Author Topic: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread  (Read 546837 times)

Offline Dan

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #720 on: September 18, 2014, 09:19:16 PM »
Lucky is that you again?
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline AJK

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #721 on: September 18, 2014, 09:19:52 PM »
Come again?
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline ilherman

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #722 on: September 18, 2014, 09:28:23 PM »
Wow, the award hotel market in NZ is bleak.

Not a single Hyatt, SPG, or Marriott hotel in the whole country; no nice Hilton's (no Conrad  >:(); and a single decent Intercontinental in Wellington.

Choice hotels anyone?  ::)

Am I really giving up a week in MLE at the Conrad for this??
So you basically go on vacation to be able to plan your next vacation.   Rinse and repeat.   :P
You can say what you think when you think what you say.

Offline meshugener

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #723 on: September 18, 2014, 10:40:18 PM »
Wow, the award hotel market in NZ is bleak.

Not a single Hyatt, SPG, or Marriott hotel in the whole country; no nice Hilton's (no Conrad  >:(); and a single decent Intercontinental in Wellington.

Choice hotels anyone?  ::)

Am I really giving up a week in MLE at the Conrad for this??

I think its time for you to try camping for a change.

Get yourself a small tent and hammock - should cost you less than $100 on Amazon.

You'll thank me for the rest of your life.
Love me or hate me. I still love you.

Offline mochada

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #724 on: September 18, 2014, 10:51:22 PM »
I think its time for you to try camping for a change.

Get yourself a small tent and hammock - should cost you less than $100 on Amazon.

You'll thank me for the rest of your life.

Are you offering your balloon bed? AJK doesn't just sleep on any ground.

Offline Dan

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #725 on: September 19, 2014, 08:58:26 AM »
Come again?
We spent several nights along the Great ocean road, grampians, Tasmania, Hamilton Island, etc.
The fact that there's no luxury hotels wasn't going to to stop off us from seeing a beautiful place (unless you're traveling to places just for the hotels and not the place itself). We made do in hostels, VRBOs, and B&Bs just fine.

Or better yet for NZ-rent an RV!
« Last Edit: September 19, 2014, 09:08:55 AM by Dan »
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline AJK

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #726 on: September 19, 2014, 08:59:51 AM »
Was seriously considering the RV route. In fact, I started looking into it. That'd knock an additional item off my bucket list, and what better way then to do it in NZ?
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline myb821

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #727 on: September 19, 2014, 09:04:08 AM »
Was seriously considering the RV route. In fact, I started looking into it. That'd knock an additional item off my bucket list, and what better way then to do it in NZ?
sounds like a lot of fun

Offline eliteflyer

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #728 on: September 19, 2014, 10:36:31 AM »
AJK- can you add to your footer number of days vacation/PTO for the year with the tally?

Offline AJK

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #729 on: September 19, 2014, 10:51:24 AM »
AJK- can you add to your footer number of days vacation/PTO for the year with the tally?

lol
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline myb821

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #730 on: September 19, 2014, 11:34:00 AM »
AJK- can you add to your footer number of days vacation/PTO for the year with the tally?
ALOL someone sounds jealous (So am I)

Offline eliteflyer

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #731 on: September 20, 2014, 08:06:25 PM »
ALOL someone sounds jealous (So am I)
perhaps, but also curious to see how other NYC lawyers make the travel hobby work.

Offline Hershelsdeals

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #732 on: September 23, 2014, 12:50:36 AM »
Need some crowdsourcing on planning the routing for my next two trips or so.

Goals:

(i) Maximize time in nice F cabins, (ii) extract maximum value by,  for instance, turning the two trips into three, utilizing "free one ways" (more technically known as open jaws and stopovers, e.g. (a) NYC-BKK-NYC(stop)-HNL and then (ii) HNL-EWR-SIN-SYD-EWR, giving me a free "third" trip to HNL).

Assumptions:

--First destination will be New Zealand (a lot of fun routings that way)
--Second destination will also be somewhere in Asia/Oceania (another destination for nice routings)
--Two people are traveling
--I have 500,000 of each mileage currency.
--I'd like to fly SQ R, EK F (a380), OZ F (772), LH F (744)
--I try to avoid YQ unless it's completely necessary (e.g. SQ R, but not LH F through M&M)

Notes:

--I'd like to burn UA miles before 2/1/14 which may lead to using booking *A as my first outbound given LH's tendency to only release F space two weeks out (and also, since there have been no announcements by EK/AS/JL to deval EK awards, or SQ to deval theirs, I feel a bit more comfortable holding off if necessary with them).
--I don't mind paying additional for positioning flights (I should have a WN CP to use, Gd willing).
--OZ F award availability on their JFK route, which is currently the only route that has the new F,  has largely become nonexistent in the last 8 weeks for whatever reason. So even though I'd like to try it, it may not be possible.

Now, I figure this should be a (somewhat) fun exercise, so given the above,  let your imaginations run wild!
" (a) NYC-BKK-NYC(stop)-HNL" which airline stops in Honolulu? Or is this an open jaw?

Offline Hershelsdeals

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #733 on: September 23, 2014, 01:00:47 AM »
If you're saying blingy without corresponding substance than yes on EK. Not EY.

Can't even imagine apartments...
Do you remember which kosher meal caterer was used from Abu Dhabi to New York? And how was it.  Tia

Offline AJK

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #734 on: September 28, 2014, 03:20:12 PM »
Do you remember which kosher meal caterer was used from Abu Dhabi to New York? And how was it.  Tia

Haven't flown EY ex-AUH.
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline AJK

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #735 on: September 28, 2014, 03:20:35 PM »
I may be crazy, but I'm thinking of splitting my time between MLE and AKL...

Four nights in MLE, seven nights in AKL.
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline Drago

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #736 on: September 28, 2014, 03:44:49 PM »
I may be crazy, but I'm thinking of splitting my time between MLE and AKL...

Four nights in MLE, seven nights in AKL.
Sounds great. Why are you doubting yourself?

Offline Dan

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #737 on: September 28, 2014, 03:53:55 PM »
You've done MLE. And you'll probably go back again.

I'd spend the 11 nights all in AKL where you probably won't feel the same need to return.
/.02
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Offline AJK

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #738 on: September 28, 2014, 04:01:17 PM »
Sounds great. Why are you doubting yourself?

For the reasons Dan noted.

@Dan, problem is I have two Hilton free nights that officially expired over a couple weeks ago, so if I cancel (or try and exchange), I may lose 'em, though I may get lucky.

But MLE, to us, is just so magical, so I'm not sure we want to try.
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline Dan

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #739 on: September 28, 2014, 04:03:08 PM »
@Dan, problem is I have two Hilton free nights that officially expired over a couple weeks ago, so if I cancel (or try and exchange), I may lose 'em, though I may get lucky.
Either way we'll have a great data point ;)
And you can probably still beg for mercy.
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