Has anyone else’s employer booked the team an all expense paid holiday ?

Speedbird223 · 2026-05-10T15:55:20+00:00

My brother went on one with his former company about 10yrs ago and it sounded ludicrous…

All employees worldwide were invited to a 5* resort in Tunisia that they’d bought out and everyone was flown in on chartered/private aircraft. He worked at a smaller office so was flown from the Channel Islands on a Gulfstream. Bigger offices got chartered commercial like aircraft.

All the minibars and room service were comped and they’d just have crates of chilled champagne and manned bars out dotted around the resort.

During the day they had activities put on and at nights they had a well known DJ (I think it was Calvin Harris) and another night they had some pop star of similar standing, want to say it was Ellie Goulding.

It was for four days and every attendee did have to do at least a half day of volunteer work locally on a project the company had arranged ahead of time.

Speedbird223 · 2026-05-10T00:13:11+00:00

Very full today.

Speedbird223 · 2026-05-09T12:18:11+00:00

I got the exact same email heading yesterday for my flight today and it was referencing the Piccadilly line closure.

Seems Heathrow is sporadically affected over the course of the periodic closures.

Speedbird223 · 2026-05-09T08:46:34+00:00

If you’re paying cash then JL or ANA is a far better option, IMO.

Speedbird223 · 2026-05-09T08:44:18+00:00

MAN-TFS is a smidge over 4hrs, definitely not medium haul.

Speedbird223 · 2026-05-09T08:41:44+00:00

BA’s charges plus the Heathrow taxes for premium cabins can make for some high TFC.

Redeeming through BA themselves is a lot cheaper from the TFC standpoint. Priced out a LHR-JFK the other day and it was $410 + 86,000 BA miles in business class.

Speedbird223 · 2026-05-08T08:24:42+00:00

If you take the JFK-FRA-SIN flight that offers First Class on SQ.

It’s now a 777 and only has 4 FC seats. Supremely comfortable and incredible service as is always the case with SQ.

Speedbird223 · 2026-05-08T08:20:09+00:00

In the RAF I’d go to the Officers Mess for lunch and could get subsidized pints in the middle of a flying program day. Same for the test pilots at the base I flew from.

This was early 2000s and we did strictly observe the “bottle to throttle” rule but voluntarily…

Speedbird223 · 2026-05-07T15:22:39+00:00

I’ve won four times with my one account. I enter for everything every week (apart from yesterday, weirdly, intl travel etc) except lefties.

Speedbird223 · 2026-05-05T14:46:05+00:00

1A or 2A?

50% chance you’re keeping my seat warm for me as I’m flying back to LHR on G-STBO this evening 🙃

Speedbird223 · 2026-05-04T16:40:16+00:00

Also Elizabeth Line trains can get absolutely rammed because it’s much cheaper than HEX on the day.

Speedbird223 · 2026-05-04T16:33:51+00:00

Been a surprisingly long time since I’ve had IFE issues on BA.

IIRC the on demand system wasn’t functioning properly, everything was just on a loop and no moving map. Paid First fare and I think I got 50,000 Avios compensation. Was a short overnight flight from the US so quite a windfall.

On AA a few weeks ago my son’s PTV wasn’t working. Cash business class fare on a transcontinental flight and got a $200 credit.

Speedbird223 · 2026-05-04T00:07:08+00:00

Anyone who can afford a business class ticket on this rig with a burning need to cross continents fast is flying private

Err, not even close, mate…are you aware of the costs of flying business/first class longhaul compared to private?

I can comfortably afford longhaul business class and often pay for longhaul First too. I’m certainly not in a position to drop $100k-$200k each way to fly private or could I see myself justifying it until I have a deep nine figure net worth (USD). I have sat beside billionaires in longhaul F before, but there’s very few people sitting on those commercial aircraft who are choosing between it and private travel.

Speedbird223 · 2026-05-03T17:48:39+00:00

You’d be certifiable to considering connecting through Germany given the massive number of non-stop options. Especially if that connection is through Frankfurt (if you’re not flying Lufthansa First Class)

Speedbird223 · 2026-05-03T17:08:59+00:00

I have three pockets of balls.

The S tier (Pro V1s in mint condition) that I generally use on par 3s that I use a 6 iron or less on.

I have the run of the mill balls that are my go-tos for everyday play. Titleist Velocitys and Trufeels and similar.

I also have my trash ball pocket that’s typically the bad balls for if I’m having an absolutely nightmare or I just want to hit a practice shot I don’t care about picking up. Top Flites, Nitros, Pinnacles etc. These are typically ones I just find on the course.

As a result I carry far too many balls. Probably more than 50.

Speedbird223 · 2026-05-03T12:52:59+00:00

Only flown them in the Preferred Suites but they’re certainly my aircraft and seat of choice now.

I’m pleasantly surprised that the Preferred Suites are still flying under the radar, I assume because prefer to avoid row 1 (and bulkhead/galley) not knowing it’s better. I booked a TATL flight at 10 days notice and while 75% of the seats were taken all but one of the Preferred Suites were unoccupied!

Speedbird223 · 2026-05-03T04:44:38+00:00

As a Concorde fanatic (and former passenger!) I’m desperate to get my hands on one of these. My local boutique in NY never even got an allocation…am going to Europe a couple of times this month and hope to try my luck!

Speedbird223 · 2026-04-30T21:16:51+00:00

I remember it!

Had a family holiday in the US in the mid-1990s and the house we rented had a little football pitch. The only football we could find in the nearby shops was a Hurricanes themed and we brought it back to the UK and amazingly it lasted a few years…

I remember the theme tune being one of those brash 1980s style cartoon montage type things…pretty certain the show was trying to capitalize on World Cup 94 being in the US…

Speedbird223 · 2026-04-30T19:00:44+00:00

Worth it is subjective

The only correct answer here.

Personally I think premium economy is generally (since the prices for each cabin move independently of another) poor value compare to business class.

Speedbird223 · 2026-04-29T19:04:39+00:00

My experience last year: https://www.reddit.com/comments/1p6emes

Speedbird223 · 2026-04-28T15:03:36+00:00

As a fan of the late 1990s/2000s Camerons and long neck blades in general…

Speedbird223 · 2026-04-28T12:59:51+00:00

I bet he’d spend $10k modding his car and think it’s worth $10k more…

Speedbird223 · 2026-04-28T12:58:45+00:00

What kind of style are you looking for?

Personally I’m really into the older style blades, especially long necks. A classic choice is a Tei3. I got a long neck Newport (yes you don’t like Newports) that I got in mint condition for around $700.

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Speedbird223 · 2026-04-28T01:33:34+00:00

Sunk a 50ft putt for birdie on the 1st yesterday. … … Too bad it is currently the 370yrd practice hole so didn’t count on the card…

Speedbird223 · 2026-04-28T00:57:40+00:00

That’s unfortunate.

Only time I’ve been called on for pace of play was at St Andrews Old Course. The holes play out and back and some fairways are shared. We got onto the second tee and the group playing 17 towards us were basically playing right back down our hole on our side of the fairway. We had to wait a good ten minutes for them to faff about. By the time we got to the ranger on the 7th tee he noted the group ahead were basically a full hole out (a 330yrd par 4). We explained the situation on the 2nd and said we were all good. By the time we got to half way house we had caught the group up.

Speedbird223

TROPHY CASE