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  • Jay

    March 30, 2011 1:25 p.m. Jay SuperDork

    AngryCorvair wrote:

    Jay wrote:

    I took 54 commercial flights last year, and I think 47 of those were on company dime. My company never flew me in "business" class...

    do you get the miles from all those flights? because i've used miles to upgrade to business first several times.

    No, I was too stupid to sign up for the card at first, and then later on if I signed up I would have felt dumb for not doing it earlier. So I never did.

    That said 80% of those flights were short-haul (1~2h) on budget Indonesian carriers, but the odd Berlin-Jakarta or Hamburg-Toronto that I did would have added up nicely. Oh well...

  • Wally

    March 30, 2011 2:19 p.m. Wally SuperDork

    1988RedT2 wrote:

    Point of fact: If you take an average airliner, shear off the wings and tail, put bigger wheels under it, and give the pilot a beer belly, what you end up with is a Greyhound bus.

    Try telling a pilot that. I used to do a route from LGA to Flushing and would pick up a lot of flight crews who were stuck her overnight. One pilot whined that I was six minutes late. Which would be early for a flight. I told him the only difference between us was that I couldn't get up during the trip and diddle the help.

  • ultraclyde

    March 30, 2011 3:59 p.m. ultraclyde Reader

    Yeah, checked the first class option for my last Atlanta-Hong Kong run. $12,000.00 .

    wow. I could get 3 whole rows of peasant class for that and still buy a stewardess for the trip.

  • Lesley

    March 30, 2011 4:05 p.m. Lesley SuperDork

    I fly so much that I've accumulated a large number of miles and upgrade certificates. If I can upgrade, you bet I'll do it. Being able to work for 8 hours means I don't lose money (important to a freelancer) and not being sore for a couple of days after is a bonus too.
    There are some companies that always fly us first class ($8,000 to Germany!) and others that routinely fly us the absolute cheapest option possible with stopovers in between, ugh. I just got back from one of those, a combination of middle seat steerage and antiquated puddle jumpers. Still trying to work out the kinks in my back. Friday I'm flying to Vancouver, then on to Whitehorse. It's economy, but I'm hoping that if I can't get an upgrade, that there will at least be an outlet for my laptop.

  • 1988RedT2

    March 30, 2011 4:06 p.m. 1988RedT2 Dork

    Wally wrote:

    1988RedT2 wrote:

    Point of fact: If you take an average airliner, shear off the wings and tail, put bigger wheels under it, and give the pilot a beer belly, what you end up with is a Greyhound bus.

    Try telling a pilot that. I used to do a route from LGA to Flushing and would pick up a lot of flight crews who were stuck her overnight. One pilot whined that I was six minutes late. Which would be early for a flight. I told him the only difference between us was that I couldn't get up during the trip and diddle the help.

    Sorry, but I hate flying. When I'm sitting in a seat on some oversold flight with a stinky dude pressed up against me and we've been sitting on the tarmac for at least a half hour after being scrutinized and interrogated and we're hustling down the runway and every piece of cheesy plastic in the cabin is vibrating and the joints in the runway feel like potholes on the 1/9 in Jersey, I'm thinking "this thing might as well be a Greyhound berkeleying bus".

  • Lesley

    March 30, 2011 4:10 p.m. Lesley SuperDork

    Yep - US Air and Delta are like dirty buses. And their attendants are gross and rude.

  • BoxheadTim

    March 30, 2011 5:08 p.m. BoxheadTim SuperDork

    Yeah, I'm sooooo looking forward to flying to Orlando in May to visit the P-i-L. Wife insists on flying Delta for the miles...

    At least flying Virgin Atlantic to the UK shows that Richard Branson is reasonably good a picking rather attractive cabin personnel.

  • m4ff3w

    March 30, 2011 9:15 p.m. m4ff3w SuperDork

    I work for a travel company, so I am a IATAN member. My flight, round trip was $2600. Initially I was supposed to go to Guam, but the contract date was pushed forward. That flight, direct - refueling in Hawaii (Actually the same flight I was on this morning) was $4600.

    Economy would have been $945 just to Hawaii.

    I really enjoyed the flight, as much as you can enjoy being in a tin can way up above the earth with be forcefed Vodka+Cranberry and food fit for a high-ish dollar restaurant.

    The 8 hours this today was better than the 2 hrs in coach I fly to go back home to Kentucky.

  • Osterkraut

    March 30, 2011 9:55 p.m. Osterkraut SuperDork

    Get me in a jet without some buttons to press, and I'm out once that sucker starts taxiing. Coach doesn't bother me.

