I imagine that my designers can hammer out some fancy name tags. Do you want them to design them or do you have a desing in mind?

Dovster can you e-mail me all the information I will need? Handles/real names or whatever you want on the name tags.

Punki...thanks for the offer! Dovster can call the shots on this as he is TOTALLY in charge of our well-being, entertainment, fun and laughs. And perhaps we can even convince him to spring for the room charges, meals and casino gambling after a few grappas...;).
Based on my limited experience at FT “Do’s”, I’d suggest both the FT handle and everybody’s real name.
Regards....

Methinks that it is coming near time for Dovster to move Punki and Hunki from "Possible" to "Definite." In her case, "Definite" would be definite not when Punki gets the air, but when she puts in her request for tickets to La Fenice.
There are a couple of others in the boat without confirmed air but with confirmed requests for opera tickets. Maybe Dov needs to create a new category on milepost #1 of "Definite Probables."

Punki has already asked me if I really want to go, to which I said absolutely, yes! So, I ask her, "have you booked the flights yet?", to which she answers, "I waiting for a better fare". What's a lowly employee to do?
It's booked on my calendar, but I'm waiting for my ticket.:D So, as far as I know, we're coming, and I'm planning my schedule around it.

Hunki...good to hear from you! Sincerely hope to meet both you and Punki in VCE. My good and yet-to-have-met friend, ozstamps, has spoken very highly of both of you.

Waiting may be a big mistake this year.

I certainly hope it won't happen (and don't really expect it to) but there is a chance that Alitalia will go belly up in the next month -- its CEO has already confirmed that publicly.

If it does, supply for tickets to Italy will go down sharply and demand will remain the same -- meaning prices will skyrocket.

Punki, thanks for your offer. All we need is a place to put our real first names and our user names. Any design after that (Flyer Talk symbol, some Venetian, etc.) I will leave in your peoples' capable hands.

So, Cholula, why do you suppose that Ozstamps is missing this chance to meet you? Perhaps we have frightened him off by mentioning a suit jacket and tie. :D :D It would be grand if he and Joh, and Rudi and Gisela (who might be working too hard) would decide to show up for what I am sure will be a most amazing FlyerTalk event.

I won't wait much longer, Dovster to buy the tickets. I was just wondering what would happen after Labor Day and that is next Monday. The current prices are acceptable enough, even if we go Star Alliance all the way, but if they drop another $50.00 I would feel like I got a better bargain

The FlyerTalker in me will probably force me to stay at least one night at a Starwood property, probably the Danieli, which as I undertand it is close to St. Mark's Square. A trip without any points or stays would be too much for my FlyerTalk soul. I am also hoping that our status will get us upgraded to a room large enough for us to do our workouts in the morning. Does anybody know if the Danieli has an Executive Lounge? Free breakfast? (I would imagine, however, that since my scale told me this morning that I need to 10 pound to lose before October 2, I should probably not be thinking about food. How on earth does this happen to me?). :eek:

Punki, the Danieli does not have an executive lounge or free breakfast. It's not that type of hotel. :) But Platinum members do get wine (or Spumanti if you ask for it) and a large fruit bowl.

And Dovester is correct about Alitalia, although the latest I've heard is they will split into 3 airlines. In any case book soon and don't book AZ. Or if possible drive from France or Switzerland or take a train. I think strikes are inevitable and November is often a strike month. If the strike is big enough, other airport staff will strike and all flights will be affected. Not that I'm trying to scare anyone!

Personally I won't buy a ticket til maybe a week in advance but that's because I won't know if I can attend til then. Also I can drive to Venice in about 5 or 6 hours if I have to. ;)

I am ticketed on a Delta award itinerary which is mostly Alitalia: TLV-MXP-JFK on Alitalia, JFK-ATL-FLL on DL, MIA-CDG on AF, CDG-MXP on AZ, and finally back to TLV on AZ.

If Alitalia folds, I am going to cancel my US trip (hopefully DL will let me redeposit the SkyMiles) and then look at the situation again. If the airports are working, I will fly El Al TLV-MXP-TLV. If the strikes close them, too, I will go TLV-ZUR-TLV. Under no circumstances will I miss this meet.

My guess is that AZ will not fold -- that the Italian government will step in at the last minute (as it has so many times in the past). I may also be overly optimistic, but I believe that AZ's unions will recognize that this time they really are in danger and will become a little more reasonable.

If that does not happen, I expect the other transport unions to announce a series of one day strikes. This might delay arrivals/departures by 24 hours but I don't believe it will be worse than that.

Thank God for that! It would be a bummer othewise.

Let's hope not. As you mentioned earlier, I'm in country for something like 24 hours 45 mins and Ralf is there for about the same. Flyertalk chat while running to the gate anybody?
;)

Now I am getting excited. It is a wonderful thing to have such expert advice for our first trip to Italy. Thanks to all of you sophisticated world travelers for taking us novices under your wings.

So what do you think? Would we be able to get a room large enough for two people to simultaneously do jumping jacks at the Ai Mori? At 60, missing a day of working out is like missing a month at 30, so for us having the space is crucial.

The more I think about it, the more appealing the idea of being in the same hotel with everyone else becomes. I don't want to miss out on any of the fun going back and forth to the events and think that a smaller hotel in a real neighborhood would be way more interesting. Of course, Stimpy, assured me that at the Danieli they would treat me like a Queen, and that would afford me a fabulous opportunity to wear my new tiara. :D :D

If you get the same room I got last year, you can both do jumping jackings in the bathroom and then walk around the bed for exercise.

Venice (like Paris) is known for its tiny hotel rooms, but this definitely was not the case at the Ai Mori.

On the other hand, if you are going to do those jumping jacks in the morning, please ask not to be in the room above me.

With all the discussions we have had about walking around Venice and getting lost, I thought you might enjoy reading this New York Times article on getting lost in Venice.

It begins:

THE worst thing you can do, if lost in Venice, is to mind.

Venice is a city made for getting lost. Its streets are narrow, twisting and dark, and half of them are made of water. If being lost has a certain drifty feeling to it, one feels lost almost instantly in Venice, where everything -- even the parking lots -- tends to float.

YAY!! Please move lili-dui to the Definitely-Going-To-Be-There list. I also will be bringing my sister who is my designated map reader.

Hotel Ai Mori D'oriente
FONDAMENTA DELLA SENSA
CANNAREGIO 3319
VENICE, IT 20121

Dates, Guests, & Rooms
Arrival Date: Nov 19, 2004, Check In Time - 2 pm
Departure Date: Nov 23, 2004, Check Out Time - 12 pm

lili-dui, that is wonderful news! I am looking forward to meeting you. Please do not forget to write to Marco and let him know you are with us and get your upgrade.

Do you have any information about your flights?