[NigelHamilton]

BBbetter wrote:

Cheapest or best value destinations would generally be Asia. You can stay at a 4 star resort in Asia for the price of a 2 star one in western world and get the best hospitality.

I was going to say exactly this. My daughter and I have just come back from Nepal/India and the quality/price ratio is quite amazing. A coke/lemonade cost 60p in a five star hotel. You can also do safari as well.

[NigelHamilton]

I would also add that the MAN-DOH on QR has a really nice suite – not the Q suite but very impressive, whereas the short DOH-MLE had much older (perfectly pleasant but not luxurious) business seats, so economy would be the way forward if points prices are expensive. Whichever way you do it, try to sit on the left side for the approach into MLE, this gives you the best chance of seeing the atolls from the air.

[NigelHamilton]

Having done both this year I would definitely consider going via India as a back up strategy. The Oberoi hotels are fantastic if you fancy a couple of nights either end – the one in Agra (Amarvillas) every room has a view of the Taj Mahal. Note that if using points you will need to exit immigration to collect your bags and then check back in if you are doing it straight through, which is a little frustrating.

[NigelHamilton]

If it’s the Hilton (or better still the Waldorf Astoria, which is great) and you have Hilton status, I believe you get a free additional guest as a benefit.

[NigelHamilton]

I had this a few months ago. It turned out Barclays had slashed my credit limit (by 90%). They sent a letter a few days later. When I complained to them to find out why, they told me it was to do with info on specific credit reports. I checked these by ordering them and there was nothing.

Suffice to say I barely use the card now, although they have stopped the monthly fee. The other thing analogous with you is I had also put substantial work expenses through.

[NigelHamilton]

It comes down to a very simple equation. Pay less up front but know you have no backup if you have a problem, or pay a little more for much better service if something goes wrong.

[NigelHamilton]

It’s not permissable to charge more/an additional fee for using a personal credit card and a business should know this. It is permissable not to accept AMEX Personally I’d steer well clear given the amount.

[NigelHamilton]

I just looked quickly on the KLM website (search for flights with miles assuming you have a Flying Blue log in), and for example there are reward flights available from LBA to HND on 18-25 November. Premium Economy is a lot of points however!

[NigelHamilton]

I’ve booked several families of five to Japan, limits the hotel choices but very doable. As an example, the Fav Tokyo Nishinippori has suites that sleep six. And enough choice of rooms at all price levels. Just generally avoid the Western chains which are overpriced compared to the equivalent Japanese offering.

[NigelHamilton]

The company I use for South Africa is East Cape Tours, a local agent set up and owned by an expat Brit. They are fantastic, particularly in their hotel selection, which are mostly independent gems. Booking this through an independent agency will get you a better experience than some of the more generic tour agencies, for around the same price. South Africa is probably the only African safari destination I would suggest it is OK to book yourself, so it can be done this way (I grew up in Kenya so am comfortable self-booking elsewhere, but I wouldn’t advise it, you are adding hassle for minimal if any saving over a good operator).

[NigelHamilton]

I nearly always fly BA and this has been a place on my bucket list for ages but with those flight times I can’t see much benefit. There’s certainly none to going in club as it’s too late to want to eat on the plane and not enough time to sleep. On the basis Luton is also closer than Heathrow I’ll be doing Easyjet for this one!

[NigelHamilton]

If you are going to Bonn and enjoy trains/scenery/walking I would highly recommend taking the train down the Romantic Rhine from Cologne/Bonn to Koblenz and Mainz. Its one of the most spectacular journeys you will get outside of the Alps. You can also take the boat. I stayed in Cologne this summer for the Euros, it was OK and you could walk up the Dom (Cathedral) which was impressive. I preferred Duesseldorf – we stayed in a nice little boutique called the Fritz but they don’t have family rooms. Wiesbaden is also worth considering – little spa town.

[NigelHamilton]

While that is of course true, it’s probably not a business class flight, nor £76 for a child. Nor as sustainable. But the main reason to take the train is it’s just far more enjoyable than flying, particularly in Europe.

[NigelHamilton]

You can get a flexible, first class return to anywhere in Central or Eastern Europe on the train, travelling on four days in 10, including the UK leg if you don’t live in London, and the Eurostar for under £400 even in peak summer. It’s cheaper still if you are under 27.

