British Airways launches Toronto and Las Vegas from Gatwick – wide-open for Avios

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• Sam Goss says:

  31 Aug31 August 05:37

  I can imagine that both these routes could be candidates to see the “dense” 777 out of Heathrow, though Vegas is currently a 747 and there is usually a mix of aircraft on Toronto (including the definitely to be avoided in Y 787-8!)

  On the plus side these 777 are in desperate need of new IFE and a refurb – so at least you’ll be enjoy a decent movie in your narrower seat! They also have a large WT+ cabin, so I think there will be good chance of some decent priced tickets there

• Sara says:

  31 Aug31 August 06:49

  Sitting in a hot tub in Palm Springs and your email came through – just booked our flights for next year Via Vegas. Thanks so much for the heads up!

  • xcalx says:

    31 Aug31 August 07:08

    Is it cooler in the hot tub, The Southern California excessive heat warning continues till Saturday. Palm Springs today High of 46, low of 31C

• AndyR says:

  31 Aug31 August 07:01

  Sorry for OT – did anyone actually receive the bonus 1000 MR for spending £25 at Amazon on a supplementary card?

  • Pete Wilson says:

    31 Aug31 August 07:12

    I got 500 for renewing my Prime annual subscription…..

  • Trevor says:

    31 Aug31 August 07:33

    Yep, bought a gift card and got the points.

  • Stu N says:

    31 Aug31 August 07:41

    Yes, topped up account balance and got the points within a couple of days.

  • Alan says:

    31 Aug31 August 08:23

    Nothing yet, although received email and showed as redeemed. When last asked on Amex chat they said to wait until statement generated, so although I don’t expect anything to change at that point I need to wait until then before chasing again.

    • Liz says:

      31 Aug31 August 12:54

      I have one lot posted on our Plat card and one on the BAPP. 3 others have not posted – I phoned Amex and was told to wait the full 90 days I think it says in the T&Cs – they are not allowed to add them manually. I want to cancel the Plat card after our trip in 2 wks time but was told if they haven’t posted by then I will lose them!

      • Alan says:

        31 Aug31 August 12:55

        Sadly that’s the sort of reply I expect I’d receive from them too if I try to chase further. Thankfully in my case the missing points are on a card I’m keeping, but there’s clearly something a bit different when the offer is added to additional cards in certain situations.

  • Ant says:

    31 Aug31 August 08:25

    I had the offer on my Gold and BA and on the supp cards. Spent £25 on all 4 cards but only got the MR/Avios on the main cards. For some reason Amex customer service keep telling me the points have all been triggered.

  • Harpo says:

    31 Aug31 August 09:14

    I tried putting the recent Everyday Spending 500 on a supp. with the URL trick (which usually works). Showed the offer redeemed badge after an Ocado spend, but no points posted (yet?!) – maybe not possible on supp as the points are in the cardholder’s account.

    • Isolde says:

      31 Aug31 August 09:28

      I’ll bite. Would anyone mind sharing the URL Tick. Thank you

      • Rob says:

        31 Aug31 August 09:41

        Do a right click on ‘Save To Card’ for a different offer, paste the URL into your browser and then change the offer ID number before hitting ‘return’.

        • Sussex Bantam says:

          31 Aug31 August 10:52

          Change the offer ID number to what though ?!?

        • Alan says:

          31 Aug31 August 11:02

          To the one for the offer you want to add…

        • Harpo says:

          31 Aug31 August 11:17

          You can just save the URL but then change the index number i.e.,
          there’s a bit in the long link that says index= and then a number.
          E.g. If you’ve got an offer on your first card (in my case a plat) but also want to put it on your second card (in my case plat credit) save the URL by right click or similar. The only manipulation that needs doing is then to change index=1 to index=2. The URL isn’t account specific – just depends on being logged in, so will work for partner and friends.

        • Sussex Bantam says:

          31 Aug31 August 11:44

          I didn’t have the offer on any of my cards though – so I don’t know the starting point !

        • Isolde says:

          1 Sep1 September 08:56

          A belated thank you Rob

    • Tom says:

      31 Aug31 August 14:01

      I didn’t get the email but did have the offer on my card, which I saved and used to buy a giftcard, though it is not showing as being redeemed so I wonder if a gift card doesn’t could as everyday spending.

