Air Belgium to operate Toronto flights for British Airways

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

• MarcB says:

  15 Mar15 March 05:01

  OT: Quick question – I currently have the inbound leg only of a direct journey booked as an avios redemption (for 2 people). If I spot the outbound leg appear, can I quickly cancel the inbound leg (for no penalty?) and book both legs using a 2 for 1 voucher (i.e. does the availability remain after I cancel?)

  • Stu_N says:

    15 Mar15 March 06:15

    No guarantees that the cancelled seats will lead to Avios availability. If you cancel the Avios booking you’ll pay a cancellation charge which is lower of £35pp and actual taxes, fees and charges.

  • Stu_N says:

    15 Mar15 March 06:18

    It might be worth trying to change the booking over the phone – if you get a good agent you stand some chance of adding the outbound and applying the 2-4-1 to the revised booking without cancelling the original booking.

    • MarcB says:

      15 Mar15 March 09:00

      Thank you!

    • Jonathan says:

      15 Mar15 March 10:02

      Usual advice is book the missing leg separately online for 2 (assuming you have the Avios available) then call up to get bookings combined. They will refund half the Avios for the outbound so as if you had booked it as a return 241. What they won’t do is do a recalculation of the taxes/fees/charges so you may pay less or more depending on route. If your current inbound is from the states you will pay more, from Japan/HK you’ll come out better off.

      One point of clarification though, if you have booked inbound already then presumably not on a 241 as this has to originate from UK?

      • MarcB says:

        15 Mar15 March 11:52

        Destination is Canada (Vancouver) + no 2-for-1 currently used for the reasons you say!
        Will try your method & hope they’re helpful…

  • Tony says:

    15 Mar15 March 08:36

    It’s just one data point but I cancelled two award seats on a very busy flight (LGW-SZG, start of half term) to move to the earlier flight. The seats were released back into award inventory, as it went from 2 seats to 4, then back to 2 again later in the day.

    • MarcB says:

      15 Mar15 March 09:00

      Good to know – hopefully the outbound appears at some point…!

      • Anna says:

        15 Mar15 March 09:15

        Where are you going? Is it somewhere that would indicate that extra seats are released through the year (Reward Flight Finder would show you this)?

  • ChrisC says:

    15 Mar15 March 13:52

    DO NOT CANCEL your existing booking!

    You need to phone BA when your return flights are available and they will do the necessary to make this all one booking. They are used to this.

    There is no guarantee your ‘old’ reward seats will be re-released and even if they are when they will get put back into inventory..

• Kumar says:

  15 Mar15 March 05:12

  I did use the Air Belgium service to Dubai over Christmas In Economy and the staff were very polite.Rest better avoided for discussion.All the parents with kids under 2 were complaining of having not a single bassinet on the plane all through the journey wanting to speak to Captain,Co Pilot and Cabin Crew boss.I was annoyed at the beginning over the arguments but felt bad at the end when the kids were made to sleep on the floor over blankets and pillows.I did buy the over priced ticket with BA even after factoring the voucher from BA for cancelling error fares to Dubai(June 12 2018) and was given a voucher 125GBP. Not again with Air Belgium.

  • Anna says:

    15 Mar15 March 09:18

    Bizarre – surely a child under 2 can sleep on a parent’s lap?! Any older and they have to have their own seat, and over 12 months they are very unlikely to fit in a bassinet anyway.

• Barry cutters says:

  15 Mar15 March 05:37

  I wouldn’t ever pay the money for a cash booking as it’s just super pointlessly expensive for a European City in my experience. But we have stayed here 4 times on reward bookings . (Once from the 2x accelerate free nights years ago, once from 2x MasterCard free nights and couple times on points) One time was mrs cutters bday and we were presented with a large cake and a half bottle of veuve. the wallpaper is interesting but it’s top class for service and grandeur. Met George clooney in the lobby on a stay a couple years ago.
  The pool is one of the best features – swimming at river height. The walk to the centre is not too far and nice all the way.

  • Genghis says:

    15 Mar15 March 05:53

    +1 we’ve stayed once a year for the last few years. Going again in Sep for a relaxing 4 night break. Rob must have quick legs though. Takes us more like 25 mins to walk to the Dam.

