The Aspire lounge in London Gatwick’s North Terminal to close for refurbishment

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• MarkH says:

  13 Feb13 February 12:44

  OT as bits: am I right in thinking that when booking a BA reward flight to CPT (flying to JNB and connecting on ComAir) that my bags won’t be checked all the way through?

  I think I read on here a while ago that I would need to collect the bags and then go to a different terminal and drop the bag off/go through security etc again. If so, how much time do I need between the flights to do this?

  • Polly says:

    13 Feb13 February 13:18

    4 hours minimum

  • Rob says:

    13 Feb13 February 14:01

    Yes. Even if this wasn’t BA policy, though, you’d need to do it anyway due to SA customs.

  • MarkH says:

    13 Feb13 February 14:29

    Thanks Polly & Rob. Have booked the JNB flights on my 2-4-1 voucher (will be the first time in First!!) and will sort the connecting flights separately which will give greater flexibility with the itinerary.

• Gavin says:

  13 Feb13 February 13:10

  Off topic – Doubletree Excel or Doubletree Greenwich – which is best? Am Hilton gold and will be staying there on Saturday night with Mrs Gavin, we are spending the weekend house hunting in the area so a quiet spot to rest is the key.

  • Rob says:

    13 Feb13 February 13:59

    Doubletree Excel is quiet if there is nothing on at Excel – apart from City Airport which is about 100 metres away 🙂 There is literally nothing to do except visit the pub behind it. Could not be more deserted but the airport is there (shut Sat noon to Sun noon).

  • David says:

    13 Feb13 February 18:24

    Shame is that it’s Deptford (by the bridge) rather than Greenwich. I stay there a lot for work. It’s decent, they’ll upgrade you and give you a drinks voucher. The service isn’t always great on reception (though now they’ve settled into being a Doubletree it’s improved – the transition from Mercure through independent to DTbH was a struggle for them!), the breakfast room is odd (and in the basement so no windows). The top floor rooms are large with great views, but you need two lifts (or one lift and a flight of stairs) to get there.

    Enjoy!

    • Gavin says:

      14 Feb14 February 08:36

      Thanks all. Will go for Greenwich as it’s £20 cheaper, sounds like not a lot in it though. Another long weekend of tramping the streets of London trying to find somewhere we like awaits!

• BluehorizonUK says:

  13 Feb13 February 13:30

  OT but really trying to book the following http://bit.ly/2Cjabaa but hitting brick wall. HELP!!

• Olly says:

  13 Feb13 February 14:36

  Regarding Hilton Honours, I am sure there are a few readers who have Diamond that will expire at the end of March and would like tho keep it. Ive read the previous comments about status match and wonder can i do it before out expires? I will go down to Gold thanks to Amex Plat butt would like to stay Diamond (as it does make a difference in real world terms) and I’ve got IHG Platinum so was intrigued to hear of that route compared to the status challenge. Do I wait or apply now and do I ask for the challenge (I’ve already got 4 stays booked with Hilton’s in April but don’t know if they would be counted towards a challenge) Or do I ask for a straight match to IHG Platinum to Diamond? Many thanks guys

  • Louise says:

    13 Feb13 February 15:34

    Your stays booked for April should count for status match. Are you concerned it’s because u booked them before?

    I don’t think Hilton are status matching without the 8 stay requirement

    • Olly says:

      13 Feb13 February 22:02

      Thanks Louise,
      In part, yes I am wondering if those already booked count but also wanted to know if I could do a straight match to from IHG Platinum to Diamond as someone else said they got but I don’t know if they were a newbie or, like me, already had Hilton status. Will they offer me an extension basically?

  • mark2 says:

    13 Feb13 February 15:38

    I find it annoying that you have to do eight stays when you are already Gold; but that’s life.

    • Pangolin says:

      13 Feb13 February 16:06

      With Marriott you have to do 9 stays from Gold, and unlike Hilton they don’t count award stays.

• Anna says:

  13 Feb13 February 14:39

  There’s only 1 flight from LHR to LBA that day, too early for us. Looks like all the regionals are being culled!

• Anna says:

  13 Feb13 February 16:08

  Sorry for yet another OT. BA have now just emailed me to say they have cancelled my re-scheduled LHR-MAN connecting flight altogether. No substitute offered. Do I now have to go into battle with them over my re-routing rights?

