Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

Finished at Feltham at Midnight, did an hour in the office on e-Mails & stuff, & was sensible for once, went across to Jury's Hotel at Heathrow, & resisted the temptation to fire up the Lappie - once I do, that's 3 hours gone. In bed before 2am, & wanted a long sleep, as the next 3 days are hectic, not to mention yesterday - a Pilot Show recorded, a Promo recorded, and the Five-O "Live", as well as a 2 hour meet with The Big Suits.

Slept soundly, but not long enough, & woke at 7, worrying about today's "list" of jobs, so was at my little desk before 0900, & I've ticked off a bunch of jobs already.

In the last hour, I've done 5 e-Mails, 4 PM's, raised my April Sky Invoice (or prepared it all), & sorted out my travel up to Scotland tomorrow. That was awkward, as Heathrow is round the corner, I could "stay over" tonight after the Show, but it means my car is in the wrong place when I return, as I want to go to DTD on Monday. I considered train, & driving, but eventually plumped for a flight from East Mids at 11am Saturday, arrive Edinburgh at Noon, & fly back at 0800 Monday. That means I'll drive home arter the Show tonight, home by 3am, & get across to EMA by about 0900, that'll do fine. Des has booked me a room at the Marriott in Edinburgh, right opposite the Gala Maybury, perfect, & the Airport is only a few minutes to the West.

I've just sorted out a Guest slot on Sky Poker for Rupinder "George2loose" Bedi - I'm delighted at that.

After sorting out a few Forum replies, I must get my Sky Poker Blog written - it was due in on Monday, oops....

I gotta do a ton of writing reports, following yesterday's Big Meet, if I don't do it today, I lose the "fresness". It was all about how we evolve the Channel, & the number of new ideas flying round my head is bewildering, I have hundreds. At least two may be useful.

I'm taking three Sky Poker Staff down to Brighton Rendezvous next week, to move the Sky Live Day arrangements on.

Vegas plans are also advancing steadily. That "delayed Final" announcement was a shocker. It'd be awful if a Sky Poker player made the Final, & we all had to return to Vegas again in November, eh?

At 3pm, Richard Orford & I do a Sky Poker Pilot Show, which is based on the Sky Poker League. Looking forward to that, will take about 2 hours, & as Sky need to develop the Format, it'll be stop & start. Once the show TX's, it will be a weekly 2 hour affair. Then "The Open" at 9pm, & done just after midnight. I love being busy.

Ok, jobs to do.

[tikay]

Look away Des.....

The flight to Edinburgh - BMI Baby - was £91 out, £55 back. If I'd booked it a few weeks ago, it woulda been half the price, but I'm just dis-organized. To be fair, my Diary moves about a bit, & I was not sure how things would pan out.

Compared to train, it's about the same money, a bit quicker (allowing for wasted time getting to, & at the Airport), & driving up - 6 hours+ from London?, & 4 hours back to Derby, would nearly kill me, & be 2 or 3 tanks of Diesel at £60 a tank, plus wear & tear on the car, & me. So not much in it really.

The thing I noticed was how the Budget Airline Business Model has evolved. The actual fares were £91 & £55.

Then ADD taxes & charges (outbound) of £18.99, & inbound ditto, £22.00. That adds £41. Non-negotiable.

To check in ONE bag is £7.99. Each way! So add £16 for a bag.

It asked me to choose my seat, Online, so I clicked the Seat I wanted - lovely - I got extra leg-room each way. Only to then discover it was £10 extra for that. Each way. Cancelled the reserved extra leg room seat. So I clicked my preferred "ordinary" seat, each way. Wrong. That's another £7. Each way. So I cancelled that, too.

Private BMI Airport Lounge Sir, nice & relaxed, at both ends? £15. At each end. = £30. No thank you.

I paid by Credit Card - add another £5.97. Only £4.20 if I booked by Debit Card, mind....

Amazing how all therse things add up. As a cost to the passenger. And to the bottom line of the Airline.

