TFK International Business Travel Thread

Out of interest… why do they call it a cockpit?

Much like many things, this originates from the good ol British, and more specifically, the Royal Navy. Derives from the Coxswains station on the ship, with that being the navigators station, with cox naturally deriving from the cox of a boat and swain being an old term for a boy.

:eek:

Surely they were just playing a practical joke?

I’m glad to report that there will be a real pilot flying my plane home.

Risk Forum to attend in Luxembourg this Monday and Tuesday. No direct flights from Dublin means a connection through LCY on Sunday. Long weekend ruined although Mr Highlighter & Staple Receipt has allowed me leeway with regard to expenses outside the company criteria to make up for it. CCCCHHHHHHAAAARRRGGGGGEEEEE. I will also be looking for some days en lieu compo. The Sofitel is an adequate place to rest the head and cocktail sampling after a long day’s networking,

You could go pinting with Piles Hussain

Conference in London next Wednesday. 7.30am start. On in Canary Wharf. Going merely as some of my clients will be attending and it will afford me the opportunity for some facetime.

Need assistance of Bandage and any others who travel to London regularly. Will I need to go on Tuesday night? Any hotels you’d recommend in Canary Wharf should I need to travel on Wednesday?

You’ll definitely have to overnight, bt. I’d recommend CityJet to London City and then the DLR into Bank.

W[quote=“Bandage, post: 779694, member: 9”]You’ll definitely have to overnight, bt. I’d recommend CityJet to London City and then the DLR into Bank.[/quote]
Why would he get the DLR to Bank if he is going to Canary Wharf?

I meant to get the DLR heading towards Bank and alight at the relevant stop. Perhaps I should have clarified - it was messily worded.

Very. And ill-thought out. There is no direct service from City Airport to Canary Wharf. A change is required at Poplar, which can be a pox. If the international business traveller is in a hurry to get to Canary Wharf from City Airport a taxi is the best option.

But he’ll be travelling the night before and so presumably won’t be in such a hurry if he’s heading towards a Canary Wharf hotel. I haven’t found that change to be much of a problem but, yes, taxi is the quickest option for the return leg if briantinnion is rushing to the airport.

Bandage nails it yet again:clap:

Turns out my conference was in the City rather than Canary Wharf. I misread the email.

Flew into Heathrow on Tuesday evening and took the express to Paddington. Stayed in the Hilton Metropole which was a 2 min cab ride from Paddington. I’d recommend this for any travelers who are coming into Heathrow late as you can be at your hotel within an hour of getting boots on the ground.

Seminar ended at 10.00 and I had done enough networking by 10.20. I was booked on the 14.15 flight back to Dublin, however, thanks to Aer Lingus’s flexi ticket option I was able to get an earlier flight. I arrived at Heathrow at about 11.10 and was sitting on a plane by 11.40. Superb service from Aer Lingus and changing my ticket was seamless.

Lessons learned:

  • If coming into Heathrow at night the Hilton Metropole is an excellent option. Gets you into the city and close to a tube for your business the next day.
  • Flexi tickets are a superb option. I avoided a wasted two hours hanging around the Aer Lingus lounge by changing my flight.

Lesson 3. Read the fucking email before wasting our time with shite.

The cabby must have loved you, a two minute cab ride. FFS.

[quote=“briantinnion, post: 782573, member: 6”]Turns out my conference was in the City rather than Canary Wharf. I misread the email.

Flew into Heathrow on Tuesday evening and took the express to Paddington. Stayed in the Hilton Metropole which was a 2 min cab ride from Paddington. I’d recommend this for any travelers who are coming into Heathrow late as you can be at your hotel within an hour of getting boots on the ground.

Seminar ended at 10.00 and I had done enough networking by 10.20. I was booked on the 14.15 flight back to Dublin, however, thanks to Aer Lingus’s flexi ticket option I was able to get an earlier flight. I arrived at Heathrow at about 11.10 and was sitting on a plane by 11.40. Superb service from Aer Lingus and changing my ticket was seamless.

Lessons learned:

  • If coming into Heathrow at night the Hilton Metropole is an excellent option. Gets you into the city and close to a tube for your business the next day.
  • Flexi tickets are a superb option. I avoided a wasted two hours hanging around the Aer Lingus lounge by changing my flight.[/quote]

FFS the Hilton is a 5-10 min stroll from Paddington. Have stayed in the Metropole 3 or 4 times for both business and leisure. Excellent pool and breakfast facilities.

Edgware Road station can be a cunt as it’s split in two so you may need to actually leave the station to connect to another line.

With regard to business travel through London, I was cutting it fine connecting through LCY this week. Had 30 mins to jump off one flight and get on another. You would think LCY being a small airport this would be handy especially as my first flight was ahead of schedule. However LCY, the cunts, make passengers on continental flights go through passport control and then back through security. Thankfully both of my flights were Cityjet so they had radioed ahead to the other flight of my slight delay but others might not be so lucky.

PS Dublin Airport ‘Executive’ Lounge is a fucking hovel.

[quote=“Spidey, post: 783082, member: 289”]FFS the Hilton is a 5-10 min stroll from Paddington. Have stayed in the Metropole 3 or 4 times for both business and leisure. Excellent pool and breakfast facilities.

Edgware Road station can be a cunt as it’s split in two so you may need to actually leave the station to connect to another line.

With regard to business travel through London, I was cutting it fine connecting through LCY this week. Had 30 mins to jump off one flight and get on another. You would think LCY being a small airport this would be handy especially as my first flight was ahead of schedule. However LCY, the cunts, make passengers on continental flights go through passport control and then back through security. Thankfully both of my flights were Cityjet so they had radioed ahead to the other flight of my slight delay but others might not be so lucky.

PS Dublin Airport ‘Executive’ Lounge is a fucking hovel.[/quote]

The King of International Business Travel.

:clap:

[quote=“Spidey, post: 783082, member: 289”]
PS Dublin Airport ‘Executive’ Lounge is a fucking hovel.[/quote]

The Aer Lingus one?

If so, It’s better than a lot.

[quote=“Fran, post: 783085, member: 110”]The Aer Lingus one?

If so, It’s better than a lot.[/quote]

No - the one in Terminal 1 in the Loop area. Fairly grim.