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Author Topic: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread  (Read 199156 times)

jsglow

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #450 on: February 25, 2020, 02:28:16 PM »
Makes sense.  And I didn't personally feel worried.  Ive traveled enough, in far dicier places in Asia or Mexico or Athens, to always keep my head on a swivel and actively avoid looking like a tourist.  Hell, years ago, before I travelled 100K+ miles a year for work, I remember visiting London for the first time and taking pictures of maps on my phone because I knew I wouldn't have to look at a physical map.  That was as much for pride as it was for safety.  Its just something I keep in mind when I recommend places for less experienced travelers.

Abso-fricken-lutely.  By happenstance, I had 2 BPs there within a year and change.  One we rented a house in Marigny, which is the neighborhood just east of the French Quarter, and the other we stayed near the casino.  Both were walking distance which was key.

Biggest reco for me, rent a balcony on Bourbon St.  Variety of companies and ways to do it.  We got one for 3-4 hours one night.  Its basically a big open space with a bar and your own private balcony.  Ours was combo BYOB and stocked, with a bartender.  Amazing way to drink, hang out, observe the street, etc...  We had 10 guys, space for probably 40 people up there, so we ended up inviting people we met up and having a mini party.  Great time.

One of the trips, we did a airboat bayou tour.  That was awesome, saw a bunch of gators, heard some cool stories from a great Cajun tour guide, beat the summer heat in NO and got away from the hustle and bustle for a few hours.

Chick and I stay in Marigny nearly every year.  Love it.

pbiflyer

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #451 on: February 25, 2020, 03:34:31 PM »
Chick and I stay in Marigny nearly every year.  Love it.

Uber to Vaughan's in the Bywater District for a true New Orleans dive bar experience.
They are cracking down on AirBnB type places in the Marigny district. May be harder soon.

warriorchick

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #452 on: February 26, 2020, 07:01:13 AM »
Uber to Vaughan's in the Bywater District for a true New Orleans dive bar experience.
They are cracking down on AirBnB type places in the Marigny district. May be harder soon.

Yep.  Our proprietor ended up having to sell one of her two places.  It's a shame.
Have some patience, FFS.

dgies9156

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #453 on: February 26, 2020, 07:55:20 AM »
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding.  Chick and I are well traveled throughout the Caribbean although it's been years since we did all-inclusive.  Make sure that's what you want to do and research the various AI brands.  Personally, we went to Cancun for our honeymoon many years ago.  I remember thinking it was so exotic because it was my first time outside the country with the exception of Canada.

Agree that for 5 days you want air travel to be efficient, which means US based jet only service.  But I'm going to encourage you to dig just a bit deeper than the standard Mexico or Jamaica all-inclusive if you are a touch more adventurous.  Two easy access air destinations I'll point to are St. Thomas via STT and St. Maarten via SXM.  If a little research of those places and something slightly more exotic like that floats your boat after some reading let me know.  I can make some suggestions.

You may also consider a 5-6 day cruise on a variety of lines.  It's wonderful to hop a beautiful ship in Florida and sail away to some really nice cruiseport destinations.  And you'd be hard pressed to spend your budget even on a very nice line with a beautiful cabin even including your excursion and bar bill.  Plus it would give you a sampling of places to visit on future land based vacations.

Glow, I'm not a big fan of St. Thomas. Had some really bad experiences there. The USVI is way too touristy and it has its problems. If you're going that way, I'd do the BVI instead.

I'm also not a big fan of AI. When I go to someplace like Cabo San Lucas (which I love), I want to get into the community and find neat little bars, restaurants and artistic shops. We've done that in Mexico a lot (before we settled on a second home in Florida). AI takes away some of the incentive for going to local spots.

And for the Italy discussion, we're going to be there for 12 days. My wife and I done the "do all you can do" tours of Europe in our lives before and I agree that they can be exhausting and you tend to miss things that are just under the surface. Our current thought is, land in Rome and recover from jet lag there. Go to Florence and Tuscany and, if time permits, the Amalfi Coast. We acknowledge that's an awful lot and we probably will cut back somewhat. We'll fly back via Rome, her to Florida and me to Chicago.

jsglow

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #454 on: February 26, 2020, 10:01:56 AM »
Glow, I'm not a big fan of St. Thomas. Had some really bad experiences there. The USVI is way too touristy and it has its problems. If you're going that way, I'd do the BVI instead.

I'm also not a big fan of AI. When I go to someplace like Cabo San Lucas (which I love), I want to get into the community and find neat little bars, restaurants and artistic shops. We've done that in Mexico a lot (before we settled on a second home in Florida). AI takes away some of the incentive for going to local spots.

