Guys....you have no idea of the number of alerts we get when folks start making their COVID posts because they invariably invite political comments. PLEASE don't do this! We don't have time to edit and fix threads that go down these kinds of pathways. How about helping us out by NOT making posts about what your respective Governors, etc. are doing about COVID and the blind political commentary. Don't make us delete entire threads ...
Thanks,
@Allan Miller posted:Let me put it this way: If you made or make hotel reservations for the Oct. York Meet, make sure you make them with an establishment where you can cancel 24 hours in advance and/or receive a refund if you were charged when making the reservation. The policies for a lot of hotel nationwide were changed/revised due to COVID, so double check just to protect yourself (and your money).
Along the same lines, if you are in a hotel loyalty program, be sure to monitor your account to verify that your points don't disappear. Due to my lack of travel, I had a substantial points balance disappear from my program because I hadn't booked or used any points for 18 months. After I complained, they reinstated them, but it was an unpleasant surprise as I had almost earned enough for a free night.
Having the option to cancel is always a good idea, because things happen.
@Mallard4468 posted:Along the same lines, if you are in a hotel loyalty program, be sure to monitor your account to verify that your points don't disappear. Due to my lack of travel, I had a substantial points balance disappear from my program because I hadn't booked or used any points for 18 months. After I complained, they reinstated them, but it was an unpleasant surprise as I had almost earned enough for a free night.
Having the option to cancel is always a good idea, because things happen.
Sometimes if you just do a "qualifying activity" the counter restarts on when your points expire. Usually this includes making a booking or using some of the points to purchase something. I was able to get a $25 gift card for Amazon (and some other major retailers) just a few weeks ago to keep the rest of my points active.
I haven't been following, and whenever I go I just make a long day-trip out of it, so I don't have to worry about cancelling any reservations. But, there is no word on cancelling the meet, right? As with most of us I'm really looking forward to going. It's been a while.
@rplst8 posted:Sometimes if you just do a "qualifying activity" the counter restarts on when your points expire. Usually this includes making a booking or using some of the points to purchase something. I was able to get a $25 gift card for Amazon (and some other major retailers) just a few weeks ago to keep the rest of my points active.
In my program, booking a room doesn't count as activity until the stay is completed - I know because I had booked my October room prior to losing the points.
But I like the idea about buying stuff with points. I assume that buying some extra points for future use would also work.
@Frank Mulligan posted:But, there is no word on cancelling the meet, right?
Correct, but remember that it ain't over until the fat lady sings. With this COVID stuff and a whole new variant just announced in addition to the Delta variant, who knows what will happen over the next couple of months? Just keep all your options open and prepare for both the good and the bad as best you can.
I have airline ticket and hotel reservations booked - hoping for the best!
@hclarke posted:I have airline ticket and hotel reservations booked - hoping for the best!
No worries. There is no certainty in life, and none of us is can predict the future, but I feel very confident that the October York Meet will be held. Hat tip to the Eastern Division for taking the appropriate safety precautions well in advance of the Meet. If they need to pivot in one direction or another regarding their current protocols for the Meet, based upon the conditions in October, I am also confident they will do so.
Pat
@hclarke posted:I have airline ticket and hotel reservations booked - hoping for the best!
From what I have been hearing on the news, one of the biggest issues in travel these days is car rental, so if you’re going to need a car, it might be a good idea to look into that sooner rather than later.
Are they still allowing non tca members in? I’m fairly close (central MD) and not a member. Also, how much do tix go for? I might go to this one or the spring.
@Apples55 posted:From what I have been hearing on the news, one of the biggest issues in travel these days is car rental, so if you’re going to need a car, it might be a good idea to look into that sooner rather than later.
Paul, I think you are quite right!! My brother-in-law who lives in Los Angeles is flying into Pittsburgh tomorrow for a visit. He usually rents a car when he comes. This time, he said the best price he could get was $700. He didn't say it, but I heard someone else recently say he reserved a car and there was no car available when he arrived. I'm told last year there were so few rentals, the rental companies sold a large portion for their fleets. So my wife and I are making the hour and a half trip to the airport tomorrow to pick him up and we will take him back Thursday.
