Chat thread – Thursday 22nd May
Discuss today's stories:
-
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.
Hello from 2E on BA294, with the lovely Veronica and Eileen looking after us, but getting a little bumpy now!
Chicago lived up to its reputation as the windy city, unfortunately it poured with rain too.
Spent a magical day in the Art Institute of Chicago – so many iconic paintings and wonderful artefacts; can highly recommend it – but possibly give The Cafe a swerve.
Park Hyatt was very polished, but the Hyatt Prive benefits were a little stingy; an indiscernible upgrade (booked a lake view, got a lake view but wouldn’t have seen it at all on a lower floor, breakfast credit limited to $60). Delightful staff throughout though.
With a less positive start to the day, hello from the waiting lounge at DOH, Gate A5, where QR11 DOH>LHR has gone tech and delayed from 01:10 departure to 06:00 departure (currently showing as – but still as “go to gate” with a local time of 6:01 as I type this, so I think not).
No meal vouchers etc offered although I am in business so had a couple of bites to eat etc. Whilst just hoping to be home some point soon, thoughts turn to compensation:
Qatar’s own people on the ground here don’t seem clued up although all say we are entitled to some sort of compensation. I can’t see us leaving for at least another hour here so flight delay is likely to be 5-6 hours. Does anyone have experience in this and know what we might be likely to be getting from Qatar/how to push for it?
Thanks.
@Mart16 – a QR flight from DOH to LHR isn’t eligible for compensation as it’s a flight from a third country on a third country carrier. That doesn’t change even if booked via BA or as a BA codeshare. I also wouldn’t expect to be offered meal vouchers if you have business lounge access which affords you food and refreshments. In view of the length and timing of the delay accommodation might have been considered.
Good morning from the holiday inn in Bern.
£280 a night for what I at best can say is on par with a campanile or ibis budget.
Was the only hotel left near Bern at short notice unfortunately.
If you like a busy motorway to one side, a Trainline to the other side, and a very bare room with ac that doesn’t work, then this is the place for you.
A few offers have pre-selected on my LBG accounts. 10% back on dining at Heathrow, Gatwick, and Luton at various outlets. Check your account first.
Also, if you’re stocking up on disposable holiday bits for little people, 10% rebate at B&M.
Good morning from Hyatt Centric Venice, which is on Murano Island.
Booked a king room which as Globalist saw us upgraded to a duplex suite. Nice room, few stealable hangers, kettle and a lavazza coffee machine (the loudest I’ve heard for sometime!) and more importantly a fridge with a decent temp setting.
This hotel used to be the La Gare back in 2016; one main change is that they used to have 2 boats that hotel guests could avail of for no additional cost. Hyatt now charges, €18 for Marco Polo collection, but €80 for one way journeys to the main island! May come to regret booking Murano again but from memory the Vaporetto was pretty regular, and there’s a stop directly opposite the hotel.
Can’t comment on the grub yet as a 2.5 hour delayed BA flight saw us miss last orders, menu looks decent. A couple of punchy Negroni fizzes helped soften the blow.
Rather wet and windy start to the day but sun appears to be poking through the gloom so 🤞🏾 that lasts.
And the sun is out in Sarajevo this morning as well after a rainy afternoon yesterday!
It’s been glorious all week here on Aegina in the Saronic Gulf. Last day here and then tomorrow ferry back to Piraeus and taxi to Athens airport for flight back to LHR.
@JDB – enjoy Sarajevo in the sun. Such a fascinating city.
Is 220,000 avios now the new norm for BA business return to Singapore ( or maybe it always was!). Also does anyone have any tips to stop the BA site defaulting to the companion voucher when just trying to check availability on other airlines. I cannot seem to get any other airline to appear to any destination I search. For example I can see availability on Qatar which is not showing on Ba and I think it because it keeps defaulting to the voucher even when trying to do a standard avios check.
Good morning from Hyatt Centric Venice, which is on Murano Island…….€18 for Marco Polo collection, but €80 for one way journeys to the main island.
Well that’s a pass for me, €80?
We had a coffee there a couple of years ago and thought it may have been a decent option.
When we went to Murano from Venice earlier this year, we saw the Hyatt Centric and thought it might be a nice place to stay away from the hustle and bustle of San Marco area where we were staying. €80 is outrageous. But then Venice is very expensive. Maybe we will try the Hilton Molino Stucky instead. We’re off to northern Spain this weekend. Hopefully a cup of coffee will be reasonably priced.
