The totally off-topic thread

[Evan]

Re: less than 2 days to go.......

<..>
White cardboard shaped like a boarding pass and just as flimsy. No discerning marks, barcodes, magnetic stripes.

My main concern was that, since the card is branded with a Qantas logo, can I only use it if I fly QF. Seems like I can use it how I see fit, so as long as I have nothing to declare.

<..>

Give it a go, i am sure they will be very quick to tell you if you can't
Thats all mine look like, i have collected a few incomming and outgoing ones and keep them as spares for when i may not get one.
E

 

[Mal]

Re: less than 2 days to go.......

Give it a go, i am sure they will be very quick to tell you if you can't
Thats all mine look like, i have collected a few incomming and outgoing ones and keep them as spares for when i may not get one.
E

The first batch were flimsy but glossy paper about 1/3 of an A4 page. They then moved to generic "boarding pass" style, and then moved to branded "boarding pass style" I think.

I really don't think it matters what you use. Customs doesn't really look at them, nor does immigration. As long as it's something they think they know then it should be ok.

If questioned, then you could just say you had it left over from a previous trip and thought it was ok to use...

 

[Evan]

Re: less than 2 days to go.......

<..>
If questioned, then you could just say you had it left over from a previous trip and thought it was ok to use...

For departures have from yesterday a boarding pass card with simply 'departures' in the top left and top right and express logo an dbotton right a QF logo in grey.

For inwards the express log is in the top left, with 'inwards' below and some text below about QF inviting you to use the express path. in the bottom right there is a red qantas logo.

E

 

[JohnK]

Is there any interest for drinks night in Brisbane next Wednesday?

Both Mal and Anat0l are scratchings due to other engagements....

 

[Mal]

Is there any interest for drinks night in Brisbane next Wednesday?

Both Mal and Anat0l are scratchings due to other engagements....

Nah, might be able to attend.

 

[Bundy Bear]

Is there any interest for drinks night in Brisbane next Wednesday?

Both Mal and Anat0l are scratchings due to other engagements....

I will be around.

 

[JohnK]

Don't forget drinks in BNE next Wednesday night 28 January 2009.

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.

Drinks normally start ~5:30pm and should be finished ~8:30pm....

 

[2muchplastic]

Don't forget drinks in BNE next Wednesday night 28 January 2009.

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.

Drinks normally start ~5:30pm and should be finished ~8:30pm....

I'm aiming to turn up for an hour or so, providing I can get away from the office at a reasonable hour. I've hardly been home so far this year, so SWMBO might get a bit twitchy if I hang around too long.....

 

[wallacej]

Don't forget drinks in BNE next Wednesday night 28 January 2009.

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.

Drinks normally start ~5:30pm and should be finished ~8:30pm....

Hey Guys, I will be there - around 7ish..

 

[anat0l]

Another quick question about JQ:

They always stipulate on BPs, website, etc. that "(for international flights) you must be present at the boarding gate at least 40 minutes prior to departure".

• What is this stipulation for? Obviously, you need to be at the gate before departure (i.e. flight closes), so is this more a guideline compared to a rule?
• How strict would they be enforcing this? (Assuming you don't actually go so late as to hold up the aircraft, but say you turn up to the gate at the 20 minutes left mark)

Sorry for the elementary question, but just seems confusing why this kind of comment. Methinks it may just be for the benefit of the JQ populace (in particular, those that may not fly often), and also in the interests of getting everyone away on time.

 

[serfty]

From the JQ "Conditions of Carriage":

8. CHECK-IN
8.1 Check-in Deadline

For flights departing from a domestic terminal, check in will close 30 minutes before scheduled departure and for flights departing from an international terminal, 60 minutes before scheduled departure. You will not be able to check-in after these Check-In Deadlines. Arrival after these Check-In Deadlines may result in you forfeiting the entire fare paid. Once checked-in, you must be at the boarding gate for flights departing from a domestic terminal at least 25 minutes before the scheduled departure time and for flights departing from an international terminal at least 40 minutes before the scheduled departure time. The aircraft will not be held for you if you arrive late at the boarding gate. You cannot check in at the boarding gate.

I guess they can "close the door" any time after boarding commences at T-25/40 minutes. If you are not at the gate and not on board when the doors close then you have failed to comply and can be offloaded with no compensation.

I do know check-in times are normally quite strictly enforced.

