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This is today’s chat thread.
If you have specific questions about Avios, hotels or credit cards, please ask them in the appropriate forum and not here. This thread is a good place to post interesting deals you have spotted or your general thoughts on travel and all things miles and points. Thank you for contributing.
Good morning,
BA IT failing as normal. Tried to cancel an Avios booking online and it kept telling to “login to the club account the booking was made from”. This was in the app and also online as well. Eventually had to call BA who confirmed the website was not working. He cancelled the flight however, 2 days later the Avios have not been returned. Not great.
I’m after some advice with regards to a cancelled BA flight from Riga to LHR. The flight has been cancelled nd we have been rebooked a day later. This means an additional days hotel cost, and additional expenses.
The flight is not until December, so they have given us lots of notice. What if anything would BA recompense us for, for the additional night.
Many Thanks for any insight and advice.
@Sobeboy-15 – BA is liable for the reasonable cost of your additional hotel night, plus reasonable food costs. There’s no definition of ‘reasonable’ nor any maximum, but just be sensible, effectively spending BA’s money if it were your own, keep all the receipts and claim on your return. It’s a type of claim that would generally be paid quite quickly. BA isn’t strictly liable for other consequential costs such as extra parking but will sometimes allow those costs as well.
Re the chat here about the Melia AmEx £300/75 offer: https://www.headforpoints.com/2025/05/12/w-florence-hotel-opening/#commentsContent
Raised a complaint over the phone yesterday as still no credit after 30 days. We resolved it at level 1 complaints within 20mins entirely to my satisfaction. Credit now awarded.
Korean Air Merger rejected by FTC: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-06-12/business/industry/FTC-grounds-Korean-AirAsiana-merger-over-mile-swap-ratio/2328814
Korean Air Merger rejected by FTC: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-06-12/business/industry/FTC-grounds-Korean-AirAsiana-merger-over-mile-swap-ratio/2328814
The merger completed in March! Asiana is currently being operated as a subsidiary pending launch of the joint new airline after issues such as this – the merger of FF programmes are agreed.
Good morning,
BA IT failing as normal. Tried to cancel an Avios booking online and it kept telling to “login to the club account the booking was made from”. This was in the app and also online as well. Eventually had to call BA who confirmed the website was not working. He cancelled the flight however, 2 days later the Avios have not been returned. Not great.
Same circumstances I encountered a short while ago. Quick phone call to ask for miles and money refund solved the problem.
Does anyone know if there are any banks ATMs in France that do not charge to withdraw cash?
Any views on the Crowne Plaza Stratford-upon-Avon? Not expecting much, but is the lounge any good?
Does anyone know if there are any banks ATMs in France that do not charge to withdraw cash?
It depends a bit on your card, more than the French bank I think. We have just returned from France where cash is still often required! Using First Direct debit (MasterCard) and HSBC Global money and my wife using RBS debit we weren’t charged any fees at SocGen, BNP, Crédit Mutuel or Banque Postale.
Does anyone know if there are any banks ATMs in France that do not charge to withdraw cash?
I made a few withdrawals across France, Italy and Germany using my Chase debit card and wasn’t charged. I used the ATM Fee Saver app to look for places where the minimum charge was 0% and stuck to mainstream banks.
In France at the moment. We have used most of those @JDB has listed over last year and not been charged, but I agree and think it’s down to card and not bank. Have also used Credit Agricole without a charge. We’ve used NatWest Black and Santander which I think are Mastercard. Also agree, if you buy in markets or small shops for example you are likely to need some cash. Although used much less, cheques are still used more often than in the UK, often by little old ladies doing their shopping. Even our local supermarket has introduced a couple of self service checkouts in the last year and a nearby village has got a baguette dispenser – rural France is moving forward!
Have also used ATM fee saver app which is really useful and has been mentioned by a number of posters. So whoever first mentioned it – thank you.
@PeteM Thank you – booked last week and didn’t track so raised via online chat and it’s a 10 day SLA to get back to me. Chat said it looked like the transaction was made in Palma de M but the hotel is on the Amex list and it’s actually in France!
My experience is that
1. I went down desktop booking route which was more expensive than on mobile, but Amex offer specified desktop only
2. Amex slap on FX fees too
.. ie £75 back when considering the above in my case is almost break-even (and I should have probably just booked on mobile and either gone for a flex rate or pre-pay but with another fee-free CC)If I don’t succeed with my credit resolution then I’ll follow same steps as you. Thank you for sharing.
