The Mini-Bar (Aviation Terrorist?)

[whipping boy]

Am I the only person in this industry that sees the Mini-Bar for what it really is - The Devil in Disguise

This evil plot by hoteliers across the world is really part of a larger conspiracy to see those of us with an ever expanding girth fail subsequent medicals and exit the industry early.

There is nothing inside of these insidious beings that is of any health benefit. Packed with soft drinks,alcohol,chips and chocolate when a man returns from the downstairs bar and is too full to think straight let alone order(and stay awake for)room service,there it is! Oh one little chocky won't hurt. Not until you have to pay five bucks for it the next day!!

And now these conspirators are getting smarter with modern day MBs if you lift the item out of it's position it is automatically charged to your bill. What hope do the weak minded amongst us have!!

Yours in therapy WB

[The Messiah]

For pure economic terrorism go no further than the hotel phone. $200 USD is my worst for 29 minutes. ie approx $7 US per minute. It only costs $6 US per minute from the sat phone on board.

Lucky I'm a millionaire!

[qfcabin]

Go to a Costco or Sams and buy a MCI or SPRINT card for 20 usd..talk to australia from hotel rooms for a couple of hours at least..min of 130 or so minutes..just be careful the hotel doesnt charge for 1800 calls..

[Scud driver]

All very well striking out to Costco etc. But where are they in the early am afetr a night at the beach.

Had a phone call home to Mum that cost me USD62!!

Silly boy!

[qfcabin]

Just pl
an ahead Scud!

[SepsOff]

Hey Scud,
Speaking of Mum, how's that new project coming along?

[ITCZ]

How to deal with the 'microswitch minibar' problem.....

1. Ring up that cabin service manager that had a hissy fit about being told to wait while you made a position report. Ask to come around to apologise. Log a 'wake up' call for his room with reception for 2 minutes time. Enter room of your enemy. Wait for call to distract him. Lift and replace the whiskey bottle 20 times. Return to your room and giggle yourself to sleep.

2. Decide which drink you want. Lift up and replace every item in the fridge 43 times. At signon, be in the lobby just before the crew bus leaves. When presented with a $600 minibar bill at checkout, tell them that this is preposterous, if you had drank this much you would not have been able to press the lift buttons, and demand an apology. Maybe you might get the 2 drinks you actually had for free.

3. Go to local pharmacy, concoct a story about being a diabetic and scam a small hypodermic needle (otherwise find a nearby playground or golfcourse and rake the sand until you find one left behind by junkies). Push hypo through those tinfoil tops on the juices, the plastic of the coke bottles, and the micrometer thin lids of the spirits to remove contents without displacing container. Enjoy!

REVENGE!!!!

[The Messiah]

qfcabin yes I found out about the Costco option the next day and now carry one permanently in the wallet.

[Capt Claret]

You have one devious mind, sir.

Your task, no should you decide to accept as you are directed, is to engineer a raft of 4s for next week!:D

[Pinky the pilot]

ITCZ And just how long have you been practising such deviousness Sir?
God but it's so good to learn from an expert!!:D :D :D :D

[Eastwest Loco]

Okay

Now here is my classic. Stayed 12 months ago on a sales run in a rather nice hotel in Coolangatta.

Endured 2 nights of annoying grommets playing knock and run, and finally spotted the room they were in thru the peephole - offset across the hall.

Next morning, lo and behold, they had checked out and failed to ensure the door was properly closed. Damn and blast that Northerley and the still-open balcony sliding door!!

Result? Mini Bar transplant.Excellent red too!

:D

The next few days were cheaply and well fueled and I suspect the "door knockers" are still trying to explain the mini bar bill to parents who credit card guaranteed the room.

The ox is slow but the earth is patient!!!:p :p

Best all

EWL

[dodgybrothers]

Ah yes the hoteliers from Kabul. My pet hate is the credit card. I mean I hate giving my credit card to anyone let alone some potential Osama loving hotel clerk.

My performances have been splendid over the years, yelling and hissy fitting and threatening to take away the hotel's contract and generally to no avail.

My favorite has to be the movies. Once upon a time we used to be able call and say the TV was on the blink -no charge, fuzzy picture -no charge, wrong movie showing -no charge. Now far too advanced for me, they have all bases covered.

[ccy sam]

Went to Hong Kong for sim a few months ago. Airport hotel asked to swipe credit card. I never touch the mini bar and eat elsewhere, on a budget and strict self control. Got home to find my card was over limit by 130 dollars. Enquires revealed that I actually had 100 doolars to go before reaching credit limit . Hotel had billed the card to 230 dollars but not actually claimed it. Futher enquires showed that this was standard hotel practise, there was nothing I could do even though I had not spent a cent in the hotel. I had to wait 14 days before the hotel released its claim on the card and I could use it again.
Has anyone any ideas on how to aviod giving them the card number?

[Eastwest Loco]

From the Travel Agents foint of view ccy sam , most intrnational and domestic hotels will not accept a booking without a credit card guarantee. Our systems will not even allow a booking to confirm in most cases without a CC guarantee or actual debit of the first night to the CC.

This is to ensure the client cannot nosho without penalty.

It is a pain in the butt, but one can see the reason they do it, however this does not mean it is not a privelege abused by some properties.

The only way I know to get around it is to lodge a cash deposit with the hotel for the value of the mini bar and hope like hell you can get it back at 0530 when you check out. One can be assured that Manuel the night clerk will throw you a "que" and look doe eyed and smiling when you ask for your filthy luker back.

No win situation mate.

Sorry - I cannot see a solution, but would enjoy anyones input that can get around this. Possibly a guarantee from your Airline - in writing acceptance from the hotel chain is the only way.


best regards

EWL

[MIss Behaviour]

Dodgy Bro

How about the old ''sorry, I don't have a credit card" trick.

I told front desk that my colleague would be paying for the account on his credit card & he would leave an imprint later when he checked in......ha ha!

It goes without saying that never eventuated. Mind you this was a hotel at Coolum on the Sunshine Coast & generally Australia is pretty laid back about things like this.

To pull that stunt in Hong Kong or LA where checkin procedures are a tad more stringent might be stretching the friendship somewhat.

Didn't even get any rude messages to call reception or report to the principal's office so I guess the night auditors were too busy. In this case it was a win-win situation. :cool: :cool:

[ITCZ]

Claret said:

You have one devious mind, sir.

Yairs, I suppose I have!

All that "character building experience" in arnhemland I guess. Nobody actually said what sort of character was being built:O

Back to my study.........

[dodgybrothers]

Miss Behavior,

I have in the past thrown a tantrum when asked for the CC, they told me they required it for the minibar, I then marched the porter upstairs and watched him completely remove the minibar from the poxy little fridge. No CC that time either!!

The general rule for most aussie hotels is that the house will not send you a bill for the sake of 5 or 6 bucks. So rort the system every time but only for 5 or 6 bucks!

I suppose its because of guys like me, that the hotels require Credit Cards!!!!!

[MIss Behaviour]

ITCZ

Now which Arnhemland pub might that have been Sheraton Mirage Maningrida, Grand Hyatt Elcho Island or Club Med Alyangula? :8 :8

Dodgy Bro

So they threw all their toys out of the cot did they? Great, gives you an empty fridge to put all your rations from the 7Eleven into.

Still scan the bill like a hawk just in case they have the audacity (or stupidity) to charge you by mistake for your own stuff. Even better, settle the bill the night before. Nothin' worse than keeping the Skipper waiting on the crew bus next morning! :{ :{

Cheers
MB