Sapman:

Thanks for the tip on the older than 3-4 months posts on the GP forum. I had searched that forum for posts, but only had been looking for newer posts, and I had checked the Travel & Dining forum for posts on Costa Rica. Was the Travel Auction site Skyauction.com? With 4 1/2 days, I was thinking the volcano/rain forest area for 2 days and the beach for 1 1/2 days with SJO for a day. My kids are college age and I want to give them a quick flavor of the country.

Yes, it was Skyauction... I am quite sure. If you have not used before, watch for the "hidden charges". They are posted, but read carefully.

We stayed at the:

Grand Papagayo by Occidental
P.O. Box 48-500
Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Phone: ( 506 ) 672-0191

There was a related Papagayo hotel (not Grand, maybe Alegro?) that I heard was quite good also, and cheaper.


It was a nice hotel with new mgmt. I had read of problems from visitors 5 months earlier, but we had none and it seemed they had made improvements. We were in off season and not many people. Food was very good (2 upscale restaurants - make reserv. before you go if you can- and a buffet). As it was only 15% full when we were there, restaurants were always avaiable. Probably, for us, an 7/8 on 10 scale.

I think cost was $130/night for both of us, incl. all meals and drinks, taxes, etc.

The area is remote and quiet. On the penisula, the Four Seasons. Not too far from volcano, but I think about a 3 hr. drive, so a stop there and then to coast (or vice versa) There are rainforests all over C.R., not sure which are best.

There are many other hotels around, not all-inclusive. But not major towns within 15 min drive.

Really getting GP's goat.....
 

Not only are they running from credit card fraud charges (via FL atty. general from what I understand)....but they seem a little edgy.....check out this thread from another GP forum that is uncensored by Flyertalk:

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globalpass
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2 Posts
Posted - 10/18/2005 : 11:19:26 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weekly Fare-Grams from Globalpass and my correspondence with Customer Care.

It starts out tame enough......

-------Original Message-------

From: GlobalPass eNews
Date: 10/12/05 10:03:07
To: [email protected]
Subject: The Best Airfares to Latin America

Dear William Byrnes,

Log-in to your GlobalPass account and search for Web Airlines flights and airfares
to Latin America and compare with Travelocity!

FROM TO Web Airlines Travelocity
Miami Santiago $863 (DL) $877
Miami Lima $504 (AM) $536
Miami Buenos Aires $653 (TAM) $744
Los Angeles Sao Paulo $884 (DL) $1001
New York Buenos Aires $762 (Varig) $936
New York Sao Paulo $829 (Varig) $977
Miami Guatemala $492 (TACA) $547

Above airfares include taxes and fees and are valid through November 30th, 2005.

Travelocity and other so-called Travel Suppliers do not allow the use of Miles as Money™,
nor do they allow customers to earn miles for the purchase, nor do they allow the flexible
form of payments that GlobalPass offers.

To search for Web Airline itineraries and airfares, log-in to your GlobalPass account and access
Web Airlines. Transfer miles from participating Transfer Programs to use our unique
Miles as Money™ form of payment.

Hope to see you online soon!


Sincerely,

GlobalPass
Customer Care Center

PS Availability is limited.

REPLY to GP:

From: Bill Byrnes
Date: 10/12/05 10:51:42
To: GlobalPass eNews
Subject: Re: The Best Airfares to Latin America

I can beat you on over 50% of your fares this week
[all incl taxes and fees]

LACSA $787 MIA -SCL Nov 2-9 Save$76
AeroMexico $446 MIA-LIM Nov 2-9 Save$58

AVIANCA $674 JFK-GRU Nov 2-9 Save$154
USAIRWAYS $383 FLL-GUA Nov 2-9 Save$109

REPLY from GP:

From: [email protected]
Date: 10/12/05 13:23:40
To: Bill Byrnes
Subject: Re: The Best Airfares to Latin America

Dear Mr. Byrnes,

Thank you for your response, however, you are NOT
comparing "apples and apples".

