Bits: Irish Independent 18,000 Avios vouchers arriving, Which? names the best UK airports

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• Paul says:

  31 Aug31 August 05:16

  I signed up for the Independent deal on the 28th and got the voucher yesterday – so pretty quick. On redemption, it says that the Avios will be credited “within 5 days”.

  Cheers

  • Howard says:

    31 Aug31 August 07:07

    My wife would not agree re London City. Last week she did Nice to London City in Club on points. Plane landed on time and she was out of airport within 15 mins and home (Gants Hill) 40 mins after leaving the plane. For European flights it’s our favourite.

    • John says:

      31 Aug31 August 08:47

      LCY arrivals is great, departures not so great but bearable if it’s your nearest airport.

      • Tom says:

        31 Aug31 August 09:02

        You should try having Leeds Bradford as your local airport. Painfully dated, portakabins for check in / departure, high prices, awful passport control and limited space!

        • Michael Jennings says:

          31 Aug31 August 11:48

          I am usually through security at LCY about 40 minutes after stepping out my front door, and 15 minutes of that is walking to the tube station. Getting home is even faster. This makes it my favourite airport by far, but that’s a function of where it is compared to where I live.

    • Quark999 says:

      31 Aug31 August 14:16

      I manage that from Heathrow T5 and T2, living near Slough. Just because there are more people living near London City in my mind doesn’t make it a better *airport*.

      • Gavin says:

        31 Aug31 August 15:39

        An hour from T5, wheels down to my house in Reading, including collecting the car from Purple Parking.

        • lucinda says:

          1 Sep1 September 22:48

          Downside being u r then stuck in reading

• ashey says:

  31 Aug31 August 07:17

  Great find.They say the points will be deposited in the avios.com account.Can you explain how to move the points between BA and avios and Iberia and avios

  • MarkH says:

    31 Aug31 August 08:02

    When redeeming the voucher you just enter your BAEC details and they will get deposited directly there.
    Think you could also put Iberia details (although I didn’t pay much attention to that)

  • Stu_N says:

    31 Aug31 August 08:07

    If you have an Avios.com account, you can use the “Transfer Avios” tool on Avios.com. It’s under “Your Account” tab. You can move points freely between BA, Iberia and Avios. It’s actually reliable, unlike the BA and Iberia versions. Points can be moved into or out of Avios and they move immediately. You may need to log out and back in to see them though.

  • Genghis says:

    31 Aug31 August 08:10

    You can transfer avios between BA / Avios and Iberia using the “Combine my Avios” on each portal. Most people find the avios.com one much more stable.

• Andy says:

  31 Aug31 August 07:40

  City is very convenient, yes dose get overcrowded at peak times such as Friday evening. However it still only takes 5 to 10 mins to get through security.

• Mr(s) Entitled says:

  31 Aug31 August 07:47

  Why not reveal more about airports outside London?

  • Rob says:

    31 Aug31 August 08:14

    Because I was only given the London list!

    • Tim Millea says:

      31 Aug31 August 09:55

      Yes, the London blinkered-vision does grate somewhat.

      “best UK airports” in the title than just a list of London airports without explanation.

      Must try harder.

      • Clive says:

        31 Aug31 August 11:29

        yes, this gives the impression that the London airports handle the bulk of passengers/traffic and are therefore of more interest to more people – how outrageous!

        • Colin JE says:

          31 Aug31 August 12:01

          I suspect this has come from the PR dept of Southampton airport as they are not actually on top of the list by any means. Either that or the London newspapers just cherry picked the results for London readers.
          Which? has its list behind a paywall or for members only. They split the airports into large and small. They rated airports by
          Queues for bag drop, Queues at passport control, Queues at Security, Baggage reclaim, Seating, Toilets, Range of shops and food outlets – giving a total customer % score.
          Here’s the large airports list from which.co.uk:
          Birmingham 61%
          Heathrow T5 61%
          Heathrow T2 57%
          Edinburgh 56%
          Manchester T2 53%
          Gatwick South 52%
          And at the bottom:
          London Stanstead 38%
          Luton 29%

          For small airports it’s:
          Doncaster Sheffield 87%
          London Southend 84%
          Norwich 75%
          Southampton 75%
          Exeter 71%
          And at the bottom:
          Leeds Bradford 52%
          Aberdeen 44%

• Sam says:

  31 Aug31 August 08:07

  If I cancel the subscription after I receive the avios will the avios be taken back?