[NigelHamilton]

BA Holidays key advantage is being able to lock in prices with a low deposit and hence not have to pay the balance until close to departure. This is exactly the same benefit offered by most travel agents, except the hotel tends to be cheaper than BA Holidays. BA holidays car hire packages are usually excellent value, so I still use these despite having access to net hotel rates. I then book the hotel myself.

[NigelHamilton]

One further tip, it can be busy every day, especially at weekends but also on Wednesdays, as most French schools don’t operate on a Wednesday. Getting there (the parc) early or staying late is a good strategy.

[NigelHamilton]

It takes a surprisingly long time to drive to Disneyland Paris. Train is much better, but usually more expensive. I don’t know if you can still do it but the biggest bargain was to travel in a motorhome and stay over in the car park (basic, but there are showers). In 2018 it was €10 a night with an annual pass but €35 otherwise, and loads of people did it. We lived on the other side of Paris so was perfect for us. The first time we went with smaller kids, we stayed in Seqoia Lodge.

My other tip is to do the opposite of what everyone else does, and get to the far side of the park as quickly as possible. You can then get on all the rides over there (pirates of the Caribbean is great) before the queues begin, then work your way backwards.

I’d also be amazed if a 10 and 11 year old didn’t enjoy it. There are several more exciting rides that should suit them. For toddlers, absolutely take a buggy (assume you would anyway, but they get really tired with all the excitement, and you can stay for the light show which is spectacular

[NigelHamilton]

Haven’t checked availability, but BA will fly to Kuala Lumpur from November, so a points flight to there with your voucher and then a cash flight on is probably your best bet. You’ll need a touch more than 155,000 avios for business if you want the lowest cash cost.

[NigelHamilton]

Don’t suppose you used a travel agent for your booking? This is the sort of thing I would (indeed have been this week) sorting out for my clients. On the hotel near the airport, I would say identify somewhere in advance who would be happy with a late arrival and has plenty of rooms available so you could potentially walk in. Or better still, contact the property you are staying at and explain the situation. I’m yet to find one that isn’t at least reasonable (obviously turning up at 3am wouldn’t be, but 11:15 would if warned in advance)

[NigelHamilton]

Hilton Quebec used to be 50,000 points for a five person room, but the room is quite small. The hotel will try and sell you a cash upgrade to a bigger suite. It’s a fantastic city though and hotel is well located on the edge of the old town.

[NigelHamilton]

I think it’s an interesting argument to make, I’ll be doing so on behalf of two of my clients who were delayed by several hours on a KLM flight. The actual reason for that delay was the late arrival of the incoming flight (though no doubt it will be argued that the IT issue caused that delay, an airline does have a choice where to position its aircraft). If a bank didn’t have sufficient back up systems in similar circumstances and customers were impacted, it would likely be fined. And airlines have a choice how much they invest in IT/Cyber security/back up systems. So while I think it will be a difficult argument, it is arguable.

[NigelHamilton]

If you must have a hotel, then perhaps the Divani Caravel (approx £2,800 for 8 nights in a family suite). However you may well find better value, not to mention more space, if you take one of the many lovely city centre apartments available in August

[NigelHamilton]

Get the outbound, ring up BA when the return is released and have them added.

And if it’s Vancouver, book the outbound tonight!

[NigelHamilton]

Also consider Mauritius (edit – just seen mentioned above – it’s about 27 degrees in July which is perfect for me but lower than some like it) but again BA only flies on certain days. It’s substantially cheaper than the Maldives for the same quality of accomodation (I booked someone for this July, admittedly on a honeymoon package which is discounted, at a really good 4* all inclusive in the highest category room on the resort for less than £3k for 10 days). Maldives is pretty special though (albeit best months are Jan-April)

[NigelHamilton]

I didn’t think much to Faro, nothing like Lisbon, Porto or Seville. Though the weather is lovely as are the beaches along the coast (Praia de Felicia is particularly lovely). In Feb half term, the Algarve felt mostly British (we were in Vilamoura) with little local culture but we found some wonderful restaurants in Albufeira (Taberna Vincentina) and Armacao de Pena (Metropole). Lots of golfers. My favourite town was Loule, which didn’t have any obvious tourist attractions but felt like an authentic Portuguese town not set up for tourists with cute backstreets and shops selling locally made items.