[ZoeB]

We recently went through Singapore on separate bookings. Booked the airport hotel which was not cheap but definitely worth it. Our flight was delayed leaving LHR and it caused us no real stress as it wasn’t impacting on our onward flight the next morning.
On the way back we had a couple of nights in Singapore and did a few of the tourist sights,

[ZoeB]

Best of luck! I needed to cancel a flight I’d spent an e-voucher on (within the 24 hour cool off period), still banging my head against a brick wall trying to get it back.

[ZoeB]

To get tier points you need to be flying on a cash booking. To double up your tier points book a BA holiday including a minimum of 5 nights of hotel or car here.

[ZoeB]

We travelled from LHR to VLC with my step daughter and her children this April. She had added the baby to their redemption booking a few months before we departed. She was unable to check in at 24 hours before but was reassured on the phone by BA, that everything was fine you will be checked in at the airport.
Its lucky we arrived at the airport early as it took the check in agent almost 1.5 hours to sort out the (not ticketed) mess on the phone.This was time we had planned to spend in the Qantas lounge, not trying to keep a 4 month and 20 month old happy in the checkin area of T3.

[ZoeB]

We are travelling on the positioning cruise from Barcelona to Miami at the end of October. So we have bookings opening up in September at midnight. Is that midnight BST? GMT? or something else?
Thanks in advance for your help

[ZoeB]

We used Selective Asia for our 2019 trip. Our Siem Reap guide was great and subsequently came to Bournmouth University to study for a year. He now has a decent social media presence laoclassics and can arrange great days at the temples for you.
We picked sunrise at a different temple where we were the only tourists, then a good breakfast before going to Ankor Wat a bit later.
His WhatsApp is 855 81 254 837 and he speaks very good English

[ZoeB]

I try to be balanced about BA but the outside of 24 hours line sounds like one of their excuses when they just can’t be bothered dealing with something (or don’t know how to, which I suppose might not be their fault)!

Yes NorthernLass, she tried to tell me that the refund of £64.18 was the exact amount of taxes due back, doesn’t seem very likely …

[ZoeB]

Thanks NorthernLass, my husband who’s a passenger on the booking is still Silver, so I’ll give it another go later.
I know that I would have had to call for the cancellation but can’t now find evidence of the call, its so frustrating.

[ZoeB]

I think I found the details on the Grandparents plus website, now renamed as kinship. I think its because the parents retain 49% parental responsibility. I’m currently travelling but will try to find a link later.

[ZoeB]

Well done, l’m sure he will have a great time. This doesn’t apply to you but if you have Special Guardianship you can take the child abroad, but someone else can’t without parental permission. We have great nephews who stay with us most school holidays, giving their grandparents ( their Special Guardians) a break.
They are younger so we are heading for a PGL family adventure this summer. Not a typical HFP holiday, but actually fun and makes great memories.

[ZoeB]

Hmmm, I think the message about no food or drink pinged before the flight might be my fault! I tend to suggest process improvements when complaining for a 10k Avios bonus. I have definitely pointed out that if they can text to offer free checkin of cabin bags on a busy flight they could also alert passengers to a lack of food and drink while the passenger is in a position to purchase some (my issue was in Economy)

[ZoeB]

Re cash withdrawal, its so long since I’ve done this, does Virgin charge? Also MBNA (the cash back one that was originally BMI)?
Thanks in advance

[ZoeB]

Good news Noggins, will see you on board. Have you been assigned to deck 14? Looks like it might be noisy so planning contact VV and move down a couple of decks. We have also booked the £200 option with priority boarding, champagne etc.

[ZoeB]

We have opted for Premium Economy Via Madrid using a 241. We are not currently swimming in Avios and managed 15 hours back from Mumbai in Premium Economy at the end of our Multi Carrier Redemption to Australia, so are going to suck it up.
Are you doing the Barcelona Miami one? If so we are on the same trip.

[ZoeB]

Looks like we have been assigned deck 14 on out Barcelona to Miami trip. It seems that I would be better asking to be moved a bit lower down the ship. We have a Central Sea Terrace, where would you pick to move it too? Thanks in advance

[ZoeB]

For anyone who has ended a cruise in Miami. What did you do after being kicked off the boat? Either fly home that afternoon / evening? If so how did you spend you day, what did you do with your luggage? Or did you stay overnight to fly home the next day?
Thanks in advance

[ZoeB]

Maybe try a dummy booking starting with 9 people then reducing for both WTP and Club, it might give you a little more info.

[ZoeB]

Can I just check out that this is a sensible process. I have the Legacy Black, I have an old (ex BMI) card. The cheapest way to see if it is playing ball is to take £10 out of the cashpoint? If not playing ball will I see right away when looking at the transaction on the app for the old BMI card? Or will I need to wait to the statement date to be sure? Either way will I be able to go back in time to my debit card?
Happy to edit details out of this if I am being too obvious
Thanks in advance

[ZoeB]

I’ve hardly used my Curve for the last few years but see that having Legagy Black means I can do fronted for 1K a month. Without big tax bills to pay I can only see myself using the card it when outside of Europe.
Am I right in thinking that the £200 a month from a UK atm is gone / no use as Virgin will charge me for it?
Sorry I haven’t read all of the previous 36 pages.

[ZoeB]

My only similar experience was as a Blue member travelling to Barbados with family for half term in Premium Economy. I couldn’t find 4 seats to check in at T-24. When I called BA the rep suggested I was very prompt to the check in desk in the morning. As you can imagine we were super early and we got upgraded at checkin. Happy days.

[ZoeB]

Do we know if they were targeted via email? In the Red app? Had they done a Virgin Cruise before? Cash or points?

[ZoeB]

Last year we did LHR -JER-LHR – ATH – LHR do we think that this would work with the new rule?

If not I guess we could have a separate booking LHR-JER ? Then the rest as a BA holiday?

[ZoeB]

Thanks all, some really useful suggestions.

[ZoeB]

So we booked this very last minute, hence I hadn’t done much research . We took their arrivals package of a taxi from the airport that included the taxi driver walking you all the way to the riad. Its not far from the taxi drop off but through a busy market street. It also included a 3 course dinner on the first night for 2 people. Package was 59 euros all in.Food was good, no choice but it didn’t really matter. Riad serves alcohol half bottle of wine is 9 euros.
Breakfast is slightly different each day, all served to your table, fresh orange, pain au chocolat, bread jam honey. Tea or coffee. Then 3 other things, could be boiled egg & toast, fruit salad, orange custard, orange homemade jelly, banana mousse etc. Plenty to start your day.
We booked a walking tour from the hotel for the morning of our first full day. Official guide for just us 3 hours 45 euros. This was great, our guide was amusing and informative.
This riad isn’t swanky but the staff are friendly, its all clean, nice roof terrace too. We are in the smallest cheapest room and its fine.
We did buy a sim at the airport as we knew we would get lost in the Medina. If you have visited Hanoi for instance the busy / dusty / aromatic / scooters everywhere in narrow streets won’t be a culture shock.

[ZoeB]

My complaints that have netted the most points / pounds have focused on one thing (often pretty minor) and highlighted how the issue could have been better communicated / got around at the time. Very little emotion, I was disappointed that xxxx wasn’t available, this could have been communicated by text / as I checked in / by the lounge staff etc.
It has worked so well that I now make a point of doing one of the positive feedback forms online about a good crew member from time to time to balance it out.