May 18, 2013 MAGIC EBTA - Who is with us?

[GoofyNewfie]

Is there a fish extender sign up anywhere? Checked first post and couldn't see it, but probably missed it!

It's a PM to Binkytell. From our trip website https://sites.google.com/site/onamagicaltransatlanticjourney/home/organized-events/fe-exchange

From Binkytell:

If you would like to join in the FE exchange, please PM binkytell (SARAH) on the Disboards with your Disname, names of everyone in the room participating - first and surnames - and relationship to you (DH, DD, etc), ages of children, and your room number (if known). If you would prefer that your children's names not be posted publicly, just let me know. I'll keep them on my list, but I'll only put the relationship identifier (DD, DS) on the list.

Some people do like to do separate gifts for children so it can be helpful to let us know childrens age and gender. I also will not post surnames. Some folks need the names for their FE gifts, so I will only pass them on to those people.

You MUST send me a PM with your information in order to be included in the FE!!!! Simply mentioning your desire to participate in a post on the thread will not get you included.

we can agree a cut off date and numbers per group that suits the majority at a later date.

remember Whatever you decide to give will be enjoyed and appreciated, its the taking part that counts.

sarah xx
To learn more about Fish Extenders, Gift exchanges or FE gift ideas, please see the Fish Extender Information page.

 

[Ladyshopper]

Thanks so much, will send her a pm.

Just booked my hotel near the airport for the night. Free airport shuttle, opposite Walmart (so can buy some alcohol to take onboard!! ) and various places to eat nearby.

It was pretty cheap (less than half the amount I had budgeted) and I don't pay til I'm there, plus can cancel up to the day before if I find something better.

 

[Tink1987]

Yes it is. Am already missing a week and a day of school for kids, so really can't do any more - would have been lovely to have a few days in Barcelona but not to be.

We are the same, need to be back in work on the Monday so no time in Barcelona for us either!

 

[GoofyNewfie]

I'm so thankful that I was able to get 3 weeks for this trip. But I gotta use up one to get to Galveston. Dare not risk trying to get there same day. I'd have only 30 minutes to spare by my estimation.

I figure 2 days in Barcelona and 2.5 days in London after. It's also going to take me more than a day to get home so I have to use up another day for that.

 

[Tink1987]

Is anybody else flying into Houston on the 16th May and going straight to Galveston?

Just wondering if anybody wanted to organise a shuttle together or even a taxi together?

Only asking because it's quite expensive from IAH to Galveston

 

[NancyIL]

Is anybody else flying into Houston on the 16th May and going straight to Galveston?

Just wondering if anybody wanted to organise a shuttle together or even a taxi together?

Only asking because it's quite expensive from IAH to Galveston

My friend Vicki and I will arrive on the 16th, but we are flying into Houston Hobby and renting a car.

 

[NancyIL]

I'm so thankful that I was able to get 3 weeks for this trip. But I gotta use up one to get to Galveston. Dare not risk trying to get there same day. I'd have only 30 minutes to spare by my estimation.

I figure 2 days in Barcelona and 2.5 days in London after. It's also going to take me more than a day to get home so I have to use up another day for that.

If my flight times don't change much, and all 4 flights are on time - I will get home the same day I leave from Barcelona! I am using FF miles, so I will keep trying to change my JFK-RDU-ORD routing to a JFK-ORD routing. There is only one JFK-ORD flight that will work, and there are no available seats using the fewest miles at this time.

 

[Tink1987]

My friend Vicki and I will arrive on the 16th, but we are flying into Houston Hobby and renting a car.

I think I am just going to have to suck it up and release that I have to pay around $165 cab ride!

 

[GoofyNewfie]

I think I am just going to have to suck it up and release that I have to pay around $165 cab ride!

Hi Tink, I don't have the details at the moment, but my wife said it was $110 for a limo from the GW Bush Airport to Galveston. I tried looking through her list of emails and I don't yet see how she got a price. I'll ask her in the morning and get back.

We're going to come in on the 17th.

 

[GoofyNewfie]

If my flight times don't change much, and all 4 flights are on time - I will get home the same day I leave from Barcelona! I am using FF miles, so I will keep trying to change my JFK-RDU-ORD routing to a JFK-ORD routing. There is only one JFK-ORD flight that will work, and there are no available seats using the fewest miles at this time.

