[runnerbean]

And if you haven’t already got it consider supplementing the Amex with eg free Barclaycard Avios card to pick up extra Avios where Amex not accepted.

[runnerbean]

I also see a direct flight LHR to Muscat with Oman Air.

We were also looking at Muscat as an alternative to Egyptian Red Sea resorts so interested in the thread and feedback.

[runnerbean]

Well impressed @brian, many thanks!

[runnerbean]

brian wrote:

runnerbean wrote:

We’re off to Vienna next week, Lonely Planet in our hands and Before Sunrise in our hearts….

I definitely noticed more Before Sunrise enthusiasts in Vienna than Before Sunset fans in Paris.

My OH would follow Julie Deply anywhere. To be fair, I probably would too!

[runnerbean]

Gordon wrote:

I’ve been to Nuremberg and Berlin for the Christmas markets, preferred Nuremberg,
I am happy to see a lot of recommendations for Vienna, as I’m off there next month!
Looking forward to it.

We’re off to Vienna next week, Lonely Planet in our hands and Before Sunrise in our hearts….

[runnerbean]

But booking two BA holidays to an 80TP destination for two people is on achievable now for c.£2.4k to get silver.

A £50k card spend plus £5k BA spend looks like a pretty grim deal.

Am I missing something?

[runnerbean]

Apologies @benjy2309, I’ve just seen that this is the Virgin post. Not a voucher I have any personal experience of.

Hopefully a suitably knowledgeable person will help

[runnerbean]

Or not of..

[runnerbean]

I keep track of mine and so far not had unexplained deductions, and I go through phases of using it and ignoring it. It’s an irritating process.

I’m not sure that giving them my data is worth the avios of the somewhat grubby feeling it leaves me with.

[runnerbean]

I ordered stuff from M&S through the Avios link just before 11am yesterday and had an email at few minutes past midnight confirming ‘x Avios are on the way’.

Never seen this type of email confirmation before. Avios show as pending in the app.

[runnerbean]

How many people are flying?

[runnerbean]

As a matter of interest where did you find the tracker in the app. I looked again yesterday but it is clearly hiding from me.

[runnerbean]

Looks like you need to do a bit more homework and manage your expectations in the short term.

Are you doing all the usual things to maximise collecting Avios? Eg sign up bonuses for specific cards, using a card that attracts 1.5 Avios/£ (Barclays or BAPP). Then there’s checking your current account spend and shifting as much as possible through the card. And BA shopping (I find this tedious but every bit helps).

This means you can boost when you need to.

Last thing, do a forward projection of expected avios and the rough date you are aiming to spend, plus when your well earned voucher is due so that you won’t have a shortfall in your Avios kitty when it’s needed.

[runnerbean]

Maybe ask Wendy Wu if they will sell you the trip without flights?

[runnerbean]

Not wishing to complicate things, but have you considered a BAPP alongside a Barclaycard instead?

[runnerbean]

I can’t believe you don’t already have a preferred option!

But if you’re looking for a vote then I’m with Scott on this one.

[runnerbean]

£50 is precisely £50 more than I was offered. We’re putting c.£2.5 through it every month.

[runnerbean]

At the risk of being controversial… it’s not the reliability that would hold me back

[runnerbean]

Ps Apologies, quote not working on my iPhone in portrait or landscape…

[runnerbean]

@orion99 Publicly available? 😱

I’ve shared loads of spreadsheets at work before and this one is functional but no way designed for others to easily use. I’d have to hang my head in shame for the lack of conditional formatting alone!

Seriously, if someone had shared theirs with me at the time it probably wouldn’t suit. Everyone has their own particular interest on what to track.

The original thread will show you the variety of things folks record.

I find Numbers on my iPhone remarkably flexible and easy. It’s great for all the various trends, calculations and urls from HFP.

https://hfp2026mar.kinsta.cloud/forums/topic/should-i-resist-or-yield-to-urge-for-a-spreadsheet/

[runnerbean]

This may leave you cold, but, with some encouragement from HfP contributors I spent time and built up my own spreadsheet for avios, costs, value etc and some dummy spreadsheets for dropping in various options.

It means never having do the same calculation twice and I’ve got a very clear idea of the cost of my own Avios and the value I get from them.

[runnerbean]

@NorthernLass That sounds like one of Stephen Fry’s early ‘adventures’

[runnerbean]

+1 on the taste of gin, delicious drunk neat.
We lived in Plymouth for a while and the tour of the distillery in town was well worth it if you’re in the area

[runnerbean]

Yes, like that, or a Man – non-uk instead on LHR.

[runnerbean]

@ NorthernLass This option had never occurred to me.

I realise this is off topic for this specific post, but is there any reason why a BA hol couldn’t be combined with a 241 eg for the flights out and return to a useful positioning point, with the BA hotels used there and the ultimate long haul destination?