297 replies to this topic

[ScubaTurtle]

Mike...I will work on the flights as requested. The day layover in Guam is basically a REALLY LONG DAY ROOM. If you look at the hours on the flight you'll understand. We can probably put a few more people to a room in Guam if people are interested but you all won't be able to sleep that way. We can still figure this out later...for now I want to get the flights locked in. Kamala

10-4 Kamala! Thanks!!!

Completely agree on locking in the flights for now. Rooms can wait. Once I've got final flights booked I will feel 100% better!

[Lephenix]

Hey, I'll stay just behind Jerry to use his canister light !

I burned throught my OMS Phantom canister light. What a piece of garbage. I never bothered to buy another one. Does the boat rent lights ?

Also I have my own oxygen regulator. (Don't forget than piece of equipment).

Lephenix

Edited by Lephenix, 02 June 2013 - 09:50 AM.

[WreckWench]

I can find out about light rentals. Are you into photography? If so you can do double duty with the Sola lights...its all I use now.

[WreckWench]

AIRFARE UPDATE:

All revised air quote requests have been submitted and we should have the final quotes by Monday.

[WreckWench]

IMPORTANT TRIP UPDATE:

Sadly one of our members going on this trip is going to give up their spot. Seems they signed up and paid for a s/o and I did not realize it so I only counted them as d/o. Several other factors are also weighing in on the final decision to release the spot and we'll be sad they are not joining us.

But as one door closes...another opens and now we can accept the first person on the waiting list to join this trip if they still want the spot.

That should be Derek aka Muskegocline so I will check to see if he is still a 'go'. -kamala

[Muskegocline]

Awesome! I can't wait. Please include me on both Truk and Palau. I will submit everything ASAP.

Derek aka Muskegocline
Payments Summary To Date Sending money.
7nite/6day Pkg on Truk Odyssey $3095 d/o $4645 s/o (s/o or d/o): d/o
Fees Payable on Board: (5% VAT/Sales Tax and $30 dive permit fee & $20 Departure Tax) ok
Extra Days/Nights ???
Nitrox INCLUDED in Price... TELL US IF CERTIFIED Yes
Documents SD Waiver - SD Survey - SD Ins Summary - ODYSSEY Waiver (send to SD AFTER we get it) -
Dive Insurance Current DAN
Trip Insurance MANDATORY FOR THIS TRIPCHOOSE ONE
I have trip insurance that covers this trip
Flight Details ???
Bringing School/Life Supplies Yes
Other
DISCOUNTS (Delete those that do not apply):
d. I deposited by 8-29-13 so qualify for the free upgrade to a single room
f. I submitted my documents within 3 weeks of signing up for the trip, so no $75 document fee.
h. I am a premier member of SD.com and I can send in my SD.com member rebate within 30 days after the trip for an additional $25 off.

[ScubaTurtle]

Awesome! I can't wait. Please include me on both Truk and Palau. I will submit everything ASAP.

Derek aka Muskegocline
Payments Summary To Date Sending money.
7nite/6day Pkg on Truk Odyssey $3095 d/o $4645 s/o (s/o or d/o): d/o
Fees Payable on Board: (5% VAT/Sales Tax and $30 dive permit fee & $20 Departure Tax) ok
Extra Days/Nights ???
Nitrox INCLUDED in Price... TELL US IF CERTIFIED Yes
Documents SD Waiver - SD Survey - SD Ins Summary - ODYSSEY Waiver (send to SD AFTER we get it) -
Dive Insurance Current DAN
Trip Insurance MANDATORY FOR THIS TRIPCHOOSE ONE
I have trip insurance that covers this trip
Flight Details ???
Bringing School/Life Supplies Yes
Other
DISCOUNTS (Delete those that do not apply):
d. I deposited by 8-29-13 so qualify for the free upgrade to a single room
f. I submitted my documents within 3 weeks of signing up for the trip, so no $75 document fee.
h. I am a premier member of SD.com and I can send in my SD.com member rebate within 30 days after the trip for an additional $25 off.

Whooo hooo! Welcome Derek! Glad to see you could still commit. WE'RE GOING TO TRUK & PALAU!!!!!