And the sun is out in Sarajevo this morning as well after a rainy afternoon yesterday!
I have very fond memories from when I was working in BiH and especially in Sarajevo. It is a lovely city when the sun is out and also when it has snowed, which was when I spent most of my time there.
Ref the Hyatt on Murano, if I remember or have a chance I may try and speak to someone senior to try and understand the rationale in the pricing (the desk clerk just said “that’s the cost of operating it”) as I agree it seems ridiculous and counter productive notwithstanding pricing seems slightly below similar properties on the peninsula.
I seem to recall La Gare made much of their boat offering and offered regular round trips (1st come, 1st served).
The new IHG Garner Hotel (refurb) opposite Haymarket Station in Edinburgh taking bookings from 30/6/25. They look awfully small rooms, I sympathise with any cats that may get swung around. 😫
It’s in a great position in the west end area, very suitable for Murrayfield stays but the noise from the traffic and trams may be a problem.Unless it has been reported elsewhere on HfP, it has just been announced that with effect from March 2026, and after a five year absence, Easyjet are re-establishing a base at NCL. That’s got to be good news because before they pulled out in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, they provided a reasonably good selection of flights from NCL to destinations that the other low cost airlines have not since filled. It is to be hoped that they are able to resurrect some of these routes, eg Nice & Faro, as they always had good departure and arrival times in both directions.
Unless it has been reported elsewhere on HfP, it has just been announced that with effect from March 2026, and after a five year absence, Easyjet are re-establishing a base at NCL. That’s got to be good news because before they pulled out in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, they provided a reasonably good selection of flights from NCL to destinations that the other low cost airlines have not since filled. It is to be hoped that they are able to resurrect some of these routes, eg Nice & Faro, as they always had good departure and arrival times in both directions.
Always seemed like an odd decision to me. Presumably now they can support sales / yields with Easyjet holiday passengers it makes financial sense to return
@ToonFlyer I saw the same this morning, Nice would be nice, I seem to remember Geneva was one of the routes which would also get my vote.
@JDB Sarajevo is a marvellous city, and late spring is probably a good time to visit unlike the height of summer when I went and rather wilted in the heat.
The sun is popping its head out intermittently here in Luxembourg city where I am on a day trip – have clocked up 10k steps already this morning and now enjoying a lunch in the Place d’Armes
Good morning from Hyatt Centric Venice, which is on Murano Island.
Booked a king room which as Globalist saw us upgraded to a duplex suite. Nice room, few stealable hangers, kettle and a lavazza coffee machine (the loudest I’ve heard for sometime!) and more importantly a fridge with a decent temp setting.
This hotel used to be the La Gare back in 2016; one main change is that they used to have 2 boats that hotel guests could avail of for no additional cost. Hyatt now charges, €18 for Marco Polo collection, but €80 for one way journeys to the main island! May come to regret booking Murano again but from memory the Vaporetto was pretty regular, and there’s a stop directly opposite the hotel.
Can’t comment on the grub yet as a 2.5 hour delayed BA flight saw us miss last orders, menu looks decent. A couple of punchy Negroni fizzes helped soften the blow.
Rather wet and windy start to the day but sun appears to be poking through the gloom so 🤞🏾 that lasts.
We stayed there when it was La Gare, and got the free speedboat from the airport, which was fab! It was our first time to Venice and a great way of transferring to the hotel. We also got the free boat over to the main island once, but mainly used the Vaporetto. Can’t believe they’re charging 80 euros for one way journeys to the main part of Venice now, that’s criminal!
@JDB Sarajevo is a marvellous city, and late spring is probably a good time to visit unlike the height of summer when I went and rather wilted in the heat.
The sun is popping its head out intermittently here in Luxembourg city where I am on a day trip – have clocked up 10k steps already this morning and now enjoying a lunch in the Place d’Armes
Yes, Sarajevo is a fascinating and beautiful city. Arrived with a Serbian guide yesterday, this morning just with a Bosnian guide so very different perspectives!
Anyone know if the Royal Jordanian status match to OW Ruby can be repeated this year? In other words, once mine expires in August, can I pay another $49 and get it for another year? I still have status with hotels but haven’t done enough flying with OW.
- The topic ‘Chat thread – Thursday 22nd May’ is closed to new replies.
Popular articles this week:
