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keevo posted:Do you guys use a VPN while you're in China? Going to be there for three days for work and need to be able to answer emails and access the internet. Not only do we have to use a VPN, we aren't even allowed to take our regular laptops. The company issues you a china-specific laptop, and the VPN has very limited access to places that would contain company IP (no source code access, etc) and no production access.
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Nov 19, 2019 01:03
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You def don't bring your own device to China. I'm attempting to decide what hotel group I want to hit status with next. I did IHG since they have a massive footprint and a low threshold to point redemption (10/15K points for 1 night at a low level hotel). They're super weak on luxury offerings though. Intercontinental and Kimptons are nice but I'd like something a little more swanky. I'll be traveling frequently this coming year doing general account management bullshit for a new product thats taken off without anything near a team to support it. I'd like to stack nights into something with a solid high end portfolio. I was thinking Mariott since I can stay in their low tiers and dump into a St.Regis or something eventually. The point redemption seem super high but i guess thats to be expected? Their rewards perks is kinda lovely but I guess my only real other option is Hilton? Hyatt? Anyway any opinions from the traveling masses here?
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Nov 19, 2019 01:55
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Hyatt is the general recommendation as they have good top tier properties and a good redemption rate, but their footprint is lacking. If you’re flying AA, Hyatt stays earn AA miles now I think? I was a SPG person and redeemed for St. Regis a bit, but I stay within the Marriott family now and while their redemptions aren’t great, I still prefer them. After a few more years of elite status when I hit lifetime platinum, I’ll go over to Hilton to build towards lifetime diamond 
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Nov 19, 2019 02:36
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Cacafuego posted:Hyatt is the general recommendation as they have good top tier properties and a good redemption rate, but their footprint is lacking. If you’re flying AA, Hyatt stays earn AA miles now I think? woah do Hyatt Stays count for points with Hyatt AND AA points? I'm Spire Elite with IHG so thats all cool and good and I was leaning toward Mariott originally because I staid SPG until the merger
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Nov 19, 2019 02:43
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keevo posted:Do you guys use a VPN while you're in China? Going to be there for three days for work and need to be able to answer emails and access the internet. Personal devices historically can use ExpressVPN from the mainland about as well as you can hope. Which, to be clear, can be a crapshoot at times. As far as business is concerned you need to take that up with your security team for reasons already outlined.
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Nov 19, 2019 02:54
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For what it's worth I don't work for a corporation or big business. I don't have super important stuff but I prefer being able to answer emails and not having my info stolen.
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Nov 19, 2019 02:58
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I mean ExpressVPN works, but I wouldn’t do anything approaching business in the mainland without enterprise grade encryption/VPN and express written blessing by someone much more important than me in the security chain of command. If you’re sourcing your own VPN I’d at a minimum take anything important off the machine well before going and format the drive once getting back. Possibly before as well if possible depending on how beneficial it might be to the party to get what you have. A burner sort of setup might be advisable. Personal stuff is usually fine as you’re likely not going to be a target of interest, but I don’t need to tell you how much the government loves their industry secrets.
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Nov 19, 2019 03:09
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Waroduce posted:You def don't bring your own device to China. Where do you want to go, I guess? I like Hyatt because Park Hyatt NYC and Paris are top tier, especially in suite levels. Park Hyatt Tokyo is dated but still nice. Andaz properties are good, I have stayed at the Liverpool st location in London. I am trying their Maui location soon. Even Hyatt Regency is nice in London and Kyoto. If I were looking towards Bali/Bora Bora/Maldives specifically I'd probably look towards Marriott, even though I hated my St Regis Maldives stay. They have more options. Also LA Metro is basically shutdown as the one station that connects every other line has a power outage. lmao Edit: oh yeah the pay 4 / stay 5 working for reward redemptions also owns. A free night in the Maldives is a hell of a perk. sellouts fucked around with this message at 03:30 on Nov 19, 2019 |
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Nov 19, 2019 03:20
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Waroduce posted:woah do Hyatt Stays count for points with Hyatt AND AA points? I think so? I’m not sure. Check it out: American and Hyatt Elites Now Get Reciprocal Benefits
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Nov 19, 2019 03:39
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Cacafuego posted:I think so? I’m not sure. Check it out: American and Hyatt Elites Now Get Reciprocal Benefits If you are Hyatt discoverist or higher, you will receive 1 Hyatt point for every dollar (pre-tax) spent on AA flights. You have to link your accounts for this to take effect.
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Nov 19, 2019 06:31
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Oh my god I've got 6.5 hours left on a 14 hour flight, of a total travel journey of 30 something hours and 4 flights. I'm pretty sure there's something growing in my underwear. On the bright side, this trip has taught me to appreciate the relative sanity of the boarding process in the US/Europe.
