[Goonerdad]

strickers wrote:

Just got home to find DPD had failed to deliver even though Mrs S was home and watching for them, they can’t have knocked very loud. The ironic thing is the delivery is a replacement doorbell!

DPD are possibly the worst delivery company around – they rarely turn up and also take a random picture of the ground to say they did. They forget people have video doorbells nowadays. 🙂

[Goonerdad]

NorthernLass wrote:

@Panda Mick, we love Rudy’s, we went to the Portland St one last week.

@JDB, that explains so much …

At least in this day and age it’s unlikely that the miscreant will be sent off to be Governor of the Bahamas, or whatever.

🙂

Although potentially they might be sent to see the Governor of Belmarsh……………..

[Goonerdad]

BA Flyer IHG Stayer wrote:

Goonerdad wrote:

Afternoon all,

Just browsing flights in my lunch hour (as you do!).

Looking at Madrid to Hong Kong. First leg is with Iberia and the second leg with Qatar. Am I right in thinking that to use a CV voucher both flights need to be on an Iberia flight number?

Thank you.

No that’s not correct.

Flights need to be on IB metal not just a codeshare number,

So you’d be able to use your 2-4-1 on IB from MAD-DOH but not DOH-HKG

Thank you

[Goonerdad]

BBbetter wrote:

Goonerdad wrote:

Afternoon all,

Just browsing flights in my lunch hour (as you do!).

Looking at Madrid to Hong Kong. First leg is with Iberia and the second leg with Qatar. Am I right in thinking that to use a CV voucher both flights need to be on an Iberia flight number?

Thank you.

Correct. Not just Iberia flight number, but also the metal.

Thank you

[Goonerdad]

Afternoon all,

Just browsing flights in my lunch hour (as you do!).

Looking at Madrid to Hong Kong. First leg is with Iberia and the second leg with Qatar. Am I right in thinking that to use a CV voucher both flights need to be on an Iberia flight number?

Thank you.

[Goonerdad]

CB Root wrote:

Hi,

Can I enquire whether any more folks on here have had their 10k Avios from JPM ?

Ours aren’t officially due until early March, but would be interested to hear more data points…

P.S. Fund back up to £502 today, yay !

Opened my account on or around 25th January – received My 10k Avios weekend just gone. Impressed.

[Goonerdad]

mikeHi wrote:

NorthernLass wrote:

I’ve been seeing loads of availability to the US recently, did wonder if that many people really are avoiding it just now! I’ve always had a hankering to visit New Orleans so hoping to book with the upgrade voucher for some time next year. Love all that gothic stuff!

I also had that hankering (not a word I hear too often these days!), so bit the bullet and we are off to New Orleans in April.. very excited

@northernlass @MikeHi I’m off to New Orleans this March – great deal last year in Business.

[Goonerdad]

How much leave do you all get? 🙂 🙂

@Goonerdad, hope you havent planned anything for May this year. Going to be dream come true?[/quote]

BBbetter wrote:

Goonerdad wrote:

Wow!

Love reading all of these – some great ideas for the future.

Couple of questions if possible?

What is a GUF?

How much leave do you all get? 🙂 🙂

@Goonerdad, hope you havent planned anything for May this year. Going to be dream come true?

I very much hope so!

[Goonerdad]

nectar collector wrote:

Goonerdad wrote:

Wow!

Love reading all of these – some great ideas for the future.

Couple of questions if possible?

What is a GUF?

How much leave do you all get? 🙂 🙂

GUF is Gold Upgrade Voucher – used to be earned for reaching 2500 old Tier Points in BA Exec Club , and in the days of double tier points on holidays and creative routing it was quite possible to qualify. It lets you upgrade a cash or Avios ticket by 1 cabin class including Business to First, and if you are booking with Avios, you don’t even need Avios availability, just A class cash availability.

Retired now , so no leave issues to consider any more 😁

Thank you – appreciated.

[Goonerdad]

Wow!

Love reading all of these – some great ideas for the future.

Couple of questions if possible?

What is a GUF?

How much leave do you all get? 🙂 🙂

[Goonerdad]

BlueLabel wrote:

Goonerdad wrote:

Purchased a gift card through Toastab for a place in Washington for a visit in October 26 – already credited on Amex. Nice result.

Which restaurant was that if you dont mind me asking, @Goonerdad?

It was Jackie’s… no idea if it is any good by I’ll give it a go with the credit!

[Goonerdad]

Purchased a gift card through Toastab for a place in Washington for a visit in October 26 – already credited on Amex. Nice result.

[Goonerdad]

Thank you. Much appreciated.

[Goonerdad]

Hi,

Is it possible to purchase a gift card direct from the overseas restaurant whilst in the UK and get the dining credit? Looking to use this years overseas credit for a trip in March. Or is Toasttab the only recognised way of doing this?

Thanks in advance.

[Goonerdad]

Michael C wrote:

@Goonerdad

a) well done for the season so far!
b) research led me to being able to use Dining Abroad Credit by buying vouchers from restaurants on the list that used the Toasttab system. Of course, the massive caveat is that we were going to NYC anyway and that I bought them for places I wouldn’t feel bad about going to anyway! Also, I THINK they have no expiry date, and I believe there are other options in other US cities.

