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Bits: free helicopter with Monaco holidays, Holiday Inn Heathrow rebrands

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News in brief:

British Airways offering a free Nice-Monaco helicopter transfer

I think I’ve only ever been in a helicopter twice, and one of those times was to transfer from Nice Airport to Monaco.  This was a corporate jolly, I wasn’t spending my own money.

British Airways has teamed up with the Monaco tourist authority to offer free return helicopter transfers with a ‘flight and hotel’ booking of just two nights during the Winter season (1 November to 31 December).  For the rest of the year, you need to book a minimum of 5 nights hotel stay.  You also get a free transfer from the heliport to your hotel and free tickets for certain Monaco attractions.

This is a really good deal in November.  I found 2 nights at The Fairmont plus economy flights plus helicopter transfers for just £432 for two people (ie £216 each) for the first weekend in November.  Note the small print re the transfers, especially the operating hours of the helicopter.

Full details can be found on ba.com here.

Holiday Inn Heathrow becomes a Leonardo hotel

There were, as of Sunday, three Holiday Inn hotels at Heathrow.  The Holiday Inn London Heathrow – Aerial is the slightly odd circular building which is (in)famous for the single-bedded rooms you can receive if you are not careful when you book.  The Holiday Inn London Heathrow M4 is the one people see from the motorway as they approach the airport.

The third option was the Holiday Inn London Heathrow, pictured below, on Bath Road.

As of yesterday, this property has been rebranded as a Leonardo Hotel, followings its acquisition by an Israeli group.  There are already a handful of Leonardo properties across Europe but there are plans for a larger roll-out in the coming years.

This will be a bit of a loss for anyone chasing qualifying nights for IHG promotions.  A new Holiday Inn, called Holiday Inn London Heathrow Terminal 5 (see here) has recently opened, but there is a large degree of poetic licence in the name given that it is in the village of Colnbrook.  Even the IHG website describes it as being in Slough.

Avios to launch an app for Apple Watch

If you intend to be at the front of the queue to buy an Apple Watch when it launches on April 24th, Avios has you covered.

The Avios Watch app will “allow members of the Avios Travel Rewards Programme to easily see their total Avios balance, alert them when it increases, and help them understand the many ways in which they can spend their Avios.”

Not surprisingly, Avios claims that it is the first loyalty programme in Europe to launch an app for Apple Watch.

There is no word yet on what British Airways and British Airways Executive Club will be launching.  In terms of practicality, I think BA has more to gain from Apple Watch than any of the Avios loyalty schemes.

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Category

British Airways and Avios, IHG One Rewards

Comments (42)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Henry C says:
    17 Mar17 March 06:34

    Interesting to see the HI go, but glad its not the Ariel as that’s always been my favourite.

  • FlyingChris says:
    17 Mar17 March 07:05

    According to their Social Media team on Twitter – BA have an Apple Watch app ready to launch. https://twitter.com/british_airways/status/576034955286949888

    • flyforfun says:
      17 Mar17 March 13:18

      I think smart watches are pretty pointless. I haven’t worn a watch for over a decade now thanks to smart phones and even the early not so smart ones!

      Until they make a smart watch that I only have to charge up once a month, I don’t think I’ll bother.

  • Gabbai says:
    17 Mar17 March 07:11

    The Holiday Inn Express London – Heathrow T5, not to be confused with the Holiday Inn London Heathrow Terminal 5, you write about, is another option. It is even a little further out than the HI but I got to T5 on the Hoppa shuttle in 15 minutes. It is a typical HIEx but a high grade example. Staff were friendly on my visit when I stayed overnight before a fairly early flight. The room was comfortable and the value was excellent. When I arrive at 10pm and leave at 8am, a clean room with a decent shower and a good value price is what I am looking for. The quaint country location was a minor bonus and the 15 minute shuttle as opposed to the 5 minute walk at my last airport overnight [Radisson Blu in Zurich] was a minor inconvenience. I stayed in the Radisson even though it was much more expensive because I really was in transit. In London I had been on vacation and was moving on.

    • Felix Flyer says:
      17 Mar17 March 07:59

      I liked the HiEx T5 too. There is also a bus stop outside for the regular services but I have always driven there. A shame about losing the HI on Bath Road as that was my favourite of the 3 around there.
      Slightly OT but can anyone remember if the HI M4 J4 used to be a Sheraton? Just curious.

