[ross]

Stu_N wrote:

ross wrote:

ADVICE PLEASE 🙂
Arrive Bahrain at 00:05 on BA0125

I need to get to Muscat.
There’s a Gulf Air flight at 01:45

I am guessing that’s not enough time, as I will need to collect bags, and check back through?

Thanks

With bags, no way would I do that. Your cutoff is when bag drop closes rather than departure time, if it’s -1h you basically have 40 mins. Everything – arrival on time, quick immigration, quick delivery of bags and no other hassle or hold-ups – would need to go well to make that.

That’s a very fair point. Thanks

[ross]

tiberius wrote:

@ross I frequent Bahrain twice a year so know the airport well.

That should be fine, Bahrain airport is probably the fastest airport you will ever visit. The only thing that can sometimes take time is the luggage carousel lottery but they are usually out quite quick. Assuming all goes as it usually does you should be able to get to immigration, collect bags, check in and be through security in around 30 mins. Locals brag about how quick their airport is and I have never actually had to queue for security or immigration, its usually straight through.

The BA flight does land at the furthest gate from immigration though, so while the airport isnt huge you may want to factor that in.

Many thanks for this, it is super helpful!

[ross]

ADVICE PLEASE 🙂
Arrive Bahrain at 00:05 on BA0125

I need to get to Muscat.
There’s a Gulf Air flight at 01:45

I am guessing that’s not enough time, as I will need to collect bags, and check back through?

Thanks

[ross]

BBbetter wrote:

ross misread it as additional cashback.

Correct!

[ross]

alma wrote:

ross wrote:

The 1% cashback paid in Rewards (on amounts over £100) was mentioned on my letter but not on the webiste.

@ross could you clarify what was in your letter in relation to the above? I can’t see how the rewards points would ever add up to exactly 1% cashback but I might be missing something.

Here’s what was on my letter.

https://ibb.co/NrsKX4f

Maybe @rob could check this one as it does change the card benefit.

[ross]

alma wrote:

ross wrote:

The 1% cashback paid in Rewards (on amounts over £100) was mentioned on my letter but not on the webiste.

@ross could you clarify what was in your letter in relation to the above? I can’t see how the rewards points would ever add up to exactly 1% cashback but I might be missing something.

Hi I tried to post a link to a photo that I took of my letter, but it didn’t work it states:

“More reward points on your purchases – 3 for every £1

This means £1 spent on your card could give you 1.5 airline miles

Every £100 spent equals £1 in reward vouchers – the equivalent of 1% cashback

Plus, access complimentary Airport Security Fast Track”

Not sure what @rob thinks of the 1% comment as it does have benefit

[ross]

People still not liking HSBC vs Barclays Premier Plus?

I never managed to use the upgrade one-way voucher, if i did it would be within Europe (as long haul I’d be using AMEX 2-41-), so hardly much of an upgrade.

Just thinking if the other HSBC WE card’s benefits are worth it?

The 1% cashback paid in Rewards (on amounts over £100) was mentioned on my letter but not on the webiste.

Fast Track – seems limited and not of huge benefit.

The PP restaurant link of not worth much.

[ross]

QFFlyer wrote:

AJA wrote:

@ChrisBCN No. It is entirely on Amex. Avis confirmed in writing to Amex that the Fiat 9 seater hired was not a commercial vehicle and that the card holder would not have been able to rent a commercial vehicle even if they had wanted to as their drivers licence did not entitle them to do so. Therefore Amex should’ve paid out.

If you have a car licence you can drive commercial vehicles, just not heavy commercial vehicles. This isn’t entirely on Amex at all. I’ve hired a box truck on a car licence (Aussie car licences cover up to 4.5T), not a chance I’d expect Amex to have paid on that.

However a Ute (or pickup, if you must) may be a different story – technically they’re classified as LGVs, but if not being used commercially (as a large proportion aren’t in Australia), it’s no differen’t to a family car (well, large SUV), especially the dual cab versions. That’d be a grey area for me which I’d want to confirm first before relying on Amex off the bat.

