The New Travel Thread: Now with write ups in the OP

AA is fine internationally, but when you use any loyalty program miles to fly to London their fees are heavy

 

So with AA is it the longer distance = higher price?

 

Could it potentially be better/more value to fly somewhere else in Europe, depending on price?

Just want to get there cheap as possible, then can catch a Ryanair flight to Madrid

 

Essentially it works like this

Cost of ticket cash price $1000 after fare and taxes
Cost of ticket Sapphire reserve portal 66500 same fares and taxes built in
Use frequent flier miles cost of ticket 60k miles, but you have to pay the taxes because they aren't included. London it's often like 400 bucks

 

Yes the high fees thing is really just a London thing.

 

If you want to use miles I'd look to go anywhere but London to connect

 

Will look at AA points to Madrid

 

I definitely want to drive, think it’d be fun. Would be really cool to drive up the Med coast to Barca

 

We drove South from Sevilla and all around southern Spain for a few days. Was great, super easy.

 

Will be more crowded around labor day than memorial day when I was there though. Should still be fine

 

I very much liked Buenos Aires and Iguazu and Arkadin and TC

The phone theives are fucking pros. Got mine stolen

AA biz class almost made flying enjoyable

Argentines have nice butts

 

I need new luggage. 315 pages is a lot to look through. Looking for a carry-on and a bag to check if needed. Fly a handful of times a year at the most and sometimes once or less. Doesn't have to be super nice but hopefully doesn't fall apart immediately.

Looked at the amazon basics set but the large one appears to be 64" in linear dimensions which seems stupid to put in a two piece set with a carry-on size.

Should I just go with an inexpensive cloth set or what?

 

Just got back from the Hyatt Zilara in Cancun. Stayed Dec 18-22. I think it was $3800 for me and my wife with airfare included and it was all inclusive. I think we only paid $1800 out of pocket as the rest was on Chase points from the CSR card. One note on Cancun itself-the hotel zone is really well manicured, lots of police, lots of development with high end stores and restaurants. Surprised me. The Hyatt Zilara was really nice. Food was good. The water was incredible. The view from our room was amazing. Pool was first class. The room itself was really large and nice. It was a ocean front junior suite with king bed. Biggest complaints would be the food at dinner-I thought the Mexican restaurant was ok at best, the Asian restaurant was ok at best, and the Indian food we had at dinner one night was pretty good but didn't blow me away. Also the main bar couldn't make an old fashioned because they didn't have oranges and they couldn't make a Moscow Mule. They did have top shelf liquor though with Grey Goose, Crown, Makers etc all part of the all inclusive package. I drank a ton of margaritas and Coors Lite. Now I'm looking for places in the US and BVI for vacation this summer. Seems like a lot of places are still closed from the hurricanes.

 

My main carry on is either a 19 or 20 inch Samsonite. Never have any issues with the size. I can also easily pack for a week long trip in it. It has taken some abuse being thrown in the cargo hold on smaller planes and still in great shape. I also have a slightly larger Samsonite that can fit as a carry on for most domestic planes but wouldn’t work on international carriers. It’s in solid shape after about 3 years

 

That's the 28"? Based on the dimensions on the photo the linear dimensions add up to 64" and the max for most airlines is 62". Have you tried to check it? Would you not buy it again if you knew the quality you got?

 

Are you paying an oversized bag fee? My current bag measures 60" total when stuffed so very had that issue. The 62" is just to stay within standard bag fee dimensions.

 

No airline is going to actually measure your bag so that two inches is close enough. Even on international carriers that lost the weight restrictions, I’ve been over the limit and they just say “next time under X”.

Also, team spinner wheels

 

Think Im gonna do a trip in May for my 30th. was thinking Croatia/Italy or Paris/Italy. Any other ideas would be considered.

 

Finished up in Tulum today. Will be back in the spring, loved the vibe on Route 15. Wish we hadn’t stayed at the all inclusive, it was about 30 min north of everything on 15 so we taxid it down every night to drink. Wouldn’t recommend the resort at all, it was nice but full of families. Used points though which was the main factor for choosing it. Rented a car which was really nice to have to drive all around. Ate at chamicos Where Eagles Dare and it was awesome

 

Trying to finalize a Barcelona - Prague - Croatia trip with 3 buddies, first time for me in Europe. In terms of places to stay, what's the best option for the 4 of us (hostels/airbnb/hotels)? Any recommendations are appreciated.

