Terminal Terminal basics 5/20/2019

Been down there many times. Walnut Gardens, hotels, Spanish Gardens (doesnt exist anynore), Isolla Bella. But the 3 most common places I see people staying at right now are...

Kims Place - Never have stayed there but know many who have. Furnished townhomes. Short drive to class. Plus you will most likely have a handful of classmates there so getting together to study wont require a drive across town. I believe you will have a roommate staying there.

www.kimsplaceokc.com

Anatole on MacArthur - Very nice place but you will spend most of your per diem staying there. Classmate was there this summer. Very clean and impressive furnished apartments. Minutes away from Academy.


Isolla Bella - I was there for 3 months this summer. Its not spectacular like Anatole on MacArthur but its not as rundown as some people say. They take care of FAA peeps. Breakfast and Dinner Monday through Friday included with the lodging price which saves you money. Rental Car. Food is not bad. Can be hit or miss sometimes. Pools, bar, shuttle to and from academy. Decent private gym. North side of town close to Lake Hefner. 25 min drive to academy.

 
Il look into these. Im not a huge fan of commuting during formal training courses, I like the idea of Anatole (I can just do the food to door delivery services for mon-fri through someone like freshly).

How does the per diem and reimbursement for lodging and meals go? Do I get the full per diem rate as cash (or on a credit card) and what I dont use I keep? Or is it like the military where its use or lose. This makes a big difference in choosing a place.

Thanks for all the help!
 
Il look into these. Im not a huge fan of commuting during formal training courses, I like the idea of Anatole (I can just do the food to door delivery services for mon-fri through someone like freshly).

How does the per diem and reimbursement for lodging and meals go? Do I get the full per diem rate as cash (or on a credit card) and what I dont use I keep? Or is it like the military where its use or lose. This makes a big difference in choosing a place.

Thanks for all the help!

If you choose to pay out of pocket, you'll get the entire per diem regardless of what you pay. So people at Kim's and IB will be pocketing the extra $12-18 per day that you're saving on lodging. You can also opt to have the FAA pay for your stay directly, in which case you wouldn't have to worry about getting reimbursed. However, even if you stay somewhere that takes the full per diem, it makes much more sense to get a cash back or rewards credit card and put your stay on that if your financial situation allows you to do so. And everyone gets the full food per diem, no receipts needed.
 
If you choose to pay out of pocket, you'll get the entire per diem regardless of what you pay. So people at Kim's and IB will be pocketing the extra $12-18 per day that you're saving on lodging. You can also opt to have the FAA pay for your stay directly, in which case you wouldn't have to worry about getting reimbursed. However, even if you stay somewhere that takes the full per diem, it makes much more sense to get a cash back or rewards credit card and put your stay on that if your financial situation allows you to do so. And everyone gets the full food per diem, no receipts needed.
Awesome! I saw that the rate is 57 a day, which is definitely reasonable for many of the places out there.

Throwing it on the amex for points is also a huge bonus. Thanks for all the information, seems like a good deal!
 
I'll be staying at the Anatole on MacArthur..4 min from the academy, close to stores and restaurants, 57 (lodging per diem rate) per day.

38 per day for meals and whatever else is more than enough, even if you do the freshly type services that deliver to your door.

She said availability was tight, so worth calling earlier than later if anyone else is interested!
 
Good to know. Im not locked into Anatole yet, and she said I'm eligible to cancel up until 15 days prior. Meals and accommodations sounds nice. 20 mins isn't bad at all. Will check it out.
 
Pocketing the extra money helps, Your pay isnt the best while your a student. So any extra you can save on per diem helps, also the commuting isnt as bad. Just make sure you check the shuttle route and verify it stops where you are staying. If you drive and your late to class you are late, but if you ride the shuttle and its late you are not late.
 
Other than all the pre-employment forms we had to fill out, has anyone receiced any sort of pre-academy info packet or anything?
 
Other than all the pre-employment forms we had to fill out, has anyone receiced any sort of pre-academy info packet or anything?

Nope, when I talked to HR she said expect an email within one week of class start date. I assume between mon and wed next week I will receive something.
 
I stayed at Isola Bella for one night, and checked out. Excellent customer service and plenty of parking, but the room was too outdated / unmaintained for me. There was a storm today and I had 1-2 gallons of water that had flooded into the living room from the sliding door. Several lights were not working when I checked in, probably the bulbs but not worth bothering with them. The structure itself was a poor quality or not on a solid foundation when built . I own a house built in the 60s and it has none of the issues from this building that may have been built in the mid 80s. This led to uneven floors, cracks on walls and cielings and vents that leave open cutouts in the dry wall visible . There is also black specks within all of the ventilation registers, I couldn't figure out if it was heavy dust that had eroded the white finish or mold, but I didn't want to mess with it.

Again, the staff was accommodating and willing to switch rooms and I think they do a great job in the customer service dept. I just wanted y'all to know that if you're looking for a place that will be zero hassle move in ready, it might not be the best choice .

Anyways ..driving around OKC looking for a home now
 
Greetings sister class. If yall have any questions, just pop into the 5/13 Terminal thread, we're only a week in-front of you.
 
I stayed at Isola Bella for one night, and checked out. Excellent customer service and plenty of parking, but the room was too outdated / unmaintained for me. There was a storm today and I had 1-2 gallons of water that had flooded into the living room from the sliding door. Several lights were not working when I checked in, probably the bulbs but not worth bothering with them. The structure itself was a poor quality or not on a solid foundation when built . I own a house built in the 60s and it has none of the issues from this building that may have been built in the mid 80s. This led to uneven floors, cracks on walls and cielings and vents that leave open cutouts in the dry wall visible . There is also black specks within all of the ventilation registers, I couldn't figure out if it was heavy dust that had eroded the white finish or mold, but I didn't want to mess with it.

Again, the staff was accommodating and willing to switch rooms and I think they do a great job in the customer service dept. I just wanted y'all to know that if you're looking for a place that will be zero hassle move in ready, it might not be the best choice .

Anyways ..driving around OKC looking for a home now
Hi hello not in your class just being nosy, but FYI the houses at Kim’s are reallyyyyy nice, the furniture in my unit isn’t outdated at all and no flooding even into the garage. Lots of perks come with staying here like gym membership and all household supplies taken care of. In case you haven’t found anything yet, 11/10 would recommend?
Edit: also HBO in case you have anything to watch tomorrow night iykwim
 
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