News in brief:
Norwich International Airport joins Priority Pass
I’m not sure that I knew Norwich International Airport even had an Executive Lounge but it does and it has now joined Priority Pass! (EDIT: apparently the lounge was in Priority Pass in the past but did not immediately rejoin post refurbishment.)
Full details are on the Norwich Airport website here.
The lounge is open from 4am until the last flight of the evening departs. It is aimed at KLM business class and status customers, Loganair passengers on Fly Flex+ tickets and selected Flybe customers travelling to Aberdeen.
As well as Priority Pass (free with Amex Platinum), you can also get in with Lounge Pass (two free passes with Amex Gold), LoungeKey (from a World Elite Mastercard), Diners Club International or DragonPass. You can also pay on the door (£20) or book in advance via Lounge Pass. Not that no children under 12 are allowed and there is a three drink limit!
If anyone is planning to visit and would like to write a short review for us, with a few photographs, let me know.
LOT to launch new Warsaw service from London City
Polish airline LOT has announced a new twice-daily service from Warsaw to London City Airport. This will launch on 7th January 2019.
LOT is acquiring 4 x brand new Embraer 190 aircraft which will used primarily on this route.
LOT is a Star Alliance member and uses Lufthansa’s Miles & More scheme as its ‘home’ frequent flyer programme if you are interesting in earning or redeeming miles on this route.
British Airways relaxes the dress code for non-rev (staff ticket) passengers
According to cabin crew website paddleyourownkanoo, British Airways has decided to let staff chillax when travelling on a non-rev (ie free or heavily discounted staff travel) ticket. This is in response to the more casual dress codes being adopted by fare-paying passengers.
In every cabin, including First Class, it is now acceptable for off-duty staff to wear:
- jeans
- t-shirts
- casual shoes
For good or bad, you will NOT be seeing:
- jeans that are frayed or have holes
- “overly revealing” clothing
- sportswear
- beach clothing (including flip flops)
- any kind of shorts or sportswear
The internal memo apparently suggests that off-duty staff on a freebie think of “fare paying customers and show sensitivity towards them.”
Of course you MAY want to consider wearing sportswear or flip-flops yourself in order that you are clearly identifiable as a fare-paying customer …..!
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About Head for Points
Im told by my teenage daughter Armani or Nike Sliders are di rigueur in Business LH.
If you call sliders “flip-flops” you are really showing your age HFP readers ????
Fully agree with your daughter, Axel.
We should also differentiate between sliders and fluffy sliders please.
I can fully accept sliders or flip flops (Havaianas), but sliders and socks is not a combo I can tolerate. ????
I have been told many times that Aussies call fli-flops ‘thongs’, which could conjour up a whole new concept of in-flight leisure-wear.
So the only change is jeans now allowed in first.
Apart from duty travel, staff travel is not a “freebie”
Lloyds upgrade voucher – I have spent £7000 and confirmed on my recent statement – when should I expect to see the voucher? Am I right in thinking it will still currently drop in to my Avios vouchers section?
Just a bit concerned it will fall in to the black holes.
OT used the curve card abroad for the first time and have noticed a few hotel holds showing as paid, how long does curve take to refund the holds. Never noticed these holds going to payment on the Amex cards in fact never seen a hold show on Amex
Never use Curve as the hold, only the charge.
Thanks.First time user, didn’t realise. Will I have problems getting the holds released. I still don’t get this curve card, only using to build up a history to pay HRMC bills.
Could take up to two weeks.
O/T Does anyone know if there is a reward points chart for intercontinental hotels on this site or anywhere. I am looking at the Intercontinental da nang and I thought it was 35k reward points but looks like mow it has gone up to 70k a night, has this changed recently? I may have missed it as I know some hotels when up recently.
No, no chart AFAIK. There are 5,200 IHG hotels ….!
Try https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1iRDsky2ttuHWGGP8kL95G_Pf1VY&ll=52.04062896647598%2C-0.811614990234375&z=9
No idea how accurate it is, but I have found it useful.
Try award mapper.
I don’t think it’s incredibly up to date but it has the IC at 50k, so it has gone up, but suggests it wasn’t 35 before.
http://www.awardmapper.com/?latlng=16.003947312775793,108.2170077732228&zoom=12&brands=CHO,CAR,HIL,HYA,IHG,MAR,STA&points=5000-92000
http://www.awardmapper.com/?latlng=16.003947312775793,108.2170077732228&zoom=12&brands=CHO,CAR,HIL,HYA,IHG,MAR,STA&points=5000-92000
It’s not very up to date, so good to see what it was.
