Bits: last chance for the British Airways winter sale, US and Canada ESTA changes

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• Waribai says:

  1 Feb1 February 15:37

  “Apart from perennial dog Chengdu!”

  Raffles, I’m guessing you know about the dog festival there. Rather close to the bone!

  Slightly OT, a couple of weeks ago I booked AMS-BKK on BA for December 2016 in J for £1000 rtn. The lowest rate on the outbound was to do AMS-LHR-HKG-BKK. Now though AMS-LHR-BKK is pricing out the same. If I ring up BA, will they let me change to the latter (more direct flight) flight?

  • Rob says:

    1 Feb1 February 16:16

    Potentially, although there will be a change fee. Ex-Europe tickets tend to be a little more flexible than ex-UK tickets.

    • Waribai says:

      1 Feb1 February 16:27

      Ok, I’ll give it a try. Thanks.

• Mac says:

  1 Feb1 February 16:25

  Raffles, on the subject of US immigration… One of the travel benefits of the Amex Plat card for US cardmembers is the $100 fee credit for enrolment in Global Entry. With this program recently being extended to UK passport holders, any chance Amex will offer this same benefit to us on this side of the pond? Maybe you could have a word with them?

  • Rob says:

    1 Feb1 February 17:21

    I’d like to see Hilton (and potentially Melia) status launched in the UK first!

• Fenny says:

  1 Feb1 February 18:35

  I am choosing not to visit the US any time soon for 2 reasons. Firstly, as long as the idiot hairpiece is at all likely to win any kind of elected office, I’m not going there. But, more importantly, as long as the US authorities are randomly preventing British citizens from boarding a plane to the US with no explanation, I’m not going.

  The first may all be done & dusted by August. The second will potentially be an ongoing situation. My US friends can get used to coming over here to see me!

  • Anon says:

    1 Feb1 February 18:51

    Have to say, if old wiggy wins this year could be my last visit to FL, let’s hope that our US cousins make a kind informed choice based on a mature, outward looking world view…

  • Callum says:

    1 Feb1 February 19:10

    Unfortunately it looks like you’re never going to the US again then! They’ve been doing that for years and years already – it’s only received publicity recently because people made the claim they were blocked just for being Muslim (which wasn’t true – rightly or (most likely) wrongly, it was due to the computer flagging terrorist links at their address).

    • Fenny says:

      1 Feb1 February 20:58

      As I don’t have to go there for work anymore, that’s not actually a problem.

  • Callum says:

    1 Feb1 February 19:11

    And I refuse to believe Trump would win (though I am still in shock that he’s remained this popular…), but if he does I think a lot of people will be joining you on that US boycott!

    • Brian says:

      1 Feb1 February 20:49

      Why would people be boycotting the States because of Trump? I don’t see many people boycotting Qatar because of the government’s human rights abuses. Or China, for that matter. And some people in the comments above are saying they’d choose to go to Iran instead. Each to his or her own, of course, but it’s silly how people just jump on a bandwagon without actually thinking about things.

      • Fenny says:

        1 Feb1 February 21:01

        Just because we don’t say why we don’t go to countries doesn’t mean we don’t go there. I’m not jumping on any bandwagons and I have thought about this a great deal.

        I’m actually still waiting for him to say it was all a joke. He would hate to be POTUS, as he wouldn’t actually be able to do any of the things he says he will and the US would lose all international credibility.

        I am bothered about the nutters who support him. They are the real reason why the US is such a weird place.

      • Pol says:

        1 Feb1 February 21:09

        Some people on here, me included, do boycott the ME three, it’s been mentioned on here before. I will have to think long and hard about visiting if Trump gets in, even though my dad lives in Miami.
        I’m hoping it’s all some elaborate comedy satire show engineered by the US TV networks to parody American politics 🙂

• Concerto says:

  2 Feb2 February 09:36

  I wonder when and where this security sickness is going to end. For a long time now I’ve viewed the US as the least free country in the world. The result will be the total end of freedom of movement a la North Korea.

• Michael says:

  2 Feb2 February 13:55

  Related to Emirates/Qantas/TierPoints mentioned above…

  I need advice….I’m booking my elderly parents on a trip from Ireland to Australia, with a visit to Singapore and Perth, Melbourne and Sydney compulsory. Routing from DUB/BHD via LHR with BA/SQ is costly. Best route seems to be:
  DUB-DXB-PER-MEL-SYD-SIN-DBX-DUB.
  It totals about £1K in Economy – all flights are marked QANTAS (Operated by Emirates) or EMIRATES (Operated by Qantas). I’d love to send them BIZ (even part of the way) but there seems to be no way without spending a small fortune! (I do have a stash of Avios and a BA 241 voucher but don’t think they’re any use here.) Parents want to see NZ too but I think I’ll have to book those flights separately from MEL/SYD, as no online booking service seems to allow more than 6 flights.

  Anyhow, my parents are NOT part of any airline loyalty scheme – so what’s the best thing to do?
  If I enrol them in BAEC separately can I credit the QANTAS/EMIRATES flights to gain them Tier Points (as they’ll probably use BA in Europe), or is that a waste and I’d be better crediting direct to Emirates? Also am I missing something and is there a better way to plan such a trip (I’ve used ITA Matrix to search flights)? I’m very confused so any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you!

• Hana says:

  7 Feb7 February 21:20

  Good timing on the article, as I just booked a trip to Iran this year. Does this mean once I enter Iran, my Esta will no longer be valid?

  • Rob says:

    7 Feb7 February 21:58

    I would imagine so, yes

    • Hana says:

      8 Feb8 February 07:38

      That is a mild irritation, oh well looks like no more trips to the US.

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