Any views on the Crowne Plaza Stratford-upon-Avon? Not expecting much, but is the lounge any good?
I have never stayed there but live nearby and drive past regularly.
Originally opened as Hilton and considered an eyesore. After some years changed to Holiday Inn and after a few more years to Crowne Plaza without any noticeable work done.Also in Stratford is Indigo which was Falcon when we had our wedding recption 50 years ago. Building is nearly 400 years old and recently refurbished at enormous cost. Woddsman restaurant serves a lot of venison if that is to your taste.
Hi update on Manchester T3 lounge. We were flying Ryanair to Marrakech and thought we would go and see if we could get into the temporary BA lounge with our priority pass and we were lucky they let us in as they said it was between BA flights. Perfectly more than adequate for what we needed with food and drink etc and staff on the door and inside were more than helpful. It was very quiet which made a change from the escape lounge. We were there about 1.30
Any views on the Crowne Plaza Stratford-upon-Avon? Not expecting much, but is the lounge any good?
I have never stayed there but live nearby and drive past regularly.
Originally opened as Hilton and considered an eyesore. After some years changed to Holiday Inn and after a few more years to Crowne Plaza without any noticeable work done.Also in Stratford is Indigo which was Falcon when we had our wedding recption 50 years ago. Building is nearly 400 years old and recently refurbished at enormous cost. Woddsman restaurant serves a lot of venison if that is to your taste.
Is this CP the one that was closed due to fire last year? If so, I stayed just after it reopened. The rooms had been refurbed and were of a good standard. Didn’t notice a lounge, although didn’t go looking for one either. Was on a company block booking and didn’t even earn points for the stay :/
Looks that way @Tariq, good to know it’s had a refurb!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd1we5e8pl7ohttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgv26zz5wzo
This lady missed that fatal Air India flight by 10 minutes due to being late and thus denied boarding.Probably the only scenario ever where you’d be delighted to be denied boarding and be happy to pay for another flight yourself (though I’m sure she would have been raging at the time).
@PeteM Thank you – booked last week and didn’t track so raised via online chat and it’s a 10 day SLA to get back to me. Chat said it looked like the transaction was made in Palma de M but the hotel is on the Amex list and it’s actually in France!
My experience is that
1. I went down desktop booking route which was more expensive than on mobile, but Amex offer specified desktop only
2. Amex slap on FX fees too
.. ie £75 back when considering the above in my case is almost break-even (and I should have probably just booked on mobile and either gone for a flex rate or pre-pay but with another fee-free CC)If I don’t succeed with my credit resolution then I’ll follow same steps as you. Thank you for sharing.
I really avoid the Amex chat as it is, hands-down, their most incompetent channel.
The offer T&Cs state you need to wait 30 days for the offer to post, so they will likely ask you to wait. I think all the online transactions are ostensibly made in Palma where Melia is based. If your hotel is on the list then you definitely shouldn’t have any issues getting the credit!
Minor rant from the Gatwick BA lounge. Quite how is it possible for the internet to be so slow, it’s half empty and I am getting 50 kb/s its back to the dial up age here. Are BA just trying to encourage people not to work from the lounge?
Minor rant from the Gatwick BA lounge. Quite how is it possible for the internet to be so slow, it’s half empty and I am getting 50 kb/s its back to the dial up age here. Are BA just trying to encourage people not to work from the lounge?
The bar is very good though. I used the general Gatwick WiFi when I was last in there a few weeks ago and it was fine
@JDB @strickers @LD27 thanks for your advice, I’ll be using my Starling MasterCard so may just have to try my luck and see how I get on. I may also put my Revolut card in the wallet just in case. I wasn’t aware of the the ATM Fee Saver app but have now downloaded it and will definitely be checking it out.
Ignore.
T1? Good luck.
If it’s T2 then assuming you have plenty of time I would exit T5 and take the Heathrow Express which is free between terminals. Just touch in and out with a debit/credit card.
I don’t like the bussy things that jolt you about using the designated connection flow.
But if it’s tight and you have a through ticket then just follow flight connections so at least it isn’t your fault if you miss it.
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