Virgin Atlantic announces a codeshare flight deal with WestJet

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• Shoestring says:

  19 Nov19 November 17:04

  AIRBUS is imitating geese to cut airliners’ fuel consumption and reduce pollution by flying them in formations. The aerospace company has unveiled plans for jets to fly closely behind each other on long-haul flights – with the lead aircraft creating a wake in which followers can ride, slashing the amount of fuel they have to burn. The idea is copied from the “V” formations geese take on longer flights, with the birds behind riding the vortices from those ahead of them.
  Airbus said tests it conducted three years ago with aircraft flying about 1.8 miles apart found those following could use less power, cutting fuel con- sumption by between 5pc and 10pc per flight without passenger comfort being affected.
  However, technology at the time was not good enough to keep the aircraft flying precisely in formation safely. Airbus says developments such as real-time flight tracking mean that it can now start developing autopilot systems which keep aircraft in position under a programme it is calling “fello’fly”.

  • Peter K says:

    19 Nov19 November 19:36

    So flying about 15 seconds behind the leader… let’s hope the technology is properly tested!

    • BJ says:

      19 Nov19 November 19:46

      Thank your lucky tears it isn’t Boring trying this.

      • Shoestring says:

        19 Nov19 November 19:52

        they could let off red blue & white flares as they go over London

      • Cat says:

        19 Nov19 November 20:06

        I’d laugh in response to this, but I’m flying Ethiopian next Easter (back to the Seychelles again – I didn’t go there even once in 2018, and they had £500 fares in the school hols, seriously, anyone reading this that hasn’t been, you badly need to go, you just don’t know it yet…), but I’m worried all 4 flights may be on the by-then-ungrounded 737 Max.

  • Lady London says:

    19 Nov19 November 22:06

    Wondering what Air Traffic Control thanks about that?

  • Sundar says:

    20 Nov20 November 08:06

    1.8 miles apart – Flying at those speeds, that’s nothing and a potential chain event waiting to happen ! 🙄

• Cat says:

  19 Nov19 November 18:10

  For any fellow Saaaaaf Londoners – the Walworth Road Morrisons doesn’t appear to have got (or bothered to read) the memo. Gift cards aplenty…

  • BJ says:

    19 Nov19 November 19:39

    Soondin like ma auld secretary Cat, her typing speed went down to 20 words per minute when we first started working together.

    • Cat says:

      19 Nov19 November 19:59

      All those extra vowels?

• Moff says:

  19 Nov19 November 19:07

  OT: Could do with some help here from anybody who has used Pointshound recently through the BA shopping portal. I’m staying in London in a few weeks’ time and ideally want to book my hotel through PH as I can earn c20k Avios from the stay. On the booking page however, it states “we will collect your avios membership number after you submit your booking”. I don’t have an “avios” membership number, only a BAEC one, so to be honest I’m very confused by what this all means and clearly don’t want to sign up to £500+ of spend for nothing (as in that case I’d just book one of the Marriott properties and earn Bonvoy points instead).

  Any advice would be much appreciated as I’ve got no idea what I’m signing up to at the moment.

  • Rob says:

    19 Nov19 November 21:56

    They mean BA number.

    • Moff says:

      20 Nov20 November 11:00

      Great thanks Rob – was hesitant to proceed given upfront payment!

• Dave Barron says:

  19 Nov19 November 19:16

  After much procrastination on my part I finally called Amex to advise I no longer could justify retaining the card given my short term lack of travel plans. I did however wish to keep my membership rewards alive (if possible) and am pleased to report that my request to downgrade back to PRGC (the charge card) was immediately agreed and a prorata refund of almost £200 will soon credit to my account. All existing offers have carried forward too.

