Get a 20% discount on Heathrow Express train tickets

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• BJ says:

  10 May10 May 06:00

  Story I heard from Chinese friends in Edinburgh was that the service was not even popular with the Chinese community. Prices were too high, and many were flying to places other than Beijing and alternative 1 or 2 stop options were better. KLM seems to be the airline of choice for most of them if what I’m told is true.

• Colin MacKinnon says:

  10 May10 May 07:33

  Hainan also offering up to $305,000 a year for western captains – so not a low cost carrier!

• The Lord says:

  10 May10 May 07:36

  OT – Booked a 4 night Hilton advance purchase. Checking the credit card this morning looks as though I’ve only been charged for 3 nights. Any idea why?

  • The Original John says:

    10 May10 May 08:47

    Need more details. Are you sure it isn’t user error.

    If it’s important you are charged for everything right now, contact hotel, nobody else can make them charge you.

    • The Lord says:

      10 May10 May 09:07

      Definitely booked for 4 nights. Doesn’t matter if I pay now or later but wondering when the remaining amount is due as I thought 100% was due at time of booking but seems only 75% has been taken

      • Qwerty Bertie says:

        10 May10 May 15:17

        Hilton have an ongoing offer for when you book in advance and pay cash, something along the lines of 25% off when three nights or more, but I can’t remember the exact terms and conditions. Anyway, I suspect you have unwittingly met the terms/the booking has been caught under this offer.

• Trent says:

  10 May10 May 07:50

  Tickets are available to purchase on the Hainan flights from Dublin/Edinburgh to Beijing right up to 26 October on the Hainan web site now. They weren’t loaded until a day or so ago, which means everything up to the end of the northern Summer schedule is now loaded. Therefore, it’s not confirmed it is ending, as I heard Hainan are notoriously late at loading their schedules.

  • Rob says:

    10 May10 May 08:00

    Cheers Trent.

• BJ says:

  10 May10 May 07:51

  OT: Currently awaiting surgery which will not now happen before my next trip. Presumably I need to notify travel insurance about this to ensure I’m covered? Tests carried out showed up two other potential conditions that doctors have also declared might be nothing, and show no interest in investigating further as I am in good health and showing no related symptoms or adverse test results. Presumably I still need to notify insurance about these too? None of these things were known to me at time of making my travel plans. I wish to travel but want to ensure I’m covered but a bit clueless about what I need to inform insurance or not.

  • Rob says:

    10 May10 May 07:58

    Do you? Not sure there is any requirement to provide on-going reports for trips booked before this came up. What you need to do for future bookings is a different question, but I still don’t think you need to declare anything – the insurer if you claim will then ask for proof that you were not informed of the issue until after booking.

    Different story if you are buying insurance instead of using a free Amex etc policy, since a paid policy is priced based on your existing history.

    • BJ says:

      10 May10 May 08:27

      Thanks Rob, I hope you are right. I’m concerned though that there may be a clause about notifying them of any changes or the policy may become invalid. I’ll dig out the policy details.

      • Peter K says:

        10 May10 May 09:08

        I’ve seen polices in the past where you have to inform them of health changes after buying the policy and they may then charge extra to cover it! What is the point of such cover?
        Is definitely check your policy documents.

        • Shoestring says:

          10 May10 May 09:17

          Depends on start date of the cover. General advice is to begin your cover some time *before* your journey starts, as if something comes up before you travel, you often won’t otherwise be covered. Many policies are quite explicit about this. Eg you insure yourself for holiday 1st – 15th June. Mum dies on 25th May and you feel you can’t go on hols after all. Some policies won’t pay out in that scenario.

        • BJ says:

          10 May10 May 09:23

          Yes, just been reading my policy document and it is absolutely clear this is the case with Nationwide FlexPlus insurance even where conditions only become known after booking. If I don’t notify them it appears that I am still covered for cancellation but not automatically for medical treatment. I will call them Monday morning and report back on my experience.

        • Charlieface says:

          10 May10 May 09:54

          If you don’t want to pay they will still cover cancellation. Essentially they are saying they prefer you cancel now rather than rack up a huge medical bill.

        • BJ says:

          10 May10 May 10:35

          Thanks Charlieface, that makes sense. However, I have not been advised by any doctor against travel even though they know I am planning to do so, and the surgery is recommended as opposed to necessary. Thus, I hope they will see sense and cover me.

      • Mikeact says:

        10 May10 May 10:59

        In my opinion, you should call your insurance company NOW. Give them a complete update as you’ve explained here. Trust me, if you run into a problem, that’s when the questions are asked, in detail, if particularly serious. And when they talk to your doctor, then will then find out the full story. We’re off to S America shortly….didn’t have to call our insurance company but as all calls are recorded, I just advised them and asked for any particular advice as to our destination. I wouldn’t rely on taking any chances whatsoever.

        • BJ says:

          10 May10 May 17:18

          Followed Mike’s advice and got the same result as Graeme. Now fully covered for an extra £132 which is very fair I think for the extra risk they are underwriting, and the peace of mind it brings me. Thanks to everybody for your feedback and support, it proves once again HFP community is great first port of call to get sound advice and work out the best way forward on all travel-related matters 🙂

  • Graeme says:

    10 May10 May 11:20

    BJ – I had something similar and had Aviva insurance and had to notify them and pay an additional premium to cover my injury.

    • BJ says:

      10 May10 May 17:22

      +1 for Nationwide FlexPlus

• Neal says:

  10 May10 May 08:10

  No sure if the EDI-DUB segment on Hainan is bookable using Alaska miles?

  • Lyn says:

    10 May10 May 10:33

    Alaska only offers award travel within Europe on Finnair.

• Jason says:

  10 May10 May 08:20

  Data point: Hilton Triple points highlighted on Monday worked on existing booking

  • Rob says:

    10 May10 May 08:49

    Good to hear.

• Nick says:

  10 May10 May 08:34

  For those who missed last night:

  OT anyone with flights booked (with seats selected) at the end of half term should keep an eye on them… every available A321 has been commandeered to upguage LHRMAD flights, so seat selection on routes that have lost them will have fallen out (no flights have been cancelled though, and no one has had to be rebooked, they’ve been clever about where they’ve taken them from).

  Anyone on the lunchtime 777 flight should note it’s been changed to a 77W so same applies. Flub is a safe bet.

  Anyone who wants a ticket (any airline), keep an eye out on Wed/Thu next week – MAD has imposed super-peak slot restrictions that weekend and that’s when they’ll tell airlines which extra ones they’ve won, so expect seats to go on sale immediately afterwards.

  Hope that helps!

  • Boi says:

    10 May10 May 12:15

    I am looking for flights to the US….your advice is it for people looking to go to MAD from UK?

    • Shoestring says:

      10 May10 May 12:32

      It’s regarding the UEFA Champions League Final in Madrid June 1st

      • BJ says:

        10 May10 May 17:26

        Hope Alex hot his Baku travels sorted last week, looks like he’ll have a lot of company there too.

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