The totally off-topic thread

[Katie]

Re: Health risks with skinny jeans

So that means the Opals will be going home in J/F and the boomers in Y?

The female Aussie Basketball team the Opals flew economy to London whilst their male counterparts the Boomers flew J. Apparently the Opals got upgraded to PE however I guess they'd be thinking what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

What might be equitable is to rank all the Basketball players, male and female, by height, and assign J seats to the tallest ones, regardless of what is or isn't between their legs or on their chests.
And I'm about the height of a guard in male Basketball (the short guys on the team) and am pretty sure Lauren Jackson is at least a couple of inches taller than me.

I would expect all Aussie Basketball players on their way to the Olympics would find Y seats cramped! :shock:

 

[anat0l]

What might be equitable is to rank all the Basketball players, male and female, by height, and assign J seats to the tallest ones, regardless of what is or isn't between their legs or on their chests.
And I'm about the height of a guard in male Basketball (the short guys on the team) and am pretty sure Lauren Jackson is at least a couple of inches taller than me.

I would expect all Aussie Basketball players on their way to the Olympics would find Y seats cramped! :shock:

You must be good at making a hell of a good case to your employer re: your travel policy.

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[Katie]

You must be good at making a hell of a good case to your employer re: your travel policy.

I wish! Travelled in 08 for emplpyer & not again til last year - Y to PER and Y to DME. At my level, I have nochance of flying Y+ or J on the company's money. Oh sorry, I do - they buy the discount econ BFOD ticket, and I use my points/status to upgrade. :/

 

[samh004]

Just to throw a cat amongst the pigeons. The female Aussie Basketball team the Opals flew economy to London whilst their male counterparts the Boomers flew J. Apparently the Opals got upgraded to PE however I guess they'd be thinking what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

Olympics outrage: Female athletes fly economy, men fly business

What I heard was the AOC flew all pax in Y, the individual teams budgets then decides if they could offer more money for PE, J or even F. It seems the women don't have as big a budget and I would imagine that's true, but it's not discrimination. If they raised more money or had sponsors with deeper pockets they'd have no issues.

I wish! Travelled in 08 for emplpyer & not again til last year - Y to PER and Y to DME. At my level, I have nochance of flying Y+ or J on the company's money. Oh sorry, I do - they buy the discount econ BFOD ticket, and I use my points/status to upgrade. :/

To DME you could see what they'd pay and add extra to fly J per S7's website at a very good price for J.

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[Flashback]

What I heard was the AOC flew all pax in Y, the individual teams budgets then decides if they could offer more money for PE, J or even F. It seems the women don't have as big a budget and I would imagine that's true, but it's not discrimination. If they raised more money or had sponsors with deeper pockets they'd have no issues.



To DME you could see what they'd pay and add extra to fly J per S7's website at a very good price for J.

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From what I've been told though usually the host nation covers the cost for flights in, in which case... sounds like maybe BA were doing a little bit of shenanigans?

 

[docjames]

From what I've been told though usually the host nation covers the cost for flights in, in which case... sounds like maybe BA were doing a little bit of shenanigans?

I dont think this is correct. The Olympic Federation of each nation has a budget out of which the travel costs come. No doubt some of that funding is locally obtained (eg. sponsors of the AOC) but there are also funds from the IOC (which is how many of the smaller nations can send athletes).

Sam is right - the AOC paid for return Y airfares for each athlete (and a certain number of officials) and each sport can determine if it wants to use it's own budget towards upgrading the airfare / class of travel.

 

[Simo]

I dont think this is correct. The Olympic Federation of each nation has a budget out of which the travel costs come. No doubt some of that funding is locally obtained (eg. sponsors of the AOC) but there are also funds from the IOC (which is how many of the smaller nations can send athletes).

Sam is right - the AOC paid for return Y airfares for each athlete (and a certain number of officials) and each sport can determine if it wants to use it's own budget towards upgrading the airfare / class of travel.

There is also only so many J class seats on all flight anyway so some athletes would have to fly Y anyway

 

[docjames]

There is also only so many J class seats on all flight anyway so some athletes would have to fly Y anyway

Yes, in Australia's case at least, the return is uaully a charter for Australian based athletes. There will be some who dont fly back (eg. those ongoing year-round sports where the athletes may be heading to the next event straight away eg. tennis).

Outbound they tend to fly on multiple different flights, having different lead up competing schedules, so there's no reason the vast majorty cant fly J if they have the funds to do so.

 

[Simo]

I have a customer who is a past Olympian and he use to travel either right before the event and use to even be home before sometimes the event even finished due to schedules of other international races and local events as well. He was in a team sport and also had another team he was involved in as well. Sometimes his travel would not be confirmed until the last minute due to injury concerns of other athletes as I remember his parents made a quick dash across the globe to watch him race in Europe somewhere.