  • Rob says:

    31 Aug31 August 08:15

    You can’t cancel, so £145 is a sunk cost. You certainly don’t need to renew it though.

• Stu_N says:

  31 Aug31 August 08:09

  OT: Do hotel statuses via Amex Platinum renew automatically or do you need to reapply for them every year? And when do they run out (most interested in SPG and Melia, have bookings in Feb/Mar with those chains). Thanks!

  • Rob says:

    31 Aug31 August 08:16

    They usually roll over but occasionally Amex and the hotel company don’t talk to each other. If a downgrade occurs, just fill in the form again and you will be re-upgraded.

  • Genghis says:

    31 Aug31 August 08:17

    Each chain has different expiry rules. I renewed SPG in June / July time and it expires 28 Feb 19. Can’t access Melia data currently.

  • Stu N says:

    31 Aug31 August 08:42

    Thanks, should be fine then. Melia is a BA holiday so in theory shouldn’t recognise status but they have done so 3/3 is the past.

    Is it safe to assume Marriott Gold will remain as long as I am SPG Gold? Have a reward stay with them too. Their “book before you have the points” is quite a thing isn’t it?

    • Scallder says:

      31 Aug31 August 11:30

      Marriott Gold should be fine – at least I’m hoping so. Have had SPG gold extended through until Feb 19, so if can get it through until Feb 20 at some point next year, hopefully, the Marriott one will last that long too…

      Agree on the booking without points – have done that for a Hotel + Flights package for April, so hoping there’s a hotel conversion bonus for Alaska Mileage Plan before then…

• Kathy says:

  31 Aug31 August 09:00

  OT: can someone who has Ambassador check the weekend rate for use with the free night certificate at the IC Sydney for me? Need to do my sums to work out if it’s worthwhile getting Ambassador (using points). I think I know what the rate is but always good to double-check!

  • Cate says:

    31 Aug31 August 09:08

    What date?

  • Rob says:

    31 Aug31 August 09:43

    Might help if you shared the dates 🙂

    • Kathy says:

      31 Aug31 August 10:21

      D’oh! Being especially stupid this morning.

      3rd-4th March 2018.

      Thanks!!

      • Rob says:

        31 Aug31 August 11:29

        Main IC – King Standard City $497.50, all the way through to King Club Harbour Suite at $867.50

        • Colin JE says:

          31 Aug31 August 12:08

          Hi Rob
          Where did you check this please? I couldn’t get the link for IC Ambassador rates to work the other day.

        • Rob says:

          31 Aug31 August 12:26

          intercontinental.com/ambweekend

        • Kathy says:

          31 Aug31 August 14:01

          Thanks, Rob!

          For the room I’m looking at (King Club City side) it looks like signing up for Ambassador using 32000 points would save me £302, compared to paying the Advance purchase IHG rate for 2 nights for the same room. Sounds pretty good to me.

          I’d be adding a redemption night and a couple of night in a Standard king room to that and crossing my fingers that they let me stay in the same room.

• Rob Brown says:

  31 Aug31 August 09:00

  Having travelled extensively across Europe, Asia, America and Africa I think that you are being unfair to London Luton – I would say it is the wrost airport in the world not simply the UK and I am including several that are simply huts next to a strip of tarmac!!

  • Pangolin says:

    31 Aug31 August 14:33

    Come back to us when you’ve flown from Pakse airport in Southern Laos!

    Trust me, there is a long way down from LTN if you include the rest of the world.

    • Cat says:

      31 Aug31 August 20:27

      I have to say, having flown around a few regional airports in Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, India, Kenya, Tanzania, the Brazilian Amazon and the Pantanal, amongst many others, my absolute most hated airport is Newark. Awful place, nowhere zaps my holiday buzz faster!

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