  • Tom says:

    31 Aug31 August 09:21

    Yep.

    I also got the added the WH Smith deal even though I didn’t get the email. Bought a GC at the weekend and whilst the payment has gone the points haven’t posted yet.

    • Roberto says:

      31 Aug31 August 13:46

      ditto

  • Anna says:

    31 Aug31 August 09:27

    Yes pretty much immediately.

  • Bill says:

    31 Aug31 August 09:58

    I had the spend £25 for 1000MR on 3 supplementary cards and none of them went through. You have to call up and ask Amex to manually add them. I think there is a bug in the system that stops the bonus points for going on to supp cards.

    Amex as always, were gems and sorted it. They may tell you that it takes up to 30 days bla bla bla but I just said Its a known issue and they added them

  • AndyR says:

    31 Aug31 August 10:12

    Thanks all. Might give it a shot then and contact Amex if it doesn’t go through.

  • Jason says:

    31 Aug31 August 12:33

    OT need to close platinum card but have an outstanding referral in the pipeline, anyone know if the points will still be credited

    • Roberto says:

      31 Aug31 August 13:48

      Where will the get credited if the account is closed?

• Hingeless says:

  31 Aug31 August 07:22

  Slightly OT: Qantas are changing QF1/2 back to Singapore, might be good news for connections and reduce the load on the BA flights to SYD?

  “We will re-route our daily Sydney-London A380 service (QF1/2) via Singapore rather than Dubai, replacing one of our existing Sydney-Singapore A330 services, These changes are effective from 25 March 2018 and tickets for our new services will be available for sale from tomorrow.”.

  • @mkcol says:

    31 Aug31 August 09:12

    It’ll be interesting if that opens up any Avios redemptions on QF.

    • Neil says:

      31 Aug31 August 09:38

      Didn’t think of this! That would be brilliant

• Porto says:

  31 Aug31 August 08:01

  How are people not jumping up and down on the Vegas availability?!

  • John says:

    31 Aug31 August 08:44

    Because not everybody wants to go gambling in the desert

    • Porto says:

      31 Aug31 August 09:14

      John appreciate you don’t but typically has zero reward availability. Maybe your mid life crisis will trigger interest?

      • Rob says:

        31 Aug31 August 09:43

        You would be foolish to never visit Vegas, if nothing else just to do a helicopter tour inside the Grand Canyon.

        • John says:

          31 Aug31 August 10:21

          There you go again Rob, branding people as foolish for not sharing the same tastes as yourself.

        • Rob says:

          31 Aug31 August 11:25

          You’ve got world class dining, world class entertainment shows, world class natural wonder within a short drive (Grand Canyon and, obviously man-made, Hoover Dam), excellent golf, world class luxury shopping and (midweek) the cheapest luxury hotels in the world. There are even some world class art collections. There is something in that for most people. I doubt I’ve gambled more than $10 across the three times I’ve been.

          The logical thing to do, of course, is a driving tour taking in San Francisco, the coastal drive down (Monterey, Hurst Castle etc), Los Angeles, San Diego, turn right into Death Valley, up to Vegas, up to Yosemite National Park, up to Napa and then back to SanFran. That is, frankly, the ultimate holiday if you’re looking for variety – and don’t mind a lot of driving.

      • John says:

        31 Aug31 August 10:26

        I got over my mid-life crisis 2 years ago (I’m 30) and nope, still not interested in the US.

        You should be happy that people like me are leaving more seats available for you.

        • Porto says:

          31 Aug31 August 10:51

          Maybe be a bit grateful for the work rob puts into the site? No doubt you have benefitted.

        • Gavin says:

          31 Aug31 August 11:25

          Didn’t like Vegas as not a gambling fan. However it’s a good place to base yourself to explore a lot of interesting places e.g. Grand Canyon, Death Valley etc

        • Leo says:

          31 Aug31 August 11:26

          I’m with you on the gambling in the desert part – but midlife crisis at 28?! Good grief.

        • Porto says:

          31 Aug31 August 14:34

          You just got owned…by Leo

        • The Original Nick. says:

          31 Aug31 August 20:22

          Wierdo

        • Nick says:

          1 Sep1 September 00:26

          I dread the day when I don’t think that an entire continent is worth visiting.

