Made any travel mistakes lately?

[fly2earth]

...late.

I'm the same. Grab luggage with a steel grip & fend off any porter who tries to 'assist'.

BUT in Santiago at a very expensive hotel, I was too slow getting out of the car and my bags had disappeared before I could grab them. 2 calls, a trip back downstairs and an hour later, they were retrieved from a storage room where they had been sent to, and delivered to my room.

Fortunately Uber drivers in this lucky country won't assist me in getting my luggage upon pickup/dropoff as they assume I look too poor to be tipping

Via the luggage storeroom. Why on earth does it have to go to the luggage storeroom?

Cynical me says the luggage disappears out of sight to prevent the guest handling their own luggage after checkin.

The Metro Sydney is the worst won't let me check in my luggage one day early while they openly do it for more preferable guests (and the website says that you can drop off bags in advance). How hard is it to store a luggage gosh). Looks like they hate solo travellers/anyone who looks like they are tourists. In the US they be flippin' burgers

Feels like (almost exactly the same as) the intro scene to crasyrichazns where they try to check in to a hotel to be honest

Is it just me or do hotels really hate people under 40? I don't like staying there but hey with the benefits and even low-balling their actual worth it works out to be just a little more expensive than a youth hostel (incremental rate of $50 to basically "upgrade" from a slum to a hotel a win in my books

Post automatically merged: May 21, 2024

Fortunately Uber drivers in this lucky country won't assist me in getting my luggage upon pickup/dropoff as they assume I look too poor to be tipping

Also helps that I have a babyface

 

[Quickstatus]

late

Via the luggage storeroom. Why on earth does it have to go to the luggage storeroom?

Cynical me says the luggage disappears out of sight to prevent the guest handling their own luggage after checkin.

 

[Quickstatus]

Does Accor/ Sofitel still run the QF pubs?

 

[Flashback]

I’ve managed to drag my luggage (suitcase, backpack and golf clubs) around 76 countries: I reckon I’m good getting it the 2-300m into my hotel room!

Which then of course begs the question, does everyone need help with everything in the USA because they are collectively the most stupid, or the laziest? Yet at the same time, individually, or in small groups, the most amazing, friendly and ingenious…

Lazy, based on what I saw on a recent road trip there (Canada too).

 

[CaptJCool]

Does Accor/ Sofitel still run the QF pubs?

Well they did in February 2024 as they have it on their name badges in the Flounge

 

[John in Melbourne]

Next morning, ran out of bathroom to grab phone. Didn't make it, slipped (had that milisecond of horizontal mid-air thinking "this will hurt" - it did!) Head-strike on ground. Fortunately no loss of consciousness but it would have been a pretty gruesome sight if i had and been found dead - you can imagine how much i was wearing. Three day headache followed

Wow you were lucky!!

 

[Seat0B]

as I assume most people will just trust the hotels not to mess up with the accounting for something as simple as this

Oh I have learnt the hard way to check check check everything!

 

[Seat0B]

I am very quick in the USA. When the Shuttle/uber arrives at a hotel. I'm quicker than dropping a hot potato in getting out and handling my own luggage.

I’ve managed to drag my luggage (suitcase, backpack and golf clubs) around 76 countries: I reckon I’m good getting it the 2-300m into my hotel room!

I think these sound like perfect events for the World Travel Games! The shuttle exit and the luggage drag. I’ll add the “cover up the blinding lights“. Maybe we should make a new thread for this

 

[Seat0B]

Does Accor/ Sofitel still run the QF pubs?

I believe so based on a trip last month. And just like the hotel, the service is hit and miss. I’ve had some fabulous service, and also some that even a work experience kid would be ashamed to own….

 

[fly2earth]

Oh I have learnt the hard way to check check check everything!

Even after they tell you you have no outstanding charges? (as in the case of Sofitel G.C. because they counted the red wine in the corner as a menu item and not a welcome gift for Platinum).

 

[Seat0B]

Even after they tell you you have no outstanding charges? (as in the case of Sofitel G.C. because they counted the red wine in the corner as a menu item and not a welcome gift for Platinum).

Yep I’ve had amended invoices and added charge after checkout more than once. Such a pain fighting those, especially when the hotel ignores your emails and questions.

 

[fly2earth]

Yep I’ve had amended invoices and added charge after checkout more than once. Such a pain fighting those, especially when the hotel ignores your emails and questions.

