Dec 31, 2019, 5:51 am
Last edit by: tcook052
This new annual thread has been carved out of the previous thread in an effort to reduce the number of megathreads on the AC forum. For those interested previous versions are the original 2004 - 2014 thread , 2015 edition, 2016 edition , 2017 edition, 2018 edition and 2019 edition.
The original thread started by accident but quickly became a popular place to come and discuss off topic things such as hockey, new movies, or almost anything that wouldn't fit into existing AC forum threads. Air Canada or Aeroplan topics such as flight feedback, in-flight services issues, status or mileage earning/redemption are all topics that should go into existing AC forum threads so others can benefit from this information. Topics about hotels or airlines and/or their loyalty programs, destinations, in-flight travel tech. or anything best discussed elsewhere on FT may be relocated to that forum as this thread isn't meant to import travel topics to this forum that are better discussed on other forums. FT is an amazingly diverse and large community so members are encouraged to seek out all of its resources.
While the conversation is more relaxed as it would be in a lounge that doesn't mean however that the FT rules don't apply here as they definitely do so please refrain from controversial topics such as politics or religion, avoid profanities and treat other lounge patrons with the same respect you expect.
tcook052
Air Canada forum moderator
The original thread started by accident but quickly became a popular place to come and discuss off topic things such as hockey, new movies, or almost anything that wouldn't fit into existing AC forum threads. Air Canada or Aeroplan topics such as flight feedback, in-flight services issues, status or mileage earning/redemption are all topics that should go into existing AC forum threads so others can benefit from this information. Topics about hotels or airlines and/or their loyalty programs, destinations, in-flight travel tech. or anything best discussed elsewhere on FT may be relocated to that forum as this thread isn't meant to import travel topics to this forum that are better discussed on other forums. FT is an amazingly diverse and large community so members are encouraged to seek out all of its resources.
While the conversation is more relaxed as it would be in a lounge that doesn't mean however that the FT rules don't apply here as they definitely do so please refrain from controversial topics such as politics or religion, avoid profanities and treat other lounge patrons with the same respect you expect.
tcook052
Air Canada forum moderator
The Forum Lounge Thread (2020)
Mar 12, 2020, 3:09 pm
#376
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: YVR
Programs: UA Premier Platinum
Posts: 3,759
I bought 4 bottles of scotch today.
I normally buy one bottle every 5 or 6 weeks.
In these dangerous times, there's some things we just can't do without.
I normally buy one bottle every 5 or 6 weeks.
In these dangerous times, there's some things we just can't do without.
Mar 12, 2020, 3:14 pm
#377
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE MM, FB Plat, WS Plat, BA Silver, DL GM, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,775
Mar 12, 2020, 3:34 pm
#378
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: YVR - MILLS Waypoint (It's the third house on the left)
Programs: AC*SE100K, wood level status in various other programs
Posts: 6,232
Since my wife works in the emergency department at one of the hospitals, I'm being sent to my parents' vacation place up in the mountains to do my time and my wife is currently packing up some stuff for me. I told her to pack me one bottle of Scotch, albeit one that's 66.7% alcohol. I could probably easily make it through 3-4 bottles in 10 days, but feel like I shouldn't
Sounds rough. Okay, maybe not.
But good on you for being a responsible citizen.
Mar 12, 2020, 6:19 pm
#379
Join Date: Mar 2020
Programs: AC 75k
Posts: 704
At the risk of being censored by our mods.
Lead news story on our national broadcaster's news site - NHL season suspended.
then later, Oh and our PM and his wife are in quarantine because Sophie has some kind of virus. NOT fake news, I have the screen shot.
Maybe they should have added, "So they decided they shouldn't be oot and aboot. Go Habs!"
Lead news story on our national broadcaster's news site - NHL season suspended.
then later, Oh and our PM and his wife are in quarantine because Sophie has some kind of virus. NOT fake news, I have the screen shot.
Maybe they should have added, "So they decided they shouldn't be oot and aboot. Go Habs!"