 

[anat0l]

For those in BNE Travel Money Oz is having a JPY sale today only. 1 AUD = 80 JPY with no fees, which is only 2% under the midmarket rate. Location Adelaide St near entrance to Queen's Plaza, whilst stocks last.

Considering most of my cash purchases are usually minimum 4% under midmarket, this is a fairly decent deal IMHO. Yes 28 Degrees will always be there, but if you're not going just yet this is not bad to hedge your bets, esp. since Japan is still predominantly a cash society.



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[docjames]

I have a customer who is a past Olympian and he use to travel either right before the event and use to even be home before sometimes the event even finished due to schedules of other international races and local events as well. He was in a team sport and also had another team he was involved in as well. Sometimes his travel would not be confirmed until the last minute due to injury concerns of other athletes as I remember his parents made a quick dash across the globe to watch him race in Europe somewhere.

And others have been in Europe for weeks-months. So it depends on the situation.

 

[CargoClass]

Surely the "Spirit of Australians" would push them to F if the AOC couldn't?

 

[anat0l]

Is it any ridiculous irony that the providers of mobile phone services (or at least the largest ones) don't have mobile friendly web sites and online services?

 

[Tortuga]

First time in a lounge (only the gallery at Heathrow) and I am starting to understand the lengths people go to achieve airline status !! I can get used to this, although I did feel a bit awkward walking in and not knowing if it was free etc. Great feeling having a warm shower with 6 different jets blasting your body after a turbulent 13 hour flight in whY.

 

[tuapekastar]

First time in a lounge (only the gallery at Heathrow) and I am starting to understand the lengths people go to achieve airline status !! I can get used to this, although I did feel a bit awkward walking in and not knowing if it was free etc. Great feeling having a warm shower with 6 different jets blasting your body after a turbulent 13 hour flight in whY.

Excellent, I hope you're in a position to keep doing so (hard to go back to waiting at departure gates).

Don't worry, I pulled my wallet out the first time I was in an airline lounge (AN Golden Wing in CBR as a guest).

That said, there are some lounges that will charge for certain items (eg. AA ACs for most food items and top-shelf drinks, AY for any wine other than 'house' - well, at the lounge I was at in HEL, anyway)

 

[cove]

Another super yacht is making its way into a Canary Wharf berth. It is named Octopus and it barely fits in the channel.
The super rich are coming for the London Olympics that's for sure.
In a couple of days the berths should all be in use.
Google that for a look at what it carries on board other than the submarine. It is $200 million of those short US dollars to get something like this and running costs run at about 10 per cent of the capital cost per year.

 

[samh004]

Another super yacht is making its way into a Canary Wharf berth. It is named Octopus and it barely fits in the channel.
The super rich are coming for the London Olympics that's for sure.
In a couple of days the berths should all be in use.
Google that for a look at what it carries on board other than the submarine. It is $200 million of those short US dollars to get something like this and running costs run at about 10 per cent of the capital cost per year.

It's only 7 tenders, 2 submarines and 2 helicopters...

http://seafever.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/megayacht-octopus.pdf


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[cove]

Now there I was thinking how do I get into Qantas Pall Mall reception and now I am wondering about getting a super yacht invite. We now have a dozen super yachts around us and the dock spaces are all sold so many more are coming.
The super yachts are closer but my Ruski is weak other than the international word Vodka if the Chelsea FC owner turns up.

 

[Katie]

Just completed our first more official family do in our new, post-flood house. Dad turned 60 last month, and this was the firs time we could get all kids, step-kids & partners together. We hosted. :shock: Mr Katie cooked (main meal, nibbles & desserts contributed by other family members).
Good night, we have a table config that can work with 13 people around the table, inside in winter.

Don't think Mr Katie and Little Miss will make it to 7:30am swimming lessons tomorrow. We will have to make it to a morning tea function (have baked for it & also have 2kg cheerios). And then an afternoon party for Little Miss & me (thank goodness for buying some random lego toys with my Big W EDR toy bonus offer the other week!).
And hopefully a romantic dinner for three :-| four our wedding anniversary tomorrow night.

Is it next weekend yet????

 

[Katie]

The super yachts are closer but my Ruski is weak other than the international word Vodka if the Chelsea FC owner turns up.

Most helpful words i learnt in Moscow last year:
Privyet - Hi/Hello
Dobre Utra - Good Morning
Spassiba - Please
Pazhalsta - Thank you (I may have gotten the last two confused)
Grande Skinny Latte - Grande skinny Latte (only at Starbucks, was "bloody expensive coffee" elsewhere. Actually, expensive at Starbucks, too, but that can be Moscow)