I think you might have missed part of my initial post where I state that
Avis having reviewed the customers actual driving licence, stated that the customer COULD NOT legally have hired a commercial vehicle in Italy.

There is no ambiguity at all. Laws are different in each country, in Italy you clearly need a different licence from your regular.

The distinction here is that:

1. AVIS had NO skin in the game, they were paid, it no longer mattered to them. Yet they went out of their way, even clarifying local law, to assist their customer.

2. AMEX, whose obligation it was to pay their customer, tried every form of refusal, ignored clear evidence, and refused to pay, until a national newspaper got involved.

Note this was NOT AXA, it WAS AMEX. The Telegraph article is clear on that.

[ross]

@ChrisBCN
Yes, Amex can take the view of a third party, as they are the hire car company, own the vehicle and have all the details of the vehicle. And, Avis are a global company, this is not some tiny local hire car company.

It stinks.

[ross]

So what is the VALUE of Curve?

At £18 a month, is it solely so that you can FRONT £3k, ie move spend onto your Barclaycard? To gain Avios? 3,000 Avios a month for £18?

If you want an upgrade voucher then it is
3,000 Avios a month for £18
plus
An upgrade voucher for £20 a month (to get the Plus Barclaycard).

Question is, is that worth it?

[ross]

It is not Piper Heidseck, I don’t think.

I’m drinking it now and it is flipping delicious. I don’t what it is, it’s a gold label, gold neck label, and I couldn’t see the writing.

It’s not Moët, or similar. As we managed to get a freebie glass of Moët from the France Olympics marketing desk. This is considerbly nicer than that.

[ross]

I’m booking flights to Singapore, Club, Amex 2-4-1.

I have 220,600 in the household account.

It is offering me 220,000 Avios +£1,050.

Question: If I transfer more Avios to the account, will the amount I have to spend reduce?

[ross]

Colin MacKinnon wrote:

Thanks for Illescas, @JDB.

For the last 20-odd years, we have made it a point to miss the “big name” attractions. The “second rate” ones are usually now more authentic and interesting!

So don’t go to Stonehenge, make the effort to go to Callanish, or Orkney (although Orkney is getting deluged by cruise ships now!). Or just wander at random around the stones in Kilmartin – not much more than an hour and a half from Glasgow!

If Iberia have resumed flights from Madrid to Puerto Rico, I would go there. The south is less busy than the north, and then there are the small islands like Vieques.

Now I’m looking for “niche” events in Europe (except for winter, really – just need that sun!) So Mrs MacK insists that there’s cherry blossom season better than Japan’s in Spain, I had a really fun time last week in Wuppertal for the suspended monorail and Art Nouveau houses and then the “political” floats in the Dusseldorf Carnival.

Italian Railways have an incredible restored 1960s train with wrap-round view observation cars, there’s the Baltic coast, the Scilly Islands….

Where are the places to go now for winter sun before they become ruined? Burma was lovely for that short period when it reopened and there appeared to be peace. Had three trips there. Maybe Sri Lanka and Kerela for next year?

The road less travelled, it’s what drew me to Lalibela over Petra.

So, tell me more @colin ….where else have you been that you would recommend? Preferably outside of Europe.

[ross]

So many great pieces of advice, thank you.

I must say your comments are pushing the original idea of Cambodia to the forefront.

It does make me think that I should have traveled more around COVID times, we went to the Alhambra, not more than 80 people in the entire complex.

[ross]

NorthernLass wrote:

I’m not really sure what you mean, here, @ross – Yucatan is much more than the coastal resorts. There are amazing archaeological sites like Chichen Itza and Uxmal, and Merida, the regional capital, has museums, galleries and a cathedral.

You are quite right. I was just venting about Tulum!

