Bits: see BA’s new BOB menu, 25% off Radisson Blu and Park Inn, BA / Avis deal renewed

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News in brief:

Changes to BA’s buy-on-board menu

British Airways has made changes to their short-haul economy buy-on-board menu – and, if you click the link, you’ll see they don’t look great.

There is a new tapas meat and cheese platter with a couple of crackers, a new roasted falafel and spinach wrap as well as a turkey sandwich. But several (healthier) options have been taken off the menu and if you are avoiding wheat or gluten, you’ll have to be happy with cashews and crisps.

The couscous salad and the fruit salad have disappeared without a decent replacement. You can’t get olives any longer and the sweets selection has been reduced from 12 items to 5. Yoghurt seem to have disappeared too. Basically, if it was at risk of going off, it has gone.

If you want to know what the menu was like before, here is a link to our buy-on-board article in January.

The new menu can be found on this ba.com page.

25% off Radisson Blu and Park Inn

Radisoon Blu and Park Inn have launched a half term offer aimed at families.

Club Carlson members can get up to 25% off during the Autumn holiday, free wifi, kids under 16 stay for free in the UK and Ireland and kids under 12 eat for free.

This offer is valid for stays between 16th October and 27th October in the UK and Ireland and stays between 13th October and 12th November in Belgium and France.

The Radisson Blu page to book is here .

The Park Inn page to book is here.

You must book by 24th October to get up to 25% off. The offer is also available at Radisson Red and Quorvus Collection.

IAG renews its exclusive Avis / Budget car rental deal

Avis Budget Group has renewed its car rental partnership with IAG.

The brands will remain the exclusive car rental partners of British Airways, Iberia and Iberia Express, with Aer Lingus to be added later. The two brands will also remain the only car hire brands to earn points in any of the Avios loyalty schemes.

In general, I think the Avis partnership has worked well. It does offer good benefits via avisba.com including a free second driver . The ability to earn bonus Avios by paying with a British Airways American Express card is a rare example of partner brands working together.

Regular Hertz renters will have to stick with crediting to Virgin Flying Club, although their 1,000 miles per rental deal is attractive.

How to earn Avios points from UK credit cards

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (December 2021)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways BA Amex American Express card

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up, no annual fee and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending ….. Read our full review

British Airways BA Premium Plus American Express Amex credit card

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

25,000 Avios and the UK’s most valuable credit card perk – the 2-4-1 companion voucher Read our full review

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points, such as:

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & two airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital On Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios:

Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa

The most generous Avios Visa or Mastercard for a limited company Read our full review

You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus:

British Airways Accelerating Business American Express

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.

(Want to earn more Avios? Click here to visit our home page for our latest articles on earning and spending your Avios points and click here to see how to earn more Avios this month from offers and promotions.)

Category

Avis and Avis Preferred, British Airways American Express, British Airways and Avios, Radisson Rewards

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

Joe B says:

15 Oct15 October 09:50

So irritating they got rid of the salad! Usually I have that even when I’m in club Europe so I don’t have to have that bloody smoked duck salad!!!
- Tilly says:
  
  15 Oct15 October 10:12
  
  My husband really likes that smoked duck salad.
  
  I get a vegan sushi plate in CE.
  - Joe B says:
    
    16 Oct16 October 16:10
    
    Yeah they need to change it up though, it’s been that for ages, gets boring if you are having to eat it twice a week!!
    - Tilly says:
      
      16 Oct16 October 21:36
      
      We don’t fly that often and certainly not enough to get bored of it. As leisure travellers we only take 2 European (sometimes 3) trips a year and one long haul. Can see if you travel regularly for work you’d be fed up of it. Unfortunately for me the furthest work sends me is York so far and everywhere inbetween there and London – all by train.
- HAM76 says:
  
  16 Oct16 October 21:41
  
  It’s better than the chicken piccata, though. I can’t even imagine having that twice a week. Once was more than enough for me.
Barry cutters says:

15 Oct15 October 10:02

The rye IPA from Addams is good. Had one yesterday. Will try the tapas on the way hope later tonight
Tilly says:

15 Oct15 October 10:10

Hope the falafel wrap is free from milk products. Have complained after every ET flight I’ve taken since they stopped the inclusive meal and introduced BOB as apart from plain nuts and crisps there was nothing available I could eat that didn’t have milk products in which I’m allergic to. If I am in ET I now bring my own picnic or make sure I eat before boarding.
- Peter K says:
  
  15 Oct15 October 14:17
  
  It’s so frustrating when you have an allergy/intolerance. It’s not like we are only a small number of people!
  - Tilly says:
    
    15 Oct15 October 15:56
    
    It is very common but I think most of us are used to having to have a plan B and either eat before or bring our own emergency food supply. Always use my boots card to buy a bottle of water on points before I go to the departure lounge. I take food too.
    - Genghis says:
      
      15 Oct15 October 16:02
      
      The free water with DT used to be a good deal but DT now costs £1.60 and more often than not, cheaper just to buy the water. As an aside, is there a water fountain at LCY?
    - Wally1976 says:
      
