Your flight has been canceled – what do you do? In the U.S., probably cry, get stressed out trying to salvage things and hope for an open seat the same day.  Well, if you are originating in Europe, you can actually get canceled flight compensation if you meet all the requirements of the EU law and file your claim within three years with the airline.  Now, while I was vaguely familiar with the EU law (EU Regulation 261/2004) and have the  EU Passenger Rights app on my phone to reference it was three days before the three year deadline that found me filling out my canceled flight claim with British Airways online.

Why did I wait so long?  I hadn’t waited because I didn’t think, at the time, that my EU flight cancellation had met the rules. My flight was canceled and I was able to rebook on the same day. It wasn’t until my TripIt app sent me an email from a third party vendor, AirHelp which said they thought I was entitled to compensation (I didn’t know that my travel data was being shared by TripIt so I’ll need to look into that). Of course for a fee, they were happy to help me process my claim with the airline (fee varies but is generally 25% of the compensation amount).  I guess if you thought you were getting $0 and they can help get a refund up to 600 Euros, a share arrangement might be ok.  Unfortunately, my situation wasn’t straightforward, AirHelp response time was dreadful and I was running out of time. So I decided to pursue on my own. So many eligible travelers never file claims either not knowing they are entitled to compensation or thinking it is cumbersome process abandon the monies.

Background Story – the European Sabbatical

Three years ago I ran away to Europe for a few months – not quite eat, love, pray, but more eat, drink, eat my feelings away from a job loss.  I had sailed from Miami to Barcelona on NCL Epic cruise ship and booked a one way flight on British Airways with my points from LHR – EWR (Newark).  The day before I was scheduled to fly home, before I could check in online, I received an email that my flight was canceled (the EU law is 14 days’ notice).  Of course, I was in a panic because I didn’t have travel insurance on this flight as it was an award ticket so any out of pocket costs would be mine to bear. But luckily I was staying with a friend outside of London so no additional hotel costs to worry about.  It was a weird one though because usually, with so many direct flights to New York airports (JFK and EWR) each day, I thought I would have been automatically rebooked but I wasn’t. So I had to call customer service.  Little did I know three years later, each step of that call would need to be recalled and the story retold.

Rebooking the EU Canceled Flight from LHR – EWR

I called British Airways and was told that the flight was canceled without a real reason quite frankly (which generally means it wasn’t a full flight and easier to cancel and move everyone to other flights – I’m just guessing here though).  The agent said that British Airways would waive the rebooking fee (gee thanks for not charging me for something you initiated). There were no seats available on any of the flights to Newark which is why they couldn’t rebook me automatically.  Could I fly into JFK she asked?  I wasn’t keen on that option as the added cost and time to get home would be an inconvenience and BA wouldn’t pay the out of pocket I incurred (cab to Penn Station, train to Philly). So I decided why not ask for what I really wanted – direct to Philly?

I asked if I could fly home direct to Philly (PHL) instead and she found me a seat on the same day leaving many hours later than I was originally scheduled. Flying into Philly was definitely my preferred option as there would be no train or cab costs or the additional 2-3+ hours of commuting. My friend was listening the whole time and didn’t interject his thoughts (I’d get those on the ride to Heathrow as he wanted me to stay longer especially if I could have changed the flight for free.).  We had a bit of a tiff over it on the drive so I remember all of the details of the flight cancellation, customer service conversation and ensuring itinerary. Funny how fights and every word said can be so memorable but I walk into the kitchen for something and I forget why.

EU Canceled Flight Compensation Claim Process

So I started my claim with AirHelp (third party vendor) online in February and then was notified by email for a few months that it was “in process”.  I then received an email asking for additional information such as a copy of my passport and identification information (personal information I was reluctant to share without a valid reason).  I replied to AirHelp asking why they needed the personal information beyond the basic details of the flight. A few months passed before a reply arrived that didn’t answer my question. I was not able to contact AirHelp by phone (email only) and having read that they are quite busy, the lack of timely response was expected, however, with less than a week left in my claim window of three years (I had until July), I decided to try to file my claim myself.