@Michael C – thank you. I have found the appropriate website and am searching for places in New Orleans. Found a couple and then realised they don’t sell gift vouchers via Toasttab – back to the drawing board.

Thanks for responding.

[Goonerdad]

Michael C wrote:

As I had a conference in Boston, our 11-yr old signed up for the trip as it was half term.
Purchased flights about 6 weeks earlier for the great price of just over GBP300 each. BA Silver meant we could choose seats for free in the Main Cabin Extra section: slightly more room, alcohol included. No check-in bags allowed, but the same 56cm carry-on plus under-seat bag. Not that we did it, but it seems you can’t add on checked bags online for international flights, but can only do this at the airport desk just before departure? I believe this was $75.

The cabin was the size of an average PE cabin, and on the way out we had a “twin” seat which was fine.
Food not great, but had already been in the Cathay T3 lounge for dim sum, etc. IFE was decent, especially with many Apple TV series (although no games for youngster). Each seat had a multi-plug power outlet. However, my UK plug didn’t work on the way out (cabin crew: “the green light is on, so the problem must be your charger”). Discovered on the way back that it only worked by adding on the US adapter to the original plug…

On landing, I pressed the MPC “submit” (which we’d used previously), only to get a continuous error. A quick Reddit said only removing and reinstalling the app worked, which it did. Only 2 people in that queue, whereas the general one was fairly slow. With no case to collect, we were straight onto the free SL1 bus to our hotel, the Westin Seaport.

Large conference hotel, where even the special reduced rate was $350…Still, room was clean and spacious, and there was a pool that opened at 0500h which was great due to the time difference. The on-site Irish pub was actually a pretty decent/reasonable food option. We’ve been to Boston a few times, but the highlights on this occasion were the guided tour of Fenway Park (very enthusiastic guide and fabulous history, and 70+people at 0900h on an October Monday…), and dinner at Legal Seafood. Gorgeous location and oysters and clams as fresh as can be.

Amtrak to NYC took around 3 hours 40 and was a beautiful trip (sit on the left): all autumn leaves and coast line. Note that, apart from the extreme Saver seats, all Amtrak tickets are completely refundable. We purchased way ahead and the seats cost $60 each in Acela business class. Very roomy with lots of luggage space.

NYC was just pleasure: stayed at the Draper, a Hilton Tapestry. Bit of an odd, boutiquey place, but location great for us (W 37th). 2 good double beds in the room, and the room itself was an okayish (NYC) size, but ZERO wardrobe/drawer space and not a single bathroom shelf. Only 3 (stealable!) hangers in the bedroom. Luckily we were living out of the carry-on case anyway! Still, it was quiet and warm at night. As an Honors Gold, I double-checked at the desk about any credit: it was $18 per person. They hadn’t seen my son was on the reservation too, so it was $36. A very minimal offering that only opened at 0730h, but we could have a (decent) drink each, a bakery product each and a juice for the credit limit: fine for starting the day. And no resort fee!!

Each evening, we went up the road to Bryant Park where the Winter Village was already set up. Also saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – incredible effects, and buying at the actual box office saved $20 compared to the theatre’s own website.

As regards eating out, I had followed up an HfP tip in June, and used our 2 Amex plats to buy restaurant vouchers through Toasttab to use our overseas dining credit. We first went to Rosemary’s West Village for brunch: this was fantastic. Sunny day, place rammed with people catching up / reading the Sunday papers / having bottomless brunches, respectively. Dishes massive, of course. Meatballs were a big hit. Our other voucher was with Wayan, the French-Indonesian place by Cedric Vongerichten. All dark woods, moody lighting and great flavours. Also very busy even at 6pm on a Monday. Standout was the rendang escargots. Quite a bit pricier and smaller dishes, but we still had a lovely meal!

We used the LIRR + Jamaica AirTrain (which is contactless) to get to JFK T8 – all very easy. Security quite slow and I was pulled aside to have a new bottle of bath salts removed, opened and “tested”…but no biggie I guess, as we were in no rush. Went to the Greenwich Lounge: a nice DIY Bloody Mary bar! Food average but could toast bagels. The newspaper/magazine section was empty. However, plenty of seating areas with chargers. Something odd about the lounge was that there were no AA/flight-related staff anywhere inside, and the screens did not have the typical updates of “go to gate” / “boarding”, etc. Uneventful flight back, but found the 1115h departure to be a total luxury compared to the night flights. Onboard wifi for the trip was $30, but worked ok.

All in all, a great trip on a budget!

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the trip report.

Could you expand on the Toasttb tip with Amex dining credit please, how does that actually work? I have searched the forums but cannot find anything.

Thanks in advance.

[Goonerdad]

Dubai on Monday for 6 nights flying Business with BA and staying at Grosvenor House – very very excited as we have not done ‘posh’ before! 🙂 Oh – and first time in 20 years without kids – win win!

[Goonerdad]

Thanks all – I’ll see what appears in the next week or so. Hilton status has landed, so waiting for the Marriott one now.

