Chat thread – Monday 16th September

[ExpatInBerlin]

@strickers thanks for the tip off re hotels and ferries, I have started looking at accommodation but haven’t got much further than Seattle (we are flying in on a 241 as no availability to Vancouver in club on our dates and we were there at the start of this year anyway). Plan is two nights in Seattle, ferry to VI for 5/6 nights then flight to Calgary to see Lake Louise and the surroundings again but in the summer, then staying with friends in Calgary to go to the Calgary Stampede. Looking forward to seeing Canada in the sunshine as it was rather chilly on the slopes in Whistler and Banff in Jan!

[buchanan101]

LD27 wrote:

@buchanan101. So pleased to hear you were well looked after in Mount Sinai ER and made a full recovery. Yet again an example of why one should always travel with good medical insurance.

Thank you – heart went in to fibrillation, which wasn’t quite as bad this time as am on low dose of beta blockers, but causes breathlessness in me. If I’d been really sure when it happened they would have reset me* then and there… stupid me, my Apple Watch knew exactly when it happened. So they ran tests etc, and was given blood thinners and could come home…

Strange thing – Staysure renewal, including cruise and winter sports (but not USA) was only about £120 even after they paid up. Expected a much higher renewal cost)

(* they restart the heart – cardioversion – basically with debrillator type thing…gets it back in to rhythm – can be done immediately, or has to wait until on blood thinners for a while, otherwise clot risk…)

[strickers]

@buchanan101 Scary but at least you knew this time what was happening, glad it worked out and then you got well looked after.

[berneslai]

Do Heathrow Parking prices fluctuate much? My 2025 holiday dates (August) have come into view and all options are pretty extortionate. Any tips or tricks here?

[Richie]

Rumours IBeria will operate a MAD-LHR-MAD rotation with their new A321XLR in late October.

[Tracey]

ExpatInBerlin wrote:

@strickers thanks for the tip off re hotels and ferries, I have started looking at accommodation but haven’t got much further than Seattle (we are flying in on a 241 as no availability to Vancouver in club on our dates and we were there at the start of this year anyway). Plan is two nights in Seattle, ferry to VI for 5/6 nights then flight to Calgary to see Lake Louise and the surroundings again but in the summer, then staying with friends in Calgary to go to the Calgary Stampede. Looking forward to seeing Canada in the sunshine as it was rather chilly on the slopes in Whistler and Banff in Jan!

Just been to Banff/ Calgary & Vancouver. Calgary isn’t exciting, a rather boring town. Banff is easy and relaxing. Lake Louise is a must and other lakes nearby. Bow walking trail, Banff gondolas both worth doing. Stay at the Fairmont if you can afford it, though it is a ride away from the town centre, otherwise you can visit. Other hotels are fairly bland, but most near enough to the town centre that you don’t need a car. We regret getting a car, all the attractions have a good bus service from Banff, often free.

We prefer Vancouver to Seattle. Sadly both seem to have more than their fair share of homeless people.

[SamG]

berneslai wrote:

Do Heathrow Parking prices fluctuate much? My 2025 holiday dates (August) have come into view and all options are pretty extortionate. Any tips or tricks here?

I find the official options very expensive. I’ve used the Maple T5 drop off and the valet parking options with no issues – book via moneysavingexpert holiday extras link for discounted pricing

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

Shocking news that puts the QR surcharges well down the list of shame.

Greggs is being “paused” on airtime!

[Grant]

berneslai wrote:

Do Heathrow Parking prices fluctuate much? My 2025 holiday dates (August) have come into view and all options are pretty extortionate. Any tips or tricks here?

Have a look at the stay and fly packages with the airport hotels, even if you don’t necessarily need a room the night before you fly. I used the Hilton at T4 in August and the cost of a room plus parking for 8 days was comparable to what the Heathrow were charging for the official car parks. I found it very convenient for T4 on departure and arrival.

For T5 it’s hard to beat the convenience of the Sofitel – granted its expensive but the rates with parking are more reasonable when you compare it to the cost of the official T5 car parks, especially the short stay which is comparable in terms of access to the terminal.

[Whatsthepoint]

We went recently. We found Lake Louise incredibly busy, the nearby Lake Moraine was better. Try to hike a bit away from Lake Louise to avoid the crowds. Use the official park and ride from the Lake Louise gondola. There are many other operators but usually much more expensive and less flexible. Hope that helps a bit. We did go to Vancouver but was visiting family so not much that would be relevant although we enjoyed Granville Island and the Vancouver Maritime Museum.

[Biki]

@strickers I was in the B lounge at the same time, if only I’d have looked on here earlier!

5th BA flight in less than a month delayed, this time due to the first officer turning up late!!

[davedent]

If you ever need a super cheap IHG night my top tip is the Bradford holiday inn express – can be had for £32 a night ( usually a Sunday).

[Travel Strong]

Do Heathrow Parking prices fluctuate much? My 2025 holiday dates (August) have come into view and all options are pretty extortionate. Any tips or tricks here?

not a trick, but definitely a tip: the nice thing about booking official parking is that it is cancellable/refundable, so you can cancel rebook everytime the price goes down.

We are 11 months in advance, and there is a very high likelihood the price will dip down at some point… the question is whether it is by a meaningful amount. There are no regular sales, so it will be primarily based on demand.

The same applies to cancellable/refundable parking via other providers, incl. hotel packages.

… and don’t forget TopCashback

[ExpatInBerlin]

@Tracey @Whatsthepoint thank you both, my OH and I did a 3 week road trip with friends in Jan starting with a long weekend in Vancouver then skiing in Whistler, dog sledding in Revelstoke, more skiing in Banff area (Lake Louise & Sunshine ski resorts plus skating on Lake Louise itself which was pretty special!) then seeing friends in Calgary. So we’ve already seen some of the places on our itinerary for next summer but only in freezing temps/short days!

Seattle and Vancouver Island will be new to us and then hoping to do some hiking around Lake Louise and the surrounding lakes before donning our (yet to be purchased) cowboy boots for the Calgary Stampede. I’ll look into Lake Moraine. On the activity list are visiting Chihuly Gardens in Seattle and hopefully some whale watching on VI. Was there still ongoing construction work at the Fairmont Lake Louise when you were both there?

[memesweeper]

SR wrote:

Does anyone know if a hard credit check is carried out on the director when applying for the Amex Business card?

It should; if you hold another AMEX product it might not.

[Tracey]

ExpatInBerlin wrote:

@Tracey @Whatsthepoint thank you both, my OH and I did a 3 week road trip with friends in Jan starting with a long weekend in Vancouver then skiing in Whistler, dog sledding in Revelstoke, more skiing in Banff area (Lake Louise & Sunshine ski resorts plus skating on Lake Louise itself which was pretty special!) then seeing friends in Calgary. So we’ve already seen some of the places on our itinerary for next summer but only in freezing temps/short days!

Seattle and Vancouver Island will be new to us and then hoping to do some hiking around Lake Louise and the surrounding lakes before donning our (yet to be purchased) cowboy boots for the Calgary Stampede. I’ll look into Lake Moraine. On the activity list are visiting Chihuly Gardens in Seattle and hopefully some whale watching on VI. Was there still ongoing construction work at the Fairmont Lake Louise when you were both there?

Yes, massive amount of construction at the Fairmont. The noise was very loud when at the Lake, so imagine it was also loud in the grounds of the hotel. It seems to be centred on the gardens facing Lake Louise underneath the main hotel block.