GABIT attendees thread

[dipsofjazz]

98 DAYS TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome home, Mal. Did you bring back some pressies from your holiday for all of us? Did you???

[scifithinker]

Welcome back, Mal. Nice to see the bolded pink again. (Not that Kliggy didn't do a wonderful job...)

[Kliggins]

Welcome home, Mal. Did you bring back some pressies from your holiday for all of us? Did you???

Greedy little thing you.

[SEREN LWCH (MAL)]

Welcome home, Mal. Did you bring back some pressies from your holiday for all of us? Did you???

Yep . I bought me back for you

[SEREN LWCH (MAL)]

97 DAYS TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ames]

Booked the hotel last night Fri, Sat, and Sun

Spoiler:

On the 4th attempt, I got a live person ... who was in central booking and, as our email warned us, hadn't a scoobie what I was on about. Sigh.
Called for a 5th time, was sent to central booking without warning again. This time however, the fellow was very informative and life was good. Asked for a double and a fridge in the room. No worries.
Get the email confirmation - I've been booked at the single occupancy with a guaranteed two twin beds. Um ... what? So back I go to calling the Ren again. And get central booking again. Sigh. Explain my prob, and the nice lady fixed up the reservation with the correct requests. Yayness! She did say that the room would include either a mini-bar or a mini-fridge, and to ask at the desk when checking in ... just an FYI for anyone who cares about that.

... And a quick q for those who have booked already: did your confirmation include an 'estimated taxes and services' fee as well (in addition to the room cost)?

[samcarterrules]

Welcome back, Mal Did you have fun?

Julia(samcarterrules)

[ShimmeringStar]

speaking of hotel reservations, did you guys get the con rate for thursday? cause when i called i was told that they were sold out and to get a room for that night is 145 pounds (300 dollars), so twice what it is for the con rate.

i'm wondering if that's accurate or if they were messed up with something

Yea, unfortunately we got Thursday for 145 pounds (luckily we are splitting the cost)

I just made my reservation and got Thursday for 115 pounds. You might want to call them and see if they'll give you that rate (a friend has had much success with lowering her hotel bill right up to the time she checks in).

Of course, the reservation online doesn't add up. The total for all nights without tax was 357 and it said 15 in 'gov taxes and fees' but the total line said 419. Weird.

I made my reservations back in October and I got the room for Thursday at 145GBP.

Suse and I got the same rate.

IIRC, someone in the G4 said they might be able to negotiate the con rate on Thurs for us. Does anyone besides me remember this? Or am I hallucinating again?

I'm starting to feel frazzled about everything that needs to be done before I go. Anticipating is not nearly as much fun now as it was a few months ago.

They must have done just a handful of rooms for Thursday night, because I reserved *months* ago and it was a terrible price.

I guess they feel like they have us over a barrell. We arrive Friday and risk delays cutting into the weekend or arrive Thursday and either pay up or go into the city proper looking for a better deal==> and shlepping our stuff everywhere.

suse

We did go back to the hotel and try and get the rate reduced for attendees on thursday, but this is a bank holiday weekend in the UK, and they were too busy already to be able to extend the convetion rate. This is a busy Business use hotel and we only ge the rates we do at the weekend becuse it's a time they would otherwise be fairly quiet.

I think a few people managed to get a special rate for thursday, but it still isn't close to the weekend convention rate and was based on being booked in advance spcial offers ...yada yada.

If you need to come in earlier, there are some cheaper hotels in the area, but be warned the cheaper ones are cheaper because they have fewer regular customers... if you catch my drift. The exception is probably the travel inn ( now premier inn)/ travel lodge type basic hotels which are usually a decent standard room only but the same standard all over the country.

Sorry we can't be more helpful
Becks
G4

I know when I reserved for AT2 in 2006 the very nice woman on the toll-free reservations line had put me in for 4 nights at the 80 pound (AT2) rate. I coulda hugged her when I got there and realized what it had meant (an extra day at the con rate!). I can't remember if anyone else had gotten it.