LACSA MIA/SCL has many stop-overs, US Airways is NOT from
MIA but FLL, etc.

We are comparing same flights, same travel dates between
Travelocity and GlobalPass Web Airlines.

Sincerely,

GlobalPass
Customer Care Center

REPLY to GP:

From: Bill Byrnes
Date: 10/12/05 15:05:18
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: The Best Airfares to Latin America

Dear GP:

Well, thank you for your response it was quite a surprise.

Certainly its not Apples/Apples -- but GP doesn't give exact dates. I am sure too these fares are "subject to availability"*.
On Price alone -two weeks in a row- I have beaten the majority of GP's fares.

Yes, I am aware US flies out of FLL and I noted that by not saying MIA. For an over $100 savings a great many travelers would divert the 27 miles north from MIA to FLL - for travelers say from Broward and Palm Beach counties, FLL would of course be much nearer than MIA. And, should a traveler wish, he/she could be routed on US MIA/MCO/CLT etc. and gain both extra miles and segments for the trouble.

But the real point here is this: GP's "Fare-Grams" prove without a doubt that GP can communicate with its membership if and when it wishes - unlike the Un-Fair [non-gram] of the limited notice in the change of GP award policy.

Please note the following:
Lacsa with 2 stops down & 2 back takes a total of 33:30 travel hours [including ground time]
Delta takes 34:13 38 minutes longer and more expensive too. $787 LACSA
+ others MIA to SCL
SCL to MIA
SJO, LIM
BOG, SJO
Wed-Thur, Nov 2-3
Wed, Nov 9
7:00a-2:30a
8:00a-10:00p
17h 30m
16h 0m
Coach
Coach
overnight flight,
long layover

$812 Delta
+ others MIA to SCL
SCL to MIA
ATL
ATL
Wed-Thur, Nov 2-3
Wed-Thur, Nov 9-10
10:28a-9:30a
10:40p-9:51a
21h 2m
13h 11m
Coach
Coach
2 overnight flights,
long layover



On MIA/FLL-GUA: I cede the point as TA makes the r/trip in 5:20 minutes vs US Air's 10:35 but none-the-less the $109 in savings remain.


khunbill

* which is only noted in the very last line of the announcement's closing

REPLY from & to GP:

ed. note: for reasons of conciseness this exchange is posted as a unit with my 10/17/05 introduction of response above GP's 10/12/05 2nd response to me and finally my reply last. With fingers crossed, I hope my latest e-mail provokes an even hotter-headed reply.



From: Bill Byrnes
Date: 10/17/05 21:43:00
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: The Best Airfares to Latin America detailed response to yours of 12 October

Dear GlobalPass Customer Care Center:



Thank you for your follow-up response.



Below I have commented on items keyed to the [[letter]] references I have inserted into GP's unedited text.



I look forward to a continued, lively and informative discourse on this issue.



khunbill







From: [email protected]
Date: 10/12/05 16:48:03
To: [email protected]
Subject: The Best Airfares to Latin America
Message response ===============================



Dear Mr. Byrnes,



GlobalPass is not sure what you are attempting to prove with your recent correspondence. [[A]]



We are simply comparing airfares to Latin America with the largest online Travel Suppliers on a same-flight, same-day basis which your comparison does not reflect. [[B]]



For your information, the majority of our customers are not willing to save $100 on an airfare to spend 5 hours more on an airplane. However, there is no doubt that a small number of passengers are willing to go the long route to earn a few more segment miles and save a few dollars for award seats that are hardly available![[C, D]]



Our records indicate that your miles expired from the lack of participation and use of our services. Frequent Traveler/Mileage (so-called “loyalty”) programs have been established for customers to “use” frequently the services of the program or company offering the program! It is evident, in your case, you have not been a “frequent user”.[[E]]



As far as communications go, we reserve the right to communicate what we wish, just as other programs do. We are not different in any way to other programs for communicating changes. [[F]]



If you don't appreciate our emails, you can simply log-in and remove yourself from any future email promotions.[[G]]



Sincerely,



GlobalPass

Customer Care Center

===





GLOBALPASS MEMBER RESPONDS:



[[A]]: That a single member can -sometimes- get GP's attention which is what many GP members have been trying to do for some time -especially in regard to GP admitting it has a rat-in-the-house expropriating members credit card data and then using it for personal purposes [at least we think 'personal'.]



