Bits: Atlantis The Palm Avios promo, all food now free at Escape lounges, airberlin closing

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• Chris says:

  12 Oct12 October 09:56

  Surely these lounges are turning down lots of easy revenue when PP card holders are turned away?

  As to costs, I’d have thought the once-a-year lounge visitors will be the ones to obliterate the bar, whilst the frequent visitors (which is what PP cardholders are more likely to be) will usually just stay for a quick coffee and a pastry.

  • Rob says:

    12 Oct12 October 10:26

    Exactly. I don’t think there is a conspiracy to turn down PP users. These are businesses with huge fixed costs and very low marginal costs. They need to get, say, 200 people through the door each day to break-even but once they get past that, every extra guest is almost pure profit. You would be crazy to turn people away.

    • Alan says:

      12 Oct12 October 12:57

      Although in many locations they also sell lounge access directly (often bundled with parking), presumably they make more profit on those customers therefore take them in preference to PP cardholders?

    • James says:

      12 Oct12 October 23:31

      Its isn’t a conspiracy.
      Its a policy.
      Perhaps you could ask Phil Cameron why No1 has such a stupid policy in place?
      I’ve been refused entry at Birmingham when trying to use PP when there have been just 7 people inside.
      Utterly ludicrous – but apparently they are expecting people to turn up later!

      • the real harry1 says:

        12 Oct12 October 23:38

        you would think it’s a deliberate company policy to lose money, seems very poorly run & managed if not

  • Lady London says:

    12 Oct12 October 14:31

    Exactly. I am in these lounges typically for between 10 and 50 minutes max. The reception staff at STN and LGW lounges seem to be recognise me now. I’m wondering if they’ve recognised me as a short stayer, and let me in a couple of times when they were “full” but due to reservations starting long after they knew I would typically leave. Plus I don’t usually bother with alcohol in these lounges. Perhaps they’re recognising me as a profitable customer?

• J says:

  12 Oct12 October 09:58

  OT: I received an email yesterday saying the address on my BA Amex had been changed. I contacted BA to report this; they acknowledged it had and passed it onto their security team who were supposed to call me back. They haven’t phoned yet, and they haven’t changed anything on my account – it doesn’t appear to be blocked and the incorrect address is still there. Just wondering if this has happened to anyone else, and whether there is a chance it is linked to the new website, rather than it being fraud.

  • Peter K says:

    12 Oct12 October 11:03

    I’d contact Amex, not BA. It’s their product, just with BA’s logo.

    • J says:

      12 Oct12 October 11:22

      Sorry, that was mistype, I phoned the Amex number on the back of my card. It just seems strange that, 24 hours after reporting it,.the address is still wrong

• IslandDweller says:

  12 Oct12 October 11:25

  “You would be crazy to turn people away”
  Agree. But my experience at STN last week they were doing just that. There was a large sign right in the middle of the entrance corridor saying “pre booked only”. I ignored it – went to the desk – and because I was a sole traveller and likely to be in the lounge only an hour they allowed me in. There were at least a dozen empty tables, all reserved, some for customers not due to arrive for another two hours.

• Tom says:

  12 Oct12 October 11:38

  As a newbie to Amex MR point transferring, has it been the case that bonuses have been offered on transferring to airline partners or do these tend to stay at the 1:1 value?

  • Rob says:

    12 Oct12 October 11:49

    Historically they did (and they still do outside the UK) but here they stopped about 3 years ago. This may be the price we pay for continuing to be able to get multiple sign-up bonuses.

    • Tom says:

      12 Oct12 October 14:13

      Thank you.

• Jon says:

  12 Oct12 October 11:51

  I was in the Escape Lounge Stansted last month. Good selection of juices and cold pastries/cereals at 7:30am in the morning. The bacon roll I ordered also had a decent amount of bacon in it, so that was good!
  Will be trying out a BA lounge next month, so I can see what the differences are.

• Siy says:

  12 Oct12 October 14:05

  OT: Looking at ways to accumulate Hilton Honors points, and was thinking of the Virgin Miles conversion route (interested in Virgin ISA 8000 Miles promo). I’m not currently a member of FF Club, are there any offers for first time sign up. I have upgraded my HH to Gold via Plat, and also triggered my e-certificate via the HH Visa card. Any other ideas on collecting HH points much appreciated.

  • Peter K says:

    12 Oct12 October 17:23

    Amex Membership Reward points convert into them. Technically not the best value per MR but if it gets the stay you want (especially combined with the 5 for 4 nights Hilton offer on reward stays for status members) then it is worth it.

• Wally1976 says:

  12 Oct12 October 14:52

  OT – a bit late to the party on this one – anyone willing to share the OfferID for the Esso £5 off £50 Amex offer? Didn’t get it on any of our cards :-(.

  For anyone with the Superdrug offer, my local has a stash of gift cards hidden behind the counter including B&Q. Might be worth seeing if yours has the same.

  • Gavin says:

    12 Oct12 October 19:13

    Superdrug told me they stop selling stamps from the end of this month

• MarkH says:

  12 Oct12 October 14:57

  OT – I bought 2000 Avios on Groupon.es on Sunday night but they’ve still not posted in my IB account. does anyone know how long it normally takes?

  • sedgie252 says:

    13 Oct13 October 15:54

    I think the confirmation e-mail (in Spanish) said to check after 15 days.

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