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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.
Morning from the crown plaza heathrow. Off to Budapest today. Nice recognition of diamond ambassador status with an upgrade to club room. First time staying here, not sure I would pay for the upgrade but good as a perk and service was excellent. Golden sparrow allowed the quickest twilight check in last night ( I am going to miss that when it goes) so it’s just hand luggage today and then some lounge hopping in terminal 3. We are staying at the kimpton in Budapest on points and have been impressed with the service and communication already. Upgraded to a balcony garden view room. Any must dos in Budapest welcomed ( we are going to gellert Spa tomorrow but otherwise nothing else specific planned)
Morning all. Apologies if I’ve missed a previous mention – I’ve just spotted Amex £10 back on £40 spend on my gold MR card at Tesco. Nothing on 2 BAPPs though!
Good morning from the Hilton Vienna where it looks like it’s going to be cool, grey and probably rainy every day of our stay. Last week was toasty as will be next week. Flew with Lufty and Austrian via Frankfurt yesterday.
Do not underestimate how long you need to transit Frankfurt. Thought 70 mins was way more than adequate to get from B to A gates but it’s tight. You have to go through border control (and arriving at the same time as a Korean Airline flight was not good). Then you go down a corridor so long that you can barely see the other end. Then up in the lift, through Security and then retrace the same journey but through the departure gates. Only to be find it’s a bus to a remote gate. Then a new one for delays – we were told there was too much traffic in the air corridor between FRA and VIE so we couldn’t take off.
@davestat – It must be the week for unsettled weather in that area of Europe, my son is currently in Berlin, and the weather there, is also not ideal.
It’s just hot and muggy in Berlin with some showers.
Could have stayed at home and got the same!
There is a slightly separate route for connections at FRA that avoids having to join the main passport control gates for people who are landing in FRA and need to collect baggage etc.
Though IIRC from my arrival a couple of years ago off a LH flight ex LGW and then onward to BER it could be better signposted.
Still had to re clear security – again through a separate security area.
Update on ” Reflections on dealing with the fallout of a codeshare flight”
I said I would return to the forum – after helpful ideas from many, including LadyLondon & JDB – with an update on my story. The original post from JUne 25 gives the overview. I offer this post as a narrative catch-up + lessons – versus looking for sympathy or answers – so I hope people can make use of it in that fashion.
The progress is, very much in a TL;DR style, as follows:
1. Qatar have yet to reply (now + 16 days) to my request for written proof of denial of boarding
2. BA stated that, as they did not operate the outbound legs, my “claim for compensation has been refused” and I need to contact Qatar.
3. BA also noted that, for the return leg (which I told them I would not be flying) that “[the] Refunds team, they will be in touch with you as soon as possible“. I have heard nothing since then (+ 3 days) and that flight has flown.There are many more comments I could make on the handling of the case (e.g., removal of threads on their emails, no substantive links within said emails, poor voice call handling, etc.) but I know this sort of thing is regularly discussed here. The whole experience has been sub-optimal at best.
Overall, I remain *astonished* that BA would treat a customer – who purchased a BA numbered flight, on their site/paper – in such a cavalier manner.
Good Morning from BHX where it appears Loganair check in is either glacial or not working.
Well, this you really could not make up!
I received a BA survey from ‘STRAT7 Researchbods’ specifically about BAC Tier Points. After ploughing through the usual poorly designed forms, I reached what looked to be the last few questions, and the survey completely crashed (error message: The administrator has been notified about the error and will take action immediately. If you contact support about this error, please reference the code VKFTX”). When I went back in, none of the responses to date had been retained (which is not difficult to enable in this type of survey).
Proof positive of what we all know: BA IT is sheee-ite!
It’s just hot and muggy in Berlin with some showers.
Could have stayed at home and got the same!
There is a slightly separate route for connections at FRA that avoids having to join the main passport control gates for people who are landing in FRA and need to collect baggage etc.
Though IIRC from my arrival a couple of years ago off a LH flight ex LGW and then onward to BER it could be better signposted.
Still had to re clear security – again through a separate security area.
Home? The UK is a large area, not muggy or any inclement weather where my son and I reside for the next week! Just a pleasant 25c throughout.
Well, this you really could not make up!
I received a BA survey from ‘STRAT7 Researchbods’ specifically about BAC Tier Points. After ploughing through the usual poorly designed forms, I reached what looked to be the last few questions, and the survey completely crashed (error message: The administrator has been notified about the error and will take action immediately. If you contact support about this error, please reference the code VKFTX”). When I went back in, none of the responses to date had been retained (which is not difficult to enable in this type of survey).
Proof positive of what we all know: BA IT is sheee-ite!
Just had a similar experience, but got through the survey by clicking on different parts of the screen and eventually beating the survey into submission. When there is free text on a survey, I always open a Word or Note file and paste my comments in there before I click continue – it’s not just BA, though they’re among the worst offenders.
