The totally off-topic thread

[NM]

North .....

 

[simongr]

Re: Another installment of random questions for the IPOT* initiative

51. A list of the ten most visited cities in the US (in alphabetical order):
Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando, San Francisco, Washington DC
Rank them in order of priority of visiting, starting with the city you want to visit first.

New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York... seeing a theme?

52. If you had to live somewhere else in Australia apart from your current city/town of residence, where would that be?

Kangaroo Valley, NSW

53. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Malay/Singaporean
Rank these cuisines in order from your most favoured to least favoured.

Chinese, Japanese, thai, Malay, Viet/korean

54. In your opinion, what is the most useful benefit from having status with an airline FFP?

Speed from car to lounge (and then the lounge)

55. Describe the longest transit journey you have ever undertaken which was not a flight (e.g. train trip, bus ride, cruise, etc.)

7 Day Liveaboard dive trip in the Read Sea

56. By what means do you normally travel to get to work/uni? And normally, how long would it take (from out of the door to in your office/campus)?

Train - 62 mins

57. Name up to three full cost (not low cost), non-defunct carriers which you will never consider flying either in the near future or ever. (For a bonus point, give reasons.)

Delta, UA, Continental - if I have to fly a US carrier at least it will be one I have status with.

58. Where in the world have never been to before that you would like to go to next?

I only really want to go back to New York more than seeing any other new place...

59. Money and necessary health reasons aside, would you ever consider going into outer space? Why/Why not?

In the blink of an eye - I just would love to both experience the weightlessness and see earth from "outside"

60. What is your favourite oneworld, QP or QP-associated Lounge outside Australia?[/QUOTE]

The Wing in HKG

 

[docjames]

Re: Another installment of random questions for the IPOT* initiative

51. A list of the ten most visited cities in the US (in alphabetical order):
Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando, San Francisco, Washington DC
Rank them in order of priority of visiting, starting with the city you want to visit first.
Been to all of them before, like to go back to (order):
Boston, Orlando, NYC, Washington, SF, LA, LV.

52. If you had to live somewhere else in Australia apart from your current city/town of residence, where would that be?

Perth

53. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Malay/Singaporean
Rank these cuisines in order from your most favoured to least favoured.

What about Indian? Or mexican?

Vietnamese, Malay, Thai, Japanese, Korean, Chinese. I eat anything!


54. In your opinion, what is the most useful benefit from having status with an airline FFP?

Comfort of journey in between actual flights (lounge pre / exit sooner wiht priority tags/seating etc)

55. Describe the longest transit journey you have ever undertaken which was not a flight (e.g. train trip, bus ride, cruise, etc.)

36 hours in cancun because of hurricane ike (ok, not a bad place to be stuck). Otherwise SYD-MEL-SYD by train, or MEL-BrokenHill by car

56. By what means do you normally travel to get to work/uni? And normally, how long would it take (from out of the door to in your office/campus)?

Car - 15 mins

57. Name up to three full cost (not low cost), non-defunct carriers which you will never consider flying either in the near future or ever. (For a bonus point, give reasons.)

Cubana - do i really need to explain?
Any Indonesian carrier
Almost any airline in Africa
Some airlines in Sth America

58. Where in the world have never been to before that you would like to go to next?

Porsche museum

59. Money and necessary health reasons aside, would you ever consider going into outer space? Why/Why not?

Yes - if someone else is happy to pay, and it seems "safe" (realtively), then definitely.

60. What is your favourite oneworld, QP or QP-associated Lounge outside Australia?

F lounge LHR

 

[Alanslegal]

Now the AUD is buying 66 UScents - will it go up or down in the next 4-6 weeks?

And second question;- What's the most amount of $$$ that you have personally paid for one night in a hotel?

 

[anat0l]

And second question;- What's the most amount of $$$ that you have personally paid for one night in a hotel?

About AUD 520ish for one night in a suite at the Hilton (not counting the ancillaries). Had some "company" It was worth it.

 

[Nigelinoz]

Now the AUD is buying 66 UScents - will it go up or down in the next 4-6 weeks?

And second question;- What's the most amount of $$$ that you have personally paid for one night in a hotel?

Up to about 68 cents.
£1500.00 for a suite at the Ritz in London,last year for my GF's 40th birthday.

 

[NM]

And second question;- What's the most amount of $$$ that you have personally paid for one night in a hotel?

US$325 which at the time was around A$550 for a standard room at the Marriott Santa Clara. I was there for a week at that rate :shock:.

