Airmiles Armchair Chatter

[Donald - my hero]

went to Metro last night for some milk and a few other things to get my 3rd flash of my card on the phone for the week and to pick up a gift card. Came home to finish the final decisions and this morning used it for this... I'll be heading to the Airmiles site after a bit of a rest to do the next part

 

[hdrolfe]

went to Metro last night for some milk and a few other things to get my 3rd flash of my card on the phone for the week and to pick up a gift card. Came home to finish the final decisions and this morning used it for this... I'll be heading to the Airmiles site after a bit of a rest to do the next part
View attachment 694152

Exciting! We have stayed at POP 3 times now, and with skyliner it's so convenient! I hope you are going for a good long trip. Enjoy the planning.

 

[hdrolfe]

So not AM related:

I plan on buy gift cards for our trip to cover 90% of our costs. Only bringing enough cash for the transportation ($70 US) and extra ($100 US).

This is my budget for DD14 and I:

$350 (Food - 6 days, 2 meals each = $14.58 per meal)
$50 (Dinner at DS for arrival day)
$85 (Resort Balance owing)
$75 (Souvenirs)
=$560 US = $723+ CDN (Buy $725 Gift card(s))

Does that seem reasonable? Trying to not use my credit card to avoid foreign exchange fees.

I don't want to have ANY leftover on the cards since this will be our last trip for a long time.

I'll assume girls eat less than boys, but at 11 when we went last year my son was eating adult meals most of the time, even when I may have had a kids meal, and still wanted snacks (mostly ice cream or slushy drinks). Your food budget would maybe last us 3 - 4 days, though I am guessing you won't be getting any drinks and will be happy with the free ice water? Or just kids meals. And no snacks. The souvenirs we would manage with, we have been so many times we usually just get a magnet or something with the year on it, pressed pennies, and maybe a set of Minnie or Mickey ears.

 

[Donald - my hero]

Exciting! We have stayed at POP 3 times now, and with skyliner it's so convenient! I hope you are going for a good long trip. Enjoy the planning.

12 days, 11 nights and not moving resorts this time. Still trying to decide on which flights to use my miles on but I'm brain exhausted now, maybe tomorrow

 

[mort1331]

12 days, 11 nights and not moving resorts this time. Still trying to decide on which flights to use my miles on but I'm brain exhausted now, maybe tomorrow

I can fit in your carry on

 

[hdrolfe]

12 days, 11 nights and not moving resorts this time. Still trying to decide on which flights to use my miles on but I'm brain exhausted now, maybe tomorrow

That might be enough days lol. Sounds great though, and no moving resorts.

 

[tinkerone]

So not AM related:

I plan on buy gift cards for our trip to cover 90% of our costs. Only bringing enough cash for the transportation ($70 US) and extra ($100 US).

This is my budget for DD14 and I:

$350 (Food - 6 days, 2 meals each = $14.58 per meal)
$50 (Dinner at DS for arrival day)
$85 (Resort Balance owing)
$75 (Souvenirs)
=$560 US = $723+ CDN (Buy $725 Gift card(s))

Does that seem reasonable? Trying to not use my credit card to avoid foreign exchange fees.

I don't want to have ANY leftover on the cards since this will be our last trip for a long time.

I agree with Dancing Disney Style, I think you are underestimating. Food has gone up and I'm not sure everything is posted properly. As for souvenirs, if you buy just one pin you are looking at anywhere from $10 to $20 depending on how intricate the pin is. Stationary, that runs about $25 on the low end. Having said that, I often come home spending nothing on souvenirs as I already have one of everything from past trips, lol.
That's all just my thought though, you will have to report back when you return and let us know how you make out.

We are going in Feb, taking the grown children and families. For food, I'm thinking $700 to $1000 a day. There will be 7 of us, 3 meals a day and we will be doing some sit down meals as the trip is to celebrate my grandsons Bday. Add to that some snacks and I can see it easily hitting that mark. They are on their own for souvenirs....except for the grandson and granddaughter. Pop Century used to sell cases of water from the food court, don't know if they still do, but it was less than $5 for the case of 24.

 

[Donald - my hero]

Anyone booked one-way flights through Airmiles? We have a ton to use but the flight options we'd prefer either don't show up when i search round-trip or are stupidly high!

