British Airways adds superior Do&Co catering on more long haul routes

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

• a270 says:

  26 May26 May 09:15

  OT: Could someone please confirm that I can’t change the destination once I have used the Lloyds Upgrade voucher. I know I can with BA 2 for 1 for a fee. Has anyone been successful with Avios?

  • BJ says:

    26 May26 May 09:59

    You can change the destination if it is within the same zone and class,, obviously subject to award availability. Even if you have s different zone in mind no harm done in giving them a call because some agents seems to make and change the rules as they go along, YMMV.

  • Mikeact says:

    26 May26 May 10:03

    As long as your change is in the same zone, then it shouldn’t be a problem, assuming availability ….at least it wasn’t for us.

    • Mikeact says:

      26 May26 May 10:10

      In fact, you’ve just reminded me, my next Lloyds voucher expires the end of this month. I wasted the last one.
      So I think I’ll book a RFS in the next couple of days…maybe Cyprus, which covers quite a large zone, for a trip for next spring, and then change nearer the date for possibly somewhere else. Good idea maybe ?

    • a270 says:

      26 May26 May 11:54

      Thank all. Can the changes be made online for BA 2 for 1 or do I need to call like for Avios booking? Also My Avios booking was done as 2 one way bookings but the taxes were more than what they were for a return journey. Do they refund the difference?

      • BJ says:

        26 May26 May 13:00

        You need to call.

      • Rob says:

        26 May26 May 14:55

        Should have been automatically done when you added the return flight by only charging you the difference. You are due the money.

        • Matt says:

          26 May26 May 15:56

          It’s not done automatically if you book two one-ways, or at all. It’s good if you’re going East, especially to Hong Kong, but more expensive going to North America.

          If you phone up to book the return then it’s all one booking and the taxes are calculated as a return.

          Might be worth phoning to ask, but it’s not a definite entitlement.

• Tilly says:

  26 May26 May 09:36

  Looking forward to trying the Do&Co catering when we fly F to Tokyo in September – hope the special meals (low lactose) are decent.

  O/T – currently sitting in the lounge in Genoa waiting for flight back to LGW and this has to be the most rubbish lounge I’ve visited yet. Feels clean and new (plus points) but the catering sucks. A few packets of dry beige food and terrible drinks selection. Have settled on water. Good job I had a good breakfast in the hotel this morning.

  • The Original Nick says:

    26 May26 May 09:52

    Hi Tilly. Hope you enjoy your flight to Tokyo in F. I’m off to Dubai in September so depending on departure dates may bump into you again.

    • Tilly says:

      26 May26 May 13:27

      Thanks Nick. Will be cool to bump into you again. We fly early September (missing all the world cup action).

  • Anna says:

    26 May26 May 10:33

    We were distinctly underwhelmed by the F main course choices for our flight to NYC this week, I just hope the lamb cutlets are cooked decently! Having said that, breakfast is my favourite meal and I’ll hopefully be having that in the Concorde Room washed down with a few glasses of LPGS 🥂

    • Tilly says:

      26 May26 May 13:30

      Our breakfast will be in Concorde Room before we fly. I don’t expect much from my meals onboard regardless of which class I fly given I have to have a special meal. Still convinced they serve me the same thing in CW and F just plated differently. Hope you enjoy your breakfast in CCR.

  • Alex Sm says:

    26 May26 May 10:50

    What is “dry beige food”? Dry hummus or crackers?

    • Tilly says:

      26 May26 May 13:37

      Crisps, crackers and other packaged foods resembling cardboard. No hummus or other food that wasn’t beige. Soft and drinks only. Not even a selection of teas, just regular tea.

• Nigel says:

  26 May26 May 09:57

  Is Do&Co catering some or all short-haul CE meals?

• JAD says:

  26 May26 May 10:18

  O/T BKK flight connection question. We are arriving into BKK on a Sun evening at 19.20 on a QR flight in J (2 adults and hand luggage only) and ideally would like to connect to a domestic to USM the same evening. There is a flight at 20.30 which we’d love to get – but obviously very very tight. We’ve never done this connection before – but looking online we’ve seen it can be done in ~30mins to get through immigration and over to the domestic gates. Has anyone done this and is so how long did it take? Thanks

  • Dan says:

    26 May26 May 12:12

    A 70 minute connection following a 12 hour international flight, in an airport you’ve never been to, in a country where you don’t speak the language.

    I think you probably already know the answer – but I wouldn’t risk it unless you’re totally comfortable paying for a new flight if you miss it?

    • BJ says:

      26 May26 May 12:53

      Agreed. The MCT at BKK is 75min IIRC, and I would definitely do it on a through ticket. However, JAD is not on a through ticket so they need to clear customs and immigration, check in , clear security again. This is doable if arriving and departing in J but personally I would still not risk it, certainly not if any of the flights are in Y. Is Samui fixed in stone? If not then I’d recommend Phuket as having more to keep the kids entertained. If you stick with Samui, I’d recommend staying at Novotell BKK for the night at about £100 or a nearby offsite hotel for a third of that price, and take your connecting flight the next morning. If you switch to Phuket I’d book a flight from DMK with Air Asia the next morning, take the free shuttle bus to DMK and get s good night’s sleep there at the Amari Don Mueng Airport Hotel for about £50. Either option removes stress and privides needed rest.

