ski-air travel stories

[jasoncapecod]

I have to be honest here... India is at the bottom of my travel list. I know Indian people who won't even go. This is a country that has a space and nuclear program, great scammers. But just can't seem to figure out the bathroom. Any issues with Delhi Belly?

That said i would like to see some pics !!!!!

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Delhi Belly

Three Things In Life

 

[Tony Crocker]

Any issues with Delhi Belly?

That said i would like to see some pics !!!!!

Second day I had some digestive issues but none after that. Every hotel had lots of bottled water in the rooms and we were instructed to use it brushing our teeth.

I’ll have to think about pics. My usual detailed reports from specific places would take a long time. I still haven’t posted from the Okavango and Etosha game reserves last June.

 

[ChrisC]

Apparently someone somewhere must have accidentally ripped off (in Seattle handling somewhere) and then reattached the wrong tags to two different bags as they said it had the wrong tags on it and it was sent to somewhere else that day

Lol. The bags were probably sitting in some corner for a month. C'mon - two tags incorrectly reattached to two different bags? Maybe it never made the airline partner handoff correctly. But I thought you cleared Customs with it - bag picked up/rechecked?

How hard can it be to send it to a United Hub?

Well, now you have 2x gear!

 

[jasoncapecod]

Lol. The bags were probably sitting in some corner for a month. C'mon - two tags incorrectly reattached to two different bags? Maybe it never made the airline partner handoff correctly. But I thought you cleared Customs with it - bag picked up/rechecked?

How hard can it be to send it to a United Hub?

Well, now you have 2x gear!

can you fight with united for some reimbursement?

 

[ChrisC]

can you fight with united for some reimbursement?

Assume EMSC might have submitted reimbursement already. Anyway, he should have gotten a free set of gear.

$3,800 per passenger
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, you are entitled to compensation for reasonable incidental expenses you incur because of your delayed baggage, up to the maximum liability limits, set by statute. For U.S. domestic flights, this is $3,800 per passenger.

 

[EMSC]

Lol. The bags were probably sitting in some corner for a month. C'mon - two tags incorrectly reattached to two different bags? Maybe it never made the airline partner handoff correctly. But I thought you cleared Customs with it - bag picked up/rechecked?

That was my guessing as the guy specifically said it was sent to the wrong place/had wrong tag on it. Maybe the tag printer spit out tags for two people at the same time and they put the wrong one on mine in Kelowna? Probably never know on the 'how' side of things.

I did walk through customs in Seattle with it and then dropped it at the recheck spot (same as my ski bag that made it).

BTW this was Alaska Airlines not United. Receipts have been submitted for the new stuff I bought and have since used for the past couple of weeks.

 

[EMSC]

Bag itself is looking worse for wear considering it was its first vacation/trip for it... but UPS delivered it moments ago, 31 days after it should have arrived. I went for obnoxious color to ensure it doesn't look like every other bag on the plane.

If you look really hard at the cloth handle, somehow the orange ribbon from Mustang is still attached (Mustang requires soft sided, no extension handles type bag for the heli trips to the lodge).

 

[ChrisC]

Bag itself is looking worse for wear considering it was its first vacation/trip for it... but UPS delivered it moments ago, 31 days after it should have arrived. I went for obnoxious color to ensure it doesn't look like every other bag on the plane.

That orange-colored bag went unnoticed by Alaska for almost a month?! OK.

It looks like it went around internal luggage belts several hundred times.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

An update to the FF-award discussion -- I've mentioned my displeasure with how United has not been offering discounted ski-season flights from Newark to its four Alps nonstop gateways: Geneva, Zurich, Milan, Munich. The best I've been able to find, even booking months in advance, is approx. 65K miles roundtrip. To be fair, their cash pricing is decent, sometimes below $500.

Luckily, Delta is picking up the award slack, at least to the gateways they serve from JFK: Zurich and Milan -- see the roundtrip fares below, only three weeks out.

I made a deal with a friend who's a Delta flyer to trade United miles with me for a trip during the second week of March. When he booked the 38K itinerary on the website, the final price was even better, 32.2K. JFK is an additional schlep for me, 90 minutes via train; however, the savings are worth it for someone with my limited miles warchest.

Meanwhile, here's United's calendar for that time frame (these are one-way fares) -- those same dates would've been 66.8K.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I'm pleased by James' discovery. I assume he doesn't have to change planes twice each way as we have had to do the last two times we've used miles for travel.

