Iberia’s A350 test flights from London Heathrow are now bookable

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• ankomonkey says:

  23 Mar23 March 08:31

  Rob, what’s your Lapland itinerary? We visited Santa in Levi – far more authentic than Rovaniemi… These are both Finnish Lapland.

  • Rob says:

    23 Mar23 March 08:44

    Dunno, ask my wife 🙂

    I wanted to go to Oman, the 10 year old wanted Barbados. After the recent snow and cold snap here, plus the bug I picked up skking six weeks ago (which I am not yet fully over), I’m not sure anyone except my wife remains keen!

    • Darren says:

      23 Mar23 March 10:18

      Barbados is lovely this time of year ????

      Have a great time.

    • Alex says:

      23 Mar23 March 13:49

      When you go to Oman you can do review of Shangri La or Chedi hotel. Went to Chedi for dinner and it was stunning.

      • roberto says:

        23 Mar23 March 15:43

        The SL Al Husn is lovely. Did that in January. They dont have a traditional Horizon Club as such but I really enjoyed my time there.

        The beach area (s) were so perfect and the pool almost under used. No kids allowed in the Al Husn..

        The food and drink is expensive but with breakfast and afternoon tea included its bearable. The fish resturant in the sister hotel next door is supposedly the best in Oman ( but they would say that ).

        We booked a SL car as the landed at 7am from LHR and where in our room and down to breakfast by 9am.

    • Lady London says:

      25 Mar25 March 00:02

      Er…. and you went to Lapland instead? bit of a temperature change..

• Frankie says:

  23 Mar23 March 08:36

  OT. I took advantage of the IHG 100% bonus on points offer that Anika posted about a couple of days ago. I bought the full 120k as this allowed me to book the Intercontinental in ljubljana (because Anika recommended it a few months ago) for 3 nights in July for 120k points which is cheap for the hotel with this 100% bonus. I have no status apart from IHG free credit card. If I buy the Ambassador card will I get the benefits on my reward booking in Ljubljana. I read here that I might not as my booking is a reward booking? Or might I be lucky? Also if I book future rooms with points and cash is that still seen as a pure reward booking so I’m in the same boat of not getting Ambassador benefits? I just don’t know if it now worth spending $200 on the Ambassador card. Thanks in advance for any replies.

  • Rob says:

    23 Mar23 March 08:46

    Strictly speaking IC hotels can not give benefits on reward stays BUT 95% do. That said, Ambassador only really makes sense if you will use the free weekend night voucher (which is actually buy one, get one free) during the next 12 months. Otherwise all you are getting is a 1 category upgrade and 4pm check out which probably isn’t worth it.

    • KevMc says:

      23 Mar23 March 15:01

      Any idea if a BOGOF AMB stay is classed as a Reward stay for these purposes? Technically one night is a Reward, and one is paid, so not sure how it is considered.

      Also, if you part-pay with points, do you know if they class this as a reward night?

    • Genghis says:

      23 Mar23 March 15:11

      @KevMc. An AMB booking officially counts as one night paid stay and one night free (i.e. one night stay credit, but may come through as two nights). Can’t part pay with points I’m afraid.

  • Jeremy says:

    23 Mar23 March 08:49

    I’m in a similar boat. 3 nights at the IHG Aqaba for 75,000 (bought in the points sale last night – bargain), and wondering whether Ambassador Card is worth it.

  • Leo says:

    23 Mar23 March 12:03

    I’d take issue with Rob’s comment that 95% of ICs provide usual Ambassador benefits on redemptions. Some do, some don’t, I don’t think it’s stronger than that. Ambassador had a bit of an overhaul in October 2016 and maybe they’ve been stricter from then on. I actually had to stand my ground in Paris at Le Grand in the summer about the 4pm check out – they told me I was not entitled as on a reward night (no other rewards unlike Genghis). They did cave in eventually on the 4pm check out. In San Francisco last week we got no Ambassador recognition aside from a few bananas and an apple but I was asked if I’d like a 4pm checkout when I checked in. Interestingly they did comp 2 breakfasts but I think that was more to do with the fact that they woke me up with a 5.30am phone call by mistake. So the bottom line is – don’t bank on anything above and beyond what Genghis has just pasted above.

    • Leo says:

      23 Mar23 March 12:08

      Oh and I haven’t used my BOGOF AMB night this year either. I’m planning a paid stay in the IC Hong Kong later in the year – if I wasn’t I’d query renewing Ambassador now that the points renewal option has increased.

• Lumma says:

  23 Mar23 March 08:46

  If you fly economy on one of these widebody planes to Madrid is it still buy on board? Are they full or would there be loads of space?

  • Rob says:

    23 Mar23 March 08:48

    Last time I dd it, it was not full, certainly down the back. Business passengers tend to skew their itineries to get on the long haul, for obvious reasons, but it makes little difference down the back so the loading is standard.

• Relaxo says:

  23 Mar23 March 09:47

  OT: Tesco clubcard related. Mrs Relaxo cant access her old CC account online & for some reason tesco cant seem to reset it either. She did manage to get paper vouchers issued so at least points were not ‘lost’. My question is – Is it possible to get those vouchers converted to hotels/uber credit? Keep in mind she cannot access her account online. Alternatively is it possible to ‘transfer’ those vouchers over to another (i.e.me) account?

  • BLT says:

    23 Mar23 March 13:48

    If you share the same address/ surname, I have found it possible to use my account and then add my partner’s voucher codes to “pay” for the hotels.com voucher / Avios/ Virgin FC miles. However, if you try a large amount it may trigger the fraud check.

• Andrew says:

  23 Mar23 March 09:51

  I’ve did the train trip in reverse a few years ago from Kiruna to Stockholm. Had a private cabin for the two of us for less than a hotel would have cost. It was fantastic going to sleep to the northern lights before waking up, taking advantage of our private shower and then arriving in Stockholm.

• grammer789 says:

  23 Mar23 March 10:06

  OT: Anyone had any luck with the reported AMEX MR to Iberia 20% transfer bonus?

  I was thinking of transferring to Avios/BAEC but guess no harm in going via Iberia and then using CMA in the off chance the bonus comes through?

  (My Iberia plus account is over 90 days old)

  • Rob MC says:

    23 Mar23 March 10:19

    I didn’t get the email, transferred 3k over which posted a week ago and no bonus for me.

  • Nadeshka says:

    23 Mar23 March 10:21

    Yes, I did a test transaction for my mum with a brand new iberia account last week. The initial 1000 posted on the 18th and a bonus 200 posted yesterday.
    Planning to do the rest of her points now!

    • Nadeshka says:

      23 Mar23 March 10:23

      To add I’m not sure if she got the email, but like you I thought it was worth a shot. Hers is a new MR account having never redeemed before.
      We don’t need the points in the next 90 days so will just wait and then combine.
      Am seeing if the bonus points for another family account before I move theirs also.

      • Rob says:

        23 Mar23 March 11:07

        Odd. No bonus for me and it is 10 days now.

      • Roger says:

        23 Mar23 March 17:40

        Same here, no bonus either!

• AndyW says:

  23 Mar23 March 10:49

  Groupon Iberia avios looks to be back for those interested

• Save East Coast Rewards says:

  23 Mar23 March 11:23

  I’m pedantic but BA522 is the prime code for the flight, it’s technically BA operated by Iberia. The reason for this oddity is that it makes it easier in T5 is everyone just uses the BA systems.

  This only happens on the LHR-MAD leg but it explains why the flight number is BA522 and the return one is BA7058 as this one really is a codeshare

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