I believe Ryanair make more money out of "add-ons", epecially Hotels & Car Rental, from their website, than the actual airline business of flying folks hither & tiither. Their Website is their biggest profit centre - by a long way.

Amazing how these "young" business sectors develop their business models.

In another 10 years, it will turn fuill circle, & an Airline will say "our prices include everything, including your luggage". But it has to go further the other way first, & soon we'll be charged for hand-baggage, & the actual Seat we sit on, & use of the baggage carousel, & extra for a window-seat. I bet the last-named is added as an extra within 12 months. Why not? If there's a demand - & most us like a window-seat - charge for it!

[tikay]

When the Grangemouth Oil Refinery strike was on, I thought the Scottish Government did at least try to manage the anticipated panic buying quite well.

In some ways.

Keeping everyone informed of how few Petrol Stations had run dry, (52 out of 700) & news that extra tankers of Petrol were being unloaded at local Ports, helped.

Telling everyone, repeatedly, "DON'T PANIC" did not help, it has the reverse effect. Shouting loud invariably has the opposite effect to that intended. Whispered "lobbying" would do the job better. Much better.

And then they put the tin hat on it by recommending everyone walked or cycled to work, & got TV shots of them all puffing uphill on their brand-new (for the vox-pop) bikes.

Government make such a pigs ear of things when they meddle in our lives.

The M1 Service Station at Northampton (J15a) got it spot on.

They were charging, for regular petrol, 114.9p per litre.

Regular Diesel was 124.9 per litre.

Ultimate Diesel (same thing I fancy) was 128.9 per litre.

There was no panic buying there.......

Footnote - When I started driving, at 16, petrol was 5 bob (25p) a gallon. It's increased about 24 fold since then. My wages were a fiver a week at the time. It's all relative, really.

[Laxie]

When I booked our flights for the bash with Ryanair I noticed a new charge just for checking in!  Couldn't believe it.  Online is free, check in desk costs a nice chunk of change extra.  Must remember to do our online check in before next Friday...as I was too mean to pay the extra. 

[boldie]

When I booked our flights for the bash with Ryanair I noticed a new charge just for checking in!  Couldn't believe it.  Online is free, check in desk costs a nice chunk of change extra.  Must remember to do our online check in before next Friday...as I was too mean to pay the extra. 

MrsB and I used Ryanair when we went to Drogheda for the deepstack thing,..first time for me, we couldn't do the online check-in as we had a bag and therefore had to pay 6£ EW to check-in....we also never booked seats online as they charge more. Then when you get to the Airport you have to stand in line for ages unless you want to be last on the plane and become the poor sod sitting next to the screaming baby or drunken footie supporters .I hate ryanair with a passion now and will never fly with them again...the guy that owns the is a twat as well so that makes it even easier. If I have to pay 50£ more NOT to fly Ryanair it will be paid next time.

[tikay]

We all get relentlessly conscience-pricked in the Media by the Government & Eco-ists about our carbon footprint, & how bad flying is for the environment. Quite right too. And if the Royals, or the Prime Minster, take an un-necessary flight, it all goes off, "what about the green issue?"

Now, bear with me here....

The Times reported yesterday that the Sky Sports Outside Broadcast unit - 30 cameras, 75 crew, & about ten articulated trucks & OB Units - will leave London to drive to Moscow ten days before the Chelsea Man Utd encounter. (They have the contract for the world "feed", thus saving xteen-lication of camera crews from each country). They get a ferry to "the Continent", drive through Scandie-Land into Finland, then another ferry to Russia, then the long drive to Moscow. And to get back, rinse, repeat.

The Stadium holds 76,000, so I supppose about 40,000 Chelsea & Man Utd fans willl be there, almost all of them flying. I make that about 200 plane-loads. Each way.

Meanwhile, in a delicious piece of non-green irony, Zenit St Petersburg FC (that's in Russia.....) qualified last night for the UEFA Cup Final. Anyone wanna guess where that's gonna be held?

