…you actually click on this link to read how you know you have been hanging around FlyerTalk too much.

Here are some excerpts from the thread, as you know you have been hanging around FlyerTalk too much when:

• Your granddaughter says she’s gonna “tattle” on you, your mind thinks “TATL”- and you start wondering what the Unaccompanied Minor fees are for a flight across the pond…
• You drive six hours to an airport you don’t like, to fly to a place you have no need to go to, and come home in less than twenty-four hours.
• your s/o or other family members start calling you by your flyertalk handle and/or you start talking to them “in flyertalk speak” vs their real names
• If you have dreams like FlyerTalk member wijomas had recently

Next question: You know that you have been hanging around The Gate too much when…?

What would you do if you had approximately 70 passengers for a flight whose aircraft can only handle approximately 50?

The flight from New York to Detroit allegedly suffered an equipment downgrade, resulting in a smaller aircraft being used than the one that was originally assigned to the flight.

The problem is that the original aircraft was booked full, and all of the passengers have arrived at the gate for the flight.

According to FlyerTalk member rpjepson, the solution was to tell everyone to board at once, and whoever gets through on-board the aircraft first gets a seat!

What happened to the remaining 20 or so unlucky passengers?

Find out more about this unusual boarding practice in the an unusual way for DL to solve an oversold situation:) thread, as well as the results.

Is anyone in the mood to play musical chairs?

Travel patterns, drink preferences, past customer service issues, inside leg measurements - these are some of the things that BA cabin crew know about some of their best customers.  (Okay Can I help you made that last one up.)  Creepy or fantastic personalised service?  What do you think?  Join in the discussion <here>.

After the $94 weekly rental at Thrifty Car Rental suddenly tripled to become as high as greater than $300, FlyerTalk member randix asks: HUGE increase in rental car rates, and nothing about in on Flyertalk???

However, are the increases justified? Could that rate of $94 per week be too low these days? Perhaps the rate increase is a form of highway robbery? Is Thrifty the only car rental company who allegedly increased its rental rates dramatically?

FlyerTalk member and self-proclaimed car rental industry insider ezmonee offers a detailed explanation about what is currently going on in the car rental industry.

What do you think?

FlyerTalk member hinsopa has been diagnosed with advanced stage cancer in 2006 and is looking for a mentor.

hinsopa says:

“My life changed drastically with that diagnosis. I have found that going to conferences and retreats with other survivors to be the best way to get the support I need to live with cancer stalking me.
Anyway, I need to maximize getting FF so I can make my dreams realities. $$ is slim since I am able to work only parttime and work in children’s services.
I need someone that is willing to answer questions and help coach me on steps I can take. So far, all I have done is the Delta car rental promotion.
Any takers?”

Would you offer to assist hinsopa?

Do you know which airport has:

• A golf course right on the premises?
• An archaeological site right on the airport grounds?
• Rest rooms with heated toilet seats?
• An area that looks like a lounge that is upstairs?
• Rocking chairs on which one can pass the time?
• Special exhibits?
• A Japanese garden?
• An aviation museum?
• The best food?
• An observation deck?

By the way, some of the above questions can qualify at greater than one airport.

The Hidden Treasures at Airports thread is one of the threads in the TravelBuzz! forum that contains the answers to these and many other questions, as well as unusual yet interesting facts and secrets about airports.

Apparently, this has happened to FlyerTalk member CVO 1K 2 Million, who wrote down a specific amount for the gratuity on the credit card slip, only to have later received the credit card statement showing that the total amount of the bill from the restaurant had mysteriously increased - and this happened twice in the last month!

The Ever had your written restaurant tip involuntarily increased? thread may simply be the tip of the iceberg. If you have a tip about tipping a tip, tip your hat off of the tip of your head and tip the tip in the tip thread.

That is my tip for today.

The follicles of Delta Air Lines are the roots for this interesting promotion.

I brushed along the 20k miles for free with Bosley thread while combing through the Delta forum on FlyerTalk. Usually Delta Air Lines SkyMiles members do not feel like they have been scalped when taking advantage of a SkyMiles promotion, but this particular promotion may be an exception.

20,000 of those 170,000 SkyMiles can be earned simply through an initial consultation regarding a hair restoration procedure, and this is no bald-faced lie. There are additional details and a link in the thread linked above. However, as usually typical with the hair on the top of a man’s head, the promotion will fall out on 25 August 2008 and the offer will no longer be valid, even if you miss the deadline by nary a whisker. If you are interested, do not wait and put yourself in a close shave - act today!

I simply hope not too many Delta Air Lines SkyMiles members who are also FlyerTalk members wig out about this promotion.

In what FlyerTalk member johdhj says is “One more step towards Star Alliance, methinks…“, Continental Airlines and Air Canada announce a partnership with each other.

As you may already know, Continental Airlines allegedly intends to leave the SkyTeam alliance and join Star Alliance.

For additional information on this partnership and what it means to members of both the Continental Airlines OnePass and Air Canada Aeroplan frequent flier programs, please read the CO & Air Canada announce partnership thread for the point of view by OnePass members and the CO to join Star Alliance: AC impacts thread for the point of view by Aeroplan members.

A family flew to Bodrum instead of their destination of Lanzarote.  Could it happen to you?  Check out the discussion.