[Lephenix]

Hi,

I am possibly looking at this route (YUL to TKK) on the Orbitz website

Depart 9:40 AM Montreal, QC , Canada Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport (YUL) Stop 1 11:26 AM Washington DC, DC , United States Dulles Airport (IAD) Change of planes. Time between flights: 0hr 54min

Flight 3714 Operated by GOJET AIRLINES DBA UNITED EXPRESS United Airlines 3714 Economy Canadair 700 489 mi 1hr 46min Seat map Depart 12:20 PM Washington DC, DC , United States Dulles Airport (IAD) Stop 2 4:35 PM Tokyo , Japan Narita Airport (NRT) Terminal 1 Change of planes. Time between flights: 4hr 45min

United Airlines 803 Economy Boeing 777 6,735 mi 14hr 15min Meal: Lunch Seat map Depart 9:20 PM Tokyo , Japan Narita Airport (NRT) Terminal 1 Stop 3 1:55 AM Tamuning , Guam A.B. Won Pat Int'l (GUM) Change of planes. Time between flights: 6hr 25min

United Airlines 874 Economy Boeing 777 1,563 mi 3hr 35min Meal: Snack or brunch Seat map Depart 8:20 AM Tamuning , Guam A.B. Won Pat Int'l (GUM) Arrive 10:04 AM Truk , Micronesia Truk Airport (TKK) United Airlines 172 Economy Boeing 737 633 mi 1hr 44min Meal: Breakfast Seat map This flight arrives two (2) days later.

Click to select this return flight
Return Wed, Feb 19 Total time: 34hr 27min
Depart 11:47 AM Truk , Micronesia Truk Airport (TKK) Stop 1 2:02 PM Pohnpei , Micronesia Pohnpei Airport (PNI) No change of planes. Time between flights: 0hr 45min

Stops: 3

United Airlines 172 Economy Boeing 737 437 mi 1hr 15min Seat map Depart 2:47 PM Pohnpei , Micronesia Pohnpei Airport (PNI) Stop 2 5:32 PM Kwajalein , Marshall Islands Kwajalein Airport (KWA) No change of planes. Time between flights: 0hr 43min

United Airlines 172 Economy Boeing 737 662 mi 1hr 45min Seat map Depart 6:15 PM Kwajalein , Marshall Islands Kwajalein Airport (KWA) Stop 3 7:10 PM Majuro , Marshall Islands Amata Kabua Intl (MAJ) No change of planes. Time between flights: 0hr 55min

United Airlines 172 Economy Boeing 737 267 mi 0hr 55min Seat map Depart 8:05 PM Majuro , Marshall Islands Amata Kabua Intl (MAJ) Stop 4 2:50 AM Honolulu, HI , United States Honolulu Intl Airport (HNL) Terminal M Change of planes. Time between flights: 4hr 40min

United Airlines 172 Economy Boeing 737 2,278 mi 4hr 45min Meal: Dinner Seat map Depart 7:30 AM Honolulu, HI , United States Honolulu Intl Airport (HNL) Terminal M Stop 5 2:57 PM Los Angeles, CA , United States Los Angeles Airport, El Segundo (LAX) Terminal 7 Change of planes. Time between flights: 8hr 8min

United Airlines 1415 Economy Boeing 757 2,551 mi 5hr 27min Meal: Food for purchase Seat map Depart 11:05 PM Los Angeles, CA , United States Los Angeles Airport, El Segundo (LAX) Terminal 2 Arrive 7:14 AM Montreal, QC , Canada Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport (YUL) Flight 8614 Operated by Air Canada United Airlines 8614 Economy Airbus A319 2,467 mi 5hr 9min Meal: Breakfast Seat map This is an overnight flight, which will arrive one (1) day later


Ok, now the question is do you think my luggage and I have the time (54 minutes) to get on that 2nd plane at Dulles airport. I will already have United States border preclearance from Montreal, so it will be considered a domestic flight. The price is 2060 CDN $ (which is very good)

Lephenix

[Scubatooth]

Honestly 54min is cutting it to close for comfort IMHO even though United Lists 35 min as minimum connect time. Even though your cross border flight will have pre-clearance any delay and you may be offloaded the IAD-NRT flight. Currently UA timetable only lists one flight a day IAD-NRT. If you miss that flight things could get interesting for you getting to your destination as well as your bags. There is some fudge room at NRT but not a whole lot if things go sideways.

I have played the min connect game and didn't fare so well. I was headed to Bonaire and the connection between my JFK-MIA Flight and my MIA-AUA (Aruba)was the same time frame you have. My flight was delayed due to ATC and congestion on the ramp at JFK & MIA. As a result when I got off the plane (was up front so off very quickly)I had 30 min and to hoof it from one terminal to another (distance almost a mile) through crowded halls and corridors. I made it but was to close for comfort and almost didn't make the flight (they were closing the door as I ran up), however my bags did not. The luggage turned into a charlie Foxtrot because my final destination was Bonaire. The resort I was staying at helped me out with gear so I could do my training class, but my gear did not show up till 4 days into the 9 day trip.