Just churn chuck and burn. That is, after the check-in process completed. And chargeback process is not worth it feels worse than trying to write an essay as every single second spent writing it counts toward whether the chargeback is successful or failed. And thus feels like a high wage hourly job (do it perfect or don't even attempt at all)

 

[MARTINE]

Just churn chuck and burn. That is, after the check-in process completed. And chargeback process is not worth it feels worse than trying to write an essay as every single second spent writing it counts toward whether the chargeback is successful or failed. And thus feels like a high wage hourly job (do it perfect or don't even attempt at all)

This has been so therapeutic!!

 

[MARTINE]

Yep I’ve had amended invoices and added charge after checkout more than once. Such a pain fighting those, especially when the hotel ignores your emails and questions.

Yes
I looked at Sofitel DH website where reviews are posted (so many similar to mine). They respond with the ‘So sorry we let you down…, pls contact madame xyz and give us another chance…’
This equates to:
- We did not address all the issues st the time and we owe you some recompense
Rather
- Spend more money with us so we deliver what we should but did not the last time

Tone deaf

 

[Flashback]

Took some cash out from an ATM this morning and I remember when putting the card in, how slim/hidden the slot was and slow to operate. Anyway, took cash out, got my receipt and off I toodled.

3.5 hours later, was at the supermarket getting some water and went to pay by card when I realised my current account card wasn't in the usual spot. Wondered if it had fallen out when I opened my wallet earlier, then I remembered..... I took cash out, maybe I forgot to grab the card.

Went to the bank and sure enough, it was just sitting there on the desk out in the open. Easy, right? Nope.

She kept asking for my password, so I kept repeating I don't know what you mean, there is no password! Do you mean pin? Eventually we realised she was saying passport, not password. All good....... So I showed my drivers licence (physical) and passport (scanned copy on my phone), as well as my banking app which shows the full card number, CVV, expiry etc. Nope. Ran back to the hotel, got my passport, went back. Easy, right? Nope.

Validated my passport, reiterated again that it's clear that it's my card so would be great if I could take it now as I have a meeting to get to. Nope ....... you must wait. Right. 20 minutes passed and still nothing, so I told them I was going to get the Police as I now considered this to be theft.

Magic? 30 seconds later, I had my card and was on my way. Totally unnecessary. Is there some regulation I'm not aware of, where even when you've proven something is yours they still can't give it to you (legally)? I'd be surprised.......

The ATM withdrawal was fee free, at least.

 

[Flashback]

I probably should have added, I'm under the weather at the moment, head is pounding, I'm in a bit of a daze - which is why I most likely took off without grabbing the card. Although the slot was pretty slow to operate so it may not even have properly come out before I had taken off.

 

[JohnK]

Not quite a travel mistake but I did vow no more status runs. That didn't last long.

I'm Virgin Platinum and we travel to Thailand twice a year on SQ. Can only have 1 guest to lounges as daughter is now 7 years old. Need to somehow earn Gold for myself and Gold for wife so we have no issues entering lounge.

Wife will have 483 SCs on 17 June when we land in BKK. We will earn another 135 SCs on 06 July when we return but I wouldn't want those wasted on this membership year. So I'm flying OOL-SYD next weekend and earn 15 SCs + 5 SCs which means wife will have earned 503 SCs on 17 June and Gold status.

I have Platinum until October and then soft drop to Gold so we'll continue earning SCs until wife earns Gold next 12 months and then back to maintaining my Gold status.

And now daughter jealous.

 

[Happy Dude]

@JohnK - get an ABN and register for the VA business program just before your next trip. Spend $2k in the first three months to get pilot gold for three months. Earn 80SCs in that time to get normal gold.

I think the guest policy on VA partners is stingy for WP's.

 

[JohnK]

Thanks @Happy Dude but we're not likely to spend $2000 on VA. We're the poor man's version of getting Gold.

All we need to do is go to Thailand twice a year on SQ and a few extra return trips taking daughter to SYD and we should have 2 x Gold for lounge and luggage allowance going to Thailand. My wife already has 20kg bag packed with presents for trip in 3 weeks.

 

[SYD]

@JohnK - get an ABN and register for the VA business program just before your next trip. Spend $2k in the first three months to get pilot gold for three months. Earn 80SCs in that time to get normal gold.

I think the guest policy on VA partners is stingy for WP's.

There’s a slight crinkle in Pilot Gold (like the current promo), there’s a minimum time the nominated person can’t have been Silver or higher with VA (usually 2 years and the other promo on now is 4 yrs)….