 

Miss that place.

 

Hostels are always the best options to meet people and totally enhance the trip.

 

Can't go wrong with Samsonite luggage. If you use it so infrequently then I'd suggest running by a TJ Maxx or Ross or some other bargain type store to check out the sizing you want and to get one for cheap.

 

what is the prettiest coastal water yall have ever seen?

 

Thailand, Ko Phi Phi Lee

 

Croatia

 

What’s the opposite of Buenos Aires?

Probably Aruba or Puerto Rico for me

 

Lake Superior

 

Jost Van Dyke, BVIs

 

But really Croatia

 

Hualien, Taiwan

 

x2. Have this exact same one. Has held up well and done the job. Convinced me into buying the travelpro garment roller and large suitcase as well.

 

Currently trying to get a rough itinerary for a trip to Scotland in April 2019. We plan to have somewhere between 5-7 days in Scotland (planning around a Man City match the first weekend and a Liverpool match on the second weekend; we expect both to be on the Sundays).

We are currently batting around 3 main options. The first one would keep us in Edinburgh and Glasgow and those surrounding areas the entire time. The second is a kind-of self-guided/self-driving tour that would allow for more viewing of the country but would also mean almost daily travel. Finally, do a day ro two in Ediburgh and then have a tour company do the 2-5 day tour of the highlands or other locations.

Anyone have any suggestions on which would work best? I ask because I have no clue if a day or two is plenty enough in Edinburgh and if a single day is enough in other locations (Inverness, Loch ness, etc...).

 

That looks nice. My current carry-on is an upright and is 20" so I've always been under the carry-on measurements and it fits in those sizers even before the dimensions were reduced. That says 23.5" including wheels. Do the airlines with the 22" max height for carry-ons ever say anything to you with that bag?

 

Do your fellow travelers a favor and check your fucking bags. You have a backpack with some shit in it that you need for the flight, great. Carry it on. If you have a fucking suitcase, check it. You're the reason that nobody can get to their seats or off the plane in a timely manner because you're standing in the aisle trying to figure out which overhead compartment to wrestle it into and out of. You're also the reason that I have no place to put my small carry-on backpack because you're bringing everything on the fucking plane with you.

God bless Lufthansa for going around the waiting area and pretty much forcing people with luggage to check their bags.

 

My wife and I did a six day road trip through the highlands last year and would choose that in a heartbeat again. Now we’re outdoor and small town people so that must appeal to you more but we plan on doing it again in the next five years. We split our time between Inverness, Isle of Skye, and Fort William and the areas around those towns. Stayed in a 14th century castle north of Inverness that was awesome. The hikes on Skye were among my favorite I’ve ever done. Plus we loved visiting all the pubs and inns in all the towns we drove through.

 

Yeah, I know, edgy scorching hot take. But in all seriousness, you're not special. Everybody around you is trying to do what you're doing, to get from point A to point B with a minimum of hassle. We're all in this together. Do your part. Don't be the pretentious asshat who fucks things up for others. I've taken a family of 5 to Europe thrice and Hawaii thrice in the last five years, and we've had no problems checking our bags. Nothing's been lost, and it's easier to get around airports, too. Baggage claim has never taken more than 15 minutes at our final destination, and it's usually a lot less because it's already begun by the time we get off the plane because we've had to wait for people in rows in front of us to uncork all their earthly possessions from the overhead bins.

You want to wheel your extra undies to a taxi stand or on a train platform, go right ahead. Wheeled suitcases are very convenient. But don't bring all your shit into what's already a cramped airplane cabin. You're inconveniencing and pissing off more people than you realize, for absolutely no good reason.

 

Tell the airlines to change their policies then

Where if the official AptosDuck line on what’s you’re allowed to carry on and what you aren’t?

 

People tended to check their bags more often back when multiple freebies was standard. Don’t blame the flier, blame the greedy airlines.

What’s more shocking to me is the metric crapton of shit people want to take traveling. Give me a small backpack and as long as I’ve got a place to do laundry once I’m good for weeks.

 

As a business traveler, this is an absurd take. Kindly fuck off and put your backpack underneath the seat in front of you....not getting stranded in Paduca, Indiana with no business clothes because an airline lost my checked luggage