HUHM, this is odd, double-triple checking my maths and flight options and now what i want is showing up as a round-trip. It's an extra 500 miles but lets us be on one of the Air Canada planes with the 2 - 4- 2 configuration so the possibility to be *alone* is there.
Thoughts? Split the trip into AC on the way down and WJ on the way home or AC roundtrip. WestJet doesn't have an evening flight on the way south on a Sunday or we'd do that.

 

[tinkerone]

Anyone booked one-way flights through Airmiles? We have a ton to use but the flight options we'd prefer either don't show up when i search round-trip or are stupidly high!

HUHM, this is odd, double-triple checking my maths and flight options and now what i want is showing up as a round-trip. It's an extra 500 miles but lets us be on one of the Air Canada planes with the 2 - 4- 2 configuration so the possibility to be *alone* is there.
Thoughts? Split the trip into AC on the way down and WJ on the way home or AC roundtrip. WestJet doesn't have an evening flight on the way south on a Sunday or we'd do that.

I'm with you, I enjoy the 2-4-2 set up. I would go with that if it is both ways. For the peace of mind that would bring, the extra 500 miles is nothing. Get it booked before the flight disappears. They can go quickly.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

If you go into the app, you can pretend to put in a mobile order. Cosmic Rays has a burger and side for $12.29. No beverage included. Kids meals are still around $7-8 and include a beverage. Fountain beverage is $3.99, water is $3.50. Just an example.

Thank you for the post. I just did a few mock orders like you suggested and the prices are still accurate. Entrees are $14.99 or less (unless you are getting lobster roll or something like that ($16.99)).

I like the kids meals because you also get to choose two sides, which is more than enough food for me at lunch. We typically just share a drink at meal time or drink our own water.

 

[hdrolfe]

Anyone booked one-way flights through Airmiles? We have a ton to use but the flight options we'd prefer either don't show up when i search round-trip or are stupidly high!

HUHM, this is odd, double-triple checking my maths and flight options and now what i want is showing up as a round-trip. It's an extra 500 miles but lets us be on one of the Air Canada planes with the 2 - 4- 2 configuration so the possibility to be *alone* is there.
Thoughts? Split the trip into AC on the way down and WJ on the way home or AC roundtrip. WestJet doesn't have an evening flight on the way south on a Sunday or we'd do that.

I have booked one way in the past, sometimes the round trip doesn't show up or sometimes I don't have enough AM so pay cash for the other direction. It is weird how the flights show up, sometimes one way and sometimes round trip. I book however will get me the flights I want. And I also like when we can just be 2 in the row.

 

[ottawamom]

Anyone booked one-way flights through Airmiles? We have a ton to use but the flight options we'd prefer either don't show up when i search round-trip or are stupidly high!

HUHM, this is odd, double-triple checking my maths and flight options and now what i want is showing up as a round-trip. It's an extra 500 miles but lets us be on one of the Air Canada planes with the 2 - 4- 2 configuration so the possibility to be *alone* is there.
Thoughts? Split the trip into AC on the way down and WJ on the way home or AC roundtrip. WestJet doesn't have an evening flight on the way south on a Sunday or we'd do that.

I've booked one way flights many times. Sometimes it was the only way I could get the routing I wanted. The only tricky thing with one way flights "in these times" is that if your flight down is cancelled they won't automatically realize you don't need the return flight. Something to consider.

500 AM is only $50 not a huge price difference when you consider what you're paying for your holiday.

 

[ottawamom]

You guys have me planning a possible trip to Disneyland. I was just looking at the flights. Out of Canada huge $$$ but if I drive to Syracuse (3 hours) then fly from there it's 5600AM + $180 taxes and fees. The wheels are beginning to turn. Now we just need to make it through the fall and I might just be booking a birthday trip for me (and DH too).

I might actually be liking the changes they have made to booking flights. Being able to fly out of the US (a possible huge perk)

 

[Donald - my hero]

I'm with you, I enjoy the 2-4-2 set up. I would go with that if it is both ways. For the peace of mind that would bring, the extra 500 miles is nothing. Get it booked before the flight disappears. They can go quickly.

I have booked one way in the past, sometimes the round trip doesn't show up or sometimes I don't have enough AM so pay cash for the other direction. It is weird how the flights show up, sometimes one way and sometimes round trip. I book however will get me the flights I want. And I also like when we can just be 2 in the row.

