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• Duncan Riddell says:

  15 Jul15 July 05:13

  Glad BA have sorted out AMS…..now they need to sort out Cathy Pacific Lounge share at BKK!
  Currently STANDING in CP lounge due to overcrowding AGAIN.
  This a joke for what you pay!

  • Tariq says:

    15 Jul15 July 06:25

    I found that lounge terrible when I visited last year – totally not befitting the hype around CX.

    Wished we had gone to one of the Priority Pass lounges.

  • FCP says:

    15 Jul15 July 08:27

    Use the JAL lounge.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      15 Jul15 July 21:00

      Limited opening times from what I remember a year or so ago

      • Lady London says:

        16 Jul16 July 01:57

        and if it’s the lounge I remember, relatiely tiny too?

• AJA says:

  15 Jul15 July 06:20

  Food offering and newspaper (unless you’re a Sun or Irish Independent reader) and magazine (timeout and other free London magazines) offering in Galleries North lounge at T5 is pretty abysmal this morning.

  So anything that improves on what BA offers is very welcome indeed. BA check-in directed me to the South lounges but as my flight departs from gate 5 I chose North as it’s 5 mins from.the gate.

  • AJA says:

    15 Jul15 July 06:26

    I wonder how much better AMS will be?, It’s a low bar that they have to base improvements on, I wish I was in T3 with the Qantas or Cathay Pacific options.

    The only thing going for this lounge is that at the moment it is relatively empty and I have a great view of landing aircraft.

    • Michael C says:

      15 Jul15 July 09:07

      Yes; I did the traditional T3 route last week: quiet work hour and delicious food in Cathay, followed by raucous cocktails upstairs in Qantas.

  • Polly says:

    15 Jul15 July 08:01

    North far nicer lounge than South any day. More light, much more spacious feel to it. Staff more helpful.

• Genghis says:

  15 Jul15 July 06:27

  So as long as the AMS BA lounge keeps the chocomel and the stroopwafels, all is good.

  • Sapiens says:

    15 Jul15 July 06:50

    Those two items are key.

    • Jonathan says:

      15 Jul15 July 07:24

      Reports on Flyertalk the other day suggested much better food offerings but no chocomel… unsure if it was temporary or not though.

• Chas says:

  15 Jul15 July 07:47

  OT (1) – the usual question about lounge access I’m afraid. Flying VS to LAX this Sat morning (departure 09:20) from LHR T3. I don’t have status and am flying Y, but have PP through my Plat card. I think my options are limited to Club Aspire and No 1 (the later appears to offer pre-booking). I don’t fly frequently enough to know even the basics, so:
  1) which lounge should I choose based on quality and location (don’t want a huge trek to the gates if they are in massively different locations), and bearing in mind that booze offerings shouldn’t be the deciding factor at that time of morning…. 😉
  2) should I pre-book given that we’re a family of 4 (which would appear to limit me to the No 1 Lounge?

  • paulm says:

    15 Jul15 July 07:52

    At that time of day, I would choose Aspire as breakfast is decent although you cant pre book it. The lounges are not that far apart, only a short walk. Its usually ok to get in at that time of day, but cant say i’ve tried in middle of July at holiday time!

  • Shoestring says:

    15 Jul15 July 08:09

    Try & dummy prebook No1 now and you may even find it’s not available, which would answer your question! I tried 10 days before our flight on Saturday and it was completely booked out. As it happens, I would pay the £5 each for No1 reservations, as you are otherwise quite likely not to get into either lounge, Club Aspire was also heaving Saturday morning.

    Both good lounges with HfP reviews

    • Chas says:

      15 Jul15 July 08:42

      Thanks Shoestring and Paul M. Re-read the reviews of the lounges and decided that as the Aspire is so much smaller that it wasn’t worth risking it being full. As it’s the first Saturday after most schools break up have decided to play it safe, and have pre-booked No 1.

      • Travel Strong says:

        15 Jul15 July 09:17

        Good plan considering there’s a few of you. I’ve been turned away from No1 T3 every time this year as PP holder. Aspire have mostly been accommodating, but also occasionally ‘full’ (… or blocked out for a deal with a particular airline/flight).