Mexico unfortunately, given it’s proximity, does tend to be overrun by American tourists who expect things a certain way. That homogeneity of local offering, for me at least, ruins some of the exoticness of travel.

I’m not saying that the sites of Chichen Itza are ruined as a result, but, I would certainly say that Tulum has no where near the same far flung impact that it did a decade ago.

I digress! Also, we’ve been to Yucatan, so I should have just said that! 🙂

[ross]

We went.ro the Yucatan before the West threw up all over Tulum and wrecked what was a stunning eco friendly place where you could watch turtles lay eggs. Now it’s full of crap bars.

Indigenous culture, not necessarily, but definitely not some sort of “tourist culture”.

[ross]

The mitigations are precisely the problem.

“Get there quick”
“The lounge might be worth it, as you can sit there longer than a restaurant”
“Plan to go to a different Lounge based on flight schedules”

It’s all a bit disappointing. The Lounge used to be somewhere that I looked forward to going to.

An escape from the melee of the Terminal.
Decent drinks.
A friendly barman.
A nice place to sit and relax.

Now Lounges are among the most crowded spots in T5.

It’s self-serve everything, which has a significant knock-on to the quality of staff they employ. The staff also rarely care.

The Plaza Premium lounges are gross, and not nice places to visit at all.
You cannot find somewhere to sit sometimes either!

[ross]

Thanks very much, am. I right in thinking you prefer the Admirals, marginally?

[ross]

SamG wrote:

Assuming you’re flying Thursday then seats 6B and 6J are the ones you are seeing I believe but 6E in the middle is also free but blocked. If you had 6B and 6J then maybe you do some swapping around to get two seats in the centre.

When check in opens you may see different seating as some is blocked by the system by BA dynamic allocation system

They’re still selling 2 X J seats so I don’t see a risk of being bumped or downgraded

Thanks
That’s correct 6B and 6J

[ross]

So call the UK Exec Club on a weekday between 10am and 2pm?

Is that the suggestion?

[ross]

Picking this back up

I’ve been charged too much in taxes I am quite sure on a 2-4-1 open jaw, booked via phone and I think they did their calculations incorrectly.

Whenever I call BA I get out through to the Indian call centre and am made to hold. The call centre staff do that every time,after initially hearing the query they then just put you hold, no matter the query, and I can’t help thinking that they just whack you on hold whilst they just chat with mates or read the internet as they ALWAYS put me on hold and every phone call no matter the request takes 40 mins or more.

Is there a way to get through to someone who knows what they are doing, or another method of communication?

At this point I would even consider sending a letter if it goes to someone who has sufficient knowledge and ability to issue a part refund.

Thanks

[ross]

Thanks. I’ve looked through the article.

It said you could upgrade one leg of a return flight for two.

What I didn’t understand was that meant that one had to book two separate one way flights. I’d rather never do that, and always prefer to have one booking for a return flight. Also, phoning BA will charge a change fee and take me 40mins to get through.

But sounds like that’s the only way?

[ross]

Please can someone post a link to the Chat function.

Twitter seems quite limited on topics.

[ross]

dougzz99 wrote:

An airline like BA is enormously complicated businesses. Removal of option to change things by the agent has made things worse. Combine that with great complexity around Avios, fees, fare rules, and many other things, linked with bits and pieces IT, interaction with other OW airline systems and JBV partners make for something few really understand. Then pay the agents very little so retention is poor, in a role that requires a lot of training and support, and you have a poor customer experience.

Whilst this is all true, the fact it has GOTTEN worse in a relatively short space of time is perplexing. If they changed nothing, they would be doing better. Instead, they’ve made a decent situation poor.
This also doesn’t fit with BA deciding it was not a race to the bottom.

[ross]

NorthernLass wrote:

It’s much easier just to book the return leg online, if you have enough avios, then request 50% back via chat or Twitter. It can take a while but is generally better for one’s blood pressure.

There’s a chat function?