But it’s interesting to see that they’re asking for our thoughts on the Club and how to display the Tier Points being earned – do I sense that they might be realising that the new structure is not working?
Just had a similar experience, but got through the survey by clicking on different parts of the screen and eventually beating the survey into submission. When there is free text on a survey, I always open a Word or Note file and paste my comments in there before I click continue – it’s not just BA, though they’re among the worst offenders.
But it’s interesting to see that they’re asking for our thoughts on the Club and how to display the Tier Points being earned – do I sense that they might be realising that the new structure is not working?I’m afraid life is just too short from my POV to do the Word thing for a survey of this nature, although I do the same for ‘mission critical’ stuff.
Re the points display, it is interesting as you say, the main contention seemed to be between percentage and absolute number – from my POV, the amount is always better as I can then track things in my head more easily.Greetings from the OnTheBeachalicious Plaza Premium T5! 5-min. queue, then a
“you can go in, but there are no seats”. Ah, well, youngster fed and flight
to Shanghai looks to be on time.Already a good start to trip. we had 2 nights in a Bund Executive room at the Conrad,
followed by 2 nights at the Team Member very reduced rate in a basic room: they’re
keeping us in the Exec. for the 4 nights.In very different news, the Cork Airport “we’ve closed the lounge to open a more
beautiful one later, but have created this great space in the meantime” proved to
be untrue, despite the airport’s FB claims! All closed.Away for less than 24 hours, flying out from LHR T5 and return to T2. Where would you park? Looking at short stay, but which terminal car park is easiest to get to from the “wrong” terminal.
@Tracey If you don’t have much luggage, the TfL buses between terminals can be good.
Away for less than 24 hours, flying out from LHR T5 and return to T2. Where would you park? Looking at short stay, but which terminal car park is easiest to get to from the “wrong” terminal.
I would book meet and greet or valet parking as that can switch terminals. After that; I would park at the arrival terminal as coming back I am usually more energy drained than leaving.
Away for less than 24 hours, flying out from LHR T5 and return to T2. Where would you park? Looking at short stay, but which terminal car park is easiest to get to from the “wrong” terminal.
Used to do this regularly. Someone with more recent experience can keep me up-to-date, but you could park in the T5 Long Stay Car Park take the bus to t5, and on return take a Business Parking bus back to the BP Terminal 2&3 area. Fortunately both car parks are right next door to each other and you can walk between the two of them. You also save by taking the long-stay rate.
When you’re parking you can try to get a space nearest the fence line of the business parking to reduce your walk, but was always a 2min walk between the two.
We are staying at the kimpton in Budapest on points and have been impressed with the service and communication already. Upgraded to a balcony garden view room. Any must dos in Budapest welcomed ( we are going to gellert Spa tomorrow but otherwise nothing else specific planned)
We’re off to Budapest on Monday for a couple of nights and are staying at the Kimpton on points too. No room upgrade showing (yet?) but only Plat Ambassador. When did you get your notification?
Don’t forget ‘social sent me’ at the Kimpton. Have a great time.
It’s not that well signposted but FRA has a tunnel from near gate A15 to B19. Makes things much quicker as long as you know where to find it
@davestat – It must be the week for unsettled weather in that area of Europe, my son is currently in Berlin, and the weather there, is also not ideal.
Same in Poland where I’m based (WAW) – rain started Monday and forecast to last for another week. Yesterday there was 30mm of rain. Here they call this kind of weather system a ‘Genoese Low’ for some reason. It was the same weather system that led to huge flooding in Central Europe last September. It’s basically like being stuck in a giant washing machine.
Since it’s such a slow day most people are talking about the weather, here’s something that few posters apart from @Strickers will probably know. I found it quite interesting
https://eyeoftheflyer.com/2025/07/09/how-do-runways-get-their-names-numbers/
We are staying at the kimpton in Budapest on points and have been impressed with the service and communication already. Upgraded to a balcony garden view room. Any must dos in Budapest welcomed ( we are going to gellert Spa tomorrow but otherwise nothing else specific planned)
We’re off to Budapest on Monday for a couple of nights and are staying at the Kimpton on points too. No room upgrade showing (yet?) but only Plat Ambassador. When did you get your notification?
Don’t forget ‘social sent me’ at the Kimpton. Have a great time.
We used the secret password and got free drink and points, free breakfast with diamond already husbands birthday also gave us bottle of champagne and birthday macrons. Room upgrade showed a day or do ago and also emailed them to ask them to link the booking as 3 nights separately booked on points. The courtyard balcony rooms are beautiful and very quiet. It’s not in the centre of things but there is a tram stop not too far and we have taken a 72 hour pass for public transport. Staff are excellent we are off to a local restaurant tonight on their recommendation which is only a few minutes walk away will let you know what we think
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