[[B]]: What dates does GP use? I'll do the same.

For the record: My data comes from an engine that powers many of the largest on-line travel suppliers. I have used no 'tweaks' [but give me affordable CRS access //- the public Internet is a joke in this regard- // add my 25+ years experience and I can usually turn another dime or two. Also, I have LH Tariff Certificates I and II {in Spanish} (...no time to go to Germany for III but I can assure anyone that I'm qualified].



[[C]]: If I can find a lower fare on the same route and carriers as GP I'll post it.....but savvy consumers would take lower fares and faster flight times if so presented especially on airlines that participate in major 1st world FF programs [e.g Lacsa/GrupoTaca partnered with AA's AAdvantage].



[[D]]: USAir/FLL 10 hrs etc. I did cede the point [except in the case of maybe those living north of Dade County. Also, I believe we are both referring to what the airlines affectionately call "revenue seats". I do not understand why GP brings up the subject of awards. I made neither a mention nor suggestion of award usage on a route such as this - those who do accumulate vast sums of FF points may find it easy to do so in such circuitous routings but it has been my experience knowing some few of these travelers that they prefer to make redemption [use awards] on non-stops and preferably in C or F classes.



DL/LR --One of the principal reasons it takes so long to get to SCL on the GP route is that DL goes the wrong way to start - the long way MIA-ATL-SCL (north then south) whereas Lacsa heads southwest/south and just keeps on going.... SJO-LIM-SCL



[[E]]: I have so many miles I cannot, never have been able to, use them all. I have actually forgone more miles I think than most flyers have ever accumulated in earnings. Such was the case with my LP/GP miles.The irony here is that I did indeed screw up [and that's public knowledge] just prior to GP making those miles practically worthless. It’s kind of funny, but still everyone I know prefers to have their treasure chest full rather than empty.



-side note here: In my correspondence with GP I have used in my address to the reader, the third person [using GP instead of 'you' as I was addressing the company [GP] and not an individual.] I caution my respondent not to take this correspondence personally and, further so, not to make personal attacks on me, my flight habits or 'loyalty'. Let me be quite clear about this: I never ever intended to be loyal. I responded to a public offer made by the then LP. I fulfilled the terms of that offer to the letter and claimed [with some exertion] my 'prize'. How I choose to use or lose that prize is my affair: Not GP's. As GP has delved into its file on me it surely must have found the 100,000 miles I donated back to the LP sponsored charity - and reference to the others I encouraged to join in this giving. [Should you not have this information, I will happily provide copies of my correspondence with Bobby and Guy Booth when I proposed the idea of a charitable giving program. This was at the same time the company came up with a program of its own.] I would hope that GP has taken my lost hoard and put it into 'good works' instead of just happily taking it off its books.



[[F]]: Communications I agree, I read the disclaimer on the enroll page. But, -and GP may not be aware of this- , not all companies are 'just like GP'. For a recent example, let me cite DL which has given a 15 month+ notice of an upcoming program change. I think the GP membership would have appreciated maybe at the very least a 60 or even 30 day notice via direct communication. But GP is entitled to play its game the way it sees fit. After all, it wrote the rules.



[[G]]: Future communication. I do appreciate GP's e-mails and would not choose to forgo them. As my mentor, Henry Root, might say, "...perseverance brings its own rewards".



khunbill