@Mark Boyce posted:Paul, I think you are quite right!! My brother-in-law who lives in Los Angeles is flying into Pittsburgh tomorrow for a visit. He usually rents a car when he comes. This time, he said the best price he could get was $700. He didn't say it, but I heard someone else recently say he reserved a car and there was no car available when he arrived. I'm told last year there were so few rentals, the rental companies sold a large portion for their fleets. So my wife and I are making the hour and a half trip to the airport tomorrow to pick him up and we will take him back Thursday.
Well, Mark... if the best he could find is $700, I’d hope you are at least charging him the WM diesel of your choice 
After all, it is an hour and a half drive each way!!!
@Csxcellent posted:Are they still allowing non tca members in? I’m fairly close (central MD) and not a member. Also, how much do tix go for? I might go to this one or the spring.
You can attend one time as a guest of the TCA. All halls (member and dealer) are open to you. Here is a link to the Eastern Division's York Train Meet Guest Registration.
The TCA sees opening up the meet to guests as being a recruitment tool for the organization. It worked for me! I went in 2019 as a guest of the TCA, came home and joined. 
Jim
I have my reservation, and conveniently my "rental" car is in my garage where it always is. 
@Apples55 posted:Well, Mark... if the best he could find is $700, I’d hope you are at least charging him the WM diesel of your choice
Paul, yes and the return on Thursday totals 6 hours. Unfortunately, he is a Harvard lawyer. He would find a loophole no matter what proposal I would make. 
@jd-train posted:You can attend one time as a guest of the TCA. All halls (member and dealer) are open to you. Here is a link to the Eastern Division's York Train Meet Guest Registration.
The TCA sees opening up the meet to guests as being a recruitment tool for the organization. It worked for me! I went in 2019 as a guest of the TCA, came home and joined.
Jim
I think the main dealer hall (where Lionel and MTH are) which I think is “orange” is open to the public on Saturday and Sunday right?
Saturday yes and also Friday. The show ends on Saturday. No show on Sunday.
@rplst8 posted:I think the main dealer hall (where Lionel and MTH are) which I think is “orange” is open to the public on Saturday and Sunday right?
Yes the Orange Hall and I think maybe the Purple or Black Hall is considered a dealer hall also, are open to the public
IIRC last time I went the Black Hall had the larger display layout, which was open to the public, but the White Hall also one or two display layouts (one O one S) not open to the public.
Hi CSX and all,
I know the Standard Gauge Modular Association will have a nice operating layout in the Orange Hall.
Please stop by and say Hi!
Black, Purple, White and Orange Halls in the past years have all had layouts. This year Who knows.
Does anybody know for sure if Lionel will be at York this fall?
@Bobby Cox posted:Does anybody know for sure if Lionel will be at York this fall?
Yep, the folks at Lionel know for sure. 
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Yep, the folks at Lionel know for sure.
Sure...why not?...Their knowledge of future protocols would be as good as any other I've heard lately!
@dkdkrd posted:Sure...why not?...Their knowledge of future protocols would be as good as any other I've heard lately!
We can be sure if they "don't" know if they'll be there that nobody else does!
@Lionelski posted:I had a York nightmare last night. True, as POTUS would say "No joke!"
I dreamt that I got there late and couldn't find a parking spot. Once there, most of the vendors were women selling hand knitted sweaters, scarves, etc., beanie babies, trinkets and jewelry. there were also men selling the typical flea market cheap imported tools and housewares.
After leaving the parking lot became miles large, with all kinds of strange entrances and exits. My friends were mad at me because I couldn't find my car - even though we were driving it around looking for it!
PLEASE, I need a normal or better York!
But for now...
Ski, we needed a little humor on this topic. Thank you for sharing your dream
After spending another 30 minutes this morning dealing with politically oriented comments and deleting those along with a few that added nothing and/or wrong information and rumors, we have closed this thread. It seems that a few of you just can't help making comments that stir up crap so those members will not be happy with the emails that they will be getting....vacation time!
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