Frontier Airlines just pulled out of BTV so cheap flights to DEN and MCO are no longer available.
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Frontier Airlines just pulled out of BTV so cheap flights to DEN and MCO are no longer available.
ThanksQuote:
Originally Posted by alpinevibes
American airlines shuffled their flight schedule for bolivia a tiny bit and then informed us that we needed to pay $150 more a head to get there. My wife of course paid right up, and i got pissed and gave them a piece of my mind and got the money refunded. They just try to fuck you over because they can and most people roll over and take it.
We are not big AA flyers, so no fancy points with those guys, but still. Grrrrrrrr.
That doesn't sound right - the $150 is there standard change fee for voluntary modifications to a reservation, but in the event of a schedule change, you shouldn't have to pay it.Quote:
Originally Posted by basinbeater
But... I don't know AA's policies that well and can't surmise easily from googling. When United makes a schedule change ahead of time, even 5min, I can call and get rebooked on basically any flight I want within 24hrs to/from the original destinations.
What changes were made to the new schedule? Were you booked on different flights with different flight numbers? All AA flights or codeshare?
It had something to do with our transfer in Brazil to a Brazilian airline which then goes to bolivia. When they made the change, we lost our assigned seats, and so we technically would not have had to pay, but we would not have had assigned seat. They wanted $150 to book the new assigned seats. We have a 7 and a 10yo. So need the assigned seats. A stiff talking to and the money was quickly refunded.
You threw away a chance to not have to sit with your kids on a long flight? What's the matter with you?Quote:
Originally Posted by basinbeater
Thanks for the laugh OG.
This. That happened to me on a family vacation once. It was glorious. My wife wasn't so happy, but it was her idea for me to sign up when they asked for volunteers to take a later flight. In the end they didn't need me, but they had already given away my seats. I ended up on the same flights, in different seats. Bummer, right? They were in rare form, ages 16, 12, and 10. Punches may have been thrown and a water bottle definitely got dumped by one kid on another sibling.Quote:
Originally Posted by old goat
Headed back to Italy next September. Might make one additional flight in the year for a funeral or family reunion I get scammed into.
Does it make sense for me to get a United Airlines card?
Is there a "best time" to think about pulling the trigger on the air tickets?
United card will cost you $90 a year after the first year.
60 days out from travel date.
To me it's definitely always worth it to take the free miles: either you bank them for later or you cover at least one free ticket to Europe. If you sign up now, you could have the miles ready to go by Feb/March depending on how quickly you can finish the required spend.Quote:
Originally Posted by jm2e
You'll take 65,000 free with the Explorer card after spending $3000.
Or you can take 80,000 free from United Business card (you don't have to actually have a business) after spending $5000.
Call to cancel when the first year is up and hopefully they'll waive the fee and you can keep the card, or cancel it, or they'll try to get you to downgrade it to a no-annual-fee United Gateway Card, but that has no benefit to you.
I use skyscanner.com - you can put in all sorts of specific criteria for your preferred flights (times, non-stop, etc) and it'll email you when the prices change. I use it every time.Quote:
Originally Posted by jm2e
Discovered this fun trick that airlines hate coming back from Florida a couple weeks ago.
Problem: I have brought only carry-on luggage to avoid checked bag fees, and really didn't need a lot of stuff anyway. While on vacation I purchased some rum and now need to check this bag otherwise I will either have to dump or chug 2L of straight booze at security.
Solution: Airlines like having as little crap in the cabin as possible. They don't want you to carry-on your stuff. So, ask them if you can check your carry-on for free. They will most likely do it, I just learned while coming home.
Should have gone for option 2.
That usually works at the gate, ie after you've gone through security. Only occasionally works at the ticket counter. And if it doesn't work, you're either spending a bunch of money to keep that rum or getting really really drunk for your flight.Quote:
Originally Posted by paulster2626
Wait… so you’ve actually “chugged” 2L of liquor before at security???Quote:
Originally Posted by paulster2626
As one, I wasn't sure what to make of that announcement. I don't like it, but I get it. In nearly every lounge I visit; they are wedged. Packed with skillet-lickers, people sitting in corners, and generally over-run. SLC and MSP were always the worst. Delta had to do something, and unfortunately, to reduce over-crowding, they upped the requirements for entrants. Shitty. I don't know another way to do it.Quote:
Originally Posted by zion zig zag
Between work travel and running most expenses through my Platinum AmEx, it's easy to attain Platinum every year.