  • mtn

    March 30, 2011 10:08 p.m. mtn SuperDork

    cwh wrote:

    I've taken Amtrak from Miami to Tampa several times. The freedom to get up and move around was great. Bar, a bit of food, and some very interesting people. Of course you get to see the seedy side of every town on the way, but no problem on the coach. It's not fast, but I could see traveling a long distance not being bad at all.

    xd wrote:

    Now that I'm more stationary I think I will try trains. Does anyone have any experience with traveling by train? can I just get a whole cabin and cut myself off from the rest of society, or is that not possible.

    I've done Ann Arbor to Chicago once, and Chicago to Bloomington/Normal and back a half dozen times. Its great. Slower than car if there is no traffic, but it is easy, cost effective if you have to park in the city, and you can drink on the train. The food is microwaved out of a bag, but hey, its edible. The beer is overpriced ($5 for bud), so sneak in your own (Make sure it is what they serve). I bring a thermos of coffee/kahlua. Makes for a very enjoyable trip.

    No, you can't buy out a whole car, at least for those short trips. There are no assigned seats. For longer trips you can get a sleeper cabin though.

  • xd

    March 31, 2011 12:05 a.m. xd Reader

    mtn wrote:

    cwh wrote:

    I've taken Amtrak from Miami to Tampa several times. The freedom to get up and move around was great. Bar, a bit of food, and some very interesting people. Of course you get to see the seedy side of every town on the way, but no problem on the coach. It's not fast, but I could see traveling a long distance not being bad at all.

    xd wrote:

    Now that I'm more stationary I think I will try trains. Does anyone have any experience with traveling by train? can I just get a whole cabin and cut myself off from the rest of society, or is that not possible.

    I've done Ann Arbor to Chicago once, and Chicago to Bloomington/Normal and back a half dozen times. Its great. Slower than car if there is no traffic, but it is easy, cost effective if you have to park in the city, and you can drink on the train. The food is microwaved out of a bag, but hey, its edible. The beer is overpriced ($5 for bud), so sneak in your own (Make sure it is what they serve). I bring a thermos of coffee/kahlua. Makes for a very enjoyable trip.

    No, you can't buy out a whole car, at least for those short trips. There are no assigned seats. For longer trips you can get a sleeper cabin though.

    Yea that's what I meant buy all the spots in the sleeper cabin. I'm not keen on sleeping in a box with people I don't know. I might just do this. Beer is good, but I don't drink anymore so any chance of getting wifi? So I can get some work done. Maybe they will let me kick hobos off the train for fun or something. I am totally down with this.

  • 4eyes

    March 31, 2011 12:29 a.m. 4eyes HalfDork

    Everyone should get to fly Singapore Airlines business first, one time. Dallas to Singapore or vice versa, was one of the most pleasant times I have ever spent. The 45 minute USair flight fromDallas to XNA was pure torture. I literally had to see a chiropractor the next day.

    I always wanted to try a train trip.

  • Lesley

    March 31, 2011 12:45 a.m. Lesley SuperDork

    Korean Air is wonderful too. The flight attendants are beautiful, and wear traditional type garb. First-rate service, beautiful clean planes. And... bip bim bap for dinner.

  • Wally

    March 31, 2011 6:02 a.m. Wally SuperDork

    I've taken Amtrak more times than I can count. The longest trip being NYC to Deland Fl. I've never had trouble sleeping in a regular coach seat but one day I will spring for sleeper car. For shorter trips like NY to DC by the time you get to the airport, go through DHS's dog and pony show and actually take off you haven't save much time over the train.

  • ditchdigger

    March 31, 2011 8:44 a.m. ditchdigger HalfDork

    I am actually in an Amtrak coach car right now!

    I also flew from Oregon to North Carolina last month so that experience is fresh in my mind.

    Amtrak is great. The coach seat is eleventy billion times more comfortable than the plane seats I suffered through. There is a 120V outlet next to me so I can enjoy the free wifi. It is clean and quiet. If only it was at least as fast as driving. I seriously spent the first 30 minutes on board marveling at how nice it was compared to the plane.

    I usually make the drive from eugene to portland in 1.5 hours and the amtrak will make it in 2.5. Right around $20 as well. It was $129 for the same flight but that only takes 34 minutes, but if you add in the TSA hassle and get there the required hour early it wouldn't save too much time.

    I will be going amtrak again soon. I like this.

  • March 31, 2011 11:24 a.m. NGTD HalfDork

    Trains rule if you are in an area that a good service exists.

    When I lived in Kingston taking the tarin to downtown Toronto was a super nice way to travel. Canadian train service sucks - we are way to spread out.

    I was traveling on Northwest out of Detroit one time and was offered an upgrade to 1st class for $30! I did it.

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