The totally off-topic thread

[Nigelinoz]

Very impressed with QF's effort yesterday,I took two flights QF 2210 at 13:40 and QF 548 at 19:05 (delayed till 19:30) and when I checked my FF account at 22:45 both flights had already been credited to my account.
Well done QF
Cheers
N'oz

 

[QF WP]

Watching 7.00p.m. show on 10 last night, they were talking about ATC who fell asleep whilst on late night shift.

My wife told me this story this afternoon in the way to the airport. Will have to talk to one of my ATC friends to hear the full story.



Sent from my iPhone using AFF Mobile

 

[medhead]

My wife told me this story this afternoon in the way to the airport. Will have to talk to one of my ATC friends to hear the full story.

More here: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ews/pilots-forced-land-without-atc-29038.html

 

[thewinchester]

I guess your last flight was QF78 SIN-PER, so I can feel you are a getting withdrawal symptoms.

I treat our AFF drinks nights as Aviators Anonymous

My next booking is not until Ozfest, but I might put in a quick trip to Melbourne via Sydney of course.

Yep, my usual QF78 flight out of SIN, it's my mainstay when going home from there. Just a shame that baggage at PER T1 is always an cough, and the increase in flights from other destinations coming in around that time isn't helping.

Was three carriers in at once if memory serves, and they were only just clearning the back end of an earlier SQ flight still clogging the hall. Without SmartGate, this would make it even worse, specially if you're far back in Y and need a duty free pitstop.

Top that off with CBP & AQIS who never have enough staff on for that shift thus lanes open makes for a slow exit from the baggage hall. My usual trick is to carry a risk item (wood, foods, etc), and declare it so I can high-tail to the red lane for a faster exit.

Then again, who am I to moan about baggage. As you may have guessed from his comments, Bundy Bear was on this same flight and part of his luggage didn't make for the flight stuffing up some planned work and meetings.

 

[thewinchester]

Brilliant - watching the F1 coverage and they switch to Nicole Livingston in the Qantas VIP suite on pit row.

They start talking about the Neil Perry cusine, and as soon as they start chatting with Matt Preston about it a Red Rooster ad along with their branding appears on a tv screen - right in the centre of the shot.

Priceless.

 

[JohnK]

I had some Golden Ales at home tonight, but will have a couple of whatever is on offer tomorrow afternoon at the BNE QP.

At least the SYD business lounge has some sense and is stocking the same beer as usual.

Personally I'd rather drink out of a toilet bowl before drinking any one of those.

I would hope that you do not drink out of the toilet bowl.

I am currently in SYD business lounge and drinking a Pure Blonde and will have a Corona next just to make you happy.

When it comes to beers I have found that other people have no idea which is a good b beer and which beern is not. Will be drinking Chang and Tiger sometime tomorrow night. :mrgreen:

 

[Mal]

Now relaxing(?) in the temporary DJ lounge in MEL. Very basic facilities due to the refurb.

Sharing the space with the Sydney Swans and various other ex-F1 types.

Made it from the F1 track to the airport in 45 mins (and no I didn't have a driver booked!). Left straight away when the checkered flag came out, hopped on tram, then jumped on Skybus and here I am.

 

[serfty]

Now relaxing(?) in the temporary DJ lounge in MEL. Very basic facilities due to the refurb.

Sharing the space with the Sydney Swans and various other ex-F1 types.

Made it from the F1 track to the airport in 45 mins (and no I didn't have a driver booked!). Left straight away when the checkered flag came out, hopped on tram, then jumped on Skybus and here I am.

Well done! Nothing like efficiency.

At least they provide a lounge; about 9 years ago the HBA QP was being refurbished - so it was closed and Qantas offered no alternative arrangement. No airport vouchers - just nothing.

 

[JohnK]

Companion sales everywhere. What about the single travellers? :shock:

 

[Hvr]

Companion sales everywhere. What about the single travellers? :shock:

Totally agree, we're ignored to their detriment. I reckon I am a lot freer to travel than people who have to arrange times with their companions.

 

[Flashback]

Companion sales everywhere. What about the single travellers? :shock:

via Travelzoo, CX just launched a sale with some great fares as low as 669GBP return LON-PER-LON.

 

[anat0l]

Companion sales everywhere. What about the single travellers? :shock:

Most of the rest of the time, really.

 

[Bundy Bear]

I am trying to decide whether I want to book some flights using a Qantas $500 voucher.

I was looking at the following.

SYD-BNE-SYD-BNE-CBR but it doesn't appear you can go back through your starting city on the Qantas multi-city booking.

So next idea I have is

MEL-BNE-SYD-BNE-CBR

Melbourne would be for Easter, I can't stay in the house for 5 days without flying some where. Brisbane-Sydney-Brisbane would be for the city to surf in August and Canberra would be for AFF 5 October. I would use a JASA for CBR-SYD-BNE, got to start thinking about requalifying for Qantas Platinum somehow.

I could just save the money for a rainy day.