What chaps my ass though is the removal of the guest pass. My wife and I rarely travel together and now that we are able to do so now, going forward, we won't be able to use the guest pass. Shitty.
^^^ I usually stick it to the man in the over crowded united club by drinking way too many free beers and eating 5-6 overflowing plates of mediocre food from the buffet.
Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums
Bonus if you posted this while sitting in a United loungeQuote:
Originally Posted by thefortrees
Oh they've been crowded as fuck lately (although I thought the new SLC lounge was always pretty empty?). But they basically said fuck you to Delta's best customers and turned it into an Amex lounge. The way I understand it we'll still have access to partner lounges (AF/KLM, LATAM, etc.) on return flights? If true, that makes it sting less because that's when I really care.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobcat Sig
When my kid graduated med school in Bethesda he went on vacation before residency and asked us to take his uniforms and some other stuff back home to CA. His bag was overweight so I moved some stuff to my carryon, including a fifth of bourbon rolled up in one of his uniform pants. When that was caught by TSA my wife took the bourbon and disappeared. Figured she'd pass out from drinking it all and miss the flight. But she managed to get it all into plastic bags she found somewhere and got it through security. And miraculously none of it leaked.Quote:
Originally Posted by paulster2626
This is all I really care about. That's really the only time I use them anyway.Quote:
Originally Posted by zion zig zag
Well, despite the change SLC skyclub was packed this morning. By the time we left they were holding people at the door until others left.Quote:
Originally Posted by zion zig zag
Waste not, want not.Quote:
Originally Posted by alpinevibes
No, but that's the choices you have available.Quote:
Originally Posted by alpinevibes
I have chugged about 400mL of hot coffee at security before out of a travel mug. That was a good time.
been there….
Attachment 441330
tsa can be a right little bitch bout that shit.
fact.
TSA rarely confiscates a stunt beer.Quote:
Originally Posted by m2711c
I am going to browse this thread for any advice, but bumping this because I will be doing the 2024 EuroBBI and have never really air traveled with skis nor have I traveled to Europe since once as a teenager decades ago. And while some stuff may seem obvious to those who have, the whole thing is pretty intimidating to a jong. So any advice welcome.
Anyone have a favorite ski backpack that doubles well as a carry-on? That's one I am going to have to sort out/purchase. Thankfully I already have a large ski roller bag.
I only advice I can give you is bring carry on your boots and one day of baselayers. Your gloves & goggles with your pants and wear your ski jacket.Quote:
Originally Posted by Danno
Buying or renting all else will not be a huge burden if they lose your luggage.
I've travelled willed with Dakine baker 16L and small hard suitcase that only fits my boots with with top and bottom baselayers. Hope you have a great trip.
Almost forgot. I wear MH chockstone pants which are not light nor too heavy as a midlayer on every flight as well as my patagucci's nanoair vest.
My OCD will not allow me to trust any airline with my stuff.
I use the Deuter Freeride 30 only because I like it as a ski pack and the price was right. In your situation, I suggest doing a mock pack, maxing your your rollerbag to the airline requirements and then seeing how big you need your ski pack. For travel, straps are nice for both some clothing (ski coat etc.) and to handle your personal item/misc. you may have. How important all that is is a bit dependent or your transfer situtaion.
Apple airtag in your ski bag (and any other checked luggage). It’s not foolproof - but sometimes it can help if bag gets delayed or lost.
don't forget, that 12 pak of UC gonna weigh bout 10 lbs...
Ski bag and boots bag count as one checked item by most airlines but together need to be under the weight limit (50lb usually). You should be allowed two checked items for international flight. Check exact rules on your airline website.
They don’t usually check if the boots are actually inside the bag but don’t be a dick with boots in your hands - pack them in a carryon discreetly if you wish.
If the trip costs you thousands, consider paying for an extra bag as part of the total cost. Sometimes the stress of packing within two 50lb bags is not worth $70.
Check flyertalk.com forums about airports you are traveling through and to. Lots of good info there.
European airlines many times have smaller carry on limits, and are stricter about it. So be careful there.
To add: watch out if you buy a ticket on a US airline, but it's booked on partner airlines - the rules of the first carrier on any leg apply to baggage for the entire leg. Example: you book a flight on American Airlines to Europe, and your Denver to Chicago flight is on AA - this means AA baggage rules govern your entire leg from Denver to Chicago to final destination. But if your return leg starts in Zurich, and first carrier is British Airways, then to London, then to Denver, that entire return leg will be under British Airways baggage rules.Quote:
Originally Posted by Supermoon
Fly business class. More free luggage, maybe you'll sleep on the plane and it is a lot more comfortable. Just bill a few extra hours to get err done.
