Confessions of a YYC Travel Junkie

[cmyden]

Originally Posted by Cappy

Download and activate the esim at home on wifi a day before heading out.

Any person that i know that has had issues is due to trying to activate it at the airport or when they get to the country.

That is a great tip, for a few reasons:

- e-sims all work the same way, you take a pic of QR code to install them, and that is usually way easier to do at home with a second screen or device nearby.

- you don't want to be fumbling around for free wifi at the airport when you land to get it installed. Install the e-sim at home, that way it's all ready to go as soon as you get there.

Just to also mention, if say, you buy an e-sim that's valid for 2 weeks, you can install/activate it at home at any time before your trip, and it will still be valid for 2 weeks once you get there. The clock doesn't actually start ticking until it connects to the foreign cell tower of the country you're visiting.

-

[FurnaceFace]

Originally Posted by RichieRich

How is this one as a man-bag? ...as in metrosexual, not too feminine? Actually been trying to track one down but they seem rather expensive.


Can it hold a small mirrorless digital camera with small lens?

I have this bag and have used it for years. It is unisex.

It just holds my iPad Pro 12 in the back pouch.
The main pocket fits my micro 3/4 camera with 12-60mm lens on it and there would be space beside for another lens or something else. That maybe fills the bottom half of the pocket with enough room for your travel liquid bag, a light jacket, or snacks.
The front pocket has space for passport/phone and a couple of other slots plus a large enough pocket for other things like energy bars, batteries, cables, etc.

It holds a surprising amount of stuff packed and fits under seats easily. I very much recommend this as your personal carry bag (assuming you don’t need a big laptop.)

EDIT: Just found the tag on my and realized I have the Metrosafe 250. I felt the 200 wasn’t the right number. Sadly I don’t thing they offer the 250 anymore. I’d still recommend the 200. They are really good bags.

[kn]

My wife and I along with our four year old daughter are heading to Vegas for five days in August. We’re staying on the North end of the strip, about a 45 minute walk from Bellagio/MGM Grand, etc.

Any tips for must sees or things not to do or avoid? We’ve never been and are not gamblers. We’ll be spending one day for a trip to the Grand Canyon but the other three days are open.

Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[chemgear]

I wonder who they will let use these?

(And will they ask for tips? I can't imagine strugglers backing up the line trying to figure these out.)



https://www.npr.org/2024/03/07/12367...-screening-dhs

TSA unveils a prototype self-service airport checkpoint security screening system

An experimental self-service screening system for airport security checkpoints is being unveiled for testing starting this month, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced on Wednesday in a press release.

[bizaro86]

Meh. If we're having security theater anything that adds a few more lines helps. It says in the article it's TSA pre-check only.

[Hsquared75]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse

What do you guys like to use for carrying your passports, travel cash, any paper boarding passes etc? When we go on vacation I seem to be in charge of all the paper work for the three of us, and am always worried I’m going to lose something important. I was considering one of those sling bags, or are those reserved for old wankers (which I am not, yet)

Last year while traveling in Europe, I borrowed my mom's Eddie Bauer cross body bag. https://www.eddiebauer.ca/p/82300493...SIZE&sizeType=

Obviously, the color might not be to your taste. I liked the fact that it is mostly front carry and I kept all of our passports (3), my wallet and some printed tickets (personal preference due to having my phone's data NOT work at crucial points). I did find it a little bit small so this year my husband got me a bigger one that I can use every day as well. It does wear in the front very nicely. It can be also thrown onto the back and not flop around too much.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09F8VZ6HW/...ding=UTF8&th=1

I got the large one because I wanted to use it all the time. The gentleman on the YouTube Video where I got the recommendation got the smaller one. Just depends on what you would want right in front of you.

Just a note from a few Vloggers I've watched. Apparently, if you can get a small one that lies flat on your body, a lot of airlines will not even consider that a personal item. It would be considered part of your clothing.

