Chat thread – Saturday 10th May
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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 from Osaka!
If you are thinking of visiting the World Expo, don’t bother!
Booking for pavilions is chaotic and limited to one pavilion at a time. You can only book the next after visiting the first – and by then all the reservation slots are gone!
The site is small and crowded, Joby air taxi is not appearing if at all – until late summer.
Altogether quite crowded. And visitor numbers only about half of forecast!
Nothing like Dubai four years ago – or, presumably, the next one in Saudi Arabia.
@Colin-MacKinnon – that’s a big shame and surprising to see poor organisation in Japan. The 2010 Expo in Shanghai was incredibly well organised in terms of pavilion booking, access and movement around the site in addition to the high quality of the pavilions themselves. China was very determined to showcase the country to domestic and international visitors.
It’s not surprising at all if you knew about the politics and the reason why Osaka mayor wanted Expo. Basically the far right wing mayor tricked the government into hosting so he can build casinos on/around the sights. He can’t be bothered with running the event.
Morning, back from Seattle yesterday on a completely full BA flight – I thought travel to the US was supposed to be dropping!
My wife and I booked a return flight on avios to Milan, my wife is unlikely to make the outbound flight now but would still use the return leg, I still plan to travel as planned.
Do I have to chat/call BA directly to make this amendment – online I only see the ability to cancel the reward flight completely. Thank you in advice for the help.
My wife and I booked a return flight on avios to Milan, my wife is unlikely to make the outbound flight now but would still use the return leg, I still plan to travel as planned.
With legacy carriers like BA the return is cancelled if the outbound isn’t flown. I’m pretty sure there’s no way around it apart from a cancel and rebook
Morning, back from Seattle yesterday on a completely full BA flight – I thought travel to the US was supposed to be dropping!
My wife and I booked a return flight on avios to Milan, my wife is unlikely to make the outbound flight now but would still use the return leg, I still plan to travel as planned.
Do I have to chat/call BA directly to make this amendment – online I only see the ability to cancel the reward flight completely. Thank you in advice for the help.
Re Milan due to the change fees being more than the cancellation it’ll more than likely be cheaper to cancel and rebook.
But if you are both on the same booking that does require a call to split the PNRs before doing anything else with the booking.
Good morning from Osaka!
If you are thinking of visiting the World Expo, don’t bother!
Booking for pavilions is chaotic and limited to one pavilion at a time. You can only book the next after visiting the first – and by then all the reservation slots are gone!
The site is small and crowded, Joby air taxi is not appearing if at all – until late summer.
Altogether quite crowded. And visitor numbers only about half of forecast!
Nothing like Dubai four years ago – or, presumably, the next one in Saudi Arabia.
We went on opening day.
Was quite disappointed with the poor organisation and the bad pavilion lottery system (didn’t win a single entry into any of the pavilions we selected during the 2 month prior and then the 1 week prior lottery).
Huge queues to get into the site and also into any of the pavilions that did not require winning a lottery (so not the main pavilions or events then).
Signs mostly in Japanese only. Officials calling out instructions only in Japanese. A lot of the people working in or outside pavilions unable to speak the language of the country their pavilion was representing (and in many cases only able to speak Japanese). Normally this wouldn’t be a problem if the event was some sort of domestic Japanese thing, but this is meant to be an international event so I would have expected languages other than Japanese to be accommodated better.Quick question on Virgin vouchers please? Are they book by or travel by regarding the expiry date?
Looking for advice on flying with car seats this Summer.
Car hire charges an extortionate amount for rental, I’d like to take my own (I also trust that they are safe).
Was thinking of packaging these in cardboard boxes (didn’t keep the original boxes), but I can’t find big enough boxes on Amazon.
Dimensions are H58.00cm * W57.00cm * D46.00cm and H72.10 x W47.50 x D69cm.
Any advice on where to get big enough boxes, that aren’t too expensive, or alternative packing ideas?
Thanks!
Dimensions are H58.00cm * W57.00cm * D46.00cm and H72.10 x W47.50 x D69cm.
Any advice on where to get big enough boxes, that aren’t too expensive, or alternative packing ideas?
Thanks!Try your local self storge place such as Safestore. Just type self storage into google maps. A box that size should cost you around £6
For anyone that needs it, Aer Lingus to BA Avios transfers are having a rare good day and are working.
Car seats are a first class nightmare.
My advice would depend on where you are travelling to, the length of your trip, and the age of your children.
For babies, you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t as the state of some of the rental stock is a disgrace. But equally there is a chance that your UK seat might not be legal wherever you are travelling to which in a worst case scenario could be a bad thing.
If you put seats in boxes then they are going to get tossed about and dropped which is not ideal.
From my past googling, I have read that baggage handlers genuinely tend to take more care with car seats that are obviously car seats than just big boxes. So if you turn up with a car seat, the airline should put it in a big see-through bag, you will drop it at outsize luggage and it should be handled more carefully than otherwise.
