Duseldorf 2018

jfm said:
Yep do 1f. Much nattering to do! (Or I will do 1c if 1a is your lucky chair :D)
It's a transit towing a big box trailer. It's pretty full with "aquastar 74 refit round 2" clobber and some stuff for me, but a couple of batteries will fit. Let me check date and confirm. Alas there is def no room for motorbike on southbound trip at least.
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Ok wilco on 1f.

Ref battery transport, thanks that is v helpful. Horse box comment was just intended as humorous observation from a prev trip, no subtext - uber scooters won't swap over until April. In fact jury is still out on the details of this swappage plan - the new uber scooter that I have here in the UK is so fantastic I am using it in preference to all other vehicles at the moment, even rode it to Heathrow at 6am on Tuesday. Heated seat! On a scooter... So I'm a bit reluctant to donate it to the boat at the moment.
 
I'm in Dusseldorf from the afternoon of Thursday 25th until pm on Sunday 28th. Probably going to the show on Friday (and maybe Saturday too if I need a second dose). Let me show you lot round some nice rag 'n' stick boats.... :o
 
colhel said:
Do you ride the scooter down Jim?
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Not so far, I've either stuck them in the back of the truck, or in SilverDee's horsebox, or (most commonly) they get delivered by Riviera Transport. That said, the new one has cruise control which makes 850m of motorways a bit easier, although the tank range is small so you're still looking at seven or eight fill-ups which is a bit of a pita. I do ride the big bike down every year though, much more fun.
 
Angele said:
I'm in Dusseldorf from the afternoon of Thursday 25th until pm on Sunday 28th. Probably going to the show on Friday (and maybe Saturday too if I need a second dose). Let me show you lot round some nice rag 'n' stick boats.... :o
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Oi - I resemble that remark! :D
 
Whitelighter said:
I haven't got my seat selected yet because I'm just a plan so even in club can't do it until the night before
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I discovered this on BA business class flights over Christmas. Despite spending over £7,000 on 3 Club class flights to Miami British Airways wanted an extra £600 to select our seats, the only airline in the world as far as I know to charge for this in business class.

I refused to pay out of principle so they allocated me a seat in the lower deck, my wife and daughter 2 rows apart in the upper deck & you aren't allowed to walk between decks, the stairs are roped off.

I appreciate for people high enough up in the loyalty program seat selection is free but for people just paying cold hard cash £600 is quite a lot just to do something that's included elsewhere.

Business class for me includes extra space (a bed on long haul), extra luggage, a meal, refreshments and seat selection at time of booking. Thankfully there are other airlines who fly to my chosen destinations.

Henry :)
 
henryf said:
I discovered this on BA business class flights over Christmas. Despite spending over £7,000 on 3 Club class flights to Miami British Airways wanted an extra £600 to select our seats, the only airline in the world as far as I know to charge for this in business class.
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As I understand it, they did that so that their frequent flyer card holders (who apparently tend to book later) have a better choice of seating when they book. I guess it was a calculated strategy to keep their regular customers happier at the expense of their not so regular customers. Also surely what matters is the total cost of the ticket including seat selection rather the cost of seat selection alone?

FWIW we've just flown business class on Qatar Airways and it was really excellent and the fare included seat selection at the time of booking too
 
henryf said:
I discovered this on BA business class flights over Christmas. Despite spending over £7,000 on 3 Club class flights to Miami British Airways wanted an extra £600 to select our seats, the only airline in the world as far as I know to charge for this in business class.

I refused to pay out of principle so they allocated me a seat in the lower deck, my wife and daughter 2 rows apart in the upper deck & you aren't allowed to walk between decks, the stairs are roped off.

I appreciate for people high enough up in the loyalty program seat selection is free but for people just paying cold hard cash £600 is quite a lot just to do something that's included elsewhere.

Business class for me includes extra space (a bed on long haul), extra luggage, a meal, refreshments and seat selection at time of booking. Thankfully there are other airlines who fly to my chosen destinations.

Henry :)
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Yep, I'm burning through my last couple of companion tickets on BA but for paid for flights I've switched to Birgin for TA and will use Middle East carriers for other destinations.

BA are now worse than a budget airline in terms of unnecessary charges
 
I had a number of options across different airlines and assumed BA included seat selection in their business class fare. They don't and I now know it's an extra £600, a not insignificant chunk.

It turns out that because regular customers get seat selection free people who do pay often don't have much of a choice.

Regardless of where on the plane we sat I struggle to accept splitting up a family group of 3 which included an under 18 year old all booked at the same time several months in advance. BA's official stance is anyone over the age of 12 is treated as an adult and they don't seat families together. Where possible a child 12 years or under will be sat next to one of the parents.

Forewarned is forarmed.