Also need to book some accomoodation and segments for my Europe trip in June. It is tough to go past $138 AUD for accommodation in Hong Kong when Holiday Inns want around $200 and the Conrad Hilton they want over $300 a night. At those rates I am never going requalify for Hilton Gold with 16 stays.

 

[Flashback]

I am trying to decide whether I want to book some flights using a Qantas $500 voucher.

I was looking at the following.

SYD-BNE-SYD-BNE-CBR but it doesn't appear you can go back through your starting city on the Qantas multi-city booking.

So next idea I have is

MEL-BNE-SYD-BNE-CBR

Melbourne would be for Easter, I can't stay in the house for 5 days without flying some where. Brisbane-Sydney-Brisbane would be for the city to surf in August and Canberra would be for AFF 5 October. I would use a JASA for CBR-SYD-BNE, got to start thinking about requalifying for Qantas Platinum somehow.

I could just save the money for a rainy day.

Also need to book some accomoodation and segments for my Europe trip in June. It is tough to go past $138 AUD for accommodation in Hong Kong when Holiday Inns want around $200 and the Conrad Hilton they want over $300 a night. At those rates I am never going requalify for Hilton Gold with 16 stays.

I don't think you can do multi city on the vouchers from my experience of using them... YMMV.

 

[drmikki]

Bundy bear, where are you looking at in Hong Kong for $138AUD? I'm heading over in July... is that the Salisbury YMCA?

 

[Bundy Bear]

Bundy bear, where are you looking at in Hong Kong for $138AUD? I'm heading over in July... is that the Salisbury YMCA?

Hotel Reservation : Book hotels online with Accorhotels.com or whatever it is, the proper near the airport.
Novotel Hong Kong Citygate


Have also stayed at
Novotel Hong Kong Century

which is more downtown, and it was a nice hotel.

The accor bonus awards are pretty much useless but these 2 properties were decent for the price I paid.

 

[anat0l]

SYD-BNE-SYD-BNE-CBR but it doesn't appear you can go back through your starting city on the Qantas multi-city booking.

You've got SYD-BNE as a sector twice, which is not allowed in a multi-city (can't fly the same sector in the same direction twice). I can't remember if you can "fool" a multi-city engine into doing so via "connections", e.g. request SYD-ABX-CNS-ABX-MEL-SYD - you would have to fly SYD-ABX and ABX-SYD twice but it isn't explicitly specified, but would you get away with it.

Multi-cities normally can't be booked using a voucher online, which sucks. You need to call QF or get assistance and cop the fee. With a $500 voucher I'd be more tempted to commit it to an international ticket.

Melbourne would be for Easter, I can't stay in the house for 5 days without flying some where. Brisbane-Sydney-Brisbane would be for the city to surf in August and Canberra would be for AFF 5 October. I would use a JASA for CBR-SYD-BNE, got to start thinking about requalifying for Qantas Platinum somehow.

Marathon man are we? Great stuff! (Seriously - this is admirable to see)

I thought you did a business case analysis and were not interested in going for WP again after this qualifying period is over.

I could just save the money for a rainy day.

$500 is a lot for a voucher. You will have to spend money to use it one day; it's not to be treated as the extra trip you need (i.e. just to burn the voucher) to take but rather a part redemption against flights you wanted to take.

Also need to book some accomoodation and segments for my Europe trip in June. It is tough to go past $138 AUD for accommodation in Hong Kong when Holiday Inns want around $200 and the Conrad Hilton they want over $300 a night. At those rates I am never going requalify for Hilton Gold with 16 stays.

I tried to use PC points for stays in Europe, although situation changing slightly since I have some subsidies. Also contacts help

Hilton Gold ain't cheap, especially if you aren't proactive to plan and book most of your stays during the beginning of the year when the great Advance Purchase B&B sales are on.

The US would probably be a good bet to rack up some Hilton stays (mattress run? A rather less compelling proposition compared to mileage runs...)

 

[QF WP]

Also need to book some accomoodation and segments for my Europe trip in June. It is tough to go past $138 AUD for accommodation in Hong Kong when Holiday Inns want around $200 and the Conrad Hilton they want over $300 a night. At those rates I am never going requalify for Hilton Gold with 16 stays.

Bundy Bear, I am going through the exact scenario for my big trip (you should try finding rooms that will fit 2 adults & 2 kids). Had done comparisons of Hilton, PC and SPG and was about to confirm the desired ones, when I remembered I have an open Accor account, so checked them for England & Europe destinations.

That's thrown a cat amongt the pigeons. Accor is some serious competition on the $ side. Particularly given that I have 30 nights of accom to book

I'll have no trouble qualifying Plat on PC, however I was also trying to re-qual HH Gold (using Hilton's MVP Fast Track to re-qual Gold [join up in 2 days when I lose Gold] and then the overall stays will maintain it for 2012).

Haven't checked Accor for HKG yet, think that the HIx Causeway Bay at $135 per night will be hard to beat.

 

[serfty]

eightblack's at it again

Mini TR on FT: On The Road. SIN-MNL...Part 1 - FlyerTalk Forums

 

[drron]

Where have the Circle pacific fare estimates gone on the OW site?Also cant find them searching QF or CX.