But until my last US trip, I just sucked it up and got gouged by the rental firms albeit generally capped at five days rental.
For our last trip, I bought a cheap high backed booster seat in the UK and transported it in its original box which was then put in a see through bag by Virgin Atlantic. I felt comfortable doing this as the main purpose of the seat is to raise the child and offer some buffering but I could never bring myself to do this with an infant seat.
In conclusion – no right answer/dunno.
Quick question on Virgin vouchers please? Are they book by or travel by regarding the expiry date?
Would need to have taken your outbound by the expiry, inbound could be after.
@strickers, it’s like the BA 241, outbound has to be flown by the expiry date.
Car seats – I remember when my son was a baby we purchased a seat for him on easyJet and put him in the car seat, which we then fastened to the aeroplane seat! I don’t know which other airlines let you do this.
*That was when you could get a £60 return on an LCC with baggage!
Thanks all, looks like I’ll lose one then but can use the other for a one-way. Not sure how I ended up with 2 anyway?
Looking for advice on flying with car seats this Summer.
Car hire charges an extortionate amount for rental, I’d like to take my own (I also trust that they are safe).
Was thinking of packaging these in cardboard boxes (didn’t keep the original boxes), but I can’t find big enough boxes on Amazon.
Dimensions are H58.00cm * W57.00cm * D46.00cm and H72.10 x W47.50 x D69cm.
Any advice on where to get big enough boxes, that aren’t too expensive, or alternative packing ideas?
Thanks!
When we flew with car seats to US, we actually just bought new ones and so took in original box and they arrived in good condition but was a bit of a nightmare trying to repackage them coming back (they then appeared back in UK with loads of TSA tape on the boxes but again were in good condition). Technically I don’t think they were legal in Florida but they were safer and that was more important risk for us to mitigate. Worth double checking the seats should fit the cars where you are going.
One tip I did read in a newspaper article was taking a roll of bubble wrap and parcel tape and just wrapping them tightly. Arguably protects better than a box where you don’t also have polystyrene inserts etc and it would be clear to baggage handlers what it is.
Looking for advice on flying with car seats this Summer.
Car hire charges an extortionate amount for rental, I’d like to take my own (I also trust that they are safe).
Was thinking of packaging these in cardboard boxes (didn’t keep the original boxes), but I can’t find big enough boxes on Amazon.
Dimensions are H58.00cm * W57.00cm * D46.00cm and H72.10 x W47.50 x D69cm.
Any advice on where to get big enough boxes, that aren’t too expensive, or alternative packing ideas?
Do they have a shrink wrap service at the airport?
Thanks!
Looking for advice on flying with car seats this Summer.
Car hire charges an extortionate amount for rental, I’d like to take my own (I also trust that they are safe).
Was thinking of packaging these in cardboard boxes (didn’t keep the original boxes), but I can’t find big enough boxes on Amazon.
Dimensions are H58.00cm * W57.00cm * D46.00cm and H72.10 x W47.50 x D69cm.
Any advice on where to get big enough boxes, that aren’t too expensive, or alternative packing ideas?
Thanks!
Was in Australia late last year and friends of our son had recently returned from UK with an almost new UK car seat which unfortunately was not legal in Australia. They offered it to my son for next to nothing so we were lumbered with bringing it back to UK, they will be arriving next week and will need one here. Obviously no box and in club so had plenty of baggage allowance, we got it wrapped at the airport for AUD30 (£15). Came out in LHR in perfect condition.
Dell 10% offer is back on my Amex Business Platinum today, just in time to stack with the £75 cashback for this half of the year…
Dell 10% offer is back on my Amex Business Platinum today, just in time to stack with the £75 cashback for this half of the year…
Thanks all, looks like I’ll lose one then but can use the other for a one-way. Not sure how I ended up with 2 anyway?
You can use 2 vouchers on one booking. I’ve found the customer service agents very helpful when calling to book. They can go through all the permutations to get the booking you want.
Good afternoon from CX250 from LHR-HKG. Fly this route quite regularly but first time I’ve landed an Aria equipped 777. Very nice and the best thing for an avgeek like me is the HD screen / camera combo, gorgeous. Distinct lack of storage which is odd for a new “suite”. Normal lovely Cathay crew.
Good afternoon from CX250 from LHR-HKG. Fly this route quite regularly but first time I’ve landed an Aria equipped 777. Very nice and the best thing for an avgeek like me is the HD screen / camera combo, gorgeous. Distinct lack of storage which is odd for a new “suite”. Normal lovely Cathay crew.
We might have passed each other in the Cathay lounge. Final call for HK flight was about 20 minutes ago! Currently enjoying a kiwi daiquiri before deciding what to eat.
@LD27 Excellent! Nice to know you’re never that far from a fellow HfP’er. I’m full from eating in the lounge but sure that won’t stop me as a few tasty choices on the menu tonight.
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