British Airways news: £1150 Club World to Cape Town, Muscat suspended, Phoenix reduced

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• Degsy says:

  6 Sep6 September 08:04

  Bits, has anyone stayed at the Intercontinental Porto? Due to stay for 3 nights all booked on points. I see they don’t have a club lounge that we can pay for would we be entitled to any extras? Thanks

  • Genghis says:

    6 Sep6 September 08:22

    We stayed two nights in June. Great hotel. We booked two separate nights in a bog standard room: first in my name (SE AMB) on points, second in wife’s name (just SE) using IHG reward certificate. Emailed in advance and linked bookings. Upgraded to duplex suite. 4pm check out. Tasty chocolate as welcome gift. Usual water and snack (a plate of cakes and pastel de nata). Two free drinks in bar. No other benefits. I’d stay again.

    • Genghis says:

      6 Sep6 September 09:01

      I can highly recommend Tapabento restaurant just to the north of Sao Bento station, about 3 mins walk from the hotel.

      • ankomonkey says:

        6 Sep6 September 17:36

        Japanese lunch box restaurant?

      • Genghis says:

        6 Sep6 September 17:40

        🙂 not quite. Solid modern Portuguese fare

    • Fastbowler says:

      6 Sep6 September 11:54

      May be worth mentioning that IC Porto is easy and cheap to get to from Porto Airport on the Porto metro system.
      Take the metro to Aliados station and then its a short walk downhill to IC Porto

      • New Card says:

        6 Sep6 September 12:09

        Any benefits given at IC Porto to a non-AMB Spire Elite?

      • Pid says:

        6 Sep6 September 13:32

        Email them and ask. I have found they are normally open about what they will offer.

  • Fastbowler says:

    6 Sep6 September 08:40

    We stayed for two nights on points at IC Porto in July..
    Our booking was for standard room and we were also upgraded to an excellent duplex suite
    We also received chocolate gift plus water and snacks plus two drinks in the bar
    We were offered and accepted breakfast for 15 euros each which was excellent value. This offer was also extended to our grown up daughters who were staying in an AirBnB nearby.
    Porto is a lovely city to visit and the IC is an excellent hotel.

  • h2d says:

    6 Sep6 September 08:55

    Another recommendation – we would stay again. As a Spire Ambassador on a points booking like others we were upgraded to a duplex suite, chocolates/Natas left each day, two complimentary drinks in the bar. Well located and if you don’t mind the hill all the main sites are walkable, plus good nearby cafes if you don’t want to get breakfast in the hotel. Certainly one of the better European ICs with consistently good feedback

  • Pid says:

    6 Sep6 September 13:29

    Spend 3 nights on points in Aug and the hotel was excellent. Same benefits as Genghis as a Spire Amb, including the duplex suite upgrade. Could use the free drinks in the bar for anything from the cocktail menu. I would defiantly stay again.

    They offer a reduced amb rate for breakfast as it will not be included in the room. Recommending emailing the hotel and they will confirm the offers available and price for breakfast.

• Stuart says:

  6 Sep6 September 08:06

  Yesterday I booked a March flight to Cape Town routing AMS LGW CPT and returning CPT LHR AMS for £1140 – very pleased with that, especially the outbound trip as I don’t need to transfer betweeen Heathrow and Gatwick after arriving from Amsterdam as some of the flights require

• Optimus Prime says:

  6 Sep6 September 08:14

  OT – Marriott Platinum challenge seems to be back, requiring 16 nights in 3 months.

  • Crafty says:

    6 Sep6 September 11:22

    Would be very interested to hear from anyone who tries it and sees a reward night crediting.

    • Rob says:

      6 Sep6 September 11:42

      Didn’t count before, unlikely to count now I think – it is still the Marriott IT plaform we’re talking about.

      Given we’re in September, this challenge is best done in early 2019 which would get you status until March 2021. Doing it now is a bit of a waste given that 2018 is almost gone.