Mar 12, 2020, 6:37 pm
#380
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,343
I don't wanna go home
Mar 12, 2020, 9:21 pm
#381
Join Date: Mar 2020
Programs: AC 75k
Posts: 704
AND now Sophie Trudeau has tested positive for Corona. Just to make the point.
Mar 13, 2020, 4:14 pm
#382
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: YVR - MILLS Waypoint (It's the third house on the left)
Programs: AC*SE100K, wood level status in various other programs
Posts: 6,232
I get what is going on, and that the world is going to heck in handbasket, but I am so done with all of my various service providers sending out their obligatory COVID-19 emails.
Airlines, train lines, hotels, car rentals, restaurants, doctors, building managers, corporate HR, gyms, food delivery, transit, vets, mobile operators and cable companies. All no doubt manufactured by the same scripting engine that writes corporate press releases.
The straw that broke my camel back? One of my credit card providers just sent me a nicely formatted email on the subject.
Did they suggest using tap / contactless to pay? No. Did they offer to waive interest on balances (not that I care)? No. Did they offer to send me a clean credit card? No. Are they sending me a free toaster to use if / when I am in self-imposed isolation? No.
What they did offer was to share with me that they were keeping their same, friendly branch banking hours and their call centres were ready and waiting to take my call (in priority order, no doubt). That's it. An email that was startlingly devoid of all useful information.
I give up.
Maybe the solution here is to disconnect, find a cabin in the woods, drink copious amounts of scotch and grow a Grizzly Adams style beard. Oh wait, that's already been done! Never mind.
Airlines, train lines, hotels, car rentals, restaurants, doctors, building managers, corporate HR, gyms, food delivery, transit, vets, mobile operators and cable companies. All no doubt manufactured by the same scripting engine that writes corporate press releases.
The straw that broke my camel back? One of my credit card providers just sent me a nicely formatted email on the subject.
Did they suggest using tap / contactless to pay? No. Did they offer to waive interest on balances (not that I care)? No. Did they offer to send me a clean credit card? No. Are they sending me a free toaster to use if / when I am in self-imposed isolation? No.
What they did offer was to share with me that they were keeping their same, friendly branch banking hours and their call centres were ready and waiting to take my call (in priority order, no doubt). That's it. An email that was startlingly devoid of all useful information.
I give up.
Maybe the solution here is to disconnect, find a cabin in the woods, drink copious amounts of scotch and grow a Grizzly Adams style beard. Oh wait, that's already been done! Never mind.
Mar 13, 2020, 4:27 pm
#383
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AC SE100K-1MM, NH, DL, AA, BA, Global Entry/Nexus, APEC..
Posts: 18,877
I get what is going on, and that the world is going to heck in handbasket, but I am so done with all of my various service providers sending out their obligatory COVID-19 emails.
Airlines, train lines, hotels, car rentals, restaurants, doctors, building managers, corporate HR, gyms, food delivery, transit, vets, mobile operators and cable companies. All no doubt manufactured by the same scripting engine that writes corporate press releases.
The straw that broke my camel back? One of my credit card providers just sent me a nicely formatted email on the subject.
Did they suggest using tap / contactless to pay? No. Did they offer to waive interest on balances (not that I care)? No. Did they offer to send me a clean credit card? No. Are they sending me a free toaster to use if / when I am in self-imposed isolation? No.
What they did offer was to share with me that they were keeping their same, friendly branch banking hours and their call centres were ready and waiting to take my call (in priority order, no doubt). That's it. An email that was startlingly devoid of all useful information.
I give up.
Maybe the solution here is to disconnect, find a cabin in the woods, drink copious amounts of scotch and grow a Grizzly Adams style beard. Oh wait, that's already been done! Never mind.
Airlines, train lines, hotels, car rentals, restaurants, doctors, building managers, corporate HR, gyms, food delivery, transit, vets, mobile operators and cable companies. All no doubt manufactured by the same scripting engine that writes corporate press releases.
The straw that broke my camel back? One of my credit card providers just sent me a nicely formatted email on the subject.