Oh it is a bit more complex than that. It definitely matters whether that first leg actually is international or a domestic connector vs where your international destination is (or domestic)! It also matters on policy of the operator, where you are flying, and metal vs ticket issuer on codeshares.Quote:
Originally Posted by El Chupacabra
There's a nice 24 page IATA document explaining the rules.
But this sums it up:
If I can't make my first international leg on an airline where I get perks (UA/AS), I try to make sure that the first international leg is on an the alliance where I have status (Star Alliance Gold).Quote:
In the current environment, a single set of baggage provisions applies to an entire itinerary. The provisions that will apply are either selected following regulations, following the industry default selection provisions (IATA Resolution 302), or are selected by bilateral agreement.
The main standard processes that currently determine the application of baggage provisions for interline journeys are:
• IATA Resolution 302 determining which rules to apply in an interline journey, for each checked portion and defining the concept of the Most Significant Carrier (MSC).
• US Rule for travel originating in or with the destination to either USA (U.S. DOT Regulation 399.87) or Canada (CTA Order 2014-A-158). The Governments of these nations require that a different concept applies. This concept states that the provisions of the Marketing Airline on the first coupon of the overall ticket shall apply to all flights on that ticket.
Determining the Most Significant Carrier (MSC)
The process to determine the Most Significant Carrier (MSC) is defined in IATA Resolution 302.
In case of code-share flights, in general the Marketing Carrier's baggage policy prevails, unless that carrier publishes a rule stipulating that the Operating Carrier’s baggage policy should apply.
The general rules to determine the MSC are based on the Areas where the transportation takes place.
These areas are categorized between the IATA Traffic Conference (TC) Areas and Sub-Areas as follows:
• Traffic Conference Area 1 (TC1): The Western Hemisphere (The Americas and The Caribbean)
• Traffic Conference Area 2 (TC2): Europe, Middle East and Africa
• Traffic Conference Area 3 (TC3): Asia and Asia Pacific
Based on the above categorization the MSC is:
• The carrier performing carriage on the first sector that crosses from one Area to another for travel between two or more Tariff Conference (TC) Areas
o Exception: TC123 only, the carrier providing carriage on the first sector that crosses between TC1 and TC2.
• The carrier performing carriage on the first sector that crosses from one Sub-Area to another for travel between two or more Tariff Conference (TC) Sub-Areas
• The carrier performing carriage on the first international sector for travel within a Tariff Conference (TC) Sub-Area
Summit's link and advice above is really valuable. I often fly with multiple bikes or bikes + skis. If I'm worried about it, I always pull up the carrier's baggage rule pages on my phone just if I need to reference with a desk agent at check in.
AA / UA are both very easy to deal with when it comes to skis / sports equipment. But many others are not.
I pack my ski bag that I'm checking with some casual clothing as padding. Boots + jacket / bibs + gloves + helmet go into a carryon roller bag. Balance of casual clothing + laptop, toiletries, etc go into a backpack. This way I know I have enough to get by for a few days if my skis get delayed for some reason.
For whatever it's worth, I know we all worry about baggage delays, but in hundreds of flights I've only ever had one baggage issue where my checked bag didn't make it on a connection and they delivered it to my office a couple of days later. So I don't think the likelihood of missing baggage is that high, it would just be a pain to have it happen on a ski trip.
paging XXX for the Smithers story
Today, based on this thread, I have:
- Bought a ski backpack (Gregory Targhee 32) because a mag offered me a sweet discount code (thanks!)
- Bought a travel power strip, because I believe in the always be charging thing and that should make it easier for all my travel; I hate when all the plugs in the terminal are taken up but if I have a power strip I can use a plug without displacing the current user.
- Bought a converter plug for Europe (Switzerland and Germany)
- Changed my outgoing seat assignment to a window because it's an overnight flight and I will need to sleep (I usually go aisle because I hate having to get other people to move so I can pee). Return flight still an aisle because that's a daytime flight.
- Will do a pre-pack well in advance of my trip to see how much gear fills up the ski roller bag and how heavy it gets, how everything else fits, etc.
- Based on how ^^^^ goes, I will decide how I want to bring boots on to the plane, maybe a second backpack? That plus the ski pack will be my carry on and personal item?
- Researched bag policies but it sounds like United international rules will apply (my flights are entirely Lufthansa, but booked through United), and I get one checked ski bag free.
Phew!