 higher,you must be mistaken! ...
... offered to refund my original fare and re-ticket for the later date at the lower price. ...

Actually the agent was ½ correct and the supervisor was completly correct.

IME, if you notice a mistake on an online booking, you can call Qantas the same day you made it and they will generally fix/cancel/refund the booking at no cost.

The agent you spoke two was probably correct in that the fare rules for red e-deals allow for changes such that your original fare can be used as credit towards the payment of a new fare of equal or higher value, provided the new fare conditions are met. Since the May fares were cheaper it was not possible to rebook onto these - my guess is 'super saver'.

 

[Nigelinoz]

Actually the agent was ½ correct and the supervisor was completly correct.

IME, if you notice a mistake on an online booking, you can call Qantas the same day you made it and they will generally fix/cancel/refund the booking at no cost.

The agent you spoke two was probably correct in that the fare rules for red e-deals allow for changes such that your original fare can be used as credit towards the payment of a new fare of equal or higher value, provided the new fare conditions are met. Since the May fares were cheaper it was not possible to rebook onto these - my guess is 'super saver'.

I agree ,and I actually wouldn't have had a problem paying to change the date after all it was my mistake,i was just surprised that the agent's
disbelieving tone of voice when I told her the website was showing something different to what she was seeing,it was almost "you must me kidding,it COULDN"T be lower,it's a month later!" that was what I had trouble with,like I was making it up.

But in the end it was a good outcome and I probably should thank my stars that I didn't end up paying extra,-and the the OH didn't kill me for making the stuff up in the first place.

 

[drron]

Seems to be too much on the topic of flying so i will talk about drinking-a topic I know only too well.As I am in dubbo working i was able early this week to go down to Orange to meet up with my best man and his son<my god son ,who has just got engaged(along with their partners and mrsdrron).
Now my god son is a winemaker so we partook of quite qa few of his various offerings.Started with a sparkling white-not meant to be a champagne style.It was Rolling pinot grigio/chardonnay.Certainly quite different to a champagne but very easy drinking and may suit those who dont enjoy champagne but would like to celebrate with a bubbly.
The other really good drop was the Rolling shiraz-2005.Fortunately I had previously tasted this in the JAL Flounge LHR and on CX.He tells me that QF and UA have also purchased this wine-do try it if you see it.
So there you have it-Drron the Godfather felt quite seedy yesterday!

 

[Alanslegal]

The AUD - will it go any higher in the short term (1-3months)?

[1 AUD currently buys around 0.72US, 5.6HKD, 67.8JPY]