Norwegian drops lounge access for flyers in the Norwegian Premium cabin

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• Sam says:

  15 Jan15 January 09:14

  OT – have 70000 Marriott points which I wanted to spend on a 2 night UK stay for my wife’s birthday.

  Any recommendations for good redemptions at Category 5 or below?

  Or (long shot) any relatively cheap way of getting 30000 Marriott points by February 15th so I can do the St. Pancras Renaissance?

  • Genghis says:

    15 Jan15 January 09:15

    University Arms, Cambridge?

    • Guesswho2000 says:

      15 Jan15 January 13:16

      I second this, stayed there in November and it’s a great hotel

  • Chris says:

    15 Jan15 January 09:23

    Or Hanbury Manor but there’s a likely spend of not insignificant $ implicit with that

    For the points, probably not bar a poor value MR conversion, probably too late for SPG card unless anyone knows differently?

    • Sam says:

      15 Jan15 January 09:29

      Will probably try University Arms, if there are no other suggestions.

      Got most of these points from my SPG card and they took ages to post so doubt they could be transferred in a month, even though I could hit the spend on day 1 with so much baby stuff to buy.

      • Chris says:

        15 Jan15 January 10:27

        Don’t be too sure – once working SPG posting is often like clockwork, same day each month and couple of days between leaving amex and arriving SPG…

  • Sam says:

    15 Jan15 January 10:52

    May just do £100 returns to Paris and book the Renaissance Republique.

    Anybody stayed there?

    • BJ says:

      15 Jan15 January 11:08

      Just search HFP, Rob did a very positive review last year.

    • MarkH says:

      15 Jan15 January 18:38

      Exactly what I’m doing for 1st year anniversary in July except using MRs for the Eurostar. Rob’s review was very positive as are the ones on TripAdvisor

• Ben says:

  15 Jan15 January 09:16

  O/T. Morning. I need to book my return flights for a 241 which get released tonight. Which would be the best thing to do? I could ring one of the call centres tonight, but they may not answer in time. I could book a different return date which is available at the moment, then change over online at midnight tonight- this seems like the best option. Or I could book them as one flights and hope that they go back into the inventory tomorrow morning. I had the same seats last year and they were never released again throughout the year!

  Any ideas welcome.

  Thanks

  • Genghis says:

    15 Jan15 January 09:18

    My tactic is now to book online and sort out in the morning, hoping they go back into reward inventory. Not had a problem thus far.

    • meta says:

      15 Jan15 January 11:58

      Anyone knows if this tactic might work with the Lloyds voucher? If I book two one-way tickets at midnight and then call them to apply the voucher when they open in the morning, will they do it? I will need to do this in March. In the past I just booked it through avios.com at midnight and then called in the morning to receive PNR number, but now that avios.com account is closed I can’t anymore.

      • Ahop says:

        15 Jan15 January 15:35

        Worked with Lloyds for me before Christmas.

  • TripRep says:

    15 Jan15 January 09:31

    Why not phone and try and book online.

    You may get to speak to someone immediately.

    The US number reroutes back to staff in Newcastle IIRC

    • TripRep says:

      15 Jan15 January 09:33

      ps I take it this is a RTN route from NYE in Oz/NZ, if so, best of British…

      • Ben says:

        15 Jan15 January 10:55

        Somewhere like that! I think I will book as 2 one ways and take a chance.

        Cheers

  • Jonathan says:

    15 Jan15 January 09:58

    Doing a change online will be a hassle & probably take too long for a high demand redemption. Most reliable tactic is to book as a separate one way redemption for 2 & call up tomorrow to merge with outbound & get half the Avios back. Unfortunately this relies on having enough Avios to pay upfront.

• Roger* says:

  15 Jan15 January 10:05

  The Uber not-quite-news dates from October – https://www.uber.com/en-GB/newsroom/uber-helps-london-go-electric/ – and was reported in at least The Independent at the time.

  But what is Uber’s definition of ‘London’? GLA andd TfL have various descriptions – central congestion zone, North + South Circular roads, etc – but I have been unable so far to work out Uber’s ‘London’.

  I need to make regular journeys between (London Borough of) Barnet and (London Borough of) Edgware, about 9 miles, where public transport is a pain. An extra £1.35 per journey would make Uber uncompetitive against my local minicab company, as it already is for LHR and LCY runs.

  I’ll find out in 10 days or so.

  • Rob says:

    15 Jan15 January 11:42

    The article says it was announced last year – however the implementation date was only released yesterday AFAIK.

  • Alex says:

    15 Jan15 January 12:23

    Edgware is in Barnet

    • Roger* says:

      15 Jan15 January 17:31

      Correct, disregard mentions of London boroughs.

  • Tetly1967 says:

    15 Jan15 January 12:56

    Well I got an Uber from Wokingham station in Berkshire on Sunday and the Uber app said it was connecting me with Uber London!

