Chat thread – Tuesday 11th March
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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.
Reported elsewhere and I checked, tons of VS saver to and from the US in Jan, 41k west coast in UC, as low as 10.6K PE from IAD, 29k UC.
Looks like the trump effect is in full swing, Delta fell off a cliff after today’s projections.
Thank you for the replies over the last two days about booking hotels. I have decided to stay with my current system of using agents for hotel stays.
I have had some good upgrades using Hotels.com and Expedia and usually get an early check in. The best was room to suite at the Okura Prestige but although the room had a bath the size of a small swimming pool the club lounge was very poor, cheap wines and nice but minimal food. I think leisure travellers are more likely to get free early check in as they won’t pay for it but the hotel knows the business user will. I have had free early check in at six in the morning on occasion!
Again, thanks for the replies.
Reported elsewhere and I checked, tons of VS saver to and from the US in Jan, 41k west coast in UC, as low as 10.6K PE from IAD, 29k UC.
Looks like the trump effect is in full swing, Delta fell off a cliff after today’s projections.
We flew to New Orleans last week just after Mardi Gras. There were only a few empty seats on the plane. The shepherds pie (not burnt) and cod main courses were fine and we both got our first choice.
Stayed in a HIX in Mississippi. Parked the car and the space next to ours had a sign saying reserved for Diamond elite members. I’ve now been demoted sadly, but wondered how these spaces are monitored as on checking in, no license plate number was required.
@LD27 Bizarrely for the USA the honour (honor) system and manners are still a thing in some areas.
Talking of manners in the US. When we arrived on an AA internal flight last week everyone exited the plane row by row from the front. Nobody rushed forward filling the aisle, they just waited until the row in front had emptied. All extremely pleasant and civilised.
On a VS 789. Why is there so much sh*t in the 789 coffin seats? I’ve had to move a menu, a breakfast card, a pillow, a set of headphones, the toiletry bag…
Rant over. Off to sleep.
Anyone tried logging in to BA today? I find my app is always hit and miss, today it is saying ‘sorry there is a problem’. So tried via the website and got ‘sorry we’re really busy try again later’ there. I’m sick of them & their rubbish IT, if my account was emptied it could take me days to find out.
@Ruralite A few errors searching for Avios availability but no issues logging in.
Any recommendations for restaurants in Oxford team? Ta.
Reported elsewhere and I checked, tons of VS saver to and from the US in Jan, 41k west coast in UC, as low as 10.6K PE from IAD, 29k UC.
Looks like the trump effect is in full swing, Delta fell off a cliff after today’s projections.
Is demand for trips to the US generally low for travel in Janaury?
Stayed in a HIX in Mississippi. Parked the car and the space next to ours had a sign saying reserved for Diamond elite members. I’ve now been demoted sadly, but wondered how these spaces are monitored as on checking in, no license plate number was required.
Many US hotels have Diamond spaces, and following on the theme above seem to be widely respected without any enforcement.
@Ruralite A few errors searching for Avios availability but no issues logging in.
Any recommendations for restaurants in Oxford team? Ta.
Gee’s is good, particularly the weekday set lunch. The Cherwell Boat House, Old Parsonage and Old Bank are all good as well.
@Ruralite A few errors searching for Avios availability but no issues logging in.
Any recommendations for restaurants in Oxford team? Ta.
If you’re in the centre, the set lunch at Nº 1, Ship St. is pretty unbeatable.
Happy to give other ideas depending on the area/day/time!Thanks both, I’ll have a look. We will be there for 2 nights, Mon/Tue, the latter being our wedding anniversary.
Cherwell Boat House
+1 for Cherwell Boat House, especially if it’s a day for sitting outside.
Good morning from “Jane Air”, our VS A330-900 to MCO this morning. We seem to have really lucked out here, having been changed from the old “coffin” YC seats a couple of days ago. The cabin looks and smells brand new 😄. I have a tequila cocktail at my side 🍹 and the 17″ fixed IFE screen looks terrific!
Great start to the trip as we ditched our bags last night at the (deserted) twilight check in desks, had a good night’s sleep at the HI then sauntered across the road to T2 security. Sadly the staff were clearly on a mission to out-grump their T3 colleagues; I was just about to follow OH through the FT scanner when an angry woman seized my BP and declared it deficient (though to be fair it doesn’t actually state FT or UC on it!). I offered to change to the non-FT queue and she snapped “Oh just stay there!”
Despite the fancy-pants scanners (we refugees from T3 couldn’t quite believe we didn’t have to take anything out!), loads of bags were being sent for secondary screening, including 3 out of our 4, plus my new shoes! OH had his Allen key from his scuba gear confiscated even though he’s been travelling with it for years, and it looked like the same thing was happening to several other pax, though my nail scissors didn’t even raise an eyebrow!
*Disclaimer – Allen keys were apparently banned after 9/11 (in the U.K., but not the US, go figure!) in case anyone tries to unscrew the cockpit door with one. We don’t argue with airport staff, but still, surely nail scissors are a bigger threat 🤷♀️
@NorthernLass It’s weird isn’t it, I have been travelling with nail scissors (baby variety) for about 30 years and never had a problem with them either.
Have a great holiday.
Thanks both, I’ll have a look. We will be there for 2 nights, Mon/Tue, the latter being our wedding anniversary.
If you are with car, or happy to do Uber (yes Oxford has finally allowed Uber to operate) Le Manoir os great for such a célébration. Might not be able to get a booking so late though.
Recently stayed at a Voco, and received SMSs later on after checking in from the person who checked me in to ask if everything was fine and to reach out if needed anything.
Is this normal for vocos? Never had it at the CPs etc have stayed at before in IHG brand.Amex’s website has been persistently asking me to verify my login via my app for a few days now. Even after clicking on “Remember my device,” it still sends confirmation notifications to the app.
Has anyone else encountered this issue?
I’m using Safari on a MacBook. I haven’t made any updates to my software in the past week, except if Safari updated itself in the background.
@elguiri That would be a really good idea and there is availability, unfortunately I can’t risk the 50% cancellation fee as we fly back from Belfast that day. Is that the voco Oxford you are talking about? That is where we are staying.
Has the Sheraton Skyline swimming pool closed? There is now no reference to it at all on the app…..just mentions a Mediterranean Garden.
@NorthernLass I haven’t been through T2 for decades. In July we will be staying in the Ibis and we have got fast track security booked for a Friday morning at 7am. We’ve also pre booked the Aspire lounge. Just wondering how long to allow for hotel to lounge ?
@elguiri That would be a really good idea and there is availability, unfortunately I can’t risk the 50% cancellation fee as we fly back from Belfast that day. Is that the voco Oxford you are talking about? That is where we are staying.
@strickers – you will be better off in every sense giving the Manoir a swerve! All the other restaurants will be more enjoyable.Has the Sheraton Skyline swimming pool closed? There is now no reference to it at all on the app…..just mentions a Mediterranean Garden.
I believe so , last time I was there in December pool was completely drained
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