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Nov 19, 2019 13:47
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Residency Evil posted:Oh my god I've got 6.5 hours left on a 14 hour flight, of a total travel journey of 30 something hours and 4 flights. I'm pretty sure there's something growing in my underwear. On the bright side, this trip has taught me to appreciate the relative sanity of the boarding process in the US/Europe. 
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Nov 19, 2019 15:31
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if you are going to be in transit for 30 hours you need to shower on one of your three layovers
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Nov 19, 2019 15:48
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Residency Evil posted:Oh my god I've got 6.5 hours left on a 14 hour flight, of a total travel journey of 30 something hours and 4 flights. I'm pretty sure there's something growing in my underwear. On the bright side, this trip has taught me to appreciate the relative sanity of the boarding process in the US/Europe. lol I'm a scrub when it comes to this and even I knew to pack a change of clothes when I flew to Singapore and back
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Nov 19, 2019 15:52
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:if you are going to be in transit for 30 hours you need to shower on one of your three layovers PIZZA.BAT posted:lol I'm a scrub when it comes to this and even I knew to pack a change of clothes when I flew to Singapore and back Ugh, just looked and even my normally useless priority pass lounge access would have given me two shower opportunities, although I was only in Doha for 1.5 hours between flights. 3.5 hours to go. 
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Nov 19, 2019 16:17
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Residency Evil posted:Ugh, just looked and even my normally useless priority pass lounge access would have given me two shower opportunities, although I was only in Doha for 1.5 hours between flights. Priority pass has lots of options wherever there's cheap labor and a status-obsessed culture. You probably don't want to think too hard about where that cheap labor comes from in Doha, but if you're flying Qatar in the first place, I'm guessing you don't care.
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Nov 19, 2019 17:52
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Yeah you blew it. Pack clothes for shower and a pair of lululemon style athletic pants to travel in at least on the airplane. That being said that kind of transit time, you heading to Africa?
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Nov 19, 2019 18:06
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Space Gopher posted:Priority pass has lots of options wherever there's cheap labor and a status-obsessed culture. So you're telling me those gorgeous buildings in Doha weren't built with union labor? It was my first time there on the way out, albeit just on a long layover. The situation there seems insane/unsustainable. sellouts posted:Yeah you blew it. Pack clothes for shower and a pair of lululemon style athletic pants to travel in at least on the airplane. Coming back from vacation with my wife. Started the morning flying out of a safari lodge in a Cessna with zero legroom, seated immediately behind the pilot (pics are great), while the runway was checked for wild animals before takeoff. Ended up in a regional airport, connected, and then flew to Johannesburg, where I had a 5 hour layover, then Doha for an 1.5 hour layover, and now I'm flying back home to the east coast. First time flying Qatar. The planes/interiors are fantastic, as is the service for the most part. I imagine it's incredible in business. This was my first time in Africa (and Doha for that matter), but the new/random security checks at every airport were a new experience for me, at least compared to traveling in the US/Europe. Absolutely zero consistency, but  .
Residency Evil fucked around with this message at 18:31 on Nov 19, 2019 |
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Nov 19, 2019 18:25
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Residency Evil posted:So you're telling me those gorgeous buildings in Doha weren't built with union labor? It was my first time there on the way out, albeit just on a long layover. The situation there seems insane/unsustainable. The airport staff and flight attendants have it better than the construction slaves that are worked to death, but they still don't get to hold on to their own passports or leave the country without permission. The "great service" is because they're basically abused for tiny mistakes. Don't fly Qatar if you can help it.
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Nov 19, 2019 20:24
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Residency Evil posted:I imagine it's incredible in business. Can confirm that it is.
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Nov 19, 2019 20:25
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Cacafuego posted:Can confirm that it is. e: Space Gopher posted:The airport staff and flight attendants have it better than the construction slaves that are worked to death, but they still don't get to hold on to their own passports or leave the country without permission. I'm not doubting it, but do you have sources for this? I'd like to read some of them. Edit 2: aww gently caress, double post
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Nov 19, 2019 20:30
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Space Gopher posted:The airport staff and flight attendants have it better than the construction slaves that are worked to death, but they still don't get to hold on to their own passports or leave the country without permission. Oh poo poo, really? I heard the stories about the stadiums getting built but not the flight attendants. Noted for the future.
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Nov 19, 2019 20:34
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Cacafuego posted:e: Generally speaking, "your employer controls your passport and whether you get an exit visa" is just the standard for overseas workers in Qatar. It's what enables all the other abusive labor practices there. Can't have a slave state if the slaves can just leave when they feel like it, after all. Specifically, a Swedish newspaper talked to a few EU national ex-employees about their experiences a few years ago: https://www.expressen.se/nyheter/the-truth-about-the-luxury-of-qatar-airways/ If you poke around online you can also find tons of posts that tend to sort themselves into two categories: "I used to work there; they obsessively controlled every aspect of my life and it was hell" and "I work there now, everything is perfect and any problems you've heard of are lies!"