Prior to February, I didn’t research my options and a quick search on British Airways took me to the BA canceled flight claim form page full of information.

I completed the information requested with ticket locator numbers (this is where the TripIt app and iPhone Wallet on my phone came in handy).  I easily located the information and boarding pass information from three years ago to add.  I had no out of pocket expenses but did need to add context to my claim (i.e. – original flight Newark, new flight Philly).  With that, I hit submit and was annoyed with myself that I hadn’t tried this five months earlier when contacted by AirHelp.

British Airways Canceled Flight Compensation Assistance

A week later, I received a phone call from British Airways.  I was surprised by the British voice attempting to leave a voicemail when I ran to the phone to pick up.  The agent was very friendly and told me she needed additional information about my claim.  First of all, they saw it incomplete in the system by AirHelp and I can’t have two claims for the same canceled flight.  I explained the impasse and lack of response so she closed the AirHelp claim and processed my new one instead.

A few days after we spoke, I had an email from another British Airways rep who needed more information on the details.  So I mapped out why I thought I qualified for the claim

• Notification less than 14 days in advance
• No Club World (business class) seats on the flights to Newark from London on my scheduled departure day
• JFK being too far away and costly out of pocket expenses that BA wouldn’t cover
• Philly being the best option on the same day. The only Philly flight available was more than three hours after the original flight schedule.
• I threw in the tiff with my friend just to add a bit of sympathy because what person hasn’t had a fight over travel with their friend, family or significant other?

She replied “thank you, we will process”

A few days later, I received notification from my bank of a deposit by British Airways for the full 600 Euro converted to US$.  Start to finish claim time with British Airways – less than one month!  It was almost too easy – I kept thinking it should have been more complicated but it wasn’t.  You really can do it yourself.

Final Thoughts – EU Compensation for British Airways Canceled Flight

So thanks to AirHelp for letting me know I had a potential claim but after five months they ended up being no help to me.  Given that my claim was quite unique in the situation, I doubt that they would have been able to be the go between I needed with BA.  It was much easier to talk to someone on the phone and in email with prompt responses.  If you have a straightforward claim, I would suggest you go to the airline website directly to submit your claim.  There are many websites offering to help you get your EU compensation (for a fee) but you really can do it yourself in my experience.  Make sure to prepare your documents in advance (ticket numbers, flight schedules – original and new with times, applicable out of pocket expenses, bank account information for wire payment, etc.) to make it easier to complete the form.  So while no one likes a canceled (or delayed) flight, at least the European Union (EU) has rules to make the airlines accountable and take the sting of the disruption a bit easier.

Have you ever had to file for compensation for a delayed or canceled EU flight or other transportation method? Did you submit directly with the airline or use a third party service? What was your experience like?

Sometimes, I make travel mistakes – dumb mistakes – where I should know better but somehow I just fail at being a fabulous (ha-ha!) traveler. The universe caught me this time with a six hour layover at London Gatwick.  I also thought British Airways would know better (or be better) but alas, they were not and I was taught a lesson, thankfully not an expensive one or one that disrupted my travels. So this travel mistake (there are more stories to tell) is Flying on Separate Tickets with Checked Luggage (JFK-LGW-AMS)

I clearly remember combining separate tickets in the past, however, when checking in to my British Airways flight in JFK, I wasn’t able to route my bag to the final destination, Amsterdam.  I was flying on separate tickets – an award ticket from JFK to London Gatwick and then a cash ticket to AMS (I needed to credit the flights for status and there were no awards available).  At check in the staff member wasn’t friendly about it at all – she said “no, I can’t do that” and dismissed me after she tagged my bag. Thankfully, on hindsight, I had a six hour layover so was told I would need to go through immigration in Gatwick, collect my bag and then go to the check in desk to bag and tag it (i.e. – do the airlines work for them).  I asked if she could link the tickets and have the bags connect but she was done with me and said “no, have a good flight”.  I don’t expect much in JFK based on past experience so this was about right – sad to say.