 

[Alanslegal]

£1500.00 for a suite at the Ritz in London,last year for my GF's 40th birthday.

:shock: that's almost a deposit on a house

Gosh for me the most I've paid is around AUD$400 pn - but I'm curious to what people would pay on a leisure trip!

 

[Mal]

:shock: that's almost a deposit on a house

Gosh for me the most I've paid is around AUD$400 pn - but I'm curious to what people would pay on a leisure trip!

I've paid slightly over that - but again (as in previous posts) it has been in the U.S when our currency wasn't too favourable. - and their economy strong!

 

[drron]

Up to about 68 cents.
£1500.00 for a suite at the Ritz in London,last year for my GF's 40th birthday.

Brilliant prediction.Hit 68c last night and now 67.8c.
$A500 for Waldorf Towers in NYC.Wasnt worth it.
About the same for Cavieleiri in Rome-definitely worth it but it has now become a waldorf astoria hotel which to me means less value to the ordinary punter.

 

[Keith009]

Now the AUD is buying 66 UScents - will it go up or down in the next 4-6 weeks?

My tea leaves suggest that it's go up.

And second question;- What's the most amount of $$$ that you have personally paid for one night in a hotel?

AUD750 for suite at Westin Melbourne, sleepover for 21st bday.

 

[simongr]

I paid (I think) around US$1900 for 4 nights in a suite in Bangkok at the Hilton and I think around $450 for a night at the Hilton sydney for my birthday one year...

 

[Alanslegal]

AUD$1 is now buying a bit over 69UScents. What's the story behind this? anyone?

 

[NM]

- but I'm curious to what people would pay on a leisure trip!

For a personal leisure trip, my biggest was GBP117 for a night in Venice. Was booked at a pre-paid rate from the UK so in GBP. Conversation at the time was A$307.

 

[drron]

AUD$1 is now buying a bit over 69UScents. What's the story behind this? anyone?

Because the punters have finally realised that the only way the USA can finance their bail outs is to print money=inflation=falling $US.
It was fairly obvious about 36 hours ago when the Fed at the stroke of a pen lifted the supply of US dollars by 13%.

 

[Flashback]

Work has been relatively quiet lately, and that has allowed me 2 things.

• Self-development
• Monitor AFF so much, that when I click 'New Posts' it often comes back saying 0 :shock:

Anyway, a trend that I have noticed is that Monday generally seems to be quiet and Friday things definitely pickup; especially so when you look at Monday morning vs Friday morning. The posting rate on a Friday morning is much higher.

I guess by then people are 'sick and tired' of work and looking forward to the weekend ... and try to waste time on AFF rather than work, as they would on a Monday morning

 

[tuapekastar]

And second question;- What's the most amount of $$$ that you have personally paid for one night in a hotel?

Between $200 and $300 on a few occasions incl. ~235 per night for 7 nights in HKG. I like to be comfortable, but certainly not profligate, so do look for discounted rates.

 

[Alanslegal]

Ok I think I'm going to try and book some hotels @ US0.68. Travelling in less than six weeks so better lock something in, I guess 0.68 is something I would be kind of happy with.

 

[anat0l]

...I'm curious to what people would pay on a leisure trip!

For me, you can never tell.

Usually if I'm not looking at other objectives apart from cost, I usually aim for a fairly comfortable hotel (not hostel), using Trip Advisor as my guide. In many cases I'm also looking out for 24 hour reception (since I periodically arrive, depart or go in and out of the premises at odd hours) as well as any possibility to earn loyalty points (QFF, etc.)

In ballpark, that's typically AUD 99 - AUD 159 per night, although I might be slightly biased since prices have dropped a smidgen thanks to the GFC. That's not to say I would never consider anything else higher - indeed, when racking up hotel loyalty at the same time, with the exception of PC (of which I have little desire to get any status for), typically rooms will go for at least AUD 200 per night.

Choosing where to stay also has to be balanced by how much actual time spent in the hotel. If the amount of time is little (e.g. sightseeing all day, then straight to partying, come back in the wee hours to get 1 hour sleep before doing it again), then there's not much point getting a room at the Hilton or W.

The main message is that, for me, choosing a hotel is not simply a "pick the cheapest" exercise - it's a holistic assessment.


Now on the other hand, I'm heading to Europe in November and hotel prices are certainly quite disparate compared to the calibre in the Asia-Pacific region. Even though I'll have a companion sharing the cost, it still boggles the mind because you're really trying to establish a new "datum" point....

 

[straitman]

Careful :!: :!:

You people have almost settled upon a topic here :!: :shock: