[runnerbean]

I think I can make the platinum card work for me this time round with current outsize sub, planned spend etc.

Any advice on best referral route and likely acceptance for this please? Specifically, I’ve got a BAPP with £20k+ credit limit (previous car purchases etc) and other non Amex with £5k limit. Balances are consistently paid off on time each month. Is this a barrier for a platinum card? I’d only want a c.£5k limit on it.

Secondly, is there an optimal referral route to maximise bonus? OH is a supp on my BAPP and neither of us hold any other Amex card.

[runnerbean]

Good start!

I keep a handle on three values per Avios ie

1. What did it cost me to acquire them eg card fees
2. How much can I buy them for, through eg boost
3. How much value did I get when I spent them eg cash price vs Avios + cash calculation

It’s one aspect of this game that’s not difficult

[runnerbean]

Our 10.25am LHR to DEL also cancelled for next October and rebooked to 18.50 same day arriving the next morning.

[runnerbean]

Toaster wrote:

Do you need the Plus account to be eligible for the fairer share payment? I think you can change to one of the no fee Nationwide current accounts and still qualify.

I’ve got free current account and our mortgage is with them and I got the payment.

[runnerbean]

+1 for the BAPP.

[runnerbean]

Ihar wrote:

As I said above, compensation should be down to the inconvenience/discomfort experienced. e.g. A non-working flat-bed is probably less of an issue on an 8 hour day flight than night flight. I can see “no IFE” as a disappointment, but especially in F/J I would assume everyone has a laptop/tablet/ebook already filled with stuff.

I think where more compensation is due is if it was BA already knew the IFE was broken….

I never travel with a laptop, tablet or ebook, so no IFE would be a pain in the … and a big treat for me.
And long gone are the days when we used to pack sarnies for the flight too.

[runnerbean]

Excellent write-up @Man of Kent. Many thanks

[runnerbean]

Not sure if there’s any age restrictions but a flight in a glider or small plane is affordable and immense fun.

[runnerbean]

Man of Kent wrote:

runnerbean wrote:

Man of Kent wrote:

We are due to transit through Doha from LHR on Friday morning with an 85 minute connection on our way to Muscat so I can report back on how it went if you are interested?

I’d be interested in your experience of the transfer and Muscat.

Arrived in Muscat this morning after an uneventful flight from LHR. I’m aiming to do a trip report when we’re back but on the Doha transfer it all worked seamlessly. We were on the 9.30pm flight travelling in Business and arrived in Doha a few minutes early, disembarked first through a jet bridge at the C gates. On the flight I was able to check on the departure gate for the Doha to Muscat flight which fortunately was going to be from the C gates also so no panic and made the 85 minute connection with ease. Departure to Muscat was from a remote stand so got the First Class bus (QR market their regional Business Class flights as First) so the bus only has about a dozen seats which are like armchairs. We were called last to board so no sitting there as everyone else files past bumping into you. Arrival in Muscat we were off the aircraft first and through fast track arrivals immigration and our luggage was already on the belt. QR just seemed to get everything right.

Thanks @Man of Kent. Hope you have a fabulous time and look forward to your reflections

[runnerbean]

Anyone used this with Vision Direct?

My first order in March is still sat in pending and second tracked but not in pending

[runnerbean]

That’s an unpleasant experience @Hace79.

I can’t add information to help in this instance, but we also had extremely close shaves at Florence airport last spring, where the immigration was very close to the lounge but the queues were c.40-45mins to get through and the staff on the desks were very very slowly looking at each page of passports for both the EU and non EU queues. We ran through the gates.

Similar experience at Vienna a couple of weeks ago. The BA staff on the desks said allow 15 mins to get through immigration, the lounge staff said 20 mins would be ample. In the end we were there 40-45 mins before the flight left and were faced with huge queues and were among the last handful of people to get through the gate.

Have we been foolish or lucky in the past, or is it an issue at specific airports?

[runnerbean]

Man of Kent wrote:

We are due to transit through Doha from LHR on Friday morning with an 85 minute connection on our way to Muscat so I can report back on how it went if you are interested?

I’d be interested in your experience of the transfer and Muscat.

[runnerbean]

Me too. Tried on and off to book cash flights today and no success ‘sorry there seems to be a technical problem’

[runnerbean]

I used to work with the public health department. Typos were always an issue.

[runnerbean]

On that theme…

It was airport bus transfer on Thursday. We were stood up and a youngish guy in front of us was sat down glued to his phone.

OH nudged me.

Young ‘un was watching a video titled ‘what should I expect at a legal brothel’.

[runnerbean]

Eew.

[runnerbean]

Thanks @masaccio, I hadn’t seen the Delhi to Mauritius.

Spent a happy (not) few hours on the laptop this morning being regularly kicked out of BA site, but if I’ve understood the rules and GCM correctly it looks like a LHR to DEL and DOH to LHR should work as an open jaw on BA with a 241 voucher then infil with beach between these dates.

[runnerbean]

BBbetter wrote:

For direct BA options, Bengaluru and Bahrain have plenty of availability, if your first choice doesn’t work.

Who said Phuket has bad weather in November?
https://www.selectiveasia.com/thailand-holidays/weather/november

It was the 186mm of rain in November that led me discount it. https://www.audleytravel.com/thailand/best-time-to-visit#oct. But maybe I should reconsider.

Bengaluru and Bahrain, helpful thanks

[runnerbean]

BBbetter wrote:

For direct BA options, Bengaluru and Bahrain have plenty of availability, if your first choice doesn’t work.