Carbon Footprint Rules, OK? Apparently not. I don't think it applies to football. Nobody's moaning about that. 

A strange, contradictory, & hypocritical world the Media live in. Luckily, those with even a smidgeon of grey matter ignore them. Or do they?

[tikay]

When I booked our flights for the bash with Ryanair I noticed a new charge just for checking in!  Couldn't believe it.  Online is free, check in desk costs a nice chunk of change extra.  Must remember to do our online check in before next Friday...as I was too mean to pay the extra. 

There you go - you even have to pay to check-in!

Will they charge to "board" a train soon?

[TightEnd]

City of Manchester Stadium, Zenit vs Rangers


You couldn't make it up

[Jon MW]

When I booked our flights for the bash with Ryanair I noticed a new charge just for checking in!  Couldn't believe it.  Online is free, check in desk costs a nice chunk of change extra.  Must remember to do our online check in before next Friday...as I was too mean to pay the extra. 

MrsB and I used Ryanair when we went to Drogheda for the deepstack thing,..first time for me, we couldn't do the online check-in as we had a bag and therefore had to pay 6£ EW to check-in....we also never booked seats online as they charge more. Then when you get to the Airport you have to stand in line for ages unless you want to be last on the plane and become the poor sod sitting next to the screaming baby or drunken footie supporters .I hate ryanair with a passion now and will never fly with them again...the guy that owns the is a twat as well so that makes it even easier. If I have to pay 50£ more NOT to fly Ryanair it will be paid next time.

I think Ryanair are the only one of the budget airlines that have been repeatedly told off for misleading advertising about the costs of their flights.

The others may charge for extras but Ryanair are the only ones who seem to go out of their way to hide the fact

[tikay]

City of Manchester Stadium, Zenit vs Rangers


You couldn't make it up

It's beyond rational comprehension. All those supporters from Mancy-Land going to Russia. All those Russian supporters going to Mancy-Land. Totally surreal.

[TightEnd]

City of Manchester Stadium, Zenit vs Rangers


You couldn't make it up

It's beyond rational comprehension. All those supporters from Mancy-Land Hemel Hempstead, Plymouth and the City going to Russia. All those Russian supporters going to Mancy-Land. Totally surreal.

FYP

[gatso]

Wizz air are my favourite budget airline, they do things just how they should be. cheap flights, no hidden extras, always on time, cute stewardesses, leg room and flights full of Poles who, like Americans, applaud every landing, amuses me every time.

[Colchester Kev]

Wizz air are my favourite budget airline, they do things just how they should be. cheap flights, no hidden extras, always on time, cute stewardesses, leg room and flights full of Poles who, like Americans, applaud every landing, amuses me every time.

Come to Waterford from Luton on that propeller jobby ... once the plane comes to a halt 2 inches from the end of the runway fence, you will then understand why people applaud a landing

[RED-DOG]

Finished at Feltham at Midnight, did an hour in the office on e-Mails & stuff, & was sensible for once, went across to Jury's Hotel at Heathrow, & resisted the temptation to fire up the Lappie - once I do, that's 3 hours gone. In bed before 2am, & wanted a long sleep, as the next 3 days are hectic, not to mention yesterday - a Pilot Show recorded, a Promo recorded, and the Five-O "Live", as well as a 2 hour meet with The Big Suits.

Slept soundly, but not long enough, & woke at 7, worrying about today's "list" of jobs, so was at my little desk before 0900, & I've ticked off a bunch of jobs already.

In the last hour, I've done 5 e-Mails, 4 PM's, raised my April Sky Invoice (or prepared it all), & sorted out my travel up to Scotland tomorrow. That was awkward, as Heathrow is round the corner, I could "stay over" tonight after the Show, but it means my car is in the wrong place when I return, as I want to go to DTD on Monday. I considered train, & driving, but eventually plumped for a flight from East Mids at 11am Saturday, arrive Edinburgh at Noon, & fly back at 0800 Monday. That means I'll drive home arter the Show tonight, home by 3am, & get across to EMA by about 0900, that'll do fine. Des has booked me a room at the Marriott in Edinburgh, right opposite the Gala Maybury, perfect, & the Airport is only a few minutes to the West.