[billybob123]

Originally Posted by kn

My wife and I along with our four year old daughter are heading to Vegas for five days in August. We’re staying on the North end of the strip, about a 45 minute walk from Bellagio/MGM Grand, etc.

Any tips for must sees or things not to do or avoid? We’ve never been and are not gamblers. We’ll be spending one day for a trip to the Grand Canyon but the other three days are open.

Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Are you renting a car? If yes, my three favourite places around LV are Red Rock Canyon (your daughter, with some help, can do the junior ranger program there and get a cool badge for it), Valley of Fire, and the drive through all the Joshua trees along the road between Searchlight and Needles. My kids loved scrambling around on the rocks at Red Rock.

This all being said, I've only ever done these in the fall or winter. I can't imagine being outdoors in August... Maybe heading up to Mr Charleston? Wouldn't recommend Death Valley in summer either.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by billybob123

Are you renting a car? If yes, my three favourite places around LV are Red Rock Canyon (your daughter, with some help, can do the junior ranger program there and get a cool badge for it), Valley of Fire, and the drive through all the Joshua trees along the road between Searchlight and Needles. My kids loved scrambling around on the rocks at Red Rock.

This all being said, I've only ever done these in the fall or winter. I can't imagine being outdoors in August... Maybe heading up to Mr Charleston? Wouldn't recommend Death Valley in summer either.

We went to Red Rock Canyon one summer and only survived an hour before we had to head back. It was unbearable at 10am. If you go before 9am it is okay but after that it becomes an inferno.

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by chemgear

I wonder who they will let use these?

(And will they ask for tips? I can't imagine strugglers backing up the line trying to figure these out.)



https://www.npr.org/2024/03/07/12367...-screening-dhs

TSA unveils a prototype self-service airport checkpoint security screening system

An experimental self-service screening system for airport security checkpoints is being unveiled for testing starting this month, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced on Wednesday in a press release.

Used this in Vegas in January (they were using it in small doses then and had staff there as usual).

It's pretty similar to pre-check just with less TSA officers. I suppose if you have TSA precheck, you are not a novice flier so it likely won't cause too many delays there.

Also, TSA precheck in the states is practically not security. Saddledome has more security than Precheck

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Cappy

Used this in Vegas in January (they were using it in small doses then and had staff there as usual).

It's pretty similar to pre-check just with less TSA officers. I suppose if you have TSA precheck, you are not a novice flier so it likely won't cause too many delays there.

Also, TSA precheck in the states is practically not security. Saddledome has more security than Precheck

We've been asked to go downstairs at LAS twice to use the Innovation Checkpoint. It is kind of cool and definitely much faster and both times there were only about a dozen of us down there.

[chedder]

Didn't know if this should be in this topic or the credit card one. I think I'm going to cancel my Westjet world elite MasterCard. It seems to provide very little value. The only thing I see is free checked bags. Just tried the companion voucher for a flight to Mexico and would save less than $100 over just paying for two fares.

I don't gather a bunch of Westjet dollars because my Avion card gives better perks.

Anyone like the Westjet card and tell me I'm missing something?

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by chedder

Didn't know if this should be in this topic or the credit card one. I think I'm going to cancel my Westjet world elite MasterCard. It seems to provide very little value. The only thing I see is free checked bags. Just tried the companion voucher for a flight to Mexico and would save less than $100 over just paying for two fares.

I don't gather a bunch of Westjet dollars because my Avion card gives better perks.

Anyone like the Westjet card and tell me I'm missing something?

It's our primary credit card and it suits our purposes. WestJet dollars we collect offset the cost of the card so it works for us as WS is the primary airline we use out of YYC.

Only thing you are missing (if YYC based) is priority screening at security rather than in line with all the regular schmucks.

