Bits: win tickets to Le Mans with Avios & Shell, how a reader used his free GHA Platinum status

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• Rob says:

  11 Apr11 April 05:27

  Don’t forget upto 2000 Avios bonus for taking out Business Traveler Subscription

  • Genghis says:

    11 Apr11 April 08:30

    But that’s much more expensive and not worth paying for the extra avios isn’t it?

• Susan says:

  11 Apr11 April 06:16

  the super cheap BAA BT offer was still running a few months ago. I’ve had some great upgrades with GHA including standard room to a suite – but they wouldn’t honour the “local experience for staying at a new brand” because mine wasn’t an earned membership. Booking direct with the hotel is often cheaper than using GHA’s website.

• Danksy says:

  11 Apr11 April 07:11

  I stayed at Omni Ranchos las palmas in Palm Springs in February with GHA I got upgraded from the basic room to the best they had. Also we had complimentary laundry (one item per day) and shoe shine, complimentary alters and a huge fruit bowl when we first arrived.

  • Danksy says:

    11 Apr11 April 07:20

    Just be aware that with fast track upgrades like BT you won’t get the local experience until you’ve stayed the required number of stays had you not been upgraded!

    • Talay says:

      11 Apr11 April 07:34

      Seems a bit silly really as the underlying idea is to generate more business and nothing annoys people more than having something given to them for free and then them finding out that it was a bit of a sham and certain benefits would be withheld.

• N says:

  11 Apr11 April 07:39

  YMMV – Corinthia don’t seem to recognise it.

  No mention of status/perks on checkin in Budapest, no upgrade or anything like that.

  Similarly in Prague, but there was a 10-15% discount from the total bill from an in-hotel restaurant on the final bill that I assume is from having GHA Plat.

  • Susan says:

    11 Apr11 April 08:19

    YMMV indeed – my best upgrade was Corinthia Malta.

  • Danksy says:

    11 Apr11 April 10:13

    I’m doing the Corinthia St. Petersburg in May (unless I need to chase IHG promo’s and then we’ll be in the Indigo). I can feel an email coming on to request an upgrade/ confirm status!

    Cheers

• Tilly71 says:

  11 Apr11 April 07:47

  Anyone know if Hilton would accept this GHA platinum status as match to their Status?

  • Ed says:

    11 Apr11 April 11:04

    Just remember that Hilton match requires proof of stay evidence, if you have this worth a go. But not just a case of signing up for £24 for a shot at Hilton status

• harry says:

  11 Apr11 April 08:09

  OT – Easter hols 2017

  Most state schools have Easter 2017 hols as follows:
  Saturday 1/4/17 – Monday 17/4/17

  Therefore T-355 days is tomorrow (ie fly out Saturday 1/4/17) if you want to book outward now. Avios flights for Saturday will pop up @ midnight tonight.

  If you are going to pinch the Friday, flights are already published/ available – RFS/ avios redemptions/ cheap cash + avios etc.

  • harry says:

    11 Apr11 April 08:17

    OK bit of a shock – instead of RFS fees 4 x £17.50 = £70 plus the avios, avios.com wants £171.24.

    Anybody know why?

    Has RFS fee changed?

    • harry says:

      11 Apr11 April 08:21

      I can buy HBO flights for £64, valuing my 26,000 avios at a paltry £90… (excl luggage from the comparison)

      • harry says:

        11 Apr11 April 08:30

        Phew, BAEC still has RFS fee £17.50. Avios tickets redeemed/ bought @ the perfect time on the perfect day… 🙂

        Anybody care to explain why BAEC & avios.com have different policies on the carrier fees & taxes?

        X4 the difference is £70 (BAEC) vs £171.24 (avios.com)

        • Tilly71 says:

          11 Apr11 April 08:50

          Yes, like why BAEC avios uk flights do not include baggage allowance but exactly the same ticket booked using avios does?

        • harry says:

          11 Apr11 April 09:00

          had me slightly worried there for a minute – might have had to travel light! but…

          Checked baggage [BAEC]
          Adults, young adults and children: 1 bag at 23kg (51lbs)

        • The_Real_A says:

          11 Apr11 April 09:45

          Tilly71 – are you sure about that? I think all BAEC even on UK flights have 1 x baggage.

        • Tilly71 says:

          11 Apr11 April 10:08

          This happens to me when you book flybe via baec, it clearly states when booking that no baggage allowance included but if you switch to avios for exactly the same booking it states baggage included?
          I contacted avios and they just stated they run as different companies and as such have different policies?

    • xcalx says:

      11 Apr11 April 08:32

      I get the same result as you on avios but on BA I get the reward saver price. I checked my activity on the Avios site and have had no activity in the last 12 month.

      • xcalx says:

        11 Apr11 April 08:34

        Always worth dropping a few tesco CC points in once a year.

        • harry says:

          11 Apr11 April 09:00

          it’s not that, my a/c is active

          I can double check on my wife’s a/c, I guess

        • harry says:

          11 Apr11 April 09:13

          Correction – it IS that, my wife on avios.com has £17.50 RFS fee.

          However, my own avios a/c is very active! Either avios.com have screwed up or, the thought occurred to me, on a T-355 day booking, maybe they are looking for a/c activity in the 365 days BEFORE the booking, ie in my case, in the last 10 days?

          Bit strange, that never happened before – so I think it’s simply that avios.com have got it wrong.

        • harry says:

          11 Apr11 April 11:17

          OK I discovered a quirk that explains it – I recently divided our household avios.com a/c into ‘singles’ so that I could transfer from IB. As HOH I kept the same a/c number. But avios.com is not recognising any a/c activity prior to the division of the household a/c, though there is some as recently as February this year. You effectively start with a new statement, even though the a/c number in my case is the same as the HH a/c.

• Tom C says:

  11 Apr11 April 08:59

  I received a guaranteed, pre-arrival upgrade to a suite at Anantara Golden Triangle during Christmas due to this benefit. I think it saved over £1000 in the end.

• n says:

  11 Apr11 April 09:06

  OT – “Save to Card to get 2000 MR Points when you spend a minimum £500 online per transaction at Apple at store.apple.com/uk or in-store at a UK Apple Retail store by 22 May 2016.”

  Got this on my PRG this morning.

  + £20 off £30 sub to the FT
  + 10% off at Etihad

  • Brian says:

    11 Apr11 April 09:14

    I was wondering if that Etihad deal would go along with the sale prices…

    • RIccati says:

      11 Apr11 April 12:13

      Why not. If AMEX gives the refund, doesn’t matter what you bought with Etihad.

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