[redlilly]

JDB wrote:

@redlilly – I think that’s about it although I would add that it’s probably going to be very difficult to contact QR so you should make a note of the dates/times you tried and how long you waited unsuccessfully. Also, none of the rights you cite kick in until the flight is cancelled but at that point it’s going to get increasingly hard to find seats on alternative carriers or QR when flights resume but it will be harder to claim from QR if you reroute yourself before any cancellation so unfortunately there are difficult choices to be made and insurance isn’t really going to help. The refund and rebook option shouldn’t be entirely discarded. I hope you do get a suitable alternative booked without too much hassle.

Very useful advice there. Thanks @JDB

[redlilly]

@meta You’re probably right!

We have a family day today with the baby being introduced to the extended family, so we don’t want to be too much on the phone etc (this is only a fleeting visit). We wanted to be as switched off as possible, hence only just learning about the news!

We definitely still want to travel, and thankfully the first non refundable hotel booking isn’t until Sunday (not that this is a major concern). We will be away for 7 weeks so whilst want to get out there, we have a bit of time to play with. Blessed that we are not stuck anywhere.

We will look at flights this morning and later tonight. Cathay, Korean and Singapore are looking like the best options right now.

Reading the UK261 regulations, in terms of right to care… I understand that I need to give QR the opportunity to re route us. I will do this over the phone – albeit I know they won’t offer a reasonable re route (if they do at all) until the flight is cancelled. This is unlikely to happen until Tuesday. If they don’t re route us, or don’t agree to a re route within a reasonable time frame, I can state that I will book my own flights and seek to recover the difference in costs from QR in line with the regulations. I will not cancel or agree to a refund of our tickets.

The confusing thing here is, we are travelling with a lap infant and his ticket is under a seperate ticket number (infant ticket booked after he was born). Not that costs will be different, just a technical point. I will quote both ticket numbers in the call with QR.

I can of course just book the tickets sooner than the inevitable QR flight cancellation and worry about whether I can or can’t recover the costs later.

One and all are very welcome to point out if I have got anything wrong in any of the above.

[redlilly]

Eek. First I heard of this news was whilst I was out for dinner last night in Portugal, via the news on the restaurant TV.

We are flying with QR to Cebu on Wednesday on Avios in J from London Heathrow. Or at least I hope we are.

Looks like we will be spending Monday, on the journey home, looking at potential alternative routings and watching to see what happens next.

Absolutely terrible news for all of those living in the region.

[redlilly]

TJ wrote:

@LD27 and @redlilly I’m currently planning a trip to the Phillipines so very much looking forward to your updates.

Will do – we are staying a few nights in Mactan to acclimatise with baby, then heading over to Bohol for 1 week. So only a small area being covered, but I hear that Bohol has lots to do and see (albeit we will be constrained by traveling with a 6 month old).

Will certainly update on thoughts.

[redlilly]

LD27 wrote:

@polly – it was intimidating when one guy suddenly started to walk towards me and moved his rifle or whatever firearm he had. I immediately stopped and put up my hands without even thinking! No different from what we’ve experienced in places like KL. 2 single people sitting near to each other in Lounge, we started talking when glasses topped up. OH always complains I talk too much! Chatted about travels, Avios and the HfP came into conversation. Hope you get seats in J and preferably close to each other and may be first and final rabies jab goes ok. Safe travels.

@redlilly – if you contact Rob, I’m happy for you to have my email details. T3 check in is chaotic – I suppose it’s what I expected. Suitcase over 20kg, but didn’t get charged – flying Cebu Pacific. Qatar to Manila was a 777, 2-2-2 so had a chat to my close neighbour from Berlin! The beds were really uncomfortable and slope downwards so you think you’re going to slide to the floor!

I’m staying at Modala Beach hotel from next week. Go to El Nido first. Finding Japan tour rather challenging as I’m far more organised than tour leader. Still don’t have details of hotel for night before tour, so have got Plan B! My daughter still can’t decide whether to join me. Possibly last minute Avios ticket. Have decided to go to Shikoku for a week if she doesn’t come so have 2 different itineraries! She works in travel and is usually my ‘agent’ but this time it’s down to me as it’s “my” trip! You’ve got this all to come!

Fab – will get in contact with Rob for your email. Thanks.

Looks like our aircraft is a 787 to Cebu – J is 1-2-1. I have the basinet seat in Row 1, and OH has the window seat behind. Fingers crossed the seat is not as slanted as yours when laying flat as we will be sleeping for the majority of this one (famous last words with a baby who’s first time on an aeroplane is tomorrow!!).