  • Anna says:

    13 Feb13 February 16:13

    They are still selling seats on this flight at £343 one way!

    • Anna says:

      13 Feb13 February 16:57

      Just spent 45 mins on the phone to BA CS, eventually they have re-booked us onto the flight. They couldn’t explain why our tickets cancelled. It’s almost as though BA was hoping that someone would pay £1029 for those seats before I noticed and they could legitimately say the flight was fully booked! Surely even BA wouldn’t stoop that low?

      • Lady London says:

        13 Feb13 February 17:17

        Hum. They could have offloaded you because they thought they could now sell the seats higher. Yes BMI did stoop that low with me (I got it sorted after spotting they were still selling seats on the flight they’d told me they’d “cancelled”, just like you). So I have no reason to think BA wouldn’t stoop that low too..

      • JamesB says:

        13 Feb13 February 17:58

        It is stories like this that make me dread even my once a year flight with BA. When Flying Blue goes revenue-based it might be worthwhile exploring whether it is a bettef option for you. You will have the SPG and MR to FB opportunities, and later clubcard to Flying Club too.

        Good luck with BA.

  • Lady London says:

    13 Feb13 February 17:15

    Hi Anna
    can you please keep us informed as to the outcome of this (when you get it ). I’m not sure if you have re-routing rights if they’ve notified you more than 14 days ahead. Perhaps another poster can confirm.

    Yesterday I suggested you ask if BA will pay a night hotel at LHR and re-route you following day due you having had such a long complicated journey to LHR so not able to wait for a later flight same day if they can’t connect you on the flight originally booked. That is, if you can afford to land at MAN 1 day later. If BA wouldn’t comp you a hotel night due to their schedule change then personally I’d pay my own night at the Sofitel and ask them to re-route me Sunday.

    Alternatively is there any other routing you could see that BA could provide you that would land you directly in Manchester? If so then request it from BA.

    Personally I’d try for the above now, as I have a feeling a flight or two might eventually come back to the Saturday and then your position would be much weaker!

    Please keep us advised as to the eventual solution.

    • Lady London says:

      13 Feb13 February 17:18

      Anna’s reply came whilst I was typing the above:-)
      Glad you got it sorted Anna

      • Anna says:

        13 Feb13 February 19:13

        Thanks all, best outcome would be OH getting an extra day off work so can come back a day later!

• Simon says:

  13 Feb13 February 16:25

  For Hilton HHonors, is there any way to purchase over 80,000 miles per calendar year (excluding bonus?)

  • Andrew (@andrewseftel) says:

    13 Feb13 February 16:58

    I haven’t tried it, but points pooling should let you buy the full allowance on another account.

    • mark2 says:

      13 Feb13 February 18:00

      A good idea. It depends on the timing of course, but you could get 40,000 MR by applying for Amex Gold and then upgrading to Platinum giving you 80,000 HH free.

    • JamesB says:

      13 Feb13 February 18:14

      Good point but it requires accounts to be open for 30 days though, so if Simon needs the points quickly it is not an option unless he already has family and friends with Hilton accounts.

• roberto says:

  13 Feb13 February 16:44

  OT but Lounge ish…

  Tried the Plaza Premium lounge today at T5 and had a rather nice full english ( well, no eggs ) and can reccomend both the grub and the lounge. Free entry with my Amex Plat.

  Far better than a BACon roll in Galleries.

  • Rob says:

    13 Feb13 February 18:55

    Neither of us have made it in yet and the promised press event never happened. 7th March I should be there I think.

  • Graham Walsh says:

    13 Feb13 February 21:28

    I went to the BA lounge North and then left for the Plazza lounge. Much quieter and better food.

    • mark says:

      14 Feb14 February 12:12

      this might swing my choice when I am there for my seoul flight, depends if they have started taking priority pass etc by then as that will make it busier, I can get in with my plat.

  • Chelseafi says:

    14 Feb14 February 14:13

    I have amex Plat do I get in plaza Premium with that rather then my PP, plus can you take in a guest? Thanks

    • Rob says:

      14 Feb14 February 14:30

      Either.

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