Useful for seeing hotels in an area
It’s now 70k. Was discussing this recently with someone who has been when it was the old rate and they’ve just booked again at the 70k rate saying it’s still worth it.
Intercontinental Da Nang is possibly the best hotel I’ve ever visited. It’s genuinely spectacular.
Wildly O/T: I’m looking for a new business bank account for my Ltd company (coming to the end of the introductory free banking). I basically need to be able to receive internet banking transfers, pay internet transfers and set up a direct debit to pay off the business credit card. No cash/cheques etc.
I’ve spotted that Starling Bank have a business account – has anyone got any experience of that?
Though on looking into Starling a bit more I see there can only be one person with significant control of the company, which doesn’t work so well.
Wildly OT @Matt: Metro Bank are getting less friendly than they were but for Business a lot of small businesses really rate them.
We use Metro Bank, no problems at all. Free banking if you keep in £5k. Not sure if they can handle direct debits as HFP doesn’t have any (the office rent goes on an Amex!).
Good suggestion, thanks. Less friendly?
Metro bank is great! We have been with them since NatWest up their fees! They can do everything my old bank could do. The free banking is limited to 50 transactions per month and subject to keeping in £5k.
“Of course you MAY want to consider wearing sportswear or flip-flops yourself in order that you are clearly identifiable as a fare-paying customer …..!”
Unpacking my flip-flops from my checked bag as I post this!
I used the lounge at Norwich Airport every month from early 2015 to July 2017 and they accepted Priority Pass for all of that time. If there was a 3 drink limit, it was not enforced on the couple of times I had an extended stay in the lounge 🙂
OT:
Has anyone used my trip.com? Its coming out significantly cheaper than other booking sites for my flight (£600).
OT: Finally got a Curve. Done some reading. Still don’t really get it. If I do a transaction at say a Holiday Inn and recharge it to my IHG Credit Card, will I still receive the underlying extra points for paying at an IHG hotel with an IHG card? i.e. is the transaction for all rewards purposes treated as one made using the underlying card?
It works that way with my HH visa so don’t see why it shouldn’t with the IHG.
No you don’t, it is treated as a Curve transaction.
I concur with Rob. No bonus points as it goes on your card as “curve – ihg” or similar.
Thank you. So the “only carry one card” aspect is instantly negated.
Main thing is you can withdraw £200 a month and also make payments to things that you may normally do with your bank account
Anyone travelling in flip flops deserves their feet trodden on or worse. As for shorts, let me know how a spilled hot beverage goes !
You’ll hear 🙂
In the hundred odd flights I’ve worn shorts on, I’ve never spilt a hot drink over my legs… Perhaps you’re just particularly clumsy?
it’s not the legs! 🙂
Haha ouch. Though in that scenario im not sure trousers would offer much more protection than shorts!
About 17 years ago my little toddler son managed to spill a 100C (or so it felt) bowl of boiling soup into my lap just at the painful bit – seizing the moment I grabbed the mineral water bottle and sprayed it onto my frazzled parts, ah, relief! 🙂
it doesn’t need to be you doing the spilling!
Oh, and if you ever take a look at the bottom edge of an evacuation slide, you will never wear shorts again.
Don’t think I have ever worn shorts on a flight! It would be rather unfair on any fellow passengers for a start … although not as bad as exposing my feet to them.
Washington will be 37 degrees on Monday but I am doing my bit to keep up the British reputation for style with a full jacket / shirt / trousers combo 🙂
I’ve worn shorts intra-Australia as it’s too hot to wear trousers. Also done it coming back from Greece after a day of travelling to get to the airport. Will be considering it for my holiday there next month if the weather both ways is right.
Having been a kingon with my friend’s staff benefits on Qantas, they relaxed their requirements a few years ago whereby clean and tidy jeans were permitted. Didn’t matter if you scored J travel as you’d strip down to their pajamas for the flight anyway.
I’ll be flying from Norwich in the summer, albeit in Y with my family. The old lounge had a window onto the departure lounge – if it still does I’ll see if I can get a picture from the outside.
The new lounge is in exactly the same place as the old one. It’s just not called “Multiyork” any more, and has allegedly been refurbished!
I’ll be going through Norwich on July 10th. Happy to discuss a review. Cheers. Nick
I have noticed increasingly that Priority Pass is being turned away at busy airports like Manchester and Birmingham, with lounges like Aspire and No 1 Traveller preferring to take private bookings and more money eg stag and hen parties. This year have been refused access 3 times at Birmingham and twice at Manchester.