  In my case keeping the Platinum Card for approx 7 months has cost me around £250 in fees but I have managed 3 referrals earning 42k MR points (1 at the old rate of 18k MR points and 2 at 12k MR points). In addition I got the 20k points when I upgraded and a further 5k points adding a supplementary card holder. The card was great when I travelled to the USA and Canada last Easter providing travel insurance, car hire cover and also lounge access for a family of 4. I’ve had a few quid back on saved offers too. In seven months I’ve banked around 130k points in total for minimal outlay. The Amex advisor was absolutely fabulous when I cancelled and even suggested I could upgrade back to Platinum in future if I wished. Another family holiday to the US next Easter may well make me to do so – particularly if I can secure 20k points again when I upgrade! No regrets so far from me – you’ve just got to have a strategy and stick to it (personally I could have cancelled a couple of months earlier but I can’t complain!). Thanks to Rob and others who have helped me accrue points and utilise offers!

  • Harry T says:

    19 Nov19 November 22:59

    Good work! Sounds like you’ve made solid financial and points related decisions, and chosen the right card for you at the right time 🙂

    Out of interest, are you paying a fee on the PRGC for the first year of having it/being downgraded to it? I assume they downgraded you to the Gold charge card.

  • Harry T says:

    19 Nov19 November 23:01

    I should add I’ve done almost exactly the same thing this year (upgrading and maximising referrals) but will be keeping for a bit longer as plenty of travelling next year for me and my partner. Will likely follow in your footsteps and downgrade later, so it’s good to know they are supportive of that.

    • Dave Barron says:

      19 Nov19 November 23:54

      Downgrading back to Gold Charge has the benefit of a fee free first year and I get the 2 free lounge passes again. Given I’d had the Gold card almost a full year before I upgraded to Platinum I see this as another £140 saved!

      I must stress I specifically requested the downgrade back to Gold charge at the beginning of my call and the Amex advisor said he would “check if I was eligible for this” and upon checking verified I was eligible. My assumption would be this option would only be open to anyone who had previously had the Gold Charge (given discontinued to new customers) and once he verified this was what I had it was approved immediately.

      • Dave Barron says:

        20 Nov20 November 00:08

        Would be interesting to know from the experience of others how many times you could upgrade then downgrade! If I upgrade back to Platinum again in the spring would I once again trigger 20k points?, could I once again downgrade again a month or two later resetting the clock yet again on another fee free year of Gold Charge?!?

        The only other thing I’m not yet certain of is my Hilton tier. Before getting Platinum I had Hilton Gold from stays until end of March 2020. Based on stays this year I expect to revert to Silver. But if I do once again upgrade back to Amex Platinum March/April coinciding with future travel plans then I assume my anticipated Silver status would put me back to Gold for another year until end of March 2021 even if downgraded again or cancelled after a couple of months?

• Nick_C says:

  19 Nov19 November 19:41

  Hmmm

  Would require precision timing for all the aircraft to rendezvous and form up. I suppose it might work on busy flightpaths like transatlantic.

• Jack says:

  19 Nov19 November 21:04

  OT: anyone know what happens if you apply for (and receive) any AmEx card, but then don’t activate it/add it to you online account? Do you still owe AmEx an annual fee if you never activate the card? Do you need to cancel the card if you don’t intend to use it anymore?

  • stevenhp1987 says:

    19 Nov19 November 21:52

    Not sure anyone’s been in this position, but if you no longer want the card, then ring up to cancel.

    You have a 14 day cooling off period to withdraw from your contract without any fees. Call them up and exercise this right.

    Better to cancel than just assume it’ll be ok by not activating it. If you leave it, you’ll probably get a pro rata refund from when you eventually call up to cancel.

  • Rob says:

    19 Nov19 November 21:54

    Activation is only a security measure. Card is live when issued.

• Jack says:

  19 Nov19 November 23:49

  I got onto Amex about the offer on the Chat and she told me it had to be in one transaction, not cumulative. May be worth updating the post. The Offer T&Cs do also state ‘a’ transaction of £100+.

  • Rob says:

    20 Nov20 November 08:23

    That is bull. The reason it is bull is that BA breaks down charges on your Amex statement. On Monday I spent £200 ‘in one transaction’ but Amex shows it as four tickets / transactions at £50 each.

    • eli says:

      21 Nov21 November 15:24

      so much of what BA CS agents tell you is BULL. Rob knows better!

• Dave R says:

  20 Nov20 November 00:08

  OT: Topcasback are running a 25% bonus for Avios payouts to BAEC. I havent seen it advertised but it’s showing on the payout options screen.

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