Who said Phuket has bad weather in November?
https://www.selectiveasia.com/thailand-holidays/weather/november

I was looking at 186mm rain in November https://www.audleytravel.com/thailand/best-time-to-visit#oct.
I’ll reconsider.

Hadn’t thought of Bahrain, thanks

[runnerbean]

Richie wrote:

BTW @Rob’s reviews of hotels in Oman are worth a read.

Thanks, will bookmark for the next stage

[runnerbean]

@masaccio, you’re right it may have been helpful to be more specific about beach time.

Snorkelling and swimming in warm water is high on the list, and my limited experience of the water off the Keralan coast is that it’s not a great snorkelling destination.

So Seychelles or Mauritius would be ideal, but I struggled to see reasonable routes from Delhi to do this nor to return to Delhi or directly back to London (flying out of LHR and returning to LGW is an end of trip hassle).

If anyone has a bright idea to get to Seychelles or Mauritius it would make me a very happy bunny. If not then it looks like Muscat on this occasion.

[runnerbean]

Gordon wrote:

@runnerbean – Thank you for your report, it has given me a heads up as what to expect, we always visit one European destination with friends every year, for the Christmas markets, so as we’ve found, there are countries that stand out better than others, depending what your expectations are, Nuremberg is our favourite so far, that we would return to, as the saying goes, you never know until you try.

Thanks for the nudge on Nuremberg. I have this and Hamburg on my list of future trips.

[runnerbean]

@Gordon, as requested, headlines as follows:

Firstly, if I’d read the Vienna thread before our trip this week it may have helped us find better evening meal choices. Safe to say I have no dinner recommendations but decent coffee and delicious breads and pastries were everywhere.

Four nights, three days was pretty perfect for a short break and to get our fill of galleries and museums. It’s a lovely city and easy integrated transport system.

Overall, we really rated the Kunsthistoriches Museum, the House of Austrian History Museum in the Hofburg complex, Papyrus Museum next door, Leopold Museum and the Albertina. There were generally queues for Kunsthistoriches tickets so would be worth booking ahead for this one, and I’d highly recommend paying the few euros extra for the excellent Rembrandt exhibition.

Mumok (sorry Vienna) just didn’t do it for me.

I think every museum had just one cafe. We did go to pretty much all of them but the surrounding cafes were more relaxed, quieter and of the same/ better offerings. What’s more, the Kunsthistoriches only allow re-entry to the Museum when the cafe is closed, so if it’s busy can’t or you can’t face the queue it’s tough luck. I don’t know if that’s the case with all of them.

We followed Lonely Planet to the Naschmarkt but I wouldn’t recommend it if you actually want to buy food rather than wander round looking at spices, sausage and cheese. It was pretty close in experience to being in the Grand Bazzar and showing interest in a rug. Lots of eye watering prices for tourists including cheese for 9-12 euros per 100g, and the piece we were hassled to buy for this price looked nearer 25g. We declined, repeatedly.

Vienna Lounge was good. I believe we were unlucky with our timing through passport control ie we were there 45-50 minutes before our flight and there were initially just two desks open and a massive queue. Got to the gate with minutes to spare.

Overall, great city. I’d probably not go back, but I would go back to other recent European cities such as Berlin and Florence.

Hope this helps!

[runnerbean]

yorkshireRich wrote:

runnerbean wrote:

@yorkshireRich is there a specific reason for wanting to go to Bangkok?

I ask because 2 nights implies 1 full day, which may be enough to get your body clocks onto Asia time, and either a flop by a pool or an uber/ underground to the Grand Palace or similar.

We found loads to see and do in Bangkok in Feb/March this year but it was baking hot and no 18 month old to look after.

Penang was similarly v hot but less to see and do, and spending time by the pool was fabulous. I would certainly have ditched Penang for longer in Bangkok.

one of the reasons, and I know people will shudder is the fact Qatar A380 fly there. My holiday planning is abit like a jigsaw, and with our business class flying coming to an end for the foreseeable, my wife mentioned how she loved Qatar A380 and had fond memories of flying to Sydney on it. With that in mind, and thinking we were going to Phuket, we opted for those flights to Bangkok. I do recognise that at no stage should anyone be daft enough to book a flight and a destination solely on the aircraft type, especially when one is booking on Qatar.

Anyway back to Bangkok. It’s a place we have fond memories of pre covid having visited quite frequently either at the start of end of our holidays. We appreciate now with an 18 month old in tow (or leading us), we will barely get to see any of it, but as you eluded to, it gives us a chance to get the body clocks adjusted, and gently ease into our surroundings.
As it stands (I have a tendency to chop and change), we have booked the Eastin Grand Sathorn for 2 nights in a suite which includes club room. I used my £300 Expedia points up (and a spare 50 quid) in the process. I was tempted with the Peninsula, but seems daft spending more than I need to on this occasion, especially with a early-ish departure to the airport after our 2nd night.

I will just add, having been to a fair bit of SEA Asia, We have never been to Langkawi or Penang, so thought a that a holiday predominately in Malaysia could be good. Ive just booked the Parkroyal tonight on free cancellation.

Thankyou Sam G on the tip to fly to the other airport in KL.

That explains the short stay! I see know why you’ve balanced out the trip that way. Have a wonderful time.

[runnerbean]

@yorkshireRich is there a specific reason for wanting to go to Bangkok?

I ask because 2 nights implies 1 full day, which may be enough to get your body clocks onto Asia time, and either a flop by a pool or an uber/ underground to the Grand Palace or similar.

We found loads to see and do in Bangkok in Feb/March this year but it was baking hot and no 18 month old to look after.

Penang was similarly v hot but less to see and do, and spending time by the pool was fabulous. I would certainly have ditched Penang for longer in Bangkok.