And for the Italy discussion, we're going to be there for 12 days. My wife and I done the "do all you can do" tours of Europe in our lives before and I agree that they can be exhausting and you tend to miss things that are just under the surface. Our current thought is, land in Rome and recover from jet lag there. Go to Florence and Tuscany and, if time permits, the Amalfi Coast. We acknowledge that's an awful lot and we probably will cut back somewhat. We'll fly back via Rome, her to Florida and me to Chicago.

I 100% agree.  But I'm trying to give CW some 'easy' choices for a 5 dayer.  Flying into EIS is a little trickier and for that short a trip I'd hate to fly, then ferry.

Benny B

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #455 on: February 26, 2020, 12:04:58 PM »
Glow, I'm not a big fan of St. Thomas. Had some really bad experiences there. The USVI is way too touristy and it has its problems. If you're going that way, I'd do the BVI instead.

All else equal, don't underestimate the benefit of having the American justice system at your back.  Obviously, it doesn't immunize you to crime and/or getting screwed over, but realistically, the prospect of recourse is a lot stronger for a US citizen in a US territory than it is elsewhere.
Wow, I'm very concerned for Benny.  Being able to mimic Myron Medcalf's writing so closely implies an oncoming case of dementia.

warriorchick

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #456 on: February 26, 2020, 12:09:11 PM »
On many of the islands, you can get a really beautiful AirBnB for a fraction of the price of a resort. There's more planning involved as far as where you are going to eat, what beach you are going to hang out on, etc. but IMO that is part of the fun.  You are also not paying for activities or amenities that you don't plan on using.
Have some patience, FFS.

dgies9156

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #457 on: February 26, 2020, 01:13:10 PM »
All else equal, don't underestimate the benefit of having the American justice system at your back.  Obviously, it doesn't immunize you to crime and/or getting screwed over, but realistically, the prospect of recourse is a lot stronger for a US citizen in a US territory than it is elsewhere.

Brother Benny:

What exactly do you do on vacation that you have to worry about this stuff?

LOL!!!!!


warriorchick

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #458 on: February 26, 2020, 01:27:31 PM »
Brother Benny:

What exactly do you do on vacation that you have to worry about this stuff?

LOL!!!!!

You have apparently never been to the BVIs during their famous "Full Moon" parties.
Have some patience, FFS.

jsglow

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #459 on: February 26, 2020, 01:49:08 PM »
Here's the other thing CW.  For the top dozen Caribbean destinations they are TOTALLY used to dealing with Americans.  So stuff like currency, language, etc. aren't a barrier at all.  It's not quite 'just like going to Wisconsin' as they say in Stripes but honestly it's no problem at all.  Culturally they are not all the same and chick and I definitely have our favorites and our not so favorites.  Broadly speaking we probably enjoy those with a French affiliation and culture most.  But dgies is correct that the BVIs are simply spectacular.  On our very short bucket list are the Grenadines.  That's a tougher get to, especially to the archipelago islands and cays away from Grenada itself.

I guess what I'm saying is be comfortable if you choose to expand your horizons a little beyond the AIs.

CreightonWarrior

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #460 on: February 27, 2020, 01:21:42 PM »
Great suggestions. Travel Agent has been recommending a few couples resorts on 7 mile beach in Negril, Jamaica. Fits the budget perfectly and gives us a free day for an extended honeymoon. Definitely favoring all-inclusive as we have a little bit of travel for the actual wedding (where we live v where family lives) so we don't want to plan on anything. Any input on 7 mile beach?

jsglow

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #461 on: February 27, 2020, 01:44:08 PM »
Negril is by far the nicest place on the island.

drewm88

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #462 on: February 27, 2020, 03:35:37 PM »
Last minute, anyone have recommendations for Lima or Cusco/Aguas Calientes/Machu Picchu? My time is basically filled short of some evenings but can't miss a chance to call on the Scoop hive mind.
« Last Edit: February 28, 2020, 10:18:36 AM by drewm88 »

reinko

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #463 on: February 27, 2020, 04:27:42 PM »
Great suggestions. Travel Agent has been recommending a few couples resorts on 7 mile beach in Negril, Jamaica. Fits the budget perfectly and gives us a free day for an extended honeymoon. Definitely favoring all-inclusive as we have a little bit of travel for the actual wedding (where we live v where family lives) so we don't want to plan on anything. Any input on 7 mile beach?

Stunning, but the drive from MoBay is no bueno.  Only like like 45 miles, but can take over two hours.  Spring for private transportation.

DegenerateDish

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #464 on: February 27, 2020, 04:58:21 PM »
Somewhat off topic, but on topic...

With the coronavirius impact, I wonder how the airlines/hotels are going to respond. Obviously the stock market has been pummeled, but travel and leisure stocks especially have been taken to the woodshed.