How to Collect Your Bags in Gatwick (LGW) and Recheck Them with BA

I wasn’t happy with this predicament but had time to do it and thankfully am a member of the UK Registered Traveller program (similar to the U.S. Global Entry program) so I could quickly get through immigration.  When I arrived in Gatwick (my first time at this airport), I made my way easily through the UK/EU gates by slotting my passport in the reader and looking at the camera.  The gates opened and I was quickly at the baggage carousel waiting. When my bag arrived, I exited through the “nothing to declare” lane which passed by the duty free shop and spilled out to the arrivals terminal.  Bypassing all the signs with names on them, I walked through the terminal toward the Departures counters which were on the same floor and in the same terminal (no transfers required).

British Airways Check In at Gatwick (LGW)

London Gatwick BA terminal is small but easy to navigate.  The premium area is on the left with the regular check in on the right. I had arrived from JFK in Club World (business class) but was flying World Traveller (coach) to Amsterdam so I approached the normal bag drop counter on the right side of the British Airways check in area.  The BA staff member checked my boarding pass (on my BA app) and said I could use the priority desks on the left side of the terminal to check in as I was Silver elite member.  Priority desks would bag and tag for me but I needed to keep awake so I did the bag and tag on my own.

From there, I made my way up the escalators to the Gatwick security (noting to drink the water I had in my carryon bag) before I was on my way to the departures British Airways lounge (which required twists, turns and an elevator).

Flying on Separate Tickets What to Know (When to Worry)

Separate tickets work best with carry on only luggage or when you have a stopover in the city (i.e. – overnight or longer). Given that I’m not a good carry on only traveler, I’ll need to make sure I allow enough time to do immigration, collect & recheck bag and go through security. Three hours+ should be good at most airports but do your research.

If you choose to fly on separate tickets with the same airline or with different airlines, keep in mind:

Connection Times – the online system might think the connection is legal but is it realistic? If you are arriving international and departing domestic or arriving domestic and departing international – will you have enough time to collect bags and recheck them and go through security lines (if applicable)

Terminal Changes – does the airline fly from same terminal or do you need to take the bus, train or other to the new airline?

Security Lines – what are the wait times for the connecting airport – will you have enough time allocated?  I almost missed this on my one hour connection in Manchester Airport.  With only six people ahead of me and one security scanner, the non-travelers were beeping and requiring additional screening thereby holding up the line.

Carryon Bags (especially if the weight or allocation differs on connection) – will your carryon bag be ok on the new flight?  This is tricky if using low cost carriers (LCCs) in Europe or if your boarding number is near the end and the bins are full.

Delays, Flight Interruptions, Cancellations – If your first flight is delayed/interrupted/canceled/etc. for any reason, the connecting flight on the new airline won’t know, won’t wait and code you a no show.  If you miss your flight, your options may vary to rebook – you might have to buy new ticket.  Consult your travel insurance to see what coverage may be extended to your flights.

Reader Question: 

Do you have anything to add to help folks who choose to buy & fly on separate tickets?  What is your experience flying on separate tickets?

There’s a first time for everything they say….I just wish it wasn’t me that had to experience it so often.  Over the years, I’ve sat on runways delayed for no reason in the sun and other times sat on the runway because of Airforce One.  With nightmare travel days and travel meltdowns, taxi strikes, train strikes/cancellations, being stranded in London due to snow and so many other travel calamities, I thought I had pretty much experienced most of the downside to travel until last week on my American Airlines (AA) flight to Seattle from Philadelphia.  The AA flight delays are never fun and I try my best to avoid them in the PHL hub.  Since we are stuck between the New York and D.C. airports, as the middle child we are often tortured with delays due to their airspace.

