[freckles]

Welcome home @davefl – yes you made it just in time.

Thoughts with anyone flying to/via ME for at least next few days until hopefully the situation calms – very concerning.

A quick question on customs/tax if friend buys a new tablet in USA. Looking online, if it exceeds £390 I think VAT would be due, but no additional customs duty?

[freckles]

Welcome home @polly, quite the adventure youve been on.

Temps with you similar to NYC – high of about 6C – us northerners just put on a jumper! Perfect day for getting about on foot.

[freckles]

Morning from the lounge of IC Barclay.

Landing at JFK was much better than i expected, MPC done on plane, no one waiting in that line, 2 questions, photo, fingerprints and through in a couple of mins. Bags coming through at carousel (LHR could learn a thing or 2) and out.

Put my big girl pants on and did airtrain to Jamaica thrn LIRR to Grand Central, managed to find right side to exit then 4 min walk to hotel. Collapsed in bed by 8pm so didn’t bother with ice hockey at MSG.

Off to start exploring. Happy Friday 😊

[freckles]

@NorthernLass yes California Eggs and a breakfast Martini was order of the day 😋 followed by a rose sparkles. Now enjoying wine flight on board 🍷 🥂

@davefl just 1 medium bag – might do the Airtrain/LIRR to central with taxi for last bit (i know it’s near but I don’t know right exit/route. I’m surprised I managed a medium case, but with self laundry in Washington HI I’ve cut back – but defo not willing to fo hand only – too high maintenance 🙃 😉

[freckles]

@davefl no I’m checked bag (how many women do you know who can do 2 weeks hand baggage only 😉) so am planning the yellow taxi or Uber experience on arrival. Staying at IC Barclay so Penn/Union still means taxi/walk so stuff the cost!

Forecast looking good now, maybe a little snow on Monday, but as long as im there i don’t care!

[freckles]

@polly happy to report am in the air and on the way to JFK! Happy face.

The frame i was due to fly on yesterday was also allocated to the same BA113 today which is also cancelled so must be well broken! So glad I got booked on earlier service today.

Enjoyed breakfast service in CCR this morning, although my head was definitely not in the right zone as I left my coat on the H30 from T4 to T5. Thankfully it returned to me when the bus completed its next loop so I just missed out on an extra 20 mins lounge time. Senior moment.

Now I have 1 less day in NY, hope to pack in as much as my jet-lag addled brain/body will allow in the time I have left before moving to Washington. What are the chances of me going straight to Madison Square Garden tonight to watch an ice hockey match??

[freckles]

@davefl, hotel and bedroom sounds delightful 😉 Hopefully you have enough planned to take your mind and body away from it

[freckles]

Thanks @strickers – can’t do much else than be optimistic, after all what are the chances of 2 planes on 2 days going tech on me? 🤔

I will just rinse BA for what they are responsible for and make the most of the situation

Hotel got back to me and holding room OK 👍

[freckles]

Soooo, today didnt go as planned. Flight went tech and cancelled after delay. Sad face.

You First came into their own when I called, rather than waiting for BA to get their act together, and im now on 12.55 tomorrow.

Hotel booking offer came through – and as they were happy to offer CP T4, I ignored the BA link and just booked it myself direct – may as well have the double nights/points after all. Dinner will be billed to BA of course, and delay comp will be claimed.

And, silver lining, another visit to CCR tomorrow 😀

Just waiting confirmation back from my NY hotel that they are holding my booking – if I still have to pay first night (which i understand) the BA comp will more than cover it.

[freckles]

@NorthernLass – well I can confirm he’s not doing that here!! 😉

[freckles]

Good afternoon from the CCR – making the most of my first (and perhaps only) visit here before off to JFK those afternoon.

The champagne in here is definitely better than elsewhere and expecting the food to be good too to mop up the alcohol 🍸 😉

A certain Mr David (7 days) is on the terrace

[freckles]

And good evening from CP T4 lounge. I had a standard room booked and spotted opportunity to upgrade to a Club room for £10 extra so decided to give it a try.