    • Rob says:

      15 Jan15 January 15:57

      I was in Wokingham last week. Very strongly recommend the new Pan restaurant in the town centre which is a) excellent and b) pitifully cheap by West London standards.

• Lady London says:

  15 Jan15 January 10:10

  £3,000 or even £4,500 won’t go far towards the purchase of any electric car that I know of. Not even with subsidies. Might help cover a replacement battery that seems needed on these all too often?

  This sounds like marketing puff -the equivalent of ‘planning gain’ to make Uber and the London Mayor look good….

  I am fascinated by the benefits of electrically powered vehicles but right now the cost doesn’t seem to stack up?

  • Oh Matron! says:

    15 Jan15 January 10:22

    If we had a govt who actually gave a merde about the environment, we see charging points everywhere and 0% VAT on electric vehicles. We’d see investment into battery technology, especially alternatives to lithium, and other metals. We’d see electric only lanes on motorways, etc. We’d see legislation that prohibited diesel only taxis, vans, lorries and buses. We’d see investment into the electrification of train lines (I’m looking at you, Osborne, with your failed carrot of the Man – Leeds line). Investment into clean power generation, especially tidal.

    A man can dream…

    • Nick_C says:

      15 Jan15 January 13:38

      A large part of JLRs problems are people no longer want to buy Diesels. I think the government did care about the environment, but they also care about jobs and the economy.

      And if you care that much about the environment, then why do you follow a site specialising in (luxury) air travel?

      • Lady London says:

        15 Jan15 January 14:49

        I love diesels. The world runs on diesel. Most of the world couldn’t do without diesel vehicles.

      • BJ says:

        15 Jan15 January 16:00

        We can all add the 2 minute flight from Westray to Papa Westray to our bucket list once the aircraft are modified to electric power.

      • Lady London says:

        15 Jan15 January 17:21

        JLR announced a very nice looking electric saloon car last year. It looked quite a performer from the stats. So they are getting into the game.

        I’d like to see the Tesla pickup truck in Europe. But with Tesla hundreds of 000’s of people on their waiting list for any Tesla vehicle, plus how long it would take to get type approval in Europe, it’s just a pipe dream for me. Would be really useful for hauling building materials short distances though.

  • BJ says:

    15 Jan15 January 10:32

    It’s still £3000 or £4500 more than £0 I suppose. We had a look at the Nissan Leaf, salesman was defininitely an electric fan as his patter went way beyond the car itself. One interesting point he made is that the future of electric vehicles will definitely be leasing, not sales.

    • Alan says:

      15 Jan15 January 10:35

      Some have decent options for battery leasing. Lots of exciting new models coming on this year – the Fully Charged channel on YouTube is highly recommended! TCO is also much better thanks to lower maintenance and fuel costs. If I didn’t live in a flat I’d have gone for one!

      • Jamie says:

        15 Jan15 January 12:02

        Toyota/Lexus do a hybrid no charge model – so possible even if living in a flat

        • Alan says:

          15 Jan15 January 12:04

          Agreed, although more fancying one of the all-electric models – hopefully solutions will be forthcoming!

      • Chrisasaurus says:

        15 Jan15 January 20:43

        Toyota msomethingorother? Electric motor, hydrogen fuel, water emissions, no charging…

    • Alex says:

      15 Jan15 January 15:49

      Electric fan selling cars? What next – toaster running government???

  • Peter K says:

    15 Jan15 January 10:42

    An extra £4500 on top of a government subsidy of £4000-£5000 may make sense. However, the killer for a taxi would be the charging time. Even the best current batteries only have a few hundred miles non-urban and then you need to stop for 20+ mins to recharge. That’s a lot of down time with no fares.

    • Alan says:

      15 Jan15 January 10:47

      Although realistically in major cities the mileage covered vs time spend in traffic will probably be in the electric car’s favour!

      Had an interesting chat with an Uber driver in Edinburgh at the weekend – former black cab driver. He switched and says he’s earned much more since – not the same costs when going out (vs fees to pay for the Hackney cab), but more importantly continuous revenue. He said a black cab colleague spent 85 min waiting at a stand at the weekend in the city centre whilst he was continuously busy – means lower amounts per trip but more trips. He also liked that the app gives the driver 2-3x per day the ability to set where they want to try and go – this means at the end of the day (or if something to do in the middle of the day) he can get a fare taking him home, etc. Rather than be stuck doing a job to really far away and having to work his way back with no fare.

  • BLT says:

    15 Jan15 January 21:41

    Lady London, I’m not sure where you get your information but you come across as ill informed (no offence intended). I’ve been lucky enough to drive a Tesla for the past 3 years. I’m on a group with more than 3k UK owners and I can only think of maybe 5 or so cases of people needing battery replacements. Tels has a sophisticated battery management system which has resulted in people in the US doing hundreds of thousands of miles with a few percent of battery degradation.
    The Tesla is way better than any other car I’ve owned including, Audis, BMWs etc. One you move to electric you would never want to go back. Of couse Diesel is still required especially in developing countries, but developed countries should be moving to electric ASAP,
    Self charging hybris is such marketing b*ll$cks. it’s a tiny battery that can only get you moving before the engine kicks in.
    Finally, Telsa had between 250k-400K preordres for the Model 3 worldwide. They are producing 5+k a week so will clear the backlog soon. In the US you can get a model 3 delivered within a month. They are due n the UK mid to end 2019.

