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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 the first lounge LGW. A peaceful zone compared to check in. If ever there was justification to keep gold rather than silver – the queue for business check in was about 70 people long. 4 people in the gold queue. Off to sunny Tenerife
Loyalty Lobby reporting an Iberia devaluation may be imminent: https://loyaltylobby.com/2025/05/27/iberia-plus-award-devaluation-award-charts-removed-from-the-website/
Perhaps I missed it but I am surprised by the lack of coverage of the FlyingBlue+ app in the UK which seems to be an exact copy of the new Avios app (I assume the same underlying software which means we cant stack in-store card linked offers)
Loyalty Lobby reporting an Iberia devaluation may be imminent: https://loyaltylobby.com/2025/05/27/iberia-plus-award-devaluation-award-charts-removed-from-the-website/
if the screen shots are accurate and fixed redemption charts remain, that’s a win of sorts in itself
Loyalty Lobby reporting an Iberia devaluation may be imminent: https://loyaltylobby.com/2025/05/27/iberia-plus-award-devaluation-award-charts-removed-from-the-website/
if the screen shots are accurate and fixed redemption charts remain, that’s a win of sorts in itself
Indeed.
Off peak return to MEX goes from 85,000 to 101,000 according to the image…which isn’t dreadful IMO. Still an absolute bargain vs what BA are charging.
I’m whittling away at the Avios balance, might have to transfer some Amex MR. Heathrow to Mumbai, Mumbai to Colombo and Colombo to Bengaluru all booked yesterday. Hopefully, will be able to use up my Virgin stash and CC voucher for Bengaluru to Heathrow the seat is released in a few days. Huge difference in peak/off-peak using a Barclays voucher for the first flight, 95k/135k, had to move the whole trip forward a few days.
Amex Plat referral seems to have gone up to 20k this morning (on my account anyway).
Was 18k last week, dropped back to the normal 12k this week and now 20k.@Aston100 Mine too, 20k today, 12k yesterday. Just wish I knew someone who wanted a card!
An even tougher sell now that the referred persons SUB is no longer the 100k MR’s it was yesterday!
Interesting. On the Gold Rewards it’s up from 14K yesterday to 18K, with the referee getting 35K (down from 40K).
Well hello from 51st and Green at DUB, where the food is way better than the HFP review. Not just curry on offer, and probably the best scones I’ve ever had.
Man T1 was its usual abysmal self, only 1 check in agent for half an ATR72 (the second one walked away for his break/end of shift). Security 1 was closed, had to go to the dungeon of security 2, to be met by a 30 min queue, 19% rejection rate but for once I wasn’t picked on and the scanners didn’t complain about my left leg. I note that MAN have removed security wait timws from their website – obviously by request to improve the customer experience.
The journey from the bus gate at DUB was almost as long as the flight from MAN, 25 min wait for the luggage and then upstairs to recheck it which was handled very well at the business desk.
Then the queue for US immigration took about 20 mins, once through the business class side we bypassed security scanning completely whilst the unwashed had to remove shoes etc. Mobile passport lane was closed yet again, so another 20 mins in the CBP queue. Where I got the second quickest at desk experience i’ve ever had. Just a photo, no fingerprints, business or tourist question and that was it. It appears the Redress number actually does have an effect.
This is the start of a month long trip, 11 states, 6 national parks, the US Virgin Islands, and I only started putting it together 3 weeks ago.
Really not happy with the experience of booking EI via BA.com. Can’t reserve a seat, can’t choose a meal, so EI’s algorithm has put me in 6A which is right in front of the economy bassinette and no aisle access. But this flight wasn’t bookable with Avios on EI, it was there one day, gone the next but still available on BA. IT issues yet again I guess. Got the same issue coming back – Could book jfk-dub-man with avios on ba.com but can’t book it with EI.
Loyalty Lobby reporting an Iberia devaluation may be imminent: https://loyaltylobby.com/2025/05/27/iberia-plus-award-devaluation-award-charts-removed-from-the-website/
Oooooo that wouldn’t be good, not horrific if you believe the screenshots but IMO they’ll add an extra 10k to those prices.
Seems IAG really hates loyal customers atm…
Enjoy your trip @davefl – I’d appreciate your honest views (good and bad) of your experience in the US and the National Parks in particular as we have flights booked for the west coast later in the year but nothing planned yet but the aim is to visit the parks up through Arizona and Utah. We’re pretty familiar with visiting the US but would be good to get your thoughts on how things are in reality now.