    • Rob says:

      15 Mar15 March 08:04

      You’ll find you can manage it more quickly in torrential rain 🙂

      • Brighton Belle says:

        15 Mar15 March 11:34

        I thought this man used Uber to get to the bottom of his garden?😜

        • Rob says:

          15 Mar15 March 12:11

          Not many taxis in the middle of Amsterdam, oddly.

    • fivebobbill says:

      15 Mar15 March 13:19

      Get one of those bike rickshaw guys, fastest way around AMS by a country mile, if you don’t end up in a canal…!

• Nick says:

  15 Mar15 March 06:43

  Any ideas when any Amex travel offers might appear back on the cards?

  • roger says:

    15 Mar15 March 08:05

    seasonal is October and February for Amex Travel.
    There are currently offers on Emirates and Eurowings ending soon.
    Also some independent travel agents.

• Robert F says:

  15 Mar15 March 06:51

  Judging by the photo I fail to see how anyone could consider that better than CW.

  • David says:

    15 Mar15 March 07:06

    If you have a thing for aisle access because of the 2 or 3 occasions on the whole flight that you want to get out of your seat, then obviously it has that. But yes, I’d far rather be tucked away in a CW window seat than in that open plan cabin.

  • Rob says:

    15 Mar15 March 08:02

    Forward facing, far more personal space.

    • Doug M says:

      15 Mar15 March 09:07

      Never understand the forward facing bit. Going backwards is so much better, especially when sleeping. Plane’s slightly nose up attitude means elevated head, much better for sleep. I suspect new CW is not going to be as good, especially if status mostly allows you an upstairs window.

• Ahop says:

  15 Mar15 March 07:03

  OT: I am trying to get status with Hyatt the long way round and currently encountering difficulties with matching to M Life (the penultimate step).

  M Life say they will only match if you ask in person. Does anyone have a workaround?

  • Tom1 says:

    15 Mar15 March 07:43

    Care to share the rest of the steps please? Hyatt stay coming up and would like to match Hilton if possible, but can’t find anywhere.

    • Ahop says:

      15 Mar15 March 07:51

      Hilton to La Quinta
      La Quinta to Wyndham
      Wyndham to total rewards
      Total rewards to Mlife gold

      Based on Hilton status from Amex plat.

      • Barry says:

        15 Mar15 March 08:49

        “Total Rewards to Mlife”

        I didn’t think this was possible. Just checked statusmatcher and it seems to concur. How did you manage to get this?

      • Matt B says:

        15 Mar15 March 09:09

        I just went hilton to Wyndham to Caesars rewards, no need for extra step

      • ahop says:

        15 Mar15 March 09:35

        I did manage to skip La Quinta too.

        I haven’t got M Life yet but their customer service will match, but only in person.

• Jovanna says:

  15 Mar15 March 07:19

  OT – and just an observation – collected a car from Avis yesterday. I’d booked a Group E. Avis description says Hyundai i30 or similar.

  Shortly before I arrive at the Avis counter, I get an email saying I had a Vauxhall Crossland. I’d had one of those a couple of weeks back. It was Group C.

  It turns out that the Crossland had Sat Nav and that, in fact, was an upgrade. Paperwork said Group M. It had Apple CarPlay anyway, so didn’t bother with it.

  • john says:

    15 Mar15 March 09:26

    Booked a Class C car ‘Lancy Y or similar’ with Hertz Bologna last year as Gold Plus rewards from either Amex or IHG and they gave me a brand new Abarth 595 instead. Although think would have to reject it next time as now have a baby to fit in also.

• KBuffett says:

  15 Mar15 March 07:35

  OT – Are AMEX signup bonuses still available six months after cancelling, or have they shifted to lifetime in the UK?
  My wife had gold, is there a bonus for referal to platinum? If so, I would like to refer her to plat and then cancel her account. Any recommendations on where/how to move the 40000 MR points she has before cancelling?

  • BJ says:

    15 Mar15 March 07:38

    7+ months is fine. Sounds like you read HFP once a year 🙂

    • BJ says:

      15 Mar15 March 07:39

      *6+

  • TGLoyalty says:

    15 Mar15 March 07:43

    Still 6 months gap to get a new bonus.

    Confused about if she has or had a gold card as the 40k points would have gone somewhere 6 months ago? If she had a gold credit card there is no sign up bonus for plat unless she waits 6 months but there would be for a BA or SPG card, and those can be referred from any AMEX. If she has a gold charge card upgrade to platinum for 20k points.

    Where to send then depends on your plans to burn them and what you already collect.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.