A cursory check for late March to early April post Iron Blosam reveals no bargains. But 74K miles + $225 is better than $1358 cash.

Something like 15 years ago, my friend Richard and I swapped Delta for American miles once. He used Air France to Morocco. I think I used American to South America.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Something like 15 years ago, my friend Richard and I swapped Delta for American miles once. He used Air France to Morocco. I think I used American to South America.

Yes, and it's nice that his free baggage credit applies to me, even though I don't have a Delta AMEX card. That would've been a $150 hit roundtrip.

I assume he doesn't have to change planes twice each way as we have had to do the last two times we've used miles for travel.

I don't change planes. Remember? I'm special!

 

[jamesdeluxe]

A cursory check for late March to early April post Iron Blosam reveals no bargains. But 74K miles + $225 is better than $1358 cash.

From my search, the inexpensive Delta awards on their regular calendar above (not a fare sale) seem to be on nonstop international flights flown by Delta (not a partner airline). If you add a stop overseas, the bargains go away.

 

[Tony Crocker]

nonstop international flights flown by Delta (not a partner airline).

There are no nonstops via Delta or partners from LAX to the ski gateway airports. However, another check validated that Milan is much cheaper than Geneva or Zurich for either cash or miles.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

I assume that this was recommended by their crisis-management agency:

Delta offers passengers $30K after plane flipped at Toronto Pearson Airport – with ‘no strings attached’

“Delta Care Team representatives are telling customers this gesture has no strings attached and does not affect rights,” an airline representative said in a statement to The Post.

nypost.com

 

[Tony Crocker]

This Basic Economy fare includes a carry-on bag; checked baggage is +$150 roundtrip

Make that $300 if you’re a normal person with regular luggage plus a ski bag. I’d be worried about fine print with a ski bag flying basic economy. Lots of restrictions go with that including no mileage credit.

If you have status with American that is indeed a compelling deal.

 

[Sbooker]

Make that $300 if you’re a normal person with regular luggage plus a ski bag. I’d be worried about fine print with a ski bag flying basic economy. Lots of restrictions go with that including no mileage credit.

I always fly basic economy and almost always have a ski bag. Just goes to oversize as long as it's under 23kg. I had United leave my bag in San Fran a couple of months ago but usually don't have any issues.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Make that $300 if you’re a normal person with regular luggage plus a ski bag.

The reason you have regular luggage + a ski bag (two checked-in pieces) + a carry-on boot bag (we've had that discussion about the + and -) is because your trips overseas are for several weeks instead of 7-10 days, where a ski bag + boot bag (both stuffed with clothes) are fine.

I’d be worried about fine print with a ski bag flying basic economy. Lots of restrictions go with that including no mileage credit.

I've complained about United's crappy new award levels and seriously considered giving up my credit card; however, flying basic economy with the free first piece of luggage still makes it worth the $90/year fee.

Lots of restrictions go with that

A reminder about my experience several years back that I bitched my way out of -- if you start your overseas trip with a partner airline (as I did in EWR with Lufthansa and returning from Salzburg with Austrian Airlines), they'll hit you up with an onerous luggage fee and it doesn't matter if you have a United, Delta, or AA credit card. Maybe someone can clarify if having high status on your U.S. airline exempts you from the luggage fee with the partner.

 

[EMSC]

ski bag + boot bag (both stuffed with clothes) are fine.

Where does your Hemet fit in that combo?

Maybe someone can clarify if having high status on your U.S. airline exempts you the luggage fee with the partner but something tells me no.

United Gold and above I believe gets you one free checked bag on star alliance. Been a couple years since I had that combo of status and starting trip on a different airline though.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Where does your helmet fit in that combo?

In the middle of the boot bag between the two boots in the side pockets.

United Gold and above I believe gets you one free checked bag on star alliance. Been a couple years since I had that combo of status and starting trip on a different airline though.

It took five minutes of digging but I finally found the language on the Premier status benefits page, pasted in blue below.

There you go -- the Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines reps on my 2019 trip were correct in trying to assess me the luggage charge. I apologise to them in absentia. That said; I've flown Swiss Air several times on United awards and they never charged me. I guess it's up to the individual airline.

I understand denying the Star Alliance luggage entitlement to my lowly Silver level but those with Gold or above should get it automatically.