Did they suggest using tap / contactless to pay? No. Did they offer to waive interest on balances (not that I care)? No. Did they offer to send me a clean credit card? No. Are they sending me a free toaster to use if / when I am in self-imposed isolation? No.
What they did offer was to share with me that they were keeping their same, friendly branch banking hours and their call centres were ready and waiting to take my call (in priority order, no doubt). That's it. An email that was startlingly devoid of all useful information.
I give up.
Maybe the solution here is to disconnect, find a cabin in the woods, drink copious amounts of scotch and grow a Grizzly Adams style beard. Oh wait, that's already been done! Never mind.
Just as I read your post, I received an email from one of the bank CEOs.
Why?
What does he think I'm going to do?
"First and foremost, I want you to know that our team is here to help. Whether it’s meeting your banking needs or discussing your long-term financial goals, we have plans in place to be here for you when you need us:"
Written by a PR or marketing person who doesn't realize the opening words make you sound like an idiot. He reminded me that the bank is well-capitalized, lol, oh and a suggestion about banking from home.
Thanks dude. lol
Mar 13, 2020, 4:30 pm
#384
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE MM, FB Plat, WS Plat, BA Silver, DL GM, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,775
Oh, and there's one from the company that manages my condo building.
Maybe the solution here is to disconnect, find a cabin in the woods, drink copious amounts of scotch and grow a Grizzly Adams style beard. Oh wait, that's already been done! Never mind.
Mar 13, 2020, 4:38 pm
#385
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: YVR - MILLS Waypoint (It's the third house on the left)
Programs: AC*SE100K, wood level status in various other programs
Posts: 6,232
Adam Smith - I'm looking forward to seeing the beard.
But you may want to watch Werner Herzog's 'Grizzly Man' before taking that next, big step. Just sayin'.
But you may want to watch Werner Herzog's 'Grizzly Man' before taking that next, big step. Just sayin'.
Mar 13, 2020, 4:52 pm
#386
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE MM, FB Plat, WS Plat, BA Silver, DL GM, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,775
Adam Smith - I'm looking forward to seeing the beard.
But you may want to watch Werner Herzog's 'Grizzly Man' before taking that next, big step. Just sayin'.
But you may want to watch Werner Herzog's 'Grizzly Man' before taking that next, big step. Just sayin'.
Mar 13, 2020, 5:10 pm
#387
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: YVR
Programs: UA Premier Platinum
Posts: 3,759
"A Year in the Taiga" is another great Werner Herzog film featuring a good deal more self-isolation than any of us could probably ever handle. It's on Amazon Prime Video.
Mar 13, 2020, 8:48 pm
#388
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: YVR - MILLS Waypoint (It's the third house on the left)
Programs: AC*SE100K, wood level status in various other programs
Posts: 6,232
Given that this is Friday, I am prone to end of week rants, but I think I've just cracked it. I really do.
Those losers who are hoarding toilet paper are unbelievably short sighted. You need to play the long game here.
So I've decided to hoard bidets.
I guess tomorrow I'll be making the rounds of the bathroom fixture stores. The upside is limitless.
Those losers who are hoarding toilet paper are unbelievably short sighted. You need to play the long game here.
So I've decided to hoard bidets.
I guess tomorrow I'll be making the rounds of the bathroom fixture stores. The upside is limitless.
Mar 13, 2020, 9:18 pm
#389
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: YVR
Programs: UA Premier Platinum
Posts: 3,759
Wow, financial markets did not let up on the wild ride of this week in the last hours before closing. So far we're not at 2007 levels of absolute losses, but day-to-day volatility with entire indices swinging from -10% to 10% in one just trading session is something I've not experienced before, even in 2007-08.
Mar 13, 2020, 9:21 pm
#390
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: YYC
Programs: AC E75K, spouse E75K (MM), National Emerald, various hotel programs
Posts: 372
The Toronto Star's editorial cartoon on Wednesday was on point, Theo Moudakis: Four horsemen | The Star
