Can anyone give hints on the best chance we’ve got — which airports in China or South East Asia may have more Avios availability for F?

Maybe that’s what I should try using on the form.

Tempting indeed, especially the first option.

One would hope they would refund the Premium vs. Upper difference in points and fees.

Since most of you would accept one of the compensation packages, I imagine a few who received the same email have already jumped at the downgrade, especially since I noticed the email two days after it had been sent.

If you have specific questions about Avios, hotels or credit cards, please ask them in the appropriate forum and not here. This thread is a good place to post interesting deals you have spotted or your general thoughts on travel and all things miles and points. Thank you for contributing.

We caught the train from Zurich to Lauterbrunnen via Bern and Interlaken.The trains were about £160 per person return. We stayed at Hotel Steinbock in Lauterbrunnen, which is a typical basic traditional ski hotel. Our accommodation costs for 4 nights in a standard ensuite double room were £730 via booking.com plus a city tax of £25, with a decent continental breakfast included. The room was ample for our needs as we were up early every day skiing but luxury it was not. When we booked it on 24th November it was one of only two hotel rooms left in Lauterbrunnen, there were a few in Wengen but much more expensive (and having stayed in Lauterbrunnen on a previous ski trip I knew it would suit better as it has equal access to skiing in both Wengen and Murren).

When we factored in what we had spent on our travel, accomm, lift passes, food and drink etc over the course of 4 days we concluded that we could have had a 7 night package ski holiday in France/Italy/Austria for the same price! But with restricted dates and a last minute getaway you’re never going to get a bargain. As others on this thread have said, if you haven’t already booked your summer flights I would look elsewhere for better value for money. We are thinking of going to Slovenia this summer for similarly beautiful scenery to Switzerland but at a friendlier price. As lovely as the Jungfrau is, if the thought of the prices is already putting you off, best go elsewhere and enjoy yourself.

Just got notification that the $280 wasn’t taken by IHG and has been returned to me. Res is confirmed, so what happens… do I get a very cheap stay?

$245/night for 15k… I’m not complaining. Nearly as good as the 5 nights free at IC Baku last year when they refunded the points twice after I rebooked my stay at a lower rate

Otherwise you’re essentially being offered equivalent to a premium trip for free, not an upper trip.

100k flying points would be a hard pass.

Almost certain, there will be a cash advance fee from virgin.

Can I use go back in time on curve? To avoid this cash advance fee?

Oh ye of little faith!
Upgraded room, drink and free breakfast. Probably no points but happy with that.

Well done.
I got a room upgrade and free breakfast at a DT that was booked through Expedia (but no points), so it does happen now and again.

Glad you enjoyed your stay @AnotherUser. Out of interest what room did you book before being upgrade to the Junior Suite?

I have a two night stay coming up, first night on points and second night on credit card voucher. Given the points stay books in to the base room I am wondering if I should can it and pay cash for the first night for a King in the hope that my Amb status bags an upgrade to a Junior Suite which they let me keep for the second night.

I’m staying Friday / Saturday on a rugby weekend so it’ll no doubt be busy which will mean upgrades are thin on the ground. A King room is c. £300 whereas my base room is booked for 64,000 points.

I’d booked a King Premium City View room – they just upgraded me one room category. If you definitely want a particular room category, I’d be inclined to email the hotel and ask (or, if making a cash booking, go through Emyr and ask him).

Here is my trip report from a year ago, a few people have used Nandika and all as far as I’m aware have had positive experiences. If you need any other advice then I’ll try and answer otherwise WhatsApp Nandika.

https://www.headforpoints.com/forums/topic/sl-maldives-india-trip-report/

We’re off to Sri Lanka on Saturday (Avios ex-DUB-DOH-CMB as Qatar had 4 Business seats) but meeting Nandika on Sunday morning for a 6 day trip around. Thanks for recommending him, his pre-trip comms by WhatsApp has been excellent and he seems happy with my google maps route and self-booked hotels. Will report back.

Is there anything we could take him as a gift? Obvs we’ll give him money too, but just wondered if anything in particular. Have got Percy Pigs for the kids.. hopefully dental appts are easier to come by in SL 🙂

Stayed at a few ihg hotels in last few weeks, not stayed in one hg for a while, and the one thing I’ve noticed across all them of late is the sheer amount of notices and signs regarding the survey scores.

Signs up all over the place with big sad faces for 0-8 scores and happy faces for 9 or 10, or saying our staff get nothing for first question 8 or lower.

I understand how these scores work, I do them for my team, but the literature everywhere putting it on thick and trying to guilt better scores I feel is terrible and doesn’t give true scores.

I wonder what ihg corporate thinks of the score manipulation.

Anyone noticed this?

Yes in Holiday inns particularly. A dying brand if they don’t sort it out

Painful experience at the IC Westlake in Hanoi last night. Checked-in late and upgraded to a junior suite…all good so far.

But the key cards didn’t work. Reception staff then came along and affectively forced the door opened and took our bags in only to be greeted by a very angry customer who was already occupying the room! It took them another 20mins to try and figure out what happened and reassign us another room (I think the customer shared the same surname as me and they assigned him my room). Anyway, expecting the manager to get in touch this morning with a proper explanation before we thankfully move onto the MGallery in the old quarter.

I was there twice this month and it was fantastic. Reward booking upgraded to overwater 1 bed suite and club access. The second visit was equally great but no club. The staff were amazing and I am sure they ultimately handle things well. For two minor issues for me they gave me a limo to the airport. I thought it was a great hotel

I have a two night stay coming up, first night on points and second night on credit card voucher. Given the points stay books in to the base room I am wondering if I should can it and pay cash for the first night for a King in the hope that my Amb status bags an upgrade to a Junior Suite which they let me keep for the second night.

I’m staying Friday / Saturday on a rugby weekend so it’ll no doubt be busy which will mean upgrades are thin on the ground. A King room is c. £300 whereas my base room is booked for 64,000 points.

I was upgraded to a junior suite with Ambassador – an being upgraded like that doesn’t include lounge access (or isn’t meant to, at least). If you pay to book a junior suite, you’re entitled to lounge access.

You get a complementary mini bar in the junior suite, too, and a decent mix of capsule and machine coffee options

Ah I see thanks for the explanation 😊

Hopefully a Hfp winter party in Tenerife 🙂

Thanks for posting the offer! The lounge will be mobbed if it gets honoured 😀

meta wrote:

tiberius wrote:

Does anyone one know When Mariott error prices would be confirmed / outside of the cancellation window such that I can organise flights with reasonable confidence? Would be a terrible shame if they are cancelled 3 days before I arrive and after I had made all arrangements (for both family and travel). I saw a reference to 30 days from making the booking earlier in the thread, is that a safe bet? Sorry for all the questions…

It’s not an error price. I’ve seen rates at close to that level before. And have you even checked the terms and conditions of the rate you booked? Or maybe you want to call them as well to confirm so that they can cancel it straight away.

It was definitely an error price, it can’t be that low for a Villa, 1 bed suite. I would wait for a month or two before adjusting travel arrangements.
Hopefully, it would be honoured.

It wasn’t an error price. I’ve seen dates for £80 a night in the villa before.

For anyone staying at Ritz-Carlton Tenerife, Abama around 16th Dec to 22 Dec, I would suggest to check the price again for a potential new booking.

Fair play to you @shub. I got it booked just before it disappeared!

Signs up all over the place with big sad faces for 0-8 scores and happy faces for 9 or 10, or saying our staff get nothing for first question 8 or lower.

I understand how these scores work, I do them for my team, but the literature everywhere putting it on thick and trying to guilt better scores I feel is terrible and doesn’t give true scores.

I wonder what ihg corporate thinks of the score manipulation.

Anyone noticed this?