travel thread

[asava]

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.

I know that most Kimpton Hotels give similar discounts. The Monaco in Denver, for example, is around $150 at the gov't rate.

[ChiComCat]

I wonder how difficult it is to get an IATA number and Travel Agent discounts everywhere

[steve dave]

I wonder how difficult it is to get an IATA number and Travel Agent discounts everywhere

I bet the difficulty exactly matches whatever the yearly dues are at IATA.

[asava]

I wonder how difficult it is to get an IATA number and Travel Agent discounts everywhere

I bet the difficulty exactly matches whatever the yearly dues are at IATA.

He's good.

[felix rex]

I can confirm that expected high occupancy rates are a factor. Also, I'm at a Kimpton and it's pretty nice. Gov rate is like 170. I'm in an executive two queen room, because you take whatever type of as much as you can get.

[ChiComCat]

I wonder how difficult it is to get an IATA number and Travel Agent discounts everywhere

I bet the difficulty exactly matches whatever the yearly dues are at IATA.

I was hoping so, but research indicates you must be affiliated with a Travel Agency that has gone through some sort of certification.  Damn, would've been the ultimate scam

[Tobias]

so goEMAW Travel, LLC huh?

[ChiComCat]

so goEMAW Travel, LLC huh?

Only if you want half price rooms and free crap everywhere you go

[asava]

so goEMAW Travel, LLC huh?

Only if you want half price rooms and free crap everywhere you go

tough sell.

[Dr Rick Daris]

I wonder how difficult it is to get an IATA number and Travel Agent discounts everywhere

I bet the difficulty exactly matches whatever the yearly dues are at IATA.

I was hoping so, but research indicates you must be affiliated with a Travel Agency that has gone through some sort of certification.  Damn, would've been the ultimate scam

chicat- research how much all of this would cost and then pm it to the intern who will put a powerpoint together for all of us to discuss at the next mod meeting.

[pissclams]

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.

chicat.  i stay at the same hotel every time i go to LA (2-3x per year).  it's what would be considered a boutique hotel, not a chain.  privately owned.  anyway, we've had a couple issues and last time they bumped us to their best suite and it was great.  just charged us regular room rate, not the upcharge for the suite.  then when we got home, i wrote a lengthy write up on how great the hotel was on tripadvisor and then emailed the GM and thanked him and linked him to the review.

think he will hook me up again?  the review has gotten a lot of hits.

[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.

chicat.  i stay at the same hotel every time i go to LA (2-3x per year).  it's what would be considered a boutique hotel, not a chain.  privately owned.  anyway, we've had a couple issues and last time they bumped us to their best suite and it was great.  just charged us regular room rate, not the upcharge for the suite.  then when we got home, i wrote a lengthy write up on how great the hotel was on tripadvisor and then emailed the GM and thanked him and linked him to the review.

think he will hook me up again?  the review has gotten a lot of hits.

I would take care of you when you came back, but it will all depend on the suite availability, etc.  Find out the Front Office Manager's name and drop it in the next review (could do Yelp).  They will see the arrival list daily, the GM may not, as well as be the ones more likely to add notes to your profile that you're a stud.

[Skipper44]

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.

chicat.  i stay at the same hotel every time i go to LA (2-3x per year).  it's what would be considered a boutique hotel, not a chain.  privately owned.  anyway, we've had a couple issues and last time they bumped us to their best suite and it was great.  just charged us regular room rate, not the upcharge for the suite.  then when we got home, i wrote a lengthy write up on how great the hotel was on tripadvisor and then emailed the GM and thanked him and linked him to the review.

think he will hook me up again?  the review has gotten a lot of hits.

I would take care of you when you came back, but it will all depend on the suite availability, etc.  Find out the Front Office Manager's name and drop it in the next review (could do Yelp).  They will see the arrival list daily, the GM may not, as well as be the ones more likely to add notes to your profile that you're a stud.

would meeting the GM and Front Office Manager the next time he is there help or hinder Clams attempts at achieving vip status?

[ChiComCat]

I wouldn't seek them out as they may be very busy, but if he were to run into them and say hello, it wouldn't hurt.  If it is believable that you recommend and actually get other people to go there, mentioning that wouldn't hurt either.

[michigancat]

bad week for boeing

http://www.nycaviation.com/2013/07/developing-ethiopian-boeing-787-involved-in-incident-at-london-heathrow/#.UeBvy20lP8k

[steve dave]

Yeah, and the A350 (new airbus competitor to the 787) is getting stud level pub right now as well. Boeing is about to get a healthy taste of airbus' ass if they don't ditch the lithium batteries.

[chum1]

If a dude asked me for a gov't ID, I'd be like, "Uh, I'm on my period."

[Cartierfor3]

Chicago in late september with Mrs. for our anniversary. Hotel recommendos? Thinking of doing Hyatt place/River North for 15k points a night.

[kim carnes]

Chicago in late september with Mrs. for our anniversary. Hotel recommendos? Thinking of doing Hyatt place/River North for 15k points a night.

park hyatt

[Phil Titola]

Get a family member in a hotel job....it changed my travel life.  Marriott or Starwood.

[asava]

The plane i was riding had an engine fail. Had never had that happen before. The girl behind me was freaking out, crying, repeating, "i can't do this" over and over again. Really didn't seem like it was that big of a deal to the pilots. 

[sys]

that sounds pretty exciting, but not fun.

[steve dave]

The plane i was riding had an engine fail. Had never had that happen before. The girl behind me was freaking out, crying, repeating, "i can't do this" over and over again. Really didn't seem like it was that big of a deal to the pilots. 

It really comes down to how many engines you have. Sd dad used to radio ahead to townie airports we were flying to and tell them to clear the runway because we were coming in one one engine and then land our single engine Beechcraft.

[8manpick]

This thread is so pud compared to Skinny Benny's

[michigancat]

This thread is so pud compared to Skinny Benny's

I stopped reading that one pretty really because skinny benny. Recap?