  • KevMc says:

    6 Sep6 September 11:54

    Does anyone know if booking a meeting room and receiving 10 elite nights credit count toward this?

    • Rob says:

      6 Sep6 September 12:00

      No.

      That is now limited to one booking per calendar year too.

  • Optimus Prime says:

    6 Sep6 September 12:12

    BTW how do status matches usually work? Do you get the status immediately and enjoy it during your qualifying nights/stays or only upon completion?

    • Rob says:

      6 Sep6 September 12:28

      Can be both ways. Hilton does the former, Marriott the latter.

• Zoggle says:

  6 Sep6 September 08:28

  We booked this back at the end of Jan – early Feb for 10 nights in SA. AMS-LHR-CPT out and CPT – LGW- AMS on the return. £1,140 ish.

  We were in the upstairs cabin on the 747 on the way out, which we love. Even though it was an 18 year old plane… 🙂

• C77 says:

  6 Sep6 September 08:49

  If London based you can always book CPT-LHR then LGW-AMS on the return sector. You then get your bags bag at London and can conveniently miss your connection to AMS. Only works on the inbound journey – don’t even attempt to do this on the outbound unless you want the thrill of a M25/Central London transfer.

• Clive says:

  6 Sep6 September 09:23

  We just flew from BKK to DOH on a 787 with 30 Pax onboard and only three of us in Business myself Wife and Daughter. Exceptional flight and now heading to Muscat.

  • BJ says:

    6 Sep6 September 11:40

    That amazes me, love to know what the problem is. I wonder if QR simply now have too much capacity to Thailand or if it is more to do with Qatar political issues. If QR were to reduce their premium fares exUK to match AY, KL and TK I am sure they would fill a lot of those empty seats in business class.

    • Clive says:

      6 Sep6 September 16:46

      Loads only just dropped so I would say we were lucky

• Nigel the Pensioner says:

  6 Sep6 September 09:27

  If BA made the PHX fare more reasonable, then the usage might be better. Im trying to book 2 J class returns for mid January and the fares are extortionate – even from AMS or DUB. There is also zero reward availability for our dates. So much for BAEC Gold and Avios rich – no wonder, you simply cant use them for anything worthwhile these days.

  • Peter K says:

    6 Sep6 September 09:44

    I disagree. I saved Mrs K and myself £400 to the canaries and back by using avios rather than cash.

    • BJ says:

      6 Sep6 September 11:55

      +1, my partner got lucky and got CW from EDI-BKK rtn over Xmas and new year for 165k avios and about £700.That was booked a few months back and even then the cheapest economy seats left were about £1500. Locked it in secure in the knowkedge it can be cancelled for just £35 if some better opportunity cones along. Nevertheless I appreciate Nigel’s frustration, we all end up in the same boat at one time or another.

  • Zoggle says:

    6 Sep6 September 09:51

    Ref the reward seats, all I can say is just keep checking. We are off to Houston in Feb half term next year. Nothing available. I logged on a week or so later, everything available WTP, J & F. On both daily flights. So we both booked J seats. No doubt it will be a 16+ year old 777 being the only downside. It used to be a 747, so the upper cabin was an option.

    • Mark Smith says:

      6 Sep6 September 13:14

      +1, you just have to be on it. Posted here earlier in the week that I booked an open Jaw 241 to Newark back from Washington for this coming October., both in CW. Saw 2 single CW tickets outbound on flights very close together and called to ask if they could be combined. Was told no but checked availability 20 mins later and lo and behold 2 seats were now open on one of the flights (and swiftly taken up by me!)

• Darren says:

  6 Sep6 September 10:31

  OT, would Amex Platinum travel insurance cover be applicable for the following. Picking a hire car up but forgot the credit card used to make the booking, this meant I was refused the car and had to book again. Or do I put it down to experience?

  • Alan says:

    6 Sep6 September 11:56

    Can’t see how that falls under travel insurance I’m afraid.

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