You comment about your left leg made me chuckle as it reminded me of the Peter Cook & Dudley Moore Tarzan sketch – I have nothing against your right leg but….
Thanks @Man-of-Kent. I’m going to off the beaten track ones, such as Theodore Roosevelt, Conagaree, Wind Cave, Mammoth Cave, Badlands and USVI, so a box ticking trip through the Dakotas and Carolinas.
Arizon and Utah ones as just amazing but stupid busy these days so you need to plan well and book early. I hiked Bryce last year as well as re-visiting parks such as Mesa Verde. If you want to get on the ranger tours you need to be online and book within 60 seconds of the tickets going on sale at Recreation.gov to hopefully get one of the 10 places on the Mesa Verde tours etc.
I regret that I missed out hiking the Narrows at Zion because of the pandemic, not sure I’ll ever get there again and equally doubt my fitness to do it these days.
If you want to know anything about those parks just let me know. If you don’t have this book it’s well worth it – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Guide-National-Parks-Complete/dp/1621280764/
Enjoy – If Bill’s Texas pit BBQ is still there on St Thomas, be sure to have some for me!
@Davefl – Had a similar situation with EI but booked via AA. I looked on expertflyer for seat plan and messaged EI via facebook (or can use twitter) and ask them to reserve seat for you. I managed to get the throne.
Enjoy – If Bill’s Texas pit BBQ is still there on St Thomas, be sure to have some for me!
Ah sorry, only going to St. John, cos national park. ST Thomas will flash by in a cab on the way to the red hook ferry.
Thanks @Sean-Mc, I’ll see if I can do that on the way back but don’t have FB account and I’m locked out of x because I don’t have the phone number that’s on my account – in fact I’ve never had a phone number on it but they say I do, so it’s catch 22.
I did have one of the thrones last time and they’re great.
Are there any routes to Taj Inner Circle status since Amex closed the Shangri La link a few years ago?
@davefl, I remember St John as being very beautiful; I hope it’s still the same 25 years on!
I watched a wonderful documentary about Puerto Rico yesterday and how conservationists are increasing populations of endangered species; it’s definitely on my list for a proper trip rather than the cruise stop we did last time.
Iberia deval happened this morning. Peak avios for LHR-MAD went from 11,250 to 14,000, business went from 15,000 to 18,000
Iberia deval happened this morning. Peak avios for LHR-MAD went from 11,250 to 14,000, business went from 15,000 to 18,000
Although for some reason booking IB Y via BA now has the baggage allowance included again, and it’s charged at the Basic rate still. On paper it means it’s actually a price cut if you manage to have it booked via BA (since Basic fare is actually lower compared to previous Blue class)… I’m sure it won’t last long
@davefl Re: “Then the queue for US immigration took about 20 mins, once through the business class side we bypassed security scanning completely whilst the unwashed had to remove shoes etc.”
Sounds like you could have been through faster but for the great unwashed forming a single line from the first floor entrance to the US Gates down the stairs to the US security check. It bothers me greatly that the segregated lime for business passengers doesn’t start till the bottom of the stairs. I have complained about this to Dublin Airport before. It’s a nonsense that the business security lane can be empty because everyone is stuck in an undifferentiated queue down the stairs. It helps no one.
@Davefl – have a great trip, keep us updated as you go, if you get time! I’m really busy, so not had much time to spend on any forums lately, looking at your extended trips, I thought I would give one a go!
At present I am working my way through an itinerary for a 4 to 5 month SEA trip starting in Q4 sometime this year, I’m not keen on UK winters or Xmas, so happy with the timing of this one.
Also another similar one next year for the countries I will miss out on, just working out a route to follow the weather, and max out the Visas/TDAC, then booking Qatar in Qsuite into BKK and returning from DPS, looking forward to trying out the Al Mourjan Business Lounge The Garden on the layover in Doha, I’ve heard great things re both the Al Mourjan Lounges.
I have let several BUV’s expire, so taking the 7k Avios in future, and book Qatar for a much cheaper and better experience!Btw, Re your recommendation for OneNote, I put all my destinations/countries in separate folders in Notebooks and found I could not copy or paste anything from the internet into them, so frustrating, looked online for an answer, and gave up.
So looking at another option, as it is just too much info to put pen to paper.
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