I've just sorted out a Guest slot on Sky Poker for Rupinder "George2loose" Bedi - I'm delighted at that.

After sorting out a few Forum replies, I must get my Sky Poker Blog written - it was due in on Monday, oops....

I gotta do a ton of writing reports, following yesterday's Big Meet, if I don't do it today, I lose the "fresness". It was all about how we evolve the Channel, & the number of new ideas flying round my head is bewildering, I have hundreds. At least two may be useful.

I'm taking three Sky Poker Staff down to Brighton Rendezvous next week, to move the Sky Live Day arrangements on.

Vegas plans are also advancing steadily. That "delayed Final" announcement was a shocker. It'd be awful if a Sky Poker player made the Final, & we all had to return to Vegas again in November, eh?

At 3pm, Richard Orford & I do a Sky Poker Pilot Show, which is based on the Sky Poker League. Looking forward to that, will take about 2 hours, & as Sky need to develop the Format, it'll be stop & start. Once the show TX's, it will be a weekly 2 hour affair. Then "The Open" at 9pm, & done just after midnight. I love being busy.

Ok, jobs to do.

You'll end up like beef dripping on toast. Excellent, but frustrating when it's spread too thin.

 

[tikay]

When I booked our flights for the bash with Ryanair I noticed a new charge just for checking in!  Couldn't believe it.  Online is free, check in desk costs a nice chunk of change extra.  Must remember to do our online check in before next Friday...as I was too mean to pay the extra. 

MrsB and I used Ryanair when we went to Drogheda for the deepstack thing,..first time for me, we couldn't do the online check-in as we had a bag and therefore had to pay 6£ EW to check-in....we also never booked seats online as they charge more. Then when you get to the Airport you have to stand in line for ages unless you want to be last on the plane and become the poor sod sitting next to the screaming baby or drunken footie supporters .I hate ryanair with a passion now and will never fly with them again...the guy that owns the is a twat as well so that makes it even easier. If I have to pay 50£ more NOT to fly Ryanair it will be paid next time.

Lots of people hate Ryanair, but if we like cheap flying, we should be grateful to them, & EasyJet, for pioneering low-cost air-travel. It used to cost 10 times more.

"the twat" you refer to? Well, Ryanair is now a PLC, so does not have an owner as such. But the private-owner, the real driver behind it, was Tony Ryan. He's normal, he's OK. Very, very, rich, too. He was part of GPA - Guinness-Peat-Aviation - who were the aircraft leasing pioneers back in the seventies, & created a business model in Shannon, Ireland, which is now the world centre for Aircraft-Leasing, to this day.

You refer, of course, to Michael O'Leary. He's an absolute genius, much-despised, & much loved, mostly the former. It's hard to imagine a more successful businessman - Ryanair's growth has been jaw-dropping. I could write stories about him all day, hate him if you wish, but he is an absolute genuis. RyanAtlantic will be along in a few years, & we will be flying to America for £100. Trust me, we will.

I have so many Michael O'Leary stories, I'd be here all day & night. Here's just one. Ryanair are trying to buy Aer Lingus, with whom they've had a bitter relationship since Day One. Aer Lingus - "Cunni-Lingus" as he calls them - was the Irish-Flag carrier, with a monopoly of Irish air traffic, until Ryanair upset their cosy applecart monopoly. Aer Lingus & Ryanair have had more spats & legal battles than hot dinners, day after day, rhetoric & vitriol is slung back & forth.

When Ryanair first announced their intention of buying Aer Lingus (rejected, but they iill succeed), their Press Release stated simply....

"In October...we make an all cash offer for the small regional airline, Aer Lingus

I love Michael O'Leary. A man with a big gob, but who delivers. He's not reached the chapter on Cooey-Wooey yet though.