Thankfully normal order resumes for our next flight with EVA who blow BA away on every level (and you've probably never heard of them unless you fly to Bangkok or Taipei :)

Back on topic debating whether to follow my trip to Cannes last year with a visit to Düsseldorf. Have to say I didn't ultimately see anything in Cannes which tempted me away from Princess or Sunseeker in the mid 50 foot sports flybridge arena.


Henry :)
 
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henryf said:
I had a number of options across different airlines and assumed BA included seat selection in their business class fare. They don't and I now know it's an extra £600, a not insignificant chunk.

It turns out that because regular customers get seat selection free people who do pay often don't have much of a choice.

Regardless of where on the plane we sat I struggle to accept splitting up a family group of 3 which included an under 18 year old all booked at the same time several months in advance. BA's official stance is anyone over the age of 12 is treated as an adult and they don't seat families together. Where possible a child 12 years or under will be sat next to one of the parents.

Forewarned is forarmed.

Thankfully normal order resumes for our next flight with EVA who blow BA away on every level (and you've probably never heard of them unless you fly to Bangkok or Taipei :)

Back on topic debating whether to follow my trip to Cannes last year with a visit to Düsseldorf. Have to say I didn't ultimately see anything in Cannes which tempted me away from Princess or Sunseeker in the mid 50 foot sports flybridge arena.


Henry :)
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Lack of choice is one thing, not seating you together is another.

However.... you can choose your seat 24 hours in advance and i am very surprised at if you did that you could not find 3 together
 
I logged in 22 hours prior to flying (not easy in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean :) ), and there was nothing left. I purposely didn't check in online because I didn't want to "accept" the allocated seats.

In the end I went to Miami airport 5 hours early and was moved to the upper deck, all be it 12 rows away in a different cabin. We didn't see each other during the flight. My wife negotiated with some other people who had been separated to swap seats so she could be next to our daughter. There were a lot of unhappy people in business class with husbands and wives separated in upper / lower decks so unable to see each other let alone sit together.

Given the current arrangements and BA's classification of anyone over 12 years old as an adult I can see British Airways being the chosen carrier of paedophiles. I was staring straight at someone my daughters age for 8 hours - to be fair I put the screen divider up as soon as possible but it automatically came down towards the end of the flight.

Outside Club World (business class) there is no personal space at all so people of a certain disposition will no doubt try to take advantage and what hope does a 13 year old have without their family for support?


Henry
 
I think BAs policy is wrong, however to suggest it encourages interfering with children is rather strong. Not sure about your comment re personal space - with the divider up it is pretty private in the window seat - but far from class leading.
 
jrudge said:
I think BAs policy is wrong, however to suggest it encourages interfering with children is rather strong. Not sure about your comment re personal space - with the divider up it is pretty private in the window seat - but far from class leading.
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But is it? I did contemplate before posting but how comfortable would you be with your 13 year old daughter sitting in between a couple of blokes 9 rows away from you?

Indeed how comfortable would you be sitting beside someone's 13 year old daughter who's parents were 9 rows away?

I felt uncomfortable for the girl sitting opposite me knowing how my daughter would feel. She was travelling with at least 2 other family members sat elsewhere in the cabin.

Given the lack of personal space on a plane one of the benefits in booking a group of familiy members is that you expect to be sitting together so at least you know who's arm you are pressing up against.

I'm sorry but on so many levels BA have got this wrong. We only fly business class long haul and I won't be flying British Airways again when there is an alternative even if it means taking a non direct route.

Anyway, back to Düsseldorf....

Henry :)
 
Henry, very much agree. Came back from Argentina via Miami last week. American do this as well. Seems almost misrepresentation. You pay for your ticket but sit where they tell you or pay an extra charge which is a very material percentage of the quoted price. With Easyjet you know where you are! Not sure I’d fly Easyjet from Miami but their approach feels far more honest.
 
henryf said:
I'm sorry but on so many levels BA have got this wrong. We only fly business class long haul and I won't be flying British Airways again when there is an alternative even if it means taking a non direct route.
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BA's system is heavily weighted to favour repeat users who have enough tier points to reserve seats free of charge at the point of booking. But, the facing pairs of seats in Club World do mean that it is one of the Business Class layouts that can actually work for other than people travelling on their own. I've just booked a block of four (two adjacent facing window pairs) for a couple of long haul flights several months in advance to make sure we can all sit together.
 
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benjenbav said:
BA's system is heavily weighted to favour repeat users who have enough tier points to reserve seats free of charge at the point of booking. But, the facing pairs of seats in Club World do mean that it is one of the Business Class layouts that can actually work for other than people travelling on their own. I've just booked a block of four (two adjacent facing window pairs) for a couple of long haul flights several months in advance to make sure we can all sit together.
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Not going to Dusseldorf, tho'. Hope you all enjoy it
 
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