Images of items I have purchased.

Gerard · 30 Jul 2015 at 02:02

lol wrong thread.

Things change I've changed · 30 Jul 2015 at 02:13

You've bought a tank?

wez130 · 30 Jul 2015 at 08:30

Clipsey said:
Everyone knows to upgrade when you're at the airport!! You pay a fraction of the cost

Is there any truth in this? I'm hoping i can get a cheap upgrade when i go in December.

Any way you can see how full your flight is? I can see what seats have been booked in economy class when i go to choose seats on the emirates site but it doesn't show me upstairs in business / first.

Tunney · 30 Jul 2015 at 10:05

Mikeyboy said:
You're all doing it wrong.

Going on your own?

Siliconslave · 30 Jul 2015 at 10:15

wez130 said:
Is there any truth in this? I'm hoping i can get a cheap upgrade when i go in December.

Any way you can see how full your flight is? I can see what seats have been booked in economy class when i go to choose seats on the emirates site but it doesn't show me upstairs in business / first.

truth wise it depends on the airline, some will do a bidding system for upgrades where you can purchase at a pre-arranged price if theres something going.

I've had pretty high success just turning to the airport early, being polite and asking if there are any upgrades available for sale, often they'll just bump you up to the next level. Helps being a single traveller (when i'm on business) as they will often only have one seat on its own rather than two.

Theres no real way of seeing how busy a flight is though, even the online seat reservations thing isn't a good indication - only 50% of the seats were allocated on the last US flight i took but it was over subscribed when i checked at the airport... just 1 first seat left (which they wouldn't give me

)

Maccy · 30 Jul 2015 at 11:34

Booked car hire for the last stint of our honeymoon, also purchased excess insurance from Insurance4CarHire

Cosimo · 30 Jul 2015 at 11:46

Maccy said:
Booked car hire for the last stint of our honeymoon, also purchased excess insurance from Insurance4CarHire

[/QUOTE]

Congratulations. :) Staying Naples or touring in that part of the world?

POB · 30 Jul 2015 at 11:47

Maccy said:
Booked car hire for the last stint of our honeymoon, also purchased excess insurance from Insurance4CarHire

Ouch. Seems expensive for a Panda.

Maccy · 30 Jul 2015 at 11:51

It's the picking up from one location and returning to another that puts the price up, it's how we've planned our trip though.

Cosimo, we're starting in Venice, working our way down to Florence, then Rome and finishing up in Sorrento. I wanted to hire a car to fully explore the Amalfi Coast though

POB · 30 Jul 2015 at 12:03

Maccy said:
It's the picking up from one location and returning to another that puts the price up, it's how we've planned our trip though.

Cosimo, we're starting in Venice, working our way down to Florence, then Rome and finishing up in Sorrento. I wanted to hire a car to fully explore the Amalfi Coast though

Still overpriced for six days hire.

Avis.co.uk is £156.30 inc the € 12.20 one way fee.

crinkleshoes · 30 Jul 2015 at 12:36

POB said:
Still overpriced for six days hire.

Avis.co.uk is £156.30 inc the € 12.20 one way fee.

Quite right... rentalcars.com is a comparison site I use and they're showing £175 including the one way fee for the same car with Hertz, or £180 with Avis.

Otherwise upgrade to a Punto for £195.

For £288... you can have a Merc C-class / BMW 3 series with Avis...

You should still have plenty of time to cancel and re-book without any fees.

Maccy · 30 Jul 2015 at 12:58

Hmmm you're right. Although C Class is coming out at £306. Did you guys select Naples Station as pickup and Naples Airport as drop off?

Adam · 30 Jul 2015 at 13:03

I couldn't believe how cheap car hire was in Tenerife. I got a seat Ibiza for 7 days for just 48 euros.

Maccy · 30 Jul 2015 at 13:08

€199 cancellation charge with Sixt, typical. I've called customer service and explained it's much cheaper elsewhere, and they've asked for screenshot proof. Sit back and wait now I guess.

randomshenans · 30 Jul 2015 at 13:15

I put the ground work in with Avis, so I'm nearly at President level. Means that you get 2 levels of upgrade, which is nice. Pay for a panda, get a Mercedes CLA!

crinkleshoes · 30 Jul 2015 at 13:20

Maccy said:
Hmmm you're right. Although C Class is coming out at £306. Did you guys select Naples Station as pickup and Naples Airport as drop off?

Yes, I picked locations, dates and times exactly as you put in your screen grab.

www.rentalcars.com

Maccy said:
€199 cancellation charge with Sixt, typical. I've called customer service and explained it's much cheaper elsewhere, and they've asked for screenshot proof. Sit back and wait now I guess.

When did you book?

You're entitled to cancellation as you haven't received a service yet and you won't affect their service by cancelling so far in advance.

Sixt have let me cancel with 2 days notice in the past and no fee.

I've tended to book with Sixt the most as they're one of the only providers I've found to reliably offer a 3-series instead of merc or similar for roughly the same price.

Although the last few times I've been back to the UK, I've gone with Thrifty as they give me a ludicrously cheap upgrade to a 640d... book a Mondeo... then it's £10/day extra for 640d!

EDIT:

With that cancellation fee quoted, I assume you paid in full already... credit or debit card? If they are difficult, you can claim back easily with credit card.

Maccy · 30 Jul 2015 at 13:30

Thanks mate, paid with credit card - always use credit card for car hire, rarely I've found a place abroad that accepts debit card.

dl8860 · 30 Jul 2015 at 13:45

maccapacca said:

Those delirium beers are vicious...

Cosimo · 30 Jul 2015 at 13:46

Maccy said:
Cosimo, we're starting in Venice, working our way down to Florence, then Rome and finishing up in Sorrento. I wanted to hire a car to fully explore the Amalfi Coast though

Sorrento is a very good base for exploring.
We’ve stayed in the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria many times.
Pompeii and Herculaneum by train not car.
Naples and Capri by hydrofoil/jet boat.
By car up to Monte Faito from Vico Equense for the view and to escape the heat. There is a scary old hairpin descent into Castellammare di Stabia you can try.
Close by to Nerano for the beach.
The Amalifi Drive is spectacular.
Positano for cakes and dress shopping.
Amalifi for the cathedral.
Go to Ravello for lunch and the views.
A long way to drive but the Greek temples in Paestum are spectacular.

Have a great time.

Mikeyboy · 30 Jul 2015 at 14:12

Raymond Lin said:
But he will get there fresh as a daisy

Yup. After flying to Australia a couple of years ago, I said I'd never fly economy for that distance again.

Hikari Kisugi said:
Is your london singapore legs on the recently upgraded 777s or on their airbuses?
Just flew that leg on an upgraded 777 was very impressed, had been on the a380 previously several times, always enjoyed it, but when returning might feel it is a downgrade from the 777, as they are virtually 10 years old inside now, and technology moves so much.

3 of the flights are the A380, the MEL-SIN leg is the 777.

Tunney said:
Going on your own?

Yeah, seeing family for Christmas. Just fancied a bit of warm to break up the winter.