I have heard that Manila airport is chaotic and Cebu airport is much more chilled.

Hopefully your daughter gets over to meet you in Japan and likewise the tour goes without a hitch. I have heard Shikoku is beautiful from friends who were there recently. You’ll have a fab time either way.

London is finally getting its act together – sunny and warm here today. Certainly adds a spring to everyone’s step.

[redlilly]

@LD27 – Very much looking forward to following you over to the Phillipines with QR next Wednesday.

Sounds like an interesting QR experience you had there. Note to self to pack the liquids in check in bag as usual. Just need to hold on to the baby calpol in hand luggage. Thanks for tips re food in flight too – we will order online, as with baby food ordering/eating is going to be a hassle. Flight to Cebu is not Q suites either.

I know we might be in Bohol at a similar time. Where is it you’re staying in Panglao? We are booked into a hotel (Amarela) on Dumaluan Beach.

Hope you also managed to get your Japan ideas settled for after your tour. We concluded our itenerary, and were booking up some of our trains and final hotels last night. Decided to take @meta advice and stay in Osaka for a while after our self drive around Izu. We will then end in Fukuoka/Kyushu for 6 days.

In the meantime, we have a quick trip over to see family in Portugal to pack for. Not ideal when sleep deprived due to teething baby.

Enjoy Borocay. Looks spectacular.

[redlilly]

tygerbright wrote:

Good to see Dishoom on the list. Have been to the Covent Garden OG branch but looking to take the Mrs for her first visit – probably for a lunchtime visit so I can make a booking. Would be keen to hear what other branches are recommended – I hear High Street Ken is a good one.

I like the one in King’s Cross. I also like the OG Covent Garden restaurant. I don’t mind the one in Carnaby Street. I don’t like the restaurant in Shoreditch.

[redlilly]

Peggerz wrote:

Data Point (I think):
Flew EDI-DXB return last October on Emirates in Y. At that time posted here that on the drop down for loyalty, I could send the miles accrued to my Aegean account as I don’t normally fly EK and haven’t an account. I was advised this would only relate to flights to Greece linking to other destinations so they wouldn’t track. Well….
The points from the EK flights have just dropped into my A3 account (no tier points, but that’s ok).
Every mile helps. During last summer I took a couple of internal Olympic air flights around the Greek Islands and to Athens. At 5000 points and as low as €0.30 each they were a bargain. And far better than 6 hours on a ferry.

Wow… that’s a long time! Though very interesting.

We still need to research where to bank our upcoming flights with United (Y) and Emirates (J).

[redlilly]

MGOR wrote:

In process of sorting flights potentially Turkish and malaysian. Flights are easier to/from Auckland rather than into Christchurch and then out from Auckland. Next question sorry on car hire. Do we for instance fly from Auckland to South Island and hire car and then either drive back up or do 2 seperate car hires for both islands? Final question is it easy to ‘wing it’ ir get a TA to sort a pre arranged itinerary? I can see the benefits of both but worry if we wing it we may turn up a at say Doubtful Sound and find its full. Thanks

If travelling at the end of March, I would start at the bottom (so South Island) are drive north. We did the west coast of the South Island in 2 weeks – starting in Queenstown and ending in Blenheim. We didn’t feel rushed. You can keep driving (via the ferry at Nelson) from the South island to Auckland, very easily.

We winged it – and that was in January (I.e. peak tourist season). So you will be fine doing the same in March.

You can’t really go wrong. I would definitely advise doing the overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound. We did it on Milford Sound, and it one of the main highlights of our trip. I believe there is only one boat allowed to do it in each location.

[redlilly]

Simon de Scoob wrote:

Advice kindly sought • cash flights to Oz

Many thanks for reading, first of all. I greatly appreciate it.

Would anyone kindly have any tips for booking RTN cash flights to Australia (ADL) on any of the main carriers typically featured on HFP? Ideally, in PE or J.

I remember a few years ago the good cash deals on QR out of Oslo or Sweden, but I feel sure those days are long gone.

Basically, my Aussie wife’s sibling is very ill and my wife needs to return to ADL at the start of May, returning to the UK at the end of May. As my ITA Matrix skills are not what they once were and because I tend not to glean too many good results from Google Flights, then any tips or advice would be sorely welcomed in terms of tracking down good cash deals via other means.

