Chat thread – Sunday 26th January

[Rob]

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.

[phantomchickenz]

I’ll be cancelling 2 business seats to Auckland on 7th December with QR in the next day or two. Let me know if you want a heads up once I’ve done so.

[Go197]

With IHG Diamond you can choose free breakfast as your “welcome amenity”.

One IHG Ambassador benefit is free breakfast.

Can you choose to have the points or a drinks voucher as your Diamond welcome amenity and still get breakfast as your Ambassador benefit?

[BBbetter]

Go197 wrote:

With IHG Diamond you can choose free breakfast as your “welcome amenity”.

One IHG Ambassador benefit is free breakfast.

Can you choose to have the points or a drinks voucher as your Diamond welcome amenity and still get breakfast as your Ambassador benefit?

Free breakfast is not an ambassador benefit.

https://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/content/gb/en/loyalty

(scroll down to FAQ section – what are the benefits of Intercontinental ambassador)

[Saltrams]

phantomchickenz wrote:

I’ll be cancelling 2 business seats to Auckland on 7th December with QR in the next day or two. Let me know if you want a heads up once I’ve done so.

I feel the pain. Just had to cancel Avios round trip to Australia on Qatar (government didn’t ban no fault evictions quickly enough; landlady gave us the hoof on Boxing Day. Marvellous).

Anyway, that’s just my appeal for sympathy. What I wanted to say was that your gesture is really thoughtful and I wish I had realised I could have done the same.

[Bill]

Greetings from Manchester Terminal 1. New security scanners have been installed in T1B security suggesting the terminal will remain open for a while yet.

Fast track took 6 minutes.

Each lane has a TV screen showing a target of 400. Presumably number of bags. Unsure on the time period. Whatever, it was down at 338. Rejection rate was 19.6% on my lane.

Escape lounge aren’t accepting any walk ins and are using a virtual queue.

Aspire did accept my Priority Pass. Had to prompt them to scan the Aspire rewards app.

[Go197]

BBbetter wrote:

Go197 wrote:

With IHG Diamond you can choose free breakfast as your “welcome amenity”.

One IHG Ambassador benefit is free breakfast.

Can you choose to have the points or a drinks voucher as your Diamond welcome amenity and still get breakfast as your Ambassador benefit?

Free breakfast is not an ambassador benefit.

https://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/content/gb/en/loyalty

(scroll down to FAQ section – what are the benefits of Intercontinental ambassador)

Ah, Ok.

I was looking at the terms and conditions which says it is, but I overlooked the part that says “Valid in Mainland China only”…

[Swiss Jim]

Saltrams wrote:

phantomchickenz wrote:

I’ll be cancelling 2 business seats to Auckland on 7th December with QR in the next day or two. Let me know if you want a heads up once I’ve done so.

I feel the pain. Just had to cancel Avios round trip to Australia on Qatar (government didn’t ban no fault evictions quickly enough; landlady gave us the hoof on Boxing Day. Marvellous).

Anyway, that’s just my appeal for sympathy. What I wanted to say was that your gesture is really thoughtful and I wish I had realised I could have done the same.

You could stay put and wait for her to evict you…

[phantomchickenz]

Having a look at holiday options for summer, I have come across the Susona Bodrum, LXR Hotels & Resorts in Turkey. It’s too rich for my blood, but looking at the detail of the four bedroom villa (one can only dream), the description includes:

“Enjoy an unfordable stay in your private villa and admire panoramic sea views from the comfort of your private balcony accompanied by peaceful surroundings.”

Assuming there aren’t any fords that are unable to be crossed, is that a typo of ‘an unaffordable stay’?

[Gordon]

@phantomchickenz – sounds like a typo to me, Fords, fjords, haha.

[Saltrams]

“You could stay put and wait for her to evict you”

Already too late and I couldn’t bring myself to stoop to her level.

[AndrewT]

Why are there still two pinned Forum articles, which have been helpfully updated to say they are out of date, referring to expired Amex card offers?

I know that’s where this site gets a decent chunk of its income, but surely we deserve better than that?

[AJA]

@phantomchickenz – sounds like a typo to me too. I’d suggest it should read “unforgettable”

[Richie]

AndrewT wrote:

Why are there still two pinned Forum articles, which have been helpfully updated to say they are out of date, referring to expired Amex card offers?

I know that’s where this site gets a decent chunk of its income, but surely we deserve better than that?

Ask for a refund of your HfP subscription.

[xefo]

Hi all, we were due to fly back this evening from SCQ with Vueling. The flight was cancelled due to the weather conditions and Vueling has now rebooked us for another flight which departs four days later, which doesn’t work for us. The airport rep was adamant we can’t make any changes to the bookings departure and arrival airports, there’s another nearby airport (LCG) that has a flight tomorrow morning with seats available (operated by Vueling) and a third airport (OPO) a few hours away. We have proceeded to book ourselves alternative flights for tomorrow(non-Vueling) and accommodation. Would you bother trying to recover anything from the airline or would this be a straight travel insurance claim? Vueling only has “accept changes” or “refund” as the options available.

Thanks

[JDB]

@xefo – insurers would usually expect you claim from the airline first and only consider your claim after the airline refuses to cover some or all of the claim – there’s almost certainly a clause to that effect in your policy. Insurance cover for this type of event is rather mixed, so if you have more than one policy, check carefully to see which one to use.