Nice. Air Canada is too much of a rip-off for one-ways. They'd get me home easy in a single day. I've been doing it all too often these days. But it's about $3000 for 2 one-ways from London (I think it was $6K from Barcelona ). Thankfully, there are cheaper, but more roundabout options or we wouldn't be doing this trip.

 

[MandyGirl]

Feel your pain with airfare.... We've seen IcelandAir increase since we purchased tickets. My mother-in-law finally decided to join, and her airfare was about 50% more. Now of course they aren't selling the cheapie economy seats - just the next class up - so she will have a little more room, but she would have been happy getting the lesser expensive seats.

 

[kaseyC]

If my flight times don't change much, and all 4 flights are on time - I will get home the same day I leave from Barcelona! I am using FF miles, so I will keep trying to change my JFK-RDU-ORD routing to a JFK-ORD routing. There is only one JFK-ORD flight that will work, and there are no available seats using the fewest miles at this time.

I'm in the same boat. We have a return flight from Paris on 6/16 -CDG-YYZ-ORD on Air Canada and United. There is a non stop CDG-ORD on United, but there are no lower miles saver awards available yet, I keep checking and hoping some open up because that would be my ideal flight home.

 

[NancyIL]

I'm in the same boat. We have a return flight from Paris on 6/16 -CDG-YYZ-ORD on Air Canada and United. There is a non stop CDG-ORD on United, but there are no lower miles saver awards available yet, I keep checking and hoping some open up because that would be my ideal flight home.

I could get home (to Champaign) on 3 flights if I were willing to stay overnight in Miami, NY, or Chicago. I prefer to get home in one day, so I'll wait and see how flight schedules change between now and June. Too bad an overnight in Orlando isn't an option, or I'd choose that!

 

[MandyGirl]

You ladies sound like us... we had enough FF miles on AA to get us all home at the conclusion of our time in Europe, but when the schedules came out, they had connections where we had to change airports (in London or NYC) or were codeshare on BA with crazy fees. When I found a flight I liked, it was about $350 each plus 30k AA miles... figured it was worth it to spend the extra and save our miles. Gives me an excuse to book another transatlantic... Now I am wishing I had booked our stopover in Iceland for longer - that will be just a tease spending only 2 nights there.

 

[Tink1987]

Hi Tink, I don't have the details at the moment, but my wife said it was $110 for a limo from the GW Bush Airport to Galveston. I tried looking through her list of emails and I don't yet see how she got a price. I'll ask her in the morning and get back.

We're going to come in on the 17th.

Hi Goofy, thanks very much, much appreciated

 

[woody73]

. . . And, something else I've recently noted, but not really figured out for sure is when using the credit card to purchase something that they'll ask me if I want to pay in CAD or GBP. If I pay in CAD, I'm getting a much worse rate than my bank/CC company charges. So I've started just saying GBP is fine.

This is called Dynamic Currency Conversion, and I avoid it whenever possible. While in Spain last month, it would have added $10 to our two night hotel bill.

Woody

 

[Tink1987]

Can anyone please remind how much the Enterprise one way rental is from IAH to Galveston? I know somebody checked but I can't find the price on our super long thread now

Thinking a car is the best way to go due to us wanting to stop off in the new Tanger outlet mall.

Thanks

 

[NancyIL]

Can anyone please remind how much the Enterprise one way rental is from IAH to Galveston? I know somebody checked but I can't find the price on our super long thread now

Thinking a car is the best way to go due to us wanting to stop off in the new Tanger outlet mall.

Thanks

My 2-day rental of an Enterprise economy car from Houston Hobby to Galveston is $120.99 - including taxes.

 

[Tink1987]

My 2-day rental of an Enterprise economy car from Houston Hobby to Galveston is $120.99 - including taxes.

Thank you, will call Enterprise the weekend and prebook.

 

[MandyGirl]

Can anyone please remind how much the Enterprise one way rental is from IAH to Galveston? I know somebody checked but I can't find the price on our super long thread now

Thinking a car is the best way to go due to us wanting to stop off in the new Tanger outlet mall.

Thanks

From Hobby to Galveston with Enterprise, one day (24 hour) car rental, we got $84 all in. When I found a rep who did not try to charge me the $100 drop fee, I snagged it. The previous time I called it came to about $225 for the same dates / times / vehicle because of a drop fee and something else.