      16 Oct16 October 11:11
      
      Genghis – according to MSE – no, you have to ask in Cafe Nero or Brick Lane Brews. https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/travel/2017/07/revealed-no-water-fountains-in-more-than-half-of-uk-international-airports-
    - Genghis says:
      
      16 Oct16 October 14:17
      
      Thanks Wally1976. I wasn’t aware of that page.
Anna says:

15 Oct15 October 10:15

I still can’t get my head around how BA can claim to be saving money and offering good value when they are routinely pouring away litres of wine after every flight. On my last CE trip there were 5 open bottles when I got off the plane, all which only had a glass or two missing. I’m sure this represents a missed opportunity to secure good value for the actual customers!
- Rob says:
  
  15 Oct15 October 10:33
  
  It’s all duty free though, remember. Net cost is peanuts.
- Jimmy says:
  
  16 Oct16 October 12:30
  
  …and you reckon the next set of passengers won’t get served it?
  - Alan says:
    
    16 Oct16 October 19:34
    
    AIUI they have to bin it at the end of the flight due to it being duty-free?
W says:

15 Oct15 October 10:35

Just for the record avoid EasyJet/Europcar out of Inverness. The station is a shambles and, if, for example rogue charges appear and you need to challenge, good luck!

It is, however, the only option arriving late.
Anna says:

15 Oct15 October 10:47

OT: We need to fly from Washington DC to the Caribbean next August. Avios price pp is 15,000 avios plus £4.30 in tax because it’s two sectors. Cash price is only £134 pp, which doesn’t really make it worth using the avios IMO. If I book these flight with AA, will I get any avios and/or tier points?
- Genghis says:
  
  15 Oct15 October 11:11
  
  You will get avios and TPs on the cash fare
  Check out https://www.britishairways.com/travel/flight-calculator/public/en_gb
  - Genghis says:
    
    15 Oct15 October 11:13
    
    Who you book the flight with (ie with BA, AA, Expedia etc) is irrelevant, just the flight itself and the booking class
Genghis says:

15 Oct15 October 12:03

OT. Inspired by my recent Scotland trip, I’m keen to explore more of the UK.
Never been to Northern Ireland. Any locals have any tips?
- Trent says:
  
  15 Oct15 October 12:17
  
  Titanic Belfast, Giant’s Causeway, a Black Cab Tour of Belfast… all very good!
  - Stu_N says:
    
    15 Oct15 October 14:14
    
    First time in Norn Ireland for me this summer. Antrim Coast is spectacular – Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, Causeway was brilliant (and that is despite the massive tourist trap it has become – do the clifftop walk on the way back from the Causeway and skip the visitor centre) and the beaches amazing. Derry-Londonderry wall walking tour is great as well if you’re heading over that way. Really enjoyed Belfast too. Belfast City is a great wee airport and nothing is that far away from anywhere.
    - Genghis says:
      
      15 Oct15 October 15:05
      
      Thanks guys
- John says:
  
  15 Oct15 October 16:01
  
  Don’t recommend Giant’s Causeway at this time of year unless you like getting drenched.
  
  Fly to George Best City (BA, Aer Lingus, Flybe) rather than Belfast International (EasyJet, Ryanair) which is miles from Belfast.
  
  Non privatised Translink runs trains/buses/coaches and has surprisingly good deals (anywhere by train all day Sunday for seven of eight quid, 33% off train day returns after 9.30am, ultra cheap Web train fares to Dublin booked 72 hours in advance etc).
  
  Londonderry stroke Derry (aka Stroke City) good for walls, Tower museum but not worth an overnight: day return from Belfast or head across to more tourist friendly Donegal.
  
  In Belfast, ignore black cabs and walk or use red buses. Ulster Folk and Transport Museum ( few minutes by train from Belfast) much better than Titanic centre.
  
  Then stroll round Titanic centre’s striking building for free but instead of paying to go inside, do the free tour/new exhibition in City Hall – much more interesting.
  
  County Down coast great if dry-ish: train to Dublin excellent (sit on left hand side heading south).
  
  Lot of good restaurants and bars in Belfast: cultural activities pretty underwhelming.
  
  Bring rain gear. Avoid Ulster Fry.
  - Genghis says:
    
    15 Oct15 October 16:04
    
    Cheers John.
  - Alex W says:
    
    15 Oct15 October 19:54
    
    I did giant’s causeway on new year’s Day last year. It was dry but windy, wrapped up warm and it was fine.
  - Jimmy says:
    
    16 Oct16 October 12:35
    
    agree BHD – avoid BFS
    
    Avoid Ulster Fry??? Are you mad!?
    
    Eat Tayto cheese & onion crisps (ubiquitous yellow packs)
    
    Mourne Mountains & Tollymore (Game of Thrones territory)
leo_C says:

15 Oct15 October 12:52

Does anyone know if “Future Inns” are part of any large group or affiliated to the better known hotel groups?
Thanks
Leo