[Goonerdad]

strickers wrote:

Some pictures here of the tunnels, bear in that the travelators only run in one direction, A-B-C, it’s much slower walking back.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-british-airways-club/1578945-lhr-terminal-5-passageways-pictorial-guide-departing-passengers.html

Brilliant, thank you.

Let’s hope I don’t have to return if I go to the B lounge! 😂

Who would have thought that the train only works one way for leaving the country? How many people must get caught out?

[Goonerdad]

Hbommie wrote:

There’s a selection on the top left of the seat map ‘Main Deck’ or ‘Upper Deck’. But reading back you didn’t mention an A380, apologies, so you may have clubsuite?

Hi, yes we apparently have Club suite.

[Goonerdad]

JD_traveller wrote:

I would say it really very much depends what you want from your experience.

You’ve already got the tip on B Gates lounge, if you were going from T3 then I would suggest a lounge hop before you decide on the one you want to spend time in, but no need in T5 – go straight to B Gates and relax there. I find the food service better, the Whispering Angel plentiful and it’s easier to get a glass of Champagne. If you want to take food from the lounge, no one will stop you – I usually find that a couple of bags of Tyrells and a can of ginger ale help on the flight. And I know I’ll be ridiculed (I am by my OH), a couple of the butter packets as one small packet of butter is NEVER enough for roll and cheese and crackers – make sure you dispose of this before landing and customs.

On board enjoy the service how you want it. If you want another drink don’t be afraid to ask for it, though it might take longer during meal service. I have no issues with using the call bell, wandering up to the galley, or popping to the Club Kitchen if I need something. You can generally find the latest menus on FlyerTalk there is a long thread with the longhaul meals, and if you don’t fancy them then you still have time to order a “special meal”. Not like some of the US and Asian carriers offer with the extra choices (or how BA used to pre-Covid), but the standard Halal, Kosher, Low Salt Vegetarian etc meals, actually some of these are very nice, though if you book one of these you’ll not be able to get a different one onboard if you don’t like it – caveat emptor.

BA don’t offer pyjamas in Club, so travel comfortably, or take something to change into in the lounge pre-boarding so that you can relax – neither the old club world or club suite are comfortable in tight jeans. The amenity kit has everything that you might need for the flight, I usually have a travel size pillow spray in my hand luggage as the cabin can get a little musty and I think it helps me to sleep on the flight.

If you can’t / don’t want to sleep – raid the Club Kitchen for sandwiches, snacks drinks or ask the crew if there is something you need – note they don’t have an unlimited supply and it can be depleted quickly on some flights. Movie and TV selection is generally good, but I always have content on my iPad/phone especially if I just want to listen to some [downloaded] Spotify and snooze. If you want to use your own noise cancelling headphones then investing into Airfly, or another Bluetooth device is worthwhile. the BA headphones are not terrible but I always prefer my own.

Finally treat the crew with respect, don’t be a diva. They can always be hit or miss, but if you are nice to them they normally are nice to you. Tell them it’s your first Club World experience they might make it even special and offer you a bottle of Champagne to take away – it sometimes happens.

Last thought, if you drink tea, the little dishes that they give you to put your tea bag on… they work really well for condiments at home. A few of those (and a few sets of cutlery) may have fallen into my bag over the years. Enjoy your first CW experience, it really is hard to go back to economy after this.

Thanks for taking the time to construct a huge response. Some really good tips in here. Thank you.

[Goonerdad]

Hbommie wrote:

Definitely 5B lounge, much nicer imo.

Keep checking for seats upstairs, but as a 2 the middles downstairs will be ok especially if it’s an overnighter.

In Dubai do you have transfers? I’m using Blacklane later in the year rather than a taxi, but the taxis are fine, it’s just a little more lux.

I can’t even see an upstairs on the seat planner. The hotel are picking us up from the airport.

[Goonerdad]

Wiseoldman wrote:

@Goonerdad dont worry about it; inside Forum joke. But if you do want to read about it search the forum for an amusing/not so amusing discussion https://hfp2026mar.kinsta.cloud/forums/topic/club-europe-water-before-take-off/

Ahhhhhhh – I presumes as much but was not 100%.

[Goonerdad]

memesweeper wrote:

It will almost certainly be a lovely experience. Say hello to the crew members on boarding, and don’t be scared to say it’s your first time. They can explain things like how the seat operates. Avoid using the call button, if you need something or have a question, pop to the galley area.

As mentioned above, you need to ask for champagne. At Terminal 5, consider using the T5B lounge, it is usually less crowded and has most of the same facilities as the others. You should take the walking route there, just in case you need to walk back (unlikely, but you should make sure you know the route). Do NOT attempt to get the train back to A gates, if you get on the train you will not be arriving in Dubai. B to C on the train is fine.

Thank you. I had read about the Terminal B lounge being potentially quieter. I’ll remember to walk there!

[Goonerdad]

NorthernLass wrote:

Plus one for upstairs on the A380, for the biggest aeroplane toilet you will ever see unless you marry into Dubai royalty!

*The actual cubicle space, the toilet itself is just the standard variety.

Thank you – I have booked seats in the middle on row 5 – didn’t appear to have an option of an ‘upstairs’.