I'm curious if companies will make 2020 an exception for elite status, I realize that's probably the least of anyone's concerns right now (rightfully so), but I can see all types of unintended consequences happening here for the travel industry. I know there's a lot of folks on here who travel internationally regularly for their jobs, and I'd be curious if you can't fly for a quarter/half the year to those destinations, you're probably going to have a tough time hitting certain status levels.

I understand this post isn't for everyone here looking for travel advice, but I think it's going to be interesting to see how travel companies respond.

Benny B

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #465 on: February 27, 2020, 05:12:51 PM »
Brother Benny:

What exactly do you do on vacation that you have to worry about this stuff?

LOL!!!!!

It's not what I do, it's what I don't do..... and that is I don't get screwed over by the locals.

Trust me, it doesn't matter where you are, in every tourist area in the entire world, the #1, #2, #3, #4, and #5 goal of the locals is to extract maximum value from every tourist, and the more "foreign" you are, the greater the probability they will resort to illegal/unethical means to do so.
Wow, I'm very concerned for Benny.  Being able to mimic Myron Medcalf's writing so closely implies an oncoming case of dementia.

JWags85

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #466 on: February 27, 2020, 05:51:34 PM »
Somewhat off topic, but on topic...

With the coronavirius impact, I wonder how the airlines/hotels are going to respond. Obviously the stock market has been pummeled, but travel and leisure stocks especially have been taken to the woodshed.

I'm curious if companies will make 2020 an exception for elite status, I realize that's probably the least of anyone's concerns right now (rightfully so), but I can see all types of unintended consequences happening here for the travel industry. I know there's a lot of folks on here who travel internationally regularly for their jobs, and I'd be curious if you can't fly for a quarter/half the year to those destinations, you're probably going to have a tough time hitting certain status levels.

I understand this post isn't for everyone here looking for travel advice, but I think it's going to be interesting to see how travel companies respond.

I'd be shocked to be honest.  I'm a bit jaded, but I think airlines are actively trying to rid themselves of the burden of status'd fliers, that aren't the Global Services types.  You used to be able to get the status based on miles, then they factored in spend, and now its more spend dependent than anything.  They would rather have the Apple Executive who flies business class to China 2-3x a year at $8-10K a pop round trip, than someone who flies 125K miles in economy.  This slowdown is hurting the latter.  I fly close to 120K miles a year and this year, 2 months in, I've flown only back and forth to NY a few times and I don't see March being any different.

I already had pretty much given up on reaching 1K for next year with United as the threshold rising to $18K, a full 50% increase over 2 years, puts it pretty much out of reach when I STRAINED to get $15K last year.  But if I'm not going back and forth to Asia much, its likely a moot point.

I think the hotels are a different story.  I read something about Marriott making concessions for Chinese customers when it initially broke out.  But I never have elite status with the hotel chains, so I can't speak to that.

ZiggysFryBoy

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #467 on: February 27, 2020, 06:05:50 PM »
Great suggestions. Travel Agent has been recommending a few couples resorts on 7 mile beach in Negril, Jamaica. Fits the budget perfectly and gives us a free day for an extended honeymoon. Definitely favoring all-inclusive as we have a little bit of travel for the actual wedding (where we live v where family lives) so we don't want to plan on anything. Any input on 7 mile beach?

I knew you'd come around to Hedo.  Well done, lad.

jsglow

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #468 on: February 28, 2020, 08:32:55 AM »
Somewhat off topic, but on topic...

With the coronavirius impact, I wonder how the airlines/hotels are going to respond. Obviously the stock market has been pummeled, but travel and leisure stocks especially have been taken to the woodshed.

I'm curious if companies will make 2020 an exception for elite status, I realize that's probably the least of anyone's concerns right now (rightfully so), but I can see all types of unintended consequences happening here for the travel industry. I know there's a lot of folks on here who travel internationally regularly for their jobs, and I'd be curious if you can't fly for a quarter/half the year to those destinations, you're probably going to have a tough time hitting certain status levels.

I understand this post isn't for everyone here looking for travel advice, but I think it's going to be interesting to see how travel companies respond.

I'll just do a different twist on this Dish.  I'm expecting vacation companies (let's take cruise lines as an example) to have to discount their product.  I, for one, can't wait to take my $39 737 MAX flight to my $299 week-long cruise.

I mean seriously.  Princess is going to have to take the Diamond out to the middle of the Pacific and scuttle it.

🏀

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #469 on: February 28, 2020, 08:48:11 AM »
Gonna be a rough go for Tom Wamsgans for awhile.

