[Supergers49]

We’ve taken a handful of Jet2 holidays from EDI over the last few years and my wife’s comment is always, “why can’t other airlines look after you like this”. Baggage drop is always well staffed, boarding smooth, generally on time, and arrivals/transfers orderly. We’re heading back to Turkey with them in May and are looking forward to it.

Thanks for the excellent (as always) trip report.

[Supergers49]

ekposh wrote:

jintycat wrote:

Good morning from a snowy Budapest. Will be warm in the thermal baths though today! Lovely breakfast at BEM Kimpton, which is a beautiful hotel and great service. Booked with the hotel collection with Amex 3 nights for price of 2, 100 dollars to spend. A good deal for £325 for 2 people. Thankfully brought the Amex as all spend has to be paid with that. Looking forward to the social hour at 5pm..

How does one get 3 for 2?

You need to have an appropriate Amex card and book via Amex Travel.

[Supergers49]

I’ve only ever had really bad or really good experiences at FRA. I would only connect through on a single ticket and when FRA is my departure point, I always turn up at least 3 hours early even if its just with HBO.

For the OP, unfortunately the only financial solution to the problem will be travel insurance.

[Supergers49]

Thanks everyone. Unfortunately I think the majority of the benefit would be in 2027, so I might go with the CSU instead.

[Supergers49]

NorthernLass wrote:

@Supergers49, sounds delightful. How is Mrs Supergers?

The pain is subsiding now, though the sprained ankle is still reducing her mobility. She was pleased to see proper steps at the plane door at both ends of our outbound flight 😀

Thanks for asking @NorthernLass

[Supergers49]

strickers wrote:

@Supergers49 Sounds fab, we will be there for 3 nights in June.

Enjoy. It’s always a delight for us.

[Supergers49]

Afternoon from the IC Estoril. It’s sunny, and the sun trap balconies are guarding us successfully from the 40+ MPH gusts (it’s boiling on the balcony, as usual).

5 nights for 181.9k IHG points + CSU.

Ambassador Diamond benefits:
– Breakfast
– €15 F&B
– Fruit Platter
– Sweet Platter

Other Benefits:
– It’s my birthday weekend and they’ve already confirmed cake and bubbly on Monday to my wife.
– Monte Estoril train station stocks the same size Super Bock and Tonic Water bottles as the Mini-Bar fridge 😂

We love this place in February. Absolute bargain luxury and a great way to recharge the batteries.

[Supergers49]

Depends time of day, what you want, and where your flight departs from.

Ignoring the BA Lounge:

– Best for Breakfast: Aspire
– Best for Drinks: Turkish (has some interesting Lomond Gins and Whiskies and a decent enough lager).
– Best for Gates 1-5: Escape
– Best for Food: BYO 🙂

[Supergers49]

Wonderful advice as always @JDB

[Supergers49]

@JDB – Thanks for the advise. As you suspected travel insurance has no value here. It is not designed to cover loss of earnings and both HSBC and Amex exclude medical treatment in your country of residence (which I think is normal). We do have Legal Expenses Cover with our home insurance for Personal Injury, so will progress with them.

Am I right in thinking that it is Article 17 of the Montreal Convention that relates to personal injury and duty of care? I wanted to check, as I want to include reference to it in my initial correspondence with Ryanair. On that point, the Ryanair website only allows EU261 compensation requests through their online form, so I am struggling to find the appropriate route to lodge an initial claim. I suspect I will need to resort to an old fashioned letter and recorded delivery.

Mrs Supergers has been signed off for two weeks by her GP to mitigate exacerbation of her osteoarthritis, and she has had her tooth temporarily fixed. The opticians have also said that the floater she experienced appears to have completely disappeared from her field of vision. Overall she’s recovering slowly and would like to get back to work to earn again before the two weeks expires. Hopefully things progress well as we are supposed to be off to the IC Estoril, in 9 days… coincidentally the time her sick-note elapses. So that will be more time off unpaid (though hopefully for a much nicer reason)!

JDB wrote:

@Supergers49 – I hope your wife makes a speedy and full recovery. Ryanair owes her a duty of care (very distinct from the Article 9 right to care) under the Montreal Convention which does cover disembarkation. I would lodge an initial claim (obviously making no admissions) with Ryanair immediately setting out details of the incident, saying that you will provide further and better particulars of the claim and quantum which will include, but are not limited to medical treatment and loss of earnings. I’m not sure how helpful travel insurance will be in these circumstances (and they will anyway expect you to claim from Ryanair first) but you may want to contact one of them anyway, having ascertained which offers the best potential for this situation. You may also have legal cover under your home insurance and if you do, I would consult with them at the earliest opportunity. Alternatively, there are solicitors that specialise in airline personal injury claims.