• SimonW says:

  15 Jan15 January 10:17

  O/T – Gatwick Hotels – Early morning flight from Gatwick South in May – What is the best airport for a family of 4 for one night. Am going to use it to trigger an Amex travel spend offer, so need it to be at least £200 to get me over the £600 spend. So not overly price sensitive. Will check cases in night before so happy to transit between terminals too. Sofitel or Hilton seem the 2 best options ? Not sure which is better though

  • Peter K says:

    15 Jan15 January 10:49

    Tried Gatwick South 2 nights ago and it is okay. Very good soundproofing in rooms, lounge something and nothing, breakfast in restaurant was standard fare. Did the job basically, though I was upgraded to the executive floor as a diamond.
    Beds are usual Hilton hard mattresses. We had 2 toppers added and they were then comfortable.
    There is the option of interconnected rooms which may be useful to you.
    The staff were very helpful. Reviews I’ve read of Amy’s restaurant in the hotel are shockingly bad so ate dinner in the airport.

    • SimonW says:

      15 Jan15 January 11:11

      Thanks Peter. I guess for the 12 hours max we will be there its a much of a muchness. Maybe already being in South Terminal will be the clincher.

    • Rob says:

      15 Jan15 January 11:36

      I was in the Hilton last Wed. Got a room in the new(er) extension which was perfectly fine and very near to the Exec Lounge. Lounge was far bigger than I expected and looked decent – I popped in for breakfast at 6.30am and it was fine. It’s more of a trot than you anticipate from the terminal though.

      Paid £95 which was £30 cheaper than the Hampton in Gatwick North and I got breakfast / lounge comped as Diamond.

      • SimonW says:

        15 Jan15 January 12:18

        Thanks Rob. Will book via Amex travel so assuming I wont get any benefits. Will grab breakfast in the grain store anyway. Feels like the Sofitel need to up their game.

      • Leo says:

        15 Jan15 January 21:23

        I know you aren’t price sensitive as such but I find the Sofitel and Hilton much of a muchness with the Sofitel a bit more expensive for no reason I can fathom. I think the F&B at the Hilton is better vfm too. In short I largely use the hotel attached to the terminal I’m using that day. I slightly lean towards Hilton.

• shd says:

  15 Jan15 January 10:20

  What’s the IHG booking horizon for reward nights? The booking form calendar won’t seem to let me go beyond 31 Dec 2019… ?

  • BJ says:

    15 Jan15 January 11:01

    IIRC, in the past there was some way of viewing a calendar that allowed you to make a booking even beyond one year but I think it closed. Perhaps somebody else can confirm or otherwise.

• John says:

  15 Jan15 January 10:23

  OT Lloyds upgrade voucher, are there any restrictions on changing dates provided there is availability? Is it £35 fee? Any chance of being able to do it online?? (I haven’t booked yet)

  • BJ says:

    15 Jan15 January 10:56

    You need to call and the £35 fee is payable. You can change dates, and also destinations provided the new destination is in the same zone. There needs to be availability to make the change at time of calling. Whatever you do, do not cancel your existing reservation or you will lose the voucher. I believe, but I am not certain, that changes need to be within the ticket validity date of the original booking therefore you csnnot use this approch to extend validity.

• Qwerty Bertie says:

  15 Jan15 January 10:40

  Regarding Amex travel offers on the cards.

  Across our cards we have 2 x spend £600 receive £200, and 2 x spend £200 receive £50. I’d like to call up and use these 4 cards to share the £2000 cost of some flights, thereby hopefully triggering all offers and receiving a total of £500…but I see in the terms and conditions it says online only.

  Has anybody previously tried the above idea, and how did it go please?

  • Alan says:

    15 Jan15 January 10:43

    Only used online I’m afraid. If trying to book something that can’t be done online then in with a chance but if you can do it online I’m not sure you’d have as much luck.

    • Qwerty Bertie says:

      15 Jan15 January 10:49

      That’s a shame. Thanks very much for your help though.

      Just thought of plan B however, which I think should work and get £450.

      The flights are for 3 passengers in Virgin PE, and it’s more than £600 per person. I can book each passenger separately, with a different card, using the 2 spend £600 and 1 of the spend £200. I think I read that these seats allow anytime seat selection, so can then put the three together…? I’ll go off and double check.

      • Alan says:

        15 Jan15 January 11:04

        Yep that sounds like a good plan to me!

      • BJ says:

        15 Jan15 January 11:30

        Good to see somebody has thought of a Plan B 🙂

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