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Nov 19, 2019 21:55
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Space Gopher posted:Generally speaking, "your employer controls your passport and whether you get an exit visa" is just the standard for overseas workers in Qatar. It's what enables all the other abusive labor practices there. Can't have a slave state if the slaves can just leave when they feel like it, after all. Thanks for the link - it does indeed sound like a horrible company to work for. It sounds like massive groups of people are trying to get themselves work with Qatar. What leads people to want to work for them then? Are they going into it much like someone goes into the military? They know it’s going to be lovely, but they’ll get benefits (experience, see the world, etc) that will outweigh the shiftiness eventually? Or is it a surprise? Are Etihad and/or Emirates any better?
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Nov 19, 2019 23:13
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I went to UFC 242 In Abu Dahbi, spent several days in Qatar and 12 hours in Saudi Arabia. Abu Dahbi and Qatar are testaments to mans hubris and should not loving exist. Its hot as gently caress and there is no reason for all of those god drat skyscrappers and giant indoor malls. Anyway I'm sitting alone at a taco bar designing BI widgets to visualize data out of our CRM platform while I pound lovely Mexican beer. I'm also attempting to ponder new cool KPI metrics to build. Such is life.
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Nov 20, 2019 08:06
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Cacafuego posted:Thanks for the link - it does indeed sound like a horrible company to work for. It sounds like massive groups of people are trying to get themselves work with Qatar. What leads people to want to work for them then? Are they going into it much like someone goes into the military? They know it’s going to be lovely, but they’ll get benefits (experience, see the world, etc) that will outweigh the shiftiness eventually? Or is it a surprise? because people need to eat
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Nov 20, 2019 14:03
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:because people need to eat Yeah, I know, but the story isn’t talking about impoverished Qataris working for the airline to be able to afford living. People are apparently flocking there to work for Qatar Air. The article states that attendance is enormous at their recruiting events. From the way the story is written, it appears that some potential employees aren’t aware they’re a lovely company to work for, but then it says they’re provided with a list of red flags. When I flew them in 2016, I had no idea it was like this. I don’t really want to support airlines like this, so I’m glad more is coming to light about the treatment of their workers. To be clear, I’m not defending the company, I’m just curious about how so many people from the EU who sound like they have better alternatives could want to work for Qatar. They mention the Nepalese workers excited to go there, that they don’t know what to expect. Whether that’s because they are just happy to have a job, or they’re starry eyed and have no idea what’s coming, who knows. I understand that they’d take the job so they can provide for their families. There’s also the story of the pilot who wants to work with them until he can get a job as a pilot in the EU. This just sounds like a guy that is having a hard time finding a job and takes it for the experience. As a trained professional, was he aware of how poo poo the job is, or was he like someone who joins the military - expecting draconian rules and being told what to do constantly to boost his resume? Then the story tells us that Swedish women have tryouts where they’re judged on looks and given the following information: quote:At the tryouts, information is shared about what the employees are signing up for. A pledge to stay single for five years, that permission from CEO Akbar Al Baker is required to marry as a flight attendant, and if you become pregnant, you must inform the company immediately. Also, Qatar Airways reserves the right to fire an employee without having to give a reason. The story makes it sound that they’re given all this info saying that this is a terrible job with a horrible work environment and still choosing to go to work for them. If this were about desperate people from impoverished countries doing this, but are EU residents that in need of jobs that they have to work for Qatar despite hearing up front about bad they are to work for? Are they saying it wouldn’t happen to me, I’m special, that’s for other people. Or, are they saying I’ll put up with the bullshit to gain some experience so I can go elsewhere? There’s probably a better forum/thread to discuss lovely company working practices, so sorry about the wall of text and questions.
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Nov 20, 2019 16:03
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none of this changes his answer. people gotta eat, and you don’t know anyone’s situation no matter if they’re from Nepal or Norway. Why do people move to Hollywood? Same attraction to glamour even though most end up working at or from a Starbucks.
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Nov 20, 2019 17:00
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sellouts posted:none of this changes his answer. I guess that's true. I thought I had put something in there about Hollywood, you're right that's what it reminds me of. They get there and learn it's run by people like Harvey Weinstein, but there's still such a massive draw to the place.
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Nov 20, 2019 17:20
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sellouts posted:I love the new car smell, too. I might be jaded after spending a decade in the Midwest and Texas. People are different here and seriously laid back. YMMV. Gucci Loafers fucked around with this message at 17:57 on Nov 20, 2019 |
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Nov 20, 2019 17:27
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I love the new car smell, too. (I hope you find happiness here, I’ve been here 15 years and found success (and mai waife) I couldn’t find elsewhere so while I’m jaded I’m also very thankful)
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Nov 20, 2019 17:41
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Filipinos will move to the Middle East to work there because they'll make more money there than they would in the Philippines. They'll make money, make sure they have enough to get by, and then send the rest of the money and presents back home. It's a whole thing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_Filipino_Worker
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Nov 20, 2019 21:43
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Which one of you was this (crosspost):
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Nov 24, 2019 18:50
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Cacafuego posted:Which one of you was this (crosspost): That’s... not a medical emergency
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Nov 24, 2019 22:18
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Lote posted:That’s... not a medical emergency It’s bullshit anyway, pee isn’t stored there.