Generally I have three rules for booking flights:

• Non-stop flight only
• Book the first flight out to ensure I actually get out because (hopefully) the plane is already at the airport from the night before
• Arrive at least a day early for a cruise (domestic) and two days early (international)

Bonus rule: First class is allowed if the price difference is small or the flight is long and annoying (i.e. – will be full flight)

Following two of my key travel points, I booked the first flight from Philadelphia to Seattle (at 8:05 a.m.) forgetting that I needed to leave by 5:30 a.m. and be awake and somewhat cognizant by 4:30 a.m. (ugh!).  I was on my way to Seattle for an Alaskan cruise on Holland America with O Magazine (and Oprah) on the Live Your Adventure Cruise, a new partnership between Holland American and O Magazine.

My AA Flight PHL – SEA

Given the too early departure time, I opted for a private car transfer to the airport with Embarque, a subsidiary of Carey Limousine which features hybrid Toyota Camrys and cost less than a black sedan transfer.  My driver arrived on time and I climbed in the back seat wanting to just lay down to sleep but sat upright to chat because my day was starting.  Little did I realize what was in store for me.

When I travel I’ve learned to plan for the unexpected for the most part so I bring in my carry-on:

• Hardcopy book to read
• Snack/food bag
• Emergency chocolate
• Plethora of magazines
• Lots of Music and Movies on my phone
• Games on my phone
• Gift cards to Starbucks and the airport Spa
• Pullover Fleece
• Cashmere Scarf (can also be used as a blanket)
• Bose Headsets

I arrived to a very busy airport at 6:00 a.m. and quickly checked in on the kiosk to print my bag tag and boarding pass.  The line to drop the luggage was quick and I then headed for Pre-Check security.  Now in the past, the Philadelphia staff tend to be a bit loud and shout at you which annoys the hell out of me and is the worst impression one should make on travelers at any time of the day.  Color me surprised when I learned that they now have a pre-check only side of security for Terminal B/C.  At the top of the escalator, there were three friendly staff members directing folks to the practically empty lines (now sorry to be the skeptic, but this was like living in a dream like state and I hope the airport can continue this).  There, of course, were a few passengers who got pre-check from the airline who, of course, had no clue as they had water bottles and so many items that even in normal security are not allowed.  Pre-Check otherwise was quick.

The American Airlines Lounge at PHL

Again, so far so good.  I checked the flight monitor and the flight was on time so I headed for the PHL American Airlines Lounge B/C. I am OneWorld Sapphire due to my British Airways Silver Elite status so I can use the OneWorld lounges in the U.S. for free (totally worth it for my weekend jaunts to London).  The lounge is massive and at 6:15 a.m. pretty empty so I enjoyed the quick Wi-Fi and a snack before going to the gate for on time boarding.  See at this point, I should have known it was all going too smoothly for me.

At the too small for the number of passengers on the plane gate at PHL, the crowd was half in the gate area and half outside of it blocking the hallway.  The gate agent told me to consolidate my handbag, snack bag and backpack into two pieces before she could let me through (annoying given that my snack bag will be empty by the end of the flight).  I boarded the flight and easily found my aisle seat in the first row – 1 D.  Given my issues in the past, I booked first class for the nearly 6 hour flight to Seattle.   This plane only had two rows of first class for eight passengers.

The 8:10 a.m. (EST) flight boarded at 7:40 a.m.

it was scheduled to arrive in Seattle at 11:04 a.m. PST (2:04 EST)

Flight Delays due to Weather

In Philadelphia, there was a cell of storms scheduled to come through the city after 10 a.m. so my flight would only be expected to hit that weather up in the air…..or so I thought.

Weather delays can really test one’s patience.  I’ve been stuck overnight (in a fancy hotel no worries) at London’s Heathrow when the entire East Coast was shut down due to a blizzard that dumped two feet of snow on the ground.  Other times, I’ve sat in Chicago O’Hare waiting, waiting and still waiting on the arriving plane from a destination that encountered weather