Again, thank you for reading. 🙏

Sorry about this situation. I am sure your wife is desperate to get to see her sibling.

I have heard from friends looking for tickets that one of the most cost effective routes right now is with Turkish Airlines to Melbourne and Sydney.

Aside from this, they have been looking at starting in different cities, and getting good prices from Oslo, Copenhagen, Rome and Sofia.

I think Adelaide isn’t the most well served Australian city, so if your wife is comfortable doing so – would advocate getting to the closest (whatever that means in Australia!) more accessible city and travelling to ADL from there. Good luck in your search.

[redlilly]

I agree, it hasn’t been well advertised and as usual is very confusingly set out. Especially for those with multiple passports.

However, Irish passport holders (including those with dual British citizenship) are exempt from the new rules.

If said person has a third (or more) citizenship, they will have to use the Irish or British passport to enter the UK.

[redlilly]

jintycat wrote:

Just reading that as of 25th February if you are a dual national you can no longer enter the UK on a foreign passport and you have to enter on your British passport, which not everyone has. I am usually good at keeping up with this type of news but not sure if I have had my head stuck in the sand as not read this before. Off to get my GB passport sorted before it runs out as hadn’t rushed as I had an Irish one!! Just in case anyone else has missed this news.

You can still use your Irish passport, even if you have British citizenship.

[redlilly]

Michael C wrote:

Also waiting to see if Legado piggybacks onto Sabor’s entry.

Ditto! Fingers crossed.

Likewise very excited for Dishoom to enter the Amex Platinum room. Perfect for dining in Kings Cross 🤞

[redlilly]

Just to close this off… OH sent a chaser email on Monday and the extension to 2027 is now showing in his account today.

[redlilly]

Flew to Oman in Y (Oman Air) with a girlfriend, just before I got pregnant with baby. We flew on the overnight flight and it was comfortable enough. Without checking, I think there is now a day flight, which would also work well with a baby. Bear in mind, its not a massively long flight to be in Y.

We are about to embark on a mega trip to East Asia with our 5 month old. Travelling in J to the Philippines with Qatar. Baby will be 6 months when we leave London. As @YorkshireRich says above – this is definitely the perfect age to be doing it. Just by seeing how he (baby) is at the moment and knowing how kids are once they’re a bit older.

I am blessed with being quite small, so am relaxed about sharing a J seat with him when needed. But, as @BAIHG says – bear in mind not many J seats are built for sharing (except the Q suite).

Also bear in mind when there is turbulence, the baby has to come out of the bassinet.

Regardless – get a baby carrier. We have the Babybjorn Harmony and it is a god send (it is £££, but 4 mums in our baby group have this one – others are available so speak to a sling library).

Oman will be perfect with a baby – great choice. Definitely get it booked it in. As speaking from current experience – when you are in the trenches, in the dark and cold of the British winter, you and your OH will be longing for the trip.

[redlilly]

Can’t help on ex Cathay seats for Qatar… but talking of Qatar, we are flying to Cebu with them in 4 weeks.

I have just checked the seats (having read a few lessons learnt here) and for the Doha to Cebu leg OH remained in 1A, with bassinet, and they had moved me to 2K (from 2A)! I would have had a very nice overnight flight. Others… not so much!

Not sure what planet they are on doing that.

OH is retaining BA silver for another year, due to maternity/paternity policy. So I have put him in 2K and me in 1K with baby and hope that common sense prevails and they don’t move him!!

[redlilly]

Mel TS wrote:

cats_are_best wrote:

Has anyone experience of using Abercrombie & Kent UK?

Thinking about a multi-country safari/sightseeing trip in Africa, they seem to have good coverage/presence in region.

Clearly at a premium, but from prior experience, things can go very wrong at short notice, which gets sticky when self-organising and there’s no mobile/internet.

Online reviews include some stinkers, but seem related to their USA operation, the UK ones look ok.

I can’t say how good the actual trip will be as it is booked for October 2027 so this maybe isn’t the most helpful comment, but Kelly at Safari Consultants was extremely helpful with advice (and very patient with my endless questions) so worth getting a quote from them .

Second Safari Consultants.

They were knowledgeable and informative from the outset on all aspects of sarafi (we were novices) and put together a fantastic itinerary for us for our honeymoon. Would definitely use them again when thinking about safari.

What I also really liked about them was their aftercare. They invite you to their yearly bbq in Suffolk, and sign you up to “Explorers against extinction” for 1 year after your trip.