  • Memesweeper says:

    26 May26 May 12:27

    You *can* get through very fast at BKK but my last flight was 3.5 hours late arriving, so you should buy tickets for a later plane to USM as well as the flight you really want to get.

    Bangkok Airways are a terrible airline and charge rip-off prices for their short flights to Samui. Why not get the train and a ferry? First class and sleepers are options on the train.

    • marcw says:

      26 May26 May 12:30

      Some people want to pay the price to go to USM via plane. They own the airport and they run a monopoly – so they can charge whatever they want.

    • BJ says:

      26 May26 May 12:57

      Or Air Asia and ferry combo deal from Don Mueng via Suray Thani if time is more critical. Much more fin for family too.

  • marcw says:

    26 May26 May 12:32

    TBH, I would risk it. However, I would also book a Thai Smile/Thai flight from BKK to Surat Thani as a back up the following day – should be cheap i reckon. Then you just take the fast frry to Samui. However, if your QR flight is on time, should be ok to catch the plane to Samui.

    • JAD says:

      26 May26 May 14:48

      Thanks for all the replies. Some good advice to consider. I’m Hilton diamond – so currently looking at a 5 night redemption at Conrad Koh Samui (any views on this hotel?). As it’s the same price for 4 or 5 nights we’d prefer to get there on the first night. So I’ve thought about booking both evening tickets and refundable tickets for the following morning. If we make the evening flight we’d cancel the morning flights for a refund less admin fee. As we’re only on a short trip – I think I’m OK to take the risk of missing the evening flights. (We did the train and ferry 20 years when back-packing and staying in beach huts – but no time for doing the train on this trip.)

      • Rooster says:

        26 May26 May 15:12

        Bit of a waste of a night at the Conrad arriving that late, be better to book a cheap airport hotel IMO unless of course you are only staying 5 nights in total.

      • BJ says:

        26 May26 May 18:47

        If you have booked Bangkok Airways to Samui then you need to be aware that despite the huge number of daily flights there are often very few seats left in a day, never mind an individual flight. Therefore a flexible ticket fall far short of a guarantee for all four of you on the same flight the next morning were you to miss the connection. I have no idea what loads are like on Thais few flights but my guess would be very high. Have to say I am not a fan of picking holidays based on hotels/resorts. Trust me, Samui is a very different place from 20 years ago, as is Bangkok and the rest of Thailand.

        • JAD says:

          26 May26 May 20:16

          Thanks for the further input. TBH we are flexible and happy to travel onto anywhere up to a couple of hours from BKK. It’s just the two of us travelling and looking for 5 nights somewhere with a bit of luxury with an ocean view, access to a decent beach and good local food. If we can use HH points (or Marriott points) then so much the better. Maybe I should look around ome more. We are not going till next March so still have time.

• Rhi says:

  26 May26 May 10:19

  I flew to Tel Aviv last week and thought the food was terrible. Way worse than any of my other BA flights in recent years. Interesting that’s a Do&Co route.

• Ammar says:

  26 May26 May 10:33

  Ot – any data points – how long for HSBC premier points to transfer to Asia miles account? Days or weeks?

• Graham Walsh says:

  26 May26 May 11:05

  OT My Amex plat renewal has appeared on my statement this month. Dilemma time.

  I use the Plaza T5 lounge all the time as BA is usually full (I’m Silver). Guess I could ditch it and get annual travel insurance elsewhere for the me and the kids, car hire insurance when I need in August and just put up with BA lounges.

  Was thinking of getting g/f a supp card so we could use all use lounges in August, but cash is £140. Makes more sense to hit up Giraffe or something.

  And with the price increase, just can’t see the benefit of it. What would be great is a page Amex Plat vs self funded insurances/lounge access

  • Memesweeper says:

    26 May26 May 11:15

    I’m BA silver, but flying much less these days so ditching Plat. It’s all about your travel patterns and the value you can derive – you’ll have to do the maths on your probable future travel. If you really want to avoid the Galleries get a Dragon Pass.

• s879 says:

  26 May26 May 11:10

  Has anyone used the Qatar Stopover program with kids? We are 2 adults and 2 children but it shows no room available for 2 adults and 2 kids. Wondering if I should book as two separate bookings (1 adult and 1 child each) but that will cost me x 2 as although discounted, I will need to pay for 2 rooms Has anyone booked as 2 adults and 1 child and contacted hotel to negotiate rate? A bit reluctant as it seems like a restricted program and not that many 5 stars on offer.

  • Flyoff says:

    26 May26 May 11:49

    When we used the free stopover we are offered one room for every person which we declined and took 2 rooms.

    • s879 says:

      26 May26 May 11:51

      Thanks, very useful to know

      • s879 says:

        26 May26 May 12:19

        The issue is it’s not free. For 3 nights I have to pay over £100 so I don’t want to pay for 2 separate rooms. The booking is only allowing 2adults and 1child. Have emailed them.

        • marcw says:

          26 May26 May 12:33

          It used to be free. Not anymore.

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