JWags85

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #470 on: February 28, 2020, 09:03:16 AM »
I'll just do a different twist on this Dish.  I'm expecting vacation companies (let's take cruise lines as an example) to have to discount their product.  I, for one, can't wait to take my $39 737 MAX flight to my $299 week-long cruise.

I mean seriously.  Princess is going to have to take the Diamond out to the middle of the Pacific and scuttle it.

This I can agree with.  Cruise lines, travel/charter groups, I would expect to see a lot of mailers from Vegas offering cheap options.

MU Fan in Connecticut

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #471 on: February 28, 2020, 09:50:09 AM »
My wife's high school where she teaches, April break trip to Japan was cancelled this week.

dgies9156

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #472 on: February 28, 2020, 11:01:52 PM »
I'd be shocked to be honest.  I'm a bit jaded, but I think airlines are actively trying to rid themselves of the burden of status'd fliers, that aren't the Global Services types.  You used to be able to get the status based on miles, then they factored in spend, and now its more spend dependent than anything.  They would rather have the Apple Executive who flies business class to China 2-3x a year at $8-10K a pop round trip, than someone who flies 125K miles in economy. 

Brother Wags:

I read somewhere that there are something like 500,000 1Ks worldwide on United. It seems ridiculous but very possible. When I first made 1K, it was a very elite status and there were comparatively few people who made that level. The perks for being a 1K at the time were huge. Now, anything they offer will dilute the brand.

I've done four trips this year and I'm about a third of the way there. All domestic but, at my level in my firm, I am guaranteed first class. That's where the points come in.

United is catching a lot of flack from 1Ks who make it on miles but low spends. But there are two things to note. First, I'm not sure I care if I have 1K status anymore, as long as I can still fly first. There's just not that many perks to 1K as it exists today, which is why Global Services was created. Second, I suspect that the real reason United is getting tougher is to put more value back in the 1K status.

Ultimately, too many of us are UDPs -- Unprofitable Domestic Passengers. United reminds us of that status with its often crappy service.

WarriorFan

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #473 on: February 29, 2020, 08:08:08 AM »
Somewhat off topic, but on topic...

With the coronavirius impact, I wonder how the airlines/hotels are going to respond. Obviously the stock market has been pummeled, but travel and leisure stocks especially have been taken to the woodshed.

I'm curious if companies will make 2020 an exception for elite status, I realize that's probably the least of anyone's concerns right now (rightfully so), but I can see all types of unintended consequences happening here for the travel industry. I know there's a lot of folks on here who travel internationally regularly for their jobs, and I'd be curious if you can't fly for a quarter/half the year to those destinations, you're probably going to have a tough time hitting certain status levels.

I understand this post isn't for everyone here looking for travel advice, but I think it's going to be interesting to see how travel companies respond.
I have spent nearly every day since Feb 6th in hotels in Russia, Dubai and Indonesia.  Occupancy is down and prices are going down.  Flights have been less full than normal, but I expect capacity to be reduced rapidly so the remaining flights will be full.  I don't expect any airline or hotel chain to offer any charity... they see this as an opportunity for long term cost reduction. 
"The meaning of life isn't gnashing our bicuspids over what comes after death but tasting the tiny moments that come before it."

JWags85

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Re: Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread
« Reply #474 on: March 01, 2020, 12:49:49 AM »
United is catching a lot of flack from 1Ks who make it on miles but low spends. But there are two things to note. First, I'm not sure I care if I have 1K status anymore, as long as I can still fly first. There's just not that many perks to 1K as it exists today, which is why Global Services was created. Second, I suspect that the real reason United is getting tougher is to put more value back in the 1K status.

Ultimately, too many of us are UDPs -- Unprofitable Domestic Passengers. United reminds us of that status with its often crappy service.

Cant disagree with you.  Honestly, the only value left, for me, in 1K is my global upgrades, given the long haul trips I take fairly often to India and SE Asia where I don’t have a paid business class seat.  Even with that, they are getting notoriously crappy with that. I flew to Frankfurt late last year and put in an upgrade knowing I’d have a surplus come EOY. At time of boarding, there was 2 open Premium Plus seats, and 4 open business class seats. I was 2nd on the upgrade list.  I was boarded and in my seat and they came to pull me out and upgrade me. Great I got the seat, but what a joke, clearly trying to squeeze every last penny out without respect for service.

Save for that, having Gold is just fine as it gets you the Star Alliance perks and lounge access when traveling abroad.  Otherwise you can get a checked bag with the CC and most other perks are negligible, and their new mileage devaluation further de-incentivizes loyalty.

Heck, it’s not even UDP, the last few years you could regularly get RT economy fares to Hong Kong/Shanghai/Beijing for $800-$1000. Could easily rack up a lot of miles with not a ton of meaningful spend by their standards. The game has changed.

 

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