See if you can get a earlier Montreal to Dulles flight as if things go sideways could turn into a nightmare and you not have your gear for the trip.

YMMV and IMHO

[Jerrymxz]

I was in that class with Scubatooth on that trip. My flight was nonstop to Bonaire and my luggage was late on the second evening before it arrived. On a trip of this magnitude I scheduled flights very conservativly

[ScubaTex]

Lephenix

Having made the previous SD trip to Chuuk, April 2010, I feel I need to warn you about the 'milk run' from Chuuk to Honolulu on UA #172, only our flight experience was the opposite direction and included a 4th stop in Kosrae. Since there wasn't any type of security devices on these islands, when the plane stopped, TSA agents would come aboard the aircraft and completely search the airplane, one side at a time. You were required to take all your personal items form the overhead, seat back, and/or below the seat and either exit the plane or step to the other side of the plane. The last 2 stops they requested we not leave the aircraft since they were running late. On Kwajalein it didn't make any difference, NOBODY exits or boards the aircraft without U.S. military authorization [I think it's a missile tracking/defense base]. If you do opt for this route, I suggest you get off the plane in Majuro & get some fish jerky in the terminal.

My 2 psi

Bill

[Diver Ed]

I will add one more vote along with Tooth and Jerry. I had a recent Savannah to Atlanta to LAX to Fiji trip. My Atlanta stop was about an hour. When I got to Savannah, they told me my Savannah to Atlanta flight was cancelled, and they rebooked me for everything the next day, as the next flight would not get me to Atlanta in time to catch any flights to LAX that day. That would have messed up my trip quite a bit. I raced to Hilton Head airport, where I caught another Atlanta flight, had about 20 minutes in Atlanta, and made my flights, but I was not a happy camper the whole way as I did not expect to see my bags. On my recent return flight from Yellowstone, I was at the counter while other people were trying to get rescheduled when their flight was cancelled. They seem to cancel a lot of flights these days. If your first leg is one of those cancellations, or if you encounted delays, you can mess up a big trip. Much better to be bored for a few hours in the airport, and know that you have some options if there are flight issues.

[Scubatooth]

I was in that class with Scubatooth on that trip. My flight was nonstop to Bonaire and my luggage was late on the second evening before it arrived. On a trip of this magnitude I scheduled flights very conservativly

I wont make that mistake again, it was more stress then I really needed at that time Yes my routing was a milk run (Don't ask - WW still thinks I'm a little off), and in the future I will make sure my connections are timed better and minimize the potential problems.

For example I was originally planning to go on this trip and this was the routing I had. Keep in mind this was a award ticket I had so flexibility was limited in some respects but the connection/layovers were intentional so no mad dashes and my bags would make it.

Outbound:

DFW - JFK(AA - overnight in NYC)

JFK-HKG(CX)
8hr layover --

HKG-GUM (CX)
Overnight in GUM then pick-up the island hopper for Truk + Palau

Return:
overnight in Gaum after the trip to decompress and prepare for return
GUM-HKG (CX)
8hr layover @ HKG - although there is one earlier flight I could go on standby that would cut the layover to 3 hours

HKG-NRT (CX)
2hr layover @ NRT

NRT-LAX (JL)
4hr layover @ LAX

LAX-DFW (AA)


AA= American Airlines
CX = Cathay Pacific
JL = Japan Airlines

The text of outbound and return are links to the Great Circle Map when gives one a good idea of flight distances and areas you might fly over. The attached images is the complete round trip of above.

Attached Files

•  TKK_RT.gif   71.09KB   27 downloads

Edited by Scubatooth, 05 June 2013 - 02:21 PM.

[Jerrymxz]

One more item along this line of thought is what items go into your carry on bag. My bag was purchased just for that role. It is the maximum size allowed. It fits in the overhead bin. I have spent a lot of time deciding what goes in there and what doesn't. A couple must have items in my carry on are: prescription mask, swim suit, 1 change of clothing, full set of appropriate regulators including Deco reg, dive computers, medications logbook with C-cards. In an outside pouch snack food, thin long sleeve fleece shirt, neck-roll travel pillow and Nalgene water bottle that get put in seat back pockets as soon as I get to my seat..

I can do without at least for a couple days most everything else.

[Buzo Guero]

Taking my time getting there. Frankly, that's one of the reasons I can't join you in Palau. Going with the flow.