    • Rashad says:

      31 Aug31 August 23:02

      I’m with you John, don’t see any fascination

      • Nick says:

        1 Sep1 September 00:20

        Look beyond the city boundaries. It is a genuinely awesome part of the world

    • Nick says:

      1 Sep1 September 00:19

      Vegas is a great base for visiting nevada. Hotels are basically free, and hire cars plentiful. We had 4 nights there earlier this year and we were up by 4 each morning to see the incredible beauty of that part of the US. Canoeing down the colorado river soon after sunrise is an awesome experience in the truest sense of the word, and Vegas is a great base for a trip like that. It’s not just chintz that LAS has to offer.

  • Aliks says:

    31 Aug31 August 08:44

    Maybe Vegas is overpriced? and the pound is weak??

  • Kinkell says:

    31 Aug31 August 09:22

    Once was enough!

    • Rob says:

      31 Aug31 August 09:42

      I am very pro Vegas, but best done as part of a bigger California / Nevada holiday (and timed so you hit Vegas midweek when the hotels are 2/3rd cheaper).

      This is a good way of getting peak summer seats to the US West Coast.

      • Leo says:

        31 Aug31 August 11:27

        Hmmm but you like Dubai too Rob! Is there a them here 😉

      • Aliks says:

        31 Aug31 August 14:40

        We actually did that California driving trip this Easter – San Francisco to Phoenix, Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, Death Valley, up to Lake Tahoe, round to Yosemite, Monterey and some wine tasting.

        Great fun. Vegas was fun, and varied but overwhelming in some ways. We found the Intercontinental Palazzo overpriced (but it was weekend) and were happy to move on after 3 nights – YMMV as they say on the strip . . . .

        • Kinkell says:

          31 Aug31 August 16:40

          We did much the same end of April, reverse order. Great trip, but 3 nights in Vegas was enough! Would be quite happy to never go there again!

      • jason says:

        31 Aug31 August 16:42

        Just back from 16 days family of 5 trip to San (oak)- Lax – Yosemite San (oak), using Avios, IHG and Marriott points thanks to this site happy to share thehotels that looked after us if anyone is thinking of making a similar trip.

        • Henry says:

          31 Aug31 August 23:21

          Hi Jason,
          I’d be interested in the hotels.
          Just booked my first trip in F to San F (Oak) returning from Vegas next Easter school hols. Amazed to see availability for 4 in F for both legs!!

      • Ben says:

        1 Sep1 September 01:17

        + 1 done th San Fran down to Hollywood over to Vegas last year. Was increadable.
        I write this sat over in West Hollywood having got back from vegas last weekend, as you say rob something for everyone.
        As for people saying they wouldn’t visit due to you know who. I like to visit Africa and we all know there are some real crooks that run that place. And well hey old May is far from perfect.

  • Fenny says:

    31 Aug31 August 20:22

    Because with the Moron in Chief, nobody wants to be in the US when he finally throws his teddy out of the pram and hits the red button. I’m happy to wait until he gets impeached before I return.

  • Andy says:

    1 Sep1 September 00:47

    We are here at the moment. Probably over 40 visits in the last 18 years and we love it. And yes we do visit other places as well. We cruise once a year, visit Tenerife regularly and I am from the US East coast so visit family as well.

• Kilburnflyer says:

  31 Aug31 August 08:06

  LHR-YYZ is typically operated on 9-abrest 787-8 and 787-9, so probably not much better than 10 abreast 777 ex-LGW in Economy

• Neil says:

  31 Aug31 August 08:17

  How easy is it to change an existing Avios booking?

  I’m booked to LAS out of LHR next year in Club but the flight time on the LGW departure is a lot better (i.e. earlier).

  Is it just a phone call?

  • Alan says:

    31 Aug31 August 08:24

    Plus a change fee…

  • Barry cutters says:

    31 Aug31 August 08:29

    You will have to pay the £35 fee either way. Just cancel and re book online

• Mark says:

  31 Aug31 August 08:21

  Its like when Virgin had the crappy pre-refurb ex-Alitalia fleet at Gatwick.

  • mark2 says:

    31 Aug31 August 09:38

    What, Virgin using crappy planes; surely not!

    • Tom says:

      31 Aug31 August 10:39

      I’m not sure what you mean by that comment but as an FYI; the average age of the Virgin Atlantic fleet is 7.7 years.

      At BA it’s 13.2 years.

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