[redlilly]

Dom wrote:

An update from my side, I still haven’t chased it up but was planning to do so when I get a chance this week. My wife however got an email earlier today saying that she had retained her silver membership, this didn’t reference the maternity extension and was the same as you’d normally get when you requalify, checking her account it now shows a 30 April 2027 expiry.
I have not received any similar email myself and my account still shows a 30 April 2026 expiry, I also got my confirmation of the extension earlier than my wife (14th January vs 19th January for her).
Given she has just received this email several weeks after the initial response I’ll leave it another week or so before chasing mine up just in case there is a queue of these being processed or similar.

Thanks for this update. OH received his confirmation of status extension a couple of days after he emailed. This was last week sometime. Still not yet showing in his account.

Strangely, we both then got an email addressed to him (to our seperate email accounts) with the exact same text (i.e. congratulations on the baby, your status will be extended), yesterday. BA IT hey!

I am sure they’re just chugging through the list.

[redlilly]

Mouse wrote:

@redlilly I’m sure you will have done this already, but as a general recommendation for anyone planning a Korea visit, the “Rhapsody” and “A Nation Of” series on Netflix will give you plenty of ideas for things to try on the food front.

In Busan I highly recommend a visit to the fish market and a meal at one of the casual restaurants just outside where you choose live seafood from a tank and they prepare it for you.

Thank you for the Netflix recommendations. They’re on the list to watch this week.

Just “finalising” our Korea plans. We will fly in to Busan from Japan, stay there for either a night or 2 (accommodation to be booked) then we will drive up to Seoul, via one of two possible routings. We will decide on which one closer to the time, as will depend on weather and energy/stamina after 4+ weeks of travel up to the point we arrive in Busan. We plan to be in Seoul for 5 nights. We have booked the IC in Gangman, but are now veering towards a better located hotel.

Thank you also for the Busan tips.

[redlilly]

Any reviews of Bluebird? Heading through the city on the bus earlier, I saw a branch has opened up by Liverpool Street. Not on the list – but Chelsea is.

We had lunch at Hawksmoor in Borough with the gift voucher we bought (with dining credit) before christmas. A really nice restaurant with attentive service. Delicious food and super accommodating of buggy.

[redlilly]

Brilliant read. Thank you.

[redlilly]

Oh no!! That’s awful news ☹️. Sounds like a complete nightmare situation.

Very basic question – are the aeroplanes United have on this route and their other routes in the Pacific “up to scratch” or are they on their last legs? As you say this route is regularly hacked and chopped, often due to plane maintenance issues. I completely appreciate the remoteness of the locations, logistics etc.

[redlilly]

Following as OH sent his email to baby @ ba.com , copying in callba.executiveclub @ ba.com on Friday last week. As per advice on FT, he left it until now (closer to expiry).

We are travelling to Portugal in a few weeks with BA, so if we don’t get the extension in his account before then we will use that opportunity to follow up over the phone.

[redlilly]

There are already quite a few threads on Muscat and Omani hotels in general, with a lot of helpful/useful advice. All copied below:

https://hfp2026mar.kinsta.cloud/forums/topic/oman/

https://hfp2026mar.kinsta.cloud/forums/topic/muscat-hotels-and-when-to-do-the-night-in-the-desert/

https://hfp2026mar.kinsta.cloud/forums/topic/oman-itinerary-car-hire-advice/

Headforpoints have also reviewed one or two hotels in the country.

For what it is worth, I stayed in the W hotel with a girlfriend in Oct 2025. I enjoyed staying there with a mate. I wouldn’t stay there with my husband and baby.

Be warned, if you stay on a Friday the music does get loud around the pool all day and in to the night. The majority of rooms wrap around the very large central pool.

[redlilly]

davefl wrote:

As always with this type of speculative question of which many are posted here, the answer is Yes/No/Maybe.

Take your pick, use magic beans, toss a coin etc.

This response in particular gave me the giggles. Lols.

My view / experience – lots of people travelling and transiting from the USA use the BA lounges, and their spending isn’t going anywhere south just yet. They will still maintain their status, and travel in J etc. and obsessively use the lounges.

Also – not everyone who is entitled to use the lounges does actually use them, furthermore the question doesn’t take in to account how long people spend in them (so we won’t know if they will actually be “busier” or not). So as @davefl states – it is a yes/no/maybe

No one knows.

I hope this question doesn’t keep anyone awake at night !!