Bits: Aer Lingus Avios taxes fall, Mail Rail now bookable

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• jude says:

  15 Jul15 July 10:02

  Looking to book Aer Lingus flights from Dublin to New York for points. Does anyone know how many days in advance the redemption seats are released?

• Ben says:

  15 Jul15 July 11:31

  Thanks Rob so much for the Mail Rail link. Did some “urban exploration” beneath the old sorting office a few years ago – right down to a partially-flooded floor – but couldn’t access the tunnels themselves. Already booked!

• Matt Smith says:

  15 Jul15 July 11:53

  Just booked DUB-BDL 22/8/17 OW 20k +£65 tax by calling BA. Avios online was quoting 20k +£103, an easy saving just by calling. No phone booking fee either.
  Will use a RFS LCY-DUB for 4.5k to get to DUB

  Anything to avoid the high UK APD 🙂

  I wonder when they finally standardise their taxes and fees will the telephone booking taxes go up or will the online taxes come down?

  • Polly says:

    15 Jul15 July 14:19

    Matt, that’s superb…that’s the problem really using our 241 vouchers. We are well and truly stung with that £500 plus taxes and fees pp whether we like it or not. However, if we manage to bag F to Asia, then we feel the fees and taxes can be justified. However it’s by. O means a free flight either, those avios are still hard earned. But we would def look at ex Dub stateside again, we did J for JFK last year. Very good value.

    • BrianDT says:

      15 Jul15 July 16:19

      Sept 11rh onwards, Off Peak and 13000 Avios.

    • BrianDT says:

      15 Jul15 July 16:23

      Polly. Depends whether you feel £500 +, Is still better value than actually paying for a ticket.

      • JamesB says:

        15 Jul15 July 17:51

        IMO, it’s not a question of feeling Brian, it comes down to cold hard cash. What are the avios worth in terms of the redemption (cost of revenue flight – redemption tax and fees/avios redeemed), taking into account also what those avios cost us to collect and the value of the avios or other miles we forego by not booking the revenue flight.

        • BrianDT says:

          15 Jul15 July 18:44

          Regardless, at the and of the day, it is still a worthwhile bonus/discount.

        • JamesB says:

          16 Jul16 July 08:07

          @Brian, not worthwhile if you can redeem those avios for for higher value against hotels, or if many of them come via clubcard or MR, for better value clubcard or MR deals.

        • Polly says:

          19 Jul19 July 05:39

          Brian, James,
          Yes agree with both points. As we have discussed before, when a really good QR J ex EU sale comes along, then yes, we have actually cancelled our BA F 241 to KUL or HKG. Those prices Are very good, plus of course you are earning avios and TPs back. So yes in hard cash terms, we can justify the luxury of F with a 241, but would never actually pay F prices.
          Brian, that’s a topping price from DUB off peak sept 11th onwards btw. Must look…
          Avios are v valuable tho, when you need last min trips to Dub. If planning, then sometimes we can get really good ow back to LGW on FR. But still like departing out of T5 if l can.

    • JamesB says:

      15 Jul15 July 17:37

      Our BA bookings with Lloyds vouchers now exINV just to make it more justifiable, increasingly difficult with exEDI revenue fares to Asia readily available at under £1500 return in J. Going forward I expect we will just save those avios for some destination we would never pay cash for.

      • Polly says:

        19 Jul19 July 05:42

        James, do you have v low departure APD from INV then? Also your choices for Asia are so much better now from Scotland. Know you are a fan of AY too for their direct routing.

• HarryS says:

  15 Jul15 July 17:18

  Does anyone know how long the approval process for the Lloyds Avios cards typically take?

  • Lev441 says:

    15 Jul15 July 18:12

    Around a week or so for the pins and cards to arrive

  • Cuchlainn says:

    15 Jul15 July 23:11

    7-10 days HarryS but then they plague you with “survey” emails, as to how good the application process was. Plus point : Avios miles effortlessly linked by by Lloyds – well done, no hassle.

• Steve Blower says:

  16 Jul16 July 11:49

  Thanks for the postal museum alert, Rob.
  The first 2 weeks are booked solid already……………..

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