News and notes from around the interweb:
- Whenever I get late check-out at a hotel, housekeeping knocks incessantly or tries to enter the room to turn it over. One guest came up with a solution, though in many cases I’d write the note in more than one language:
- Hawaii moves from paper agriculture forms (that were collected by flight attendants prior to arrival) to digital forms with what is surely among the least user-friendly URLs I’ve ever seen https://soh-agr.my.site.com/akamaiarrival/
- I told you three months ago that Delta would ditch $4 champagne for Taittinger in long haul business class so it feels a bit anticlimactic that they have finally announced it (also because since then United trumped them with broader wine program improvements).
- New Sydney airport first class check-in suite in use by Emirates and for Singapore Airlines PPS Solitaire passengers on one flight only.
- Qatar Airways will open new Bangkok lounge with sit-down dining
- Qantas will install larger overhead bins, remove seatback entertainment screens, from Boeing 737s not for nothing, but retired American Airlines CEO Doug Parker is a Qantas board member. Meanwhile, Qantas will finally do the Sydney and Auckland lounge refreshes they announced in 2018.
The current Qatar lounge in Bangkok is a very long haul to the terminal where the actual flight departs from so relocating the lounge makes a lot of sense.
This housekeeping thing is legit. Pretty much anytime I’ve been provided a late checkout at ANY hotel other than a true 5 star, housekeeping tries to bust in and acts totally surprised when I tell them I have a late checkout. I need to start traveling with post-it notes, though I wonder how much heed these notes will be given in practice.
You need to write note also in Spanish
Hawaii moves from paper agriculture forms (that were collected by flight attendants prior to arrival) to digital forms…
I wonder how they are going to enforce that?
Guaranteed 4PM checkout via status, FHR, or equivalent means is the best benefit around. You know that owners, management, housekeeping at these properties must *hate* it. Tough shit.
Will there be kiosks for ag declaration forms? Will the flight attendants have devices to do the declarations on the airplane? Phnom Penh Airport now has customs declarations online but also has kiosks for those without a working smart phone (or in my case, I also found the directions to be less than clear.) Fortunately the lady helping at the kiosks was able to get the right boxes checked quickly.
@jns — I last visited in Cambodia in 2019, and it was honestly the *single worst* immigration process I’ve ever experienced. Even with prepaid, pre-printed visas in-hand, the wait was 2+ hours. So, if it’s better in Phnom Penh these days, that is good, because they really need it there. Sheesh!
Isn’t that what the Do Not Disturb sign is for??
@1990, I have flown into Phnom Penh at least twice a year for the last 15 years, except for 2020 and 2021, and have never had a two hour wait to get through immigration and customs. That includes one time having to take a rapid Covid-19 PCR test in 2022 and wait for the results (about a half hour wait after testing). I think you may have just been unlucky. Maybe several large airplanes came at once and there were not enough agents on duty to rapidly process the crowd. The Phnom Penh airport is not very busy most of the time but there are a lot of visitors from China. The new airport south of Phnom Penh is supposed to open this year.
@David The Do Not Disturb sign is frequently ignored which is somewhat justified as people may leave at 11am even though they requested 4pm checkout and leave the Do Not Disturb sign out.
I recently stayed at the Thompson Seattle and needed the room until 4pm. I’m pleased to report that I wasn’t disturbed until 3:30pm. This is perhaps the latest first housekeeping knock I have ever received after requesting 4pm checkout.
@jns — That is good to hear. My experience was at the old Siem Reap airport—though, now there’s supposedly a new one there, too. I believe the ‘backup’ was due to all the visitors who flock to see Angkor Wat, which is incredible and worthwhile. Phnom Penh maybe more for business and familial visitors. Either way, glad to hear Cambodia is doing better. I’ll have to get back there again sometime.