• Chas says:

  15 Jul15 July 08:00

  OT (2). Planning ahead for next years holiday to be ready for T-355, and could do with some tactical advise please. Planning on flying LGW to SJO (San Jose, Costa Rica). Will only be 3 of us as eldest child on a more exciting adventure. Looking at using miles and a 241 voucher, but will only be flying Y as still building a decent balance to enable J redemptions. Cash fares for the last available date (still OP) seem ridiculous (£1,400 one-way). Would it be best to:
  1) Use Avios for all 3 tickets (incl 241), but knowing that I could cancel them if decent cash fares came up later? (Do you get the “taxes” refunded this way too?)
  2) Use Avios and 241 for just 2 tickets, and buy a cash fare later when the prices are cheaper?
  3) Wait it out until the next BA sale, and buy all 3 tickets then?

  When is the next BA sale likely to be, and does anyone have any indication of how cheap Y cash fares to SJO are likely to get? We only have c 1 week’s flexibility in our dates, and BA only seems to fly twice a week. Can’t work out if these ridiculous one-way cash fares are just a way to make people think that they are getting incredible value for their Avios before they drop their cash prices to more sensible levels…..

  • Matt B says:

    15 Jul15 July 08:10

    Why are you looking at one way fares, it is irrelevant to the cost of a return which will be far less. BA charge a heavy premium for 1 way

    • Chas says:

      15 Jul15 July 08:37

      Hi Matt. When I am looking at the date closest to when I want to fly, the return leg isn’t available yet as it’s not yet T-355, hence being only able to see one-way pricing. I hadn’t realised that BA has heavy premium for 1 way. Sounds like I should search for a departure date a day earlier so that I can squeeze in the return flight the next day to get applicable pricing?

  • Genghis says:

    15 Jul15 July 08:11

    Given limited flexibility I’d choose 1. Everything refunded bar £35.

    • Chas says:

      15 Jul15 July 08:46

      If all 3 Avios tickets are on one booking reference, can I cancel just one (the non-paired 241) to buy that as a cash ticket, or would I be best to get one of them on a separate booking reference?

      • Gavin says:

        15 Jul15 July 08:58

        Yes but you’ll need to phone to do it.

      • Nick says:

        15 Jul15 July 09:08

        Yes you can ask to split a PNR later to get only part of it cancelled. But I have to ask why you’re insisting on doing all this so far in advance… cash fares are ridiculous a year out precisely because the only people who book then are those who are inflexible and are therefore more likely to pay. Once a booking curve is established fares will become dynamic and much more reasonable. It’s not as if there’s only two flights to SJO, there’s plenty via MIA/MAD/etc.
        Finally, if you’re determined to establish sample fares, search 4-6 months away, not the date before you want to travel. This will give you a much better idea of realistic fares in the market. Remember that a 1-day return (especially if not including a Sat night) is likely to be just as (unrealistically) expensive.

        • Chas says:

          15 Jul15 July 09:17

          Looking to do it so far in advance as redemption seats disappear very quickly. But I know that long-haul economy are not the best use of the miles, so am looking to see what value I would be getting, especially with a 241 voucher which may just tip the balance in my favour. Thanks for the tip on looking 4-6 months out – will definitely try not. Not sure that OH and child will go for a more convoluted routing via MIA or MAD….

        • Chas says:

          15 Jul15 July 09:22

          *that…

        • Anna says:

          15 Jul15 July 10:02

          But bear in mind you can only use your 2 4 1 on BA aircraft.

• Chrish says:

  15 Jul15 July 08:01

  OT, Hi, got lost in bits yday But can i use my Lloyds Upgrade Voucher from Dublin to Phoenix ?
  Even if route is Dublin–Heathrow–Pheonix Upgrading two of us one way either out or in.
  Would there be any problems as need ring and book via Avios.(or could i ring BA)
  Hoping to save on Tax, Surcharge would Avios be able to enact that ?
  Thanks all

  • Will says:

    15 Jul15 July 09:01

    Yes, if it’s BA metal the whole way through.
    Last time I looked at this, it was’t a whole lot cheaper.

• James says:

  15 Jul15 July 08:08

  I have missed NI contributions from when I lived out the country can these paid with an Amex ?

  • Rob says:

    15 Jul15 July 09:19

    No. Curve, linked to a points earning Visa or MC, may work.

  • Jonathan says:

    15 Jul15 July 12:34

    BillHop?

  • Liz says:

    15 Jul15 July 17:42

    I tried paying up 3 years I was missing and they don’t allow you to pay by any card – that’s voluntary contributions. I loaded up Revolut with IHG card and paid by 3 bank transfers over a period of a few months.

• Boi says:

  15 Jul15 July 08:22

  OT:
  We have a flight BA out of Heathrow on 5 August and I am worried about the strike. Does Amex platinum cover that?

  Also have UK and IDC Amex platinum cards. Want to cancel one of them. Which one would you keep for insurance purposes?

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