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Bits: limited BA First food for 96 hours, reader loses 220,000 Avios, double Heathrow Rewards

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News in brief:

BA dropping First Class food during the strike

If you were wondering how British Airways is managing to run so many services during the cabin crew strike today and Wednesday, here is one reason.

On many services with a First Class cabin, the number of cabin crew on the aircraft is being reduced.  There will be no First Class meal service provided on these aircraft.  They will receive the standard Club World meal.

Passengers impacted by this are being offered 10,000 Avios as compensation.

BA has also stated that there will be “some changes to our meal service routines” on Thursday and Friday.  This is due to aircraft which flew out on Tuesday and Wednesday being short of crew to fully staff the return flight.

Diamond Club home page

Reader loses 220,000 Diamond Club points

Last year I ran a number of articles reminding readers that BMI Diamond Club was about to close and that they should move out any remaining points.  I also suggested they check old BMI accounts for any forgotten miles.

To be honest, I assumed that no-one would be in this position.  I was very surprised to hear from so many people who had forgotten about Diamond Club balances, some in six figures.

I was also surprised to hear from a new reader yesterday who had not received any communication about the end of Diamond Club.  It turns out that he had 220,000 points (= 220,000 Avios) sitting there which have now gone.  He had kept them in Diamond Club due to the false belief that if he moved them across to British Airways Executive Club they would expire.

I have suggested he raise it with BAEC but I doubt he will get far, especially as IAG will have removed a chunky balance sheet liability from its books when his points were expired.

Heathrow Rewards

Double Heathrow Rewards points on food and drink

Heathrow Rewards has launched a double points offer in all of its restaurants, bars and cafes.

Between 11th January and 28th February you will receive double base points in all of these outlets.  Food and drink bought in Boots, WH Smith etc does not count.

11th January, by an amazing coincidence, is the day that British Airways starts charging for in-flight short haul catering.

Category

British Airways and Avios, Heathrow Rewards

Comments (103)

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

  • n says:
    10 Jan10 January 13:01

    OT – Interesting little aside here, it’s not going to increase any of our balances by much any time soon, but last month I booked a series of RFS tickets, so I had a stream of £17.50 charges on my Amex. I’ve got 17 bonus MR points (as expected) for half of them, but the other half are 18 bonus points each, with the 17s and 18s alternating. Maybe the travel bonuses are cumulative?

    • Genghis says:
      10 Jan10 January 13:13

      Popped to Tesco just now and bought two items, £1 each. I paid in two separate transactions on BAPP given £1@1.5avios/£ = 1.5avios->2 avios x 2 = 4 avios vs £2@1.5avios/£ = 3 avios. Every little helps…

    • jamie says:
      10 Jan10 January 14:10

      as linda evanglista once said, I don’t get out of bed for less than 10,000 avios

      🙂

  • Tony says:
    10 Jan10 January 13:11

    I have only flown economy or premium economy with Ba.
    Over Xmas and new year had four short-haul economy Ba flights and have to say they were good. No issues with staff, lounges or check in.
    Bottom line is they are in a real dog fight in Europe with the various LCC’s and actually I think they are doing a good job.
    Have no issues with having to pay for food or drink because ultimately helps to keep costs down.
    Living in Spain, as I do I make aprox 30 flights a year and always go on price but if Ba are close will choose them as boarding alone is a far better experience when compared with LCC’s.
    I use Malaga, Saville and Grenada flying to London Gatwick/City/Stansted and Edinburgh.

  • Oyster says:
    10 Jan10 January 13:19

    During the 2005 catering strike I (and travelling companion) received £200 airport vouchers each PLUS 50,000 Avios for our F redemption flights.

    I was only Blue as well.

    How BA have tumbled?

  • James67 says:
    10 Jan10 January 14:08

    Just checked, I got 25% for a £5 transfer on the 7th. I risked a £35 transfer yesterday so I guess I missed the boat on that one.

  • Nick says:
    10 Jan10 January 14:16

    I don’t think the anti-baggage comments above are fair. Early this afternoon I got off a long haul flight at T5 and mine (complete with shiny bright orange tag) was clearly in the first bin to be unloaded. I imagine with all the seats on an A380 there are probably multiple premium bins so some could take a while but on a 777 it was perfectly done – credit where it’s due. I only had to wait a few mins and as I was among the first through passport control that’s hardly surprising.

    • Waribai says:
      10 Jan10 January 20:50

      Luck of the draw. Got off the BKK-LHR flight last Thursday after flying in CW, one of our bags was among the first to come out, one came out in the middle and the last one was one of the last to come out. Strangely, only the first one had a priority tag on it. TBH, we were just happy to be reunited with all our bags as that is never a given at T5.

  • Doug M says:
    10 Jan10 January 14:16

    Just had an email from Avios offering sign up to Superboost. At first glance appear to be earn X get an extra Y Avios free.

    • James67 says:
      10 Jan10 January 15:02

      My offer was only 5%, I think they are taking a bit of a liberty with ‘super’. I wonder too if signing up for this might be a bad idea, the info could be used to exclude people from targeted promotions rather than include them, or perhaps I’m just too cynical.

    • Axel Heyst says:
      10 Jan10 January 15:07

      I got collect 8500 Avios Receive 2000 Boost and another I cant decipher , what did others get?

      • HV says:
        10 Jan10 January 15:45

        I got collect 2000 and get 100. Not much but every little helps.

        • Andrew* says:
          10 Jan10 January 16:13

          18k, get 1.5k or 25k, get 3k…

          Looking at the Ts and Cs, Tesco clubcard conversions should count…

      • Anon says:
        10 Jan10 January 16:28

        400, get extra 200

        Or 600 get extra 400.

        The latter is handy for a £2.50 TCC conversion. Wondering if it only works the once?????

  • Jason says:
    10 Jan10 January 14:17

    Virgin offered me 10k miles to swap my meal choice on a recent flight from Chicago, was a good deal for me given I had upgraded for 25k only a few hours before! They were offering it for starters too!

  • vol says:
    10 Jan10 January 16:00

    Avios email? I got nothing 🙁 (no email)

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