[btimbit]

I'm guessing that's just because mexico has such high fees to fly into, even with a $0 fare you're looking at several hundred dollars round trip. It's likely more worthwhile to use it for flights to the US since that's cheap

[chedder]

Originally Posted by btimbit

I'm guessing that's just because mexico has such high fees to fly into, even with a $0 fare you're looking at several hundred dollars round trip. It's likely more worthwhile to use it for flights to the US since that's cheap

Thanks. Just looked more closely and, yeah, those fees are high. It's funny, I haven't used the companion fare in like 5 years but I do get enough Westjet dollars to offset the card fee. Maybe I'll make the voucher work one of these years.

[btimbit]

Makes sense. I remember a friend of mine that worked at westjet at the time saying he could fly to Honolulu for like $70, but Cancun was still $400

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by kn

My wife and I along with our four year old daughter are heading to Vegas for five days in August. We’re staying on the North end of the strip, about a 45 minute walk from Bellagio/MGM Grand, etc.

Any tips for must sees or things not to do or avoid? We’ve never been and are not gamblers. We’ll be spending one day for a trip to the Grand Canyon but the other three days are open.

Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Check out The Sphere. They do this thing when there's no concerts called The Sphere Experience multiple times daily and it's so cool. Your daughter is 4, mine is 5. She'll absolutely love it. It's like an Imax on steroids. When there's wind, you feel it, when you see orange blossoms you can smell them. It's very cool.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by chedder

Didn't know if this should be in this topic or the credit card one. I think I'm going to cancel my Westjet world elite MasterCard. It seems to provide very little value. The only thing I see is free checked bags. Just tried the companion voucher for a flight to Mexico and would save less than $100 over just paying for two fares.

I don't gather a bunch of Westjet dollars because my Avion card gives better perks.

Anyone like the Westjet card and tell me I'm missing something?

If you're saving $100 once per year on a flight you'd take anyway, plus getting free checked baggage on at least one flight it's probably worth keeping it even if you don't spend any money on it. Annual fee is $119 so if you're saving more than that it makes sense to keep.

[kn]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

Check out The Sphere. They do this thing when there's no concerts called The Sphere Experience multiple times daily and it's so cool. Your daughter is 4, mine is 5. She'll absolutely love it. It's like an Imax on steroids. When there's wind, you feel it, when you see orange blossoms you can smell them. It's very cool.

Sounds and looks cool until I saw the price! $250-$300 US per ticket.

EDIT: That was a reseller site. Regular priced is $79 per ticket.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by kn

Sounds and looks cool until I saw the price! $250-$300 US per ticket.

EDIT: That was a reseller site. Regular priced is $79 per ticket.

I don't know if your kid is old enough or interested enough but Penn and Teller is a great show. My kids really enjoyed it.

I'd also recommend the Pinball museum across from Mandalay Bay/Luxor. You can spend a fair bit of time there and only blow through $20 or so. The kid might enjoy that.

It is probably a good idea to spend a few hours and see the Flamingos and turtles at The Flamingo resort, also go across the street to Bellagio and see the conservatory. Maybe walk through the forum shoppes at Caesar's Palace although that might not be too interesting for a young kid.

Since you are staying on the north end you should check out the Container Park. They usually have some cool shows/performances going on.

Omega Mart would probably be a cool sensory experience for kids.

[cmyden]

Just a summary of the rumors currently circulating around Flair...

- Their website hasn't been accepting any new bookings since Friday afternoon.

- The rumor is that their payment processor (People's Trust) broke ties with them and Flair is looking for a new payment processor.

(The mainstream media has been reporting this as 'IT issues')

- This afternoon Flair started directing traffic from their own website to third party sites for booking (Expedia, CheapoAir), a highly unprecendented thing for an airline to do.

- Some are calling this the straw that breaks the camel's back for Flair. Others point out that Flair seemingly goes through a backbreaking event every quarter and somehow finds a way to survive.

- 777 Partners, the hedge fund that has a 25% ownership stake in Flair, are currently involved with trying to acquire Everton in the Premier League (they've reportedly been selling assets to raise the money to do so). 777's CFO resigned last month.

AM Best recently downgraded 777's credit rating to C- (In November they were downgraded from A- to B)