travel thread

[puniraptor]

Can confirm :wink:

[puniraptor]

Can confirm :wink:

I've even booked two at once with  NO NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES.

[michigancat]

If you're in DC in the summer and feel like rolling the dice, request the gov per diem rate when booking your hotel (this has to be done directly with the hotel, no hotels.com tomfoolery). They may say you need to show gov id (which you're supposed to do) but this is my 3rd hotel so far and I haven't shown anything but my drivers license, while getting rates 150-250 below list. No one's asked me for anything. Still get full points/rewards tho.

have done this ten times. only been asked once.

what happened when they asked?

[steve dave]

I book gov. rate a lot because mrs. Dave technically works for the gov. We've never been asked to show proof.

[felix rex]

We were hassled a bit once in Ohio (of all places) but I guess it's just so ubiquitous in DC that nobody checks. I have my travel orders and dip passport ready to go but nobody gives a crap.

Side note: JFK has a dip line at customs. Oddly, Dulles does not.

[steve dave]

I can't wait until I travel internationally enough to make Global Entry worthwile. Would feel so elite.

[felix rex]

I can't wait until I travel internationally enough to make Global Entry worthwile. Would feel so elite.

It's hilarious flying into a clusterfuck airport like Cairo and just walking past everyone and not even having your bags checked because you have a dip passport and a fixer. It's like 15-20 minutes from landing to cab.

[steve dave]

I can't wait until I travel internationally enough to make Global Entry worthwile. Would feel so elite.

It's hilarious flying into a clusterfuck airport like Cairo and just walking past everyone and not even having your bags checked because you have a dip passport and a fixer. It's like 15-20 minutes from landing to cab.

do you get to use that for personal travel as well? what is the job that requires the least experience/knowledge that would get me one of those? would also have to be something I could do on the side.

[felix rex]

I can't wait until I travel internationally enough to make Global Entry worthwile. Would feel so elite.

It's hilarious flying into a clusterfuck airport like Cairo and just walking past everyone and not even having your bags checked because you have a dip passport and a fixer. It's like 15-20 minutes from landing to cab.

do you get to use that for personal travel as well? what is the job that requires the least experience/knowledge that would get me one of those? would also have to be something I could do on the side.

No. I can only use the dip coming and going to the country where I'm stationed. But you can always buy your own fixers in Cairo. In fact, I would highly recommend it. Before I leave (officially), I plan to get some personal contact info on a few of the better ones.

[pissclams]

ya man, i can't tell you guys how great it is to have a dip passport and a few really good fixers in cairo.  unbelievable how it's just really fantastic, you guys. 

i was there one time- i'm not even kidding either, this fixer sucked.  i stood in line & was so pissed.  uber pissed.  anyways, you get the drift.

[Boom Roasted]

I can't wait until I travel internationally enough to make Global Entry worthwile. Would feel so elite.

Moms and Pops BR got theirs about 5 months ago.  Seems pretty awesome

[Emo EMAW]

I can't wait until I travel internationally enough to make Global Entry worthwile. Would feel so elite.

Our company pays for it.  But all of us neocons won't do it because of all the fingerprinting and eye scanning and ball touching.

[Skipper44]

If you're in DC in the summer and feel like rolling the dice, request the gov per diem rate when booking your hotel (this has to be done directly with the hotel, no hotels.com tomfoolery). They may say you need to show gov id (which you're supposed to do) but this is my 3rd hotel so far and I haven't shown anything but my drivers license, while getting rates 150-250 below list. No one's asked me for anything. Still get full points/rewards tho.

have done this ten times. only been asked once.

what happened when they asked?

would saying something like "actually, it's my wife that works for the government" work if challenged?

[steve dave]

If you're in DC in the summer and feel like rolling the dice, request the gov per diem rate when booking your hotel (this has to be done directly with the hotel, no hotels.com tomfoolery). They may say you need to show gov id (which you're supposed to do) but this is my 3rd hotel so far and I haven't shown anything but my drivers license, while getting rates 150-250 below list. No one's asked me for anything. Still get full points/rewards tho.

have done this ten times. only been asked once.

what happened when they asked?

would saying something like "actually, it's my wife that works for the government" work if challenged?

no, you'd then get booked at the rack rate

[Dr Rick Daris]

you open your wallet to retrieve your gov't id and then looked befuddled/confused and say something like "oh crap i must have left my card at work. what do we do now?" 