So you I know I *really* tried my darnedest this time with the reservations clerks at the toll free number, but it was a no go, unfortunately. When I reserved the room for AT3 in late September I got the con rate for just the 3 days of the con, like Becks said we'd get. Since roomie & I want to do sightseeing before the con, the best deal I could get back then for Weds./Thurs. was what they called an "advanced purchase" rate of 109/night. (But that rate's 'string attached' was that we'd be charged for those two nights and no refund if something came up and both of us were unable to attend.)

But it was a heck of a lot better than the one day corporate rate (139) I was charged for the Monday night after the AT2 con, soooo....

Are we there yet? Huh? Huh? Huh?

But I'm still happy with the rates (wonder if sharing the rate with roomie has anything to do with that??!) and am sooooooooo looking forward to meeting up with everyone again. Can't believe we're under 100 days now!

But I do finally have my airline ticket finally! Decided to not do Scotland. That exchange rate is *sighs* and I hate to say I'd like to have those funds (minus the double whammy) of the exchange rate for 2 cons this summer & two get-togethers with friends from here. Ah well... maybe someday when the exchange rate ever comes back down.....

(uh..... did I hear.... whispers of..... AT4???!!!) *ducks from JuliaR & runs*

I heard the word "packing"???? Ehhhrrrmmm, that's something you do a few hours before you fly... (y'know--- make a space on the couch, keep throwing things onto the pile, then a few hours before flight ease everything into the bags.... )

(((All)))

[scifithinker]

I heard the word "packing"???? Ehhhrrrmmm, that's something you do a few hours before you fly... (y'know--- make a space on the couch, keep throwing things onto the pile, then a few hours before flight ease everything into the bags.... )

(((All)))

And to think that I'm working on lists so I can manage to bring everything I need but not the kitchen sink...

...and it's driving me nuts.

[ShimmeringStar]

And to think that I'm working on lists so I can manage to bring everything I need but not the kitchen sink...

...and it's driving me nuts.

Hee!

Now I never said I don't make a list....

At some point (way closer to the con, like maybe in early April) I'll do a good long detailed list of *everything* I can possibly think of that I'll need/want/will be taking with me (y'know... starting with the feet {socks, shoes - check} and ending with the head {toothbrush/paste, floss,....M&M snack packs --check }) and usually'll print it out the day I'm flying to carry with me in case me and the checked luggage get permanently parted.

But yeah, that last week, I don't have a couch 'cause that's where everything tends to get piled up so that I literally do pack the day of flight so things won't get wrinkled. (my flight here doesn't leave until 7:30 p.m., so.....) Until April all I've got going now is just an empty drawer in the file cabinet that I've been throwing non-clothes general con stuff in so I don't have to think about it much. (Last time I had a plastic storage box that I did the same thing to a few months out.)

[scifithinker]

If I put everything out on the couch, the cats would sleep on it, and I'd be cleaning cat hair of my clothes the entire time I was in London.

[samcarterrules]

And to think that I'm working on lists so I can manage to bring everything I need but not the kitchen sink...

...and it's driving me nuts.

Ah lists! I'm so glad I'm not the only one who does that LOL. I'll start writing my list at the end of March

Julia(samcarterrules)

[dipsofjazz]

Yep . I bought me back for you

(((((Mal)))))

[RepliCartertje]

Ah lists! I'm so glad I'm not the only one who does that LOL. I'll start writing my list at the end of March

Julia(samcarterrules)

list?? what list

No I am not one of those list people, I mean then I am even more panicking that I might have forgot something, cause I would only follow my list, if I just pack and go through every thing I will probably not forget to much lol... I am sure I will forget something though...that is who I am and it isn't fun if you don't forget anything lol

[Mandysg1]

Oooh Lists sounds like a good idea

1. Passport
2. Jan
3. Credit card
4. Extra source of funds

Spoiler:

Jan's credit card or ambermoon's