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Nov 24, 2019 23:37
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How do you herberts charge your iPhones and Apple watches in a hotel? Am I at the point where I need to get a travel power strip? I was hoping there would be a combination watch/phone charger but none of them seem to be travel sized.
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Nov 25, 2019 03:33
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TheWevel posted:How do you herberts charge your iPhones and Apple watches in a hotel? Am I at the point where I need to get a travel power strip? I've got a USB C/USB A charger with a bunch of ports: https://amzn.to/34tBkG0 ; it's not going to run a 15" MBP in direct sunlight, but it charges while closed well enough. Works great with the Switch even if you've just boarded a transatlantic flight with a dead battery. Thinking of trying one of those fancy gallium nitride chargers that has more power in less size. One thing I plug in is a power bank that charges the Apple Watch: https://www.elevationlab.com/products/battery-pro-for-iphone-apple-watch. It fits in a coat pocket or basically any day bag (including a really tiny one I got at cccamp2019) if I'm going to need to charge my phone on a given day. It can charge the watch for a week or so, phone a few times. On the hotel nightstand, it's kind of an awkward pile with the power bank on top of the charger brick since some watch bands have to go around the charger.
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Nov 25, 2019 03:48
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Tab8715 posted:What combination of luggage is everyone going with? I have a Rimowa carry on with a Jack Spade brief. The rimowa is international carry-on size so it's a little tighter than a normal carry-on but I make it work. If I'm carrying two laptops I'll throw one in my carry on and the other in my brief. I never am out more than 4 days, so I usually can throw in another pair of shoes along with everything else I need. sellouts posted:Is this a real take? Mandalay posted:I switched a lot of my nonstop LAX flying to one stops out of SNA this year. I also live closer to SNA. Same, the QOL of choosing another airport over LAX can be really worth it, especially if you are closer to the other regional ones. I will fly SNA and take the connection in IAH / DEN / ORD; it's nice not to be stuck in the plane for 6 straight hours, get something to eat and walk around for a bit. I figure the extra time it would take to drive to LAX, park at an off site parking lot, wait for the shuttle bus, and then actually get to the terminal is less than the time "lost" on a layover. I've only had things go super sideways for me in terms of connections once (stuck overnight at IAH) and the rest of the times everybody pretty much chalked it up to the risks of business travel. TheWevel posted:How do you herberts charge your iPhones and Apple watches in a hotel? Am I at the point where I need to get a travel power strip? I switched to 60W USB-C charging for my iPhone / laptop and just charge my watch off the laptop's USB-A port. (This is the one I use: https://www.amazon.com/MacBook-Charger-Anker-PowerPort-Matebook/dp/B07BQJWDRM) I'm so glad I have a laptop that charges via USB-C now so I only have to carry one charger and four cords. Eventually I'd like to get a power brick that does USB-C and USB-A to be honest it would just be extra weight to lug around. kimcicle fucked around with this message at 05:02 on Nov 25, 2019 |
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Nov 25, 2019 04:59
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and a book. Am I being unreasonable that I should be able to fit two weeks worth of clothes including a suit in my carry-on?
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VPN China update: I went with ExpressVPN but it was super spotty. Kept disconnecting every 15-40 minutes. I have no idea if it was the Chinese government kicking me off, the hotel internet just being poo poo, or if it's a normal thing with VPNs.
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Nov 25, 2019 05:54
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kimcicle posted:Same, the QOL of choosing another airport over LAX can be really worth it, especially if you are closer to the other regional ones. I will fly SNA and take the connection in IAH / DEN / ORD; it's nice not to be stuck in the plane for 6 straight hours, get something to eat and walk around for a bit. I figure the extra time it would take to drive to LAX, park at an off site parking lot, wait for the shuttle bus, and then actually get to the terminal is less than the time "lost" on a layover. I've only had things go super sideways for me in terms of connections once (stuck overnight at IAH) and the rest of the times everybody pretty much chalked it up to the risks of business travel. Fair enough if your travel isn’t mission critical or SNA is 30+ minutes closer for you I guess. I don’t know how much further LAX is for you but I struggle to find it taking even an extra 30 min on either side to deal with offsite parking + shuttle but maybe your connections really line up or something? I’d love to see the math on it though. The boarding / deplaning twice adds enough time as it is.
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Nov 25, 2019 07:01
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