 

[NM]

Another quick question about JQ:

They always stipulate on BPs, website, etc. that "(for international flights) you must be present at the boarding gate at least 40 minutes prior to departure".

* What is this stipulation for? Obviously, you need to be at the gate before departure (i.e. flight closes), so is this more a guideline compared to a rule?

One reason is just in case there is a gate change. if you are at the gate stipulated on the boarding pass 40 mins before departure, you should have sufficient time to be redirected to the new boarding gate in time to get on board.

They may also need to adjust seating to accommodate special needs, so may need to page passengers to obtain new boarding passes, which can be done if passengers are at the boarding gate at the specified time.

There may be other information that needs to be passed on to passengers before boarding, which can be done if all the passengers are at the gate at the specified time.

* How strict would they be enforcing this? (Assuming you don't actually go so late as to hold up the aircraft, but say you turn up to the gate at the 20 minutes left mark)

If there are none of the above circumstances, or any other need to make contact with you before boarding, chances are that you will be fine. But if they need to contact you and you are not there at the nominated time, you could be denied boarding with no compensation due. Not worth the risk in my view.

 

[serfty]

Could this "The totally off-topic thread" be described as a sequential sandpit?.

 

[Keith009]

Dragging this thread firmly back OT...

After having done both Muscat and Istanbul in one trip, I believe I'm now officially mosqued out for the rest of my life...:shock::mrgreen: Though thankfully haven't been to a single museum.

 

[anat0l]

I was really only posting more here to boost the post count here. I know it's a lost cause vs. the Amex thread, but if one person could just make a difference...... ah heck, who am I kidding.

Currently in the SYD T1 QP - pretty quiet although pancakes aren't coming until 0730h due to a delayed arrival of the incoming cooking staff. Freddie Jr is enjoying a tipple of Chandon NV Brut.

Got the scare of my life yesterday when I almost missed a flight for the second time in my life.

I was at Stafford picking up my dad who would take over driver when I got to the airport. We were on Webster Rd at 1620h, it was raining and QF551 departed at 1745h. Normally, a ride to the airport from our location shouldn't take more than 30 minutes.

Webster Rd was chock full from Kitchener Rd to Rode Rd, taking us 10 minutes just to traverse that bit of road. Didn't help when there are plenty of dimwits on the road; even more so when the rain starts to play a role. Of course, I also copped plenty of flak along the way from dad for "leaving it to the last minute" and "poor time management". We detoured off Rode Rd to get to Virginia and then from there to the highway and the airport. Some traffic along the way to Sandgate Rd almost threatened to derail our detour.

I arrived at the airport at 1702h, quickly said goodbye to dad then jogged with my large luggage in full tow all the way to premium check-in. Only two people in front, although I was so anxious to drop my bag, as it was within 45 minutes of departure now, I was almost tempted to say "Excuse me..." but I didn't have the heart. Got to the counter and was relieved to hear that I could drop my bag (it was "within the time limits") - and I did a little "yes!" dance - got my BP and I was off. I was also lucky in that most of the pax for a while had to be manually tagged because the baggage tag machine was stuffing up, but it started working for the person who was behind me and so I also got a standard bag tag. I later found out that they had also tagged it Business priority. :shock:

I later checked the QF website and it seems that the bag drop time limit is 30 minutes before departure time, not 45 minutes.

And the real corker about the whole affair? My flight was delayed. So much for me panicking that I wasn't on time. (QF551 22/01/2009 sched dep 1745h actual dep 1844h)

 

[Mal]

Webster Rd was chock full from Kitchener Rd to Rode Rd, taking us 10 minutes just to traverse that bit of road.

I know that area well - Normally you could just about get away with playing cricket on that road. Good to see you made it to the airport on time.

 

[bambbbam2]

View from the space shuttle coughpit

[changed to link: Be warned, image is 4.2 Megabytes]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/STSCPanel.jpg

 

[JohnK]

Nice photo.

Any chance of resizing the photo as the screen width is now ~3 pages and most posts are hard to follow.

Silly me this is the Off topic thread so posts are going to be hard to follow anyway.

 

[wallacej]

Nice photo.

Any chance of resizing the photo as the screen width is now ~3 pages and most posts are hard to follow.

Silly me this is the Off topic thread so posts are going to be hard to follow anyway.

If we do another two posts, it will at least go to the next page

 

[wallacej]

Actually, one more