      • Irons1980 says:
        17 Mar17 March 10:20

        Prior to being a Holiday Inn, it was variously a Forte Crest, PostHouse and various iterations of the two when it was part of the Forte group. When that went, most Crest and PostHouse hotels became Holiday Inns (and the odd Crowne Plaza)

        • Rob says:
          17 Mar17 March 12:28

          Indeed. I remember spending 2 weeks in the PostHouse Taunton (M25, J5) back in 1993! That is now a HI.

          • Felix Flyer says:
            17 Mar17 March 12:49

            Thanks for the clarification. I had a memory from about 30 years ago that my Grandma stayed there and it was a Sheraton. Obviously as a child I wasn’t as brand aware!

      • Daz says:
        18 Mar18 March 08:30

        It used to be a Trusthouse Forte.

  • Jimmy says:
    17 Mar17 March 07:45

    For the Monaco trip, I can’t see it saying 2 nights for the Heli transfer in winter. In the terms I can only see minimum 5 night stay with breakfast?

    • Rob says:
      17 Mar17 March 08:14

      Eh?!

      “The “Passport to Monte Carlo” includes return helicopter transfers between Nice and Monaco and entrance to attractions within Monaco. To qualify for this exclusive benefit, you must book a flight + hotel package for a minimum 2 night stay on a Bed & Breakfast basis for travel between 1 Feb 15-31 Mar 15 & 1 Nov 15-31 Dec 15*.”

      • Jimmy says:
        17 Mar17 March 08:18

        thank for your reply. That’s on the front page / advert. If you go to book and look at the terms of booking, there is no mention of a 2 night stay. It simply says to qualify a minimum of a 5 night stay with breakfast is required. I’ve taken a screen shot of the front page and booked anyway!

        • pazza2000 says:
          17 Mar17 March 14:20

          I wonder which is correct? 5 nights in MC is 3 too many but 2 nights, at that pricing, is a good deal…

          • Rob says:
            17 Mar17 March 14:59

            If you do a 2-night booking for November, it also says ‘free helicopter transfer’ in the summary pricing box for the hotels which are taking part.

          • Ken says:
            23 Mar23 March 12:25

            It definitely includes return helicopter flights from 1 Nov. I’ve just received my vouchers and there’s one for each way for each of us, clearly labelled Nice to Monaco and Monaco to Nice. There’s also vouchers for cocktails at the hotel. Very nice!!

  • Cheshire Pete says:
    17 Mar17 March 07:47

    The point about the Apple Watch App is will you be able to scan the barcode under the scanner with the watch still on your wrist! I’ve seen the AA App too, which was part of the launch unveiling, and as with the BA one it only shows boarding information, indicating the main main purpose of not having to give over your valuable phone to be scanned, may still be necessary?

    Perhaps there are security reasons/clearances which need to be addresses before we will be able to do this.

    • Frenske says:
      17 Mar17 March 08:15

      It seems that at the moment smart watches act like an extension for the mobile phone. Albeit a very expensive add-on.
      I don’t really see the point of smart watches and why the big electronics companies are pushing it other than the market for mobiles is saturated.

      • Hingeless says:
        17 Mar17 March 21:50

        I agree that they are pointlessh , however lots of people said that about tablets when the iPad first arrived.

        • Fenny says:
          17 Mar17 March 23:26

          But tablet sales are falling again, as people realise that they aren’t really using them that much and phones are getting larger.

          • Rob says:
            18 Mar18 March 06:54

            We use ours heavily but they have a long life, my kids still use an iPad 2 quite happily and it still runs along at full speed for the things they do. There is no logical reason to upgrade my 18-month old iPad Air this year either unless I am paranoid about shaving another 10% off the weight.

  • James says:
    17 Mar17 March 08:43

    Is it just me who was underwhelmed by the latest BA economy sale? Still £250 more expensive than Delta in April for a lot of routes.

  • Macca says:
    17 Mar17 March 08:48

    Perhaps it’s my knowledge of geography but all these Monaco hotel deals seem to be in Monaco. So where does the need for a return helicopter from Nice to Monaco come in???

    • Macca says:
      17 Mar17 March 08:54

      Ahhhh, I got it. You fly into Nice then get a free helicopter “airport transfer” to Monaco, where you stay.

    • Andy says:
      17 Mar17 March 08:56

      Macca, Monaco doesn’t have have an airport you must fly to Nice in France (32km away) and transfer by taxi/train/bus/boat or if doing it in style via helicopter.

  • Alan says:
    17 Mar17 March 08:56

    Hehe the irony of them announcing it on Google+ when they still haven’t released an Android Wear version!

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