[Supergers49]

Thanks for the inputs @ChrisBCN, @Tracey, and @JDB.

[Supergers49]

Typically you keep the hotel statuses until the ends of their respective membership years… and I’ve never had a Meliá ask for the Platinum card (as they only care about your Meliá Rewards Gold status.

It should work but isn’t completely without risk.

ahow35 wrote:

Can anyone foresee any problems if I open a Platinum Card, use the benefits (20% Meliá discount and food vouchers) then cancel the Platinum card for a pro-rata refund.

[Supergers49]

Thanks @NorthernLass. Unfortunately my wife didn’t have a spare hand due to bags (we were in Gdansk and the weather has been -13°C so big bulky clothes were necessary).

The Fire Service were quite scathing about the steps given the amount rain and wind we’re experiencing in Edinburgh. Hopefully they do capture it.

That echoes my concern with the insurance, though I believe insurance typically covers you to the point of your residence I’m nervous about what we’ll able to recover from them and might need to see whether Ryanair will take any form of responsibility.

[Supergers49]

Hotel: Radisson Blu Hotel,
Upgraded: Yes – Standard Room to Suite with roof top view
Stay duration: 4 nights
Welcome gift: Snack Box & Free Mini-Bar 1st Night
Late check out: Yes 4PM (no quibbles)
Breakfast: Good Selection. Poor fruit juices though.

We really enjoyed our stay. The staff, location, and status recognition were all excellent. Will return.

[Supergers49]

My account shows Tier Start in Oct-24 and expiry of 12-99. Just taking my first stay since availing of the Club Avolta status match.

[Supergers49]

Thanks @Skywalker. I’ve used the Webform. I’m not an Accor+ subscription member, just a lowly Silver now. So we will see if they respond.

[Supergers49]

7Stern Brau if you want something Germanic and down to earth. Great beer and food.

[Supergers49]

jintycat wrote:

Is £40 for Glenrothes not expensive.. lol

It’s bargain of the century 😉

[Supergers49]

Loving the collective work.

[Supergers49]

I got a strange email on Thurs/Fri last week from Amex advising that I had redeemed 0 MR points for a £5 statement credit. Initially I thought it was spam, then I thought my account had been compromised. When I raised it with an agent they advised that I had redeemed a statement credit for £5 by paying off my card by bank transfer. I don’t believe I ever signed up for such a statement credit, and I don’t remember it being advertised but given I am unlikely to be getting a Christmas bonus from my employer… this is probably as good as its going to get!

[Supergers49]

andrewcook wrote:

There are at least 3 trains an hour between Munich and Salzburg with walk up fares starting from around €30. Can’t see any advantage to booking a rail-air package.

Because some how adding the VIEZSB leg halved the overall cost of the outbound flights… bonkers I know.

[Supergers49]

IC Estoril is our favourite. The ocean view rooms are wonderful, the breakfast experience is fantastic, and has been mentioned because it’s small it has lovely personal boutique feel.

IC Paris Le Grand is good as well. We ended up with an Eiffel Tower view room. The room was smallish but well appointed. The lounge was great.

IC Amstel is a lovely building and the Amstel view rooms were great. We didn’t get to experience the food or breakfast.

The IC Madrid used to be excellent, let down slightly by location. The breakfast remains good but the lounge is waining and the rooms need a refresh.

IC Warsaw – I have a soft spot for this one. The restaurant is excellent. The rooms are becoming a little dated but the views are surprisingly good.

I didn’t think much of the IC Lisbon. The Vignette is far better. IC O2 is surprisingly nice just not a destination property. I miss the IC Carlton Cannes… we were regulars there and we were treated really well.

[Supergers49]

Lady London wrote:

I’d be going via Munich.

We usually fly easyJet to MUC and hire a car there. However, that is coming out considerably more expensive than flying/training EDIVIEZSB SZGFRAEDI. Additionally, collecting a hire car from Freilassing it considerably cheaper than MUC as well.

[Supergers49]

Thanks @EDB99

Apologies, I think Express Rail is what I was referring to. The train leg of the journey states the following in the proposed itinerary on the LH app,

“Reference number OS 3545 operated by OEBB TRAIN”

[Supergers49]

@maehara – I think that’s it but Virgin CSAs are clueless unfortunately.