I've booked one way flights many times. Sometimes it was the only way I could get the routing I wanted. The only tricky thing with one way flights "in these times" is that if your flight down is cancelled they won't automatically realize you don't need the return flight. Something to consider.

500 AM is only $50 not a huge price difference when you consider what you're paying for your holiday.

Well that was an incredibly painful process - couldn't get the site to accept ANY of the gazillion email addresses we have (ok, so I *only* have 4 and hubby has 5 ) and it kept timing out on me. Finally resorted to closing every tab and the clearing my cookies & history in Chrome, restarting the surface and then for the perhaps 6th time, went thru the entire search, select, type all the info in again BUT i added the email first and then finish the rest of the form.

DONE! I've put us on a flight that gets into MCO at 8:30 and next is to book a room at the Hyatt inside the airport and a rental car that we'll pick up in the morning. We'll head straight to the resort as soon as we wake up and that will completely eliminate the "travel day" at the beginning of the trip. The flight home isn't until 10 pm so that gives us the full day on the end of the trip as well. SO EXCITED

 

[hdrolfe]

You guys have me planning a possible trip to Disneyland. I was just looking at the flights. Out of Canada huge $$$ but if I drive to Syracuse (3 hours) then fly from there it's 5600AM + $180 taxes and fees. The wheels are beginning to turn. Now we just need to make it through the fall and I might just be booking a birthday trip for me (and DH too).

I might actually be liking the changes they have made to booking flights. Being able to fly out of the US (a possible huge perk)

Wait wait wait... we can use AM to book from Syracuse now? Like US to US? How did I not know this! Interesting... We have a cruise booked out of Miami in April, end of April, so I am hoping the weather will be nice enough not to worry if we have to drive to Montreal (or Syracuse) to fly to FLL or MIA. Booking via AM? Game changer! Though I don't currently have enough AM by a long shot.

 

[ottawamom]

That was the only benefit I saw to all the changes they made when they revamped the flights booking site. Whole new world opened up again.

 

[bababear_50]

Early look at Sobeys Ont Flyer
https://flyers.smartcanucks.ca/canada/sobeys-on-flyer-august-18-to-241/all
Can you have a look and tell me if you think the Cranberry Juice on the left side of flyer is included in the spend 10$ on compliments get 50 Bonus Airmiles. (yes I am wearing my reading glasses.... lol).
I was going to get some last night at Rexall but one bottle was $8.69
Thanks
Hugs Mel

 

[hdrolfe]

Early look at Sobeys Ont Flyer
https://flyers.smartcanucks.ca/canada/sobeys-on-flyer-august-18-to-241/all
Can you have a look and tell me if you think the Cranberry Juice on the left side of flyer is included in the spend 10$ on compliments get 50 Bonus Airmiles. (yes I am wearing my reading glasses.... lol).
I was going to get some last night at Rexall but one bottle was $8.69
Thanks
Hugs Mel

The first page? It's lemonade, iced tea & pure orange juice. Then Cranberry cocktail or 100% juice and the water enhancer. That does seem like a really good deal 50AM for $10?

Well I am broke... back to school shopping is expensive when your kid moves up to adult sizes and suddenly wants brand name stuff. We did a bunch in person but I did manage to do some online. I should get the Mix and Match spend $250, and really only need to spend another $100 or so in one store to get the max. I for sure need more stuff for kiddo but not sure where to purchase from so waiting to see and make sure all the others post properly. Amazon I mixed clothing and pet food... so I'm sure that'll cause a problem even though both qualify.

 

[bababear_50]

Thanks ,, I think I'll pick up some juice.

hdrolfe​

Darn kids,,, lol
I remember buying back to school stuff. Buying Indoor and outdoor shoes with 3 boys was just crazy expensive (six pairs of shoes). One lesson I learned was don't buy everything upfront ..because one of their friends will have something they just *must* have!
Hugs Hon

 

[hdrolfe]

Thanks ,, I think I'll pick up some juice.

hdrolfe​

Darn kids,,, lol
I remember buying back to school stuff. Buying Indoor and outdoor shoes with 3 boys was just crazy expensive (six pairs of shoes). One lesson I learned was don't buy everything upfront ..because one of their friends will have something they just *must* have!
Hugs Hon

I did refuse to buy more than 1 pair of shorts. He needs pants for fall/winter, not more shorts! He told me he could wear shorts all winter but I'm not thinking that'll happen when it's -30 and he has to go outside for lunch break.