Not sure how room are ‘premium’ compared to ‘standard’ except for maybe robe/slippers which won’t be used.

Lounge is OK, busy but found a space. Food no more than average.

No Michelle tonight – its Gupreet who is welcoming quick to refill empty glasses.

Not sure i will bother again, but maybe the value is breakfast?

[freckles]

Afternoon from EDI BA lounge, where disaster has struck. No more Tunnocks Tea Cakes to be seen 😱 just mini shortbread and Mrs Tilly’s finest tablet.

[freckles]

@tootsci, not a source as such, but worth keeping an eye on both FDCO and say Simon Calder from The Independent who’s just posted this article

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/how-dangerous-mexico-tourist-risk-b2925881.html

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@NL, or even check the official FDCO advice, which includes handy map

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/mexico

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@Froggee nice gesture from both Mr McT and BA there.

Wonder if doctors/nurses who answer a call for help are similarly rewarded.

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Did you book direct or through say booking dot com?

Quite typical scam message I’ve had in the past on a BDC booking. (Who always suggest its the hotels booking system that’s been infiltrated rather than their own even though it comes as a message from BDC)

The stressed urgency is always a giveaway IMO

[freckles]

davefl wrote:

@freckles I mis-spoke yesterday. The Zayed National Museum is very much not open and won’t be for a while yet.

Interesting – their website says they are and will sell you a ticket for today!

[freckles]

NorthernLass wrote:

Got 🍿 for when @JDB arrives 😂

I’ll bring 🎆 🎇 if we can all share?

[freckles]

Lots of European places will offer you ‘pounds or euros’, but accepting their pounds price isn’t always the best. Have no idea if you did whether Amex would still treat as ‘foreign’

Is £18 really too steep in the scheme of things?

[freckles]

davefl wrote:

freckles wrote:

Have a check how the new Guggenheim is coming along while you’re there, and I think the new museum next to the louve is finished now?

The Gug has 6 tower cranes and only half a roof so looks like it’ll be a while yet. Certainly not Q1 2026.

Didn’t see another museum next door but they are running shuttles to the natural history one if that was what you mean. There’s a huge impressive structure going up across the road with multiple sail like towers, not sure what that is

Thought they’d be further along with Guggenheim by now – sure it was roughly the same state Jan 25!

Yes, it was Natural History i was thinking, first one when you come off the main road bit – it was surrounded by fences when I was there.

Think the one across road is Zayed National Museum – google suggests its actually open

[freckles]

Gordon Dewar stepping down as CE of EDI – maybe his successor will finally look at improving the international arrivals experience rather than just concentrating on extracting the maximum spend from departures traffic 🤔

Of course they have a way to go to match the MAN experience 🙄

[freckles]

RonnieB wrote:

NorthernLass wrote:

I got it confirmed that a one-way points booking counts.

In what circumstances would you do a one way with Virgin. I’ve looked in Premium to JFK and it’s almost as much as a return !!

When your using up both a BA and Virgin voucher for the same trip – out First with BA back Upper with Virgin. Virgin status match kicks in for return flight

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davefl wrote:

Goodbye to Dubai (thankfully) and good morning from the Royal Rose Abu Dhabi, where my everlasting gob stopper that is HH Gold from a CC that was cancelled years ago got firstly an upgrade to a suite with lounge access according to the app, then downgraded to a junior suite a few hours later.

This costs double what I paid for a king room so not complaining although as with Dubai there is zero soundproofing to the road below. Off to visit the Louvre now, and then hopefully a decent steak at Valgerand nordic grill.

Enjoy the Louvre – i was impressed.

Have a check how the new Guggenheim is coming along while you’re there, and I think the new museum next to the louve is finished now?

I was going to stay at Royal Rose when I went, but opted out due to it looking a bit like a t***s boudoir inside and an overwhelming smell of rose everywhere?

[freckles]

A read of this will help – they have a pretty fixed value as points

https://hfp2026mar.kinsta.cloud/2025/08/23/what-are-radisson-rewards-hotel-points-worth-4/