mike carey

If [i assume] United has closed its lounges, they may have made, or be considering what to do about paid lounge memberships. If they are still open, and you can't use them because you're not travelling, then you're probably out of luck, as you suggest. Qantas has closed its lounges network wide since 23 March, and they are 'considering options' for lounge members (they have already extended elite status, and therefore lounge memberships derived from that, by 12 months). It may be worth calling United and asking to pause your membership so you can resume it once the situation changes. You may find that they have already thought about people in your situation.

I was in the same position as @MscleLovr, but different route and different flexibility and class of ticket (and we have chatted about our respective experiences), and my flight was cancelled much later than his was. I don't pretend to understand the complexities of pricing for fully flexible fares, but it seems with QF some of the fine print varies depending on the price of said 'flexible' fare. I had more time to read into the fine print of the cancellation rules as I was still waiting, more in hope than expectation, to see if the trip might still have been possible. As I read it, they allow full credit even of restricted fares if you take a voucher, but apply the cancellation fee that was in the original ticket if you want your money back. I was prepared to accept that, but I'm sure there are many others, not just him, who would, or could not. As it happens, QF changed their policy after @MscleLovr cancelled his ticket and extended the validity of the vouchers to 31 Dec 21. That may have helped him, but if the post corona QF doesn't offer F he could have ended up with a voucher worth more than the cost of any flight he could take with them.

Yup, and photo no 7 looks like Sydney. The quarantine is now in a government controlled facility (usually a hotel), so there's no avoiding it.

[MEDIA=twitter]1244107322605162498[/MEDIA]

Here's one that won't fly again, at least not in its current incarnation. QF28, operated by B747-438 VH-QEE, landed in Sydney today from Santiago. This marks the end of an era as Qantas concludes 48 years of operation of the B747. The almost complete cessation of international flight operations has meant that the airline brought forward the retirement of the type.

I read that and thought, wait, don't you mean 7 Jan 2021? Then realised it says 1 Jul. That's not far away, so you may not have a chance to fly before then. I'm luckier, my PSP trip credit is good until 31 Dec 21. I make no comment on your post directed to me, lol. I'll just have to wait!

Hell, I haven't read Twelfth Night since I was in second form.

Maybe in some case, but I suspect you have that the wrong way around. I suspect mostly people don't use condoms because they take PrEP.

In Canberra, a relatively small, but not insignificant proportion of restaurants and cafés have switched to takeaway and delivery since the prohibition of sit down eating came in this week. Some are making a social contribution with their pricing to some customers. The ACT [Australian Capital Territory] government has eased the liquor licensing laws so that restaurants that are licensed can supply takeaway wines with the meals they sell, whereas previously they were not permitted to sell off licence alcohol. From what I've read, people buying meals are prepared to pay for their bottle of wine from the restaurant rather than buy a cheaper one at a bottle shop.

Sense when would anyone be their own grammer (sic) Nazi?

TL;DR, don't praise his blog, it'll only encourage him. Joking, I look forward to @Benjamin_Nicholas' all-too-infrequent blog posts. They are so evocative and well written, I feel like I am there. (Well, apart from the feeling of his ... No need for that level of detail.)

A footnote to my cancelled ticket. Qantas has extended the validity of all vouchers for cancelled tickets in the current situation from 12 months after the original ticket purchase to 31 Dec 21. So I have the cash for my ticket for next year's gathering there, and don't have to use it by February, although I expect it will be more expensive by then. That assumes that we'll be flying again by then, of course, and that they haven't gone broke.

I haven't been out and seen a service station for about a week and then it was in a rural area and in Canberra. Canberra is often more expensive than even rural towns. I mainly notice the price of diesel. I've seen reports that regular or E10 is getting close to $1/litre in some places, but not widely, usually in the $1.30 range. Diesel I've seen for $1.30 too. (AUD1 = about USD0.60 atm and we have a federal excise of AUD0.423/litre on both petrol and diesel, and 10% GST on the total price, including the excise part. In Australia the price on the sign at the service station by law has to be the total price, so the taxes are included in the pump price.)

@Rod Hagen, ain't nobody gonna tell me the CNN subeditor didn't know exactly what they were doing with that headline. I wouldn't say the story is boring though, except in comparison with the easy inference drawn from the headline. It offers a useful commentary on the way the current situation affects the way people do things. It reminds me of the accidental (staged?) photos of newsreaders wearing a suit jacket, shirt and tie ... and boxers.

This is a nice thing to have happen to you. [MEDIA=twitter]1243084390285979648[/MEDIA]

Benjamin! Be nice.

From what I've read, soap and water also removes a film of fat on the skin that helps viruses to adhere to it.

Thanks ArVaGuy, I hadn't seen that in my inbox, but checking just now, I have received it too. Qantas has cancelled my flight and left me with a credit that I can use with no change fees but I have to pay whatever the going price is for the new ticket I buy. And I have to spend it all on one RT itinerary. I hadn't tried to cancel up till now, hoping that a closure like this would force their hand on full refunds or credits. Early December sounds good for PS, @easygoingpal but I'm not sure that I want to travel elsewhere in the US in December, particularly the North East.

I'm not sure which phase I saw, but having done so, for me the 'very sweet guy' part would trump whatever the current body aesthetic was.

A deconstructed version of the Rotterdam Philharmonic.

Saw this on the TV this evening, and found the guy's twitter feed, it's worth having a look at, he's posted several videos. Nick Heath is a British rugby commentator and journalist, and with no sport on which to comment he's taken to doing commentary on daily life. Here. it's on two dogs (hence in this thread) chasing each other around a park. I saw another on two guys kicking a football in a park. [MEDIA=twitter]1241417950579634177[/MEDIA]

I have no idea, it's just standard British slang, and we share a lot of slang idiom with them.

To reinforce something I posted earlier, this is a thing. Plumbers here in Canberra are reporting an increase in blocked drains where people had flushed things like paper towels down the toilet. The only paper that is safe to flush is toilet paper. No tissues or paper towels. No 'flushable' wipes. Not even squares of Murdoch newspaper. (You might recall the line in the 'Honest Government' video posted in the forum, 'If you run short, Murdoch provides a range of bog roll replacement world-wide'.)

Transport for NSW reduces the things you have to touch.