[chum1]

I'd say, "It's in my car BRB." Then, I'd go to another hotel.

[ChiComCat]

If you're in DC in the summer and feel like rolling the dice, request the gov per diem rate when booking your hotel (this has to be done directly with the hotel, no hotels.com tomfoolery). They may say you need to show gov id (which you're supposed to do) but this is my 3rd hotel so far and I haven't shown anything but my drivers license, while getting rates 150-250 below list. No one's asked me for anything. Still get full points/rewards tho.

have done this ten times. only been asked once.

what happened when they asked?

You'd have to burn down the hotel

[sys]

i book using discount codes all the time.  never been asked for verification.  choice and wyndham, wyndham is easier.


haven't tried govt., may try that if i can do it online wo a number.

[Dr Rick Daris]

i book using discount codes all the time.  never been asked for verification.  choice and wyndham, wyndham is easier.


haven't tried govt., may try that if i can do it online wo a number.

every major chain is going to have a box you can check to get the gov't per diem rate (if available). some times it is an amazing good deal, other times not. i stayed at the intercon in boston at the gov't rate and it was like 1/3 what the rooms where going for without it. also might have been the nicest hotel i've ever stayed at. chicat can correct me if i'm wrong but i doubt any place would deny you the rate unless they are at/close to capacity or unless you just run into an incredibly anal front desk employee.

[ChiComCat]

i book using discount codes all the time.  never been asked for verification.  choice and wyndham, wyndham is easier.


haven't tried govt., may try that if i can do it online wo a number.

every major chain is going to have a box you can check to get the gov't per diem rate (if available). some times it is an amazing good deal, other times not. i stayed at the intercon in boston at the gov't rate and it was like 1/3 what the rooms where going for without it. also might have been the nicest hotel i've ever stayed at. chicat can correct me if i'm wrong but i doubt any place would deny you the rate unless they are at/close to capacity or unless you just run into an incredibly anal front desk employee.

A reasonably managed hotel is going to have the rate "turned off" during busy times anyway.  If they are selling it, it is worthwhile for them to have it booked unless they forgot to turn it off.  Most front desk people don't get paid enough for the confrontation and would just as soon avoid it so they aren't going to ask often.

[Dr Rick Daris]

i book using discount codes all the time.  never been asked for verification.  choice and wyndham, wyndham is easier.


haven't tried govt., may try that if i can do it online wo a number.

every major chain is going to have a box you can check to get the gov't per diem rate (if available). some times it is an amazing good deal, other times not. i stayed at the intercon in boston at the gov't rate and it was like 1/3 what the rooms where going for without it. also might have been the nicest hotel i've ever stayed at. chicat can correct me if i'm wrong but i doubt any place would deny you the rate unless they are at/close to capacity or unless you just run into an incredibly anal front desk employee.

A reasonably managed hotel is going to have the rate "turned off" during busy times anyway.  If they are selling it, it is worthwhile for them to have it booked unless they forgot to turn it off.  Most front desk people don't get paid enough for the confrontation and would just as soon avoid it so they aren't going to ask often.

yeah. i imagine most not asking on purpose just because of the possible awkwardness of "uh. uh. i don't have it". well then what now, you know?

[sys]

i just tried it at the hotels i normally stay at.  more expensive than what i currently pay.  oh well.

[steve dave]

the best deals for the gov. rate are always in your large cities. another kind of shady thing that may work is to find a ridiculous expensive hotel that hosts conferences. find a conference going on when you want to go. go to the place running the conference website and they will have booking instructions for booking rooms at the conference rate. sometimes you can get ridiculous deals and most of the time you just need to know the number and what to say or they will have a special booking page. once in awhile they will only have it bookable as part of the conference package probably to avoid this very thing. we stayed in a suite at the Cosmo in Vegas that was going for about $600 a night when we were there and paid about $150. we had an actual conference going on but it got me thinking and researching this. I'm going to try it the next opportunity I get.

[steve dave]

just using the vegas example above I would start here:

http://www.vegasmeansbusiness.com/planning-tools/convention-calendar/

[steve dave]

then pick a hotel and date that fits. like that financial aid one at the baller Aria. go to their website. find this.

http://www.nasfaa.org/conference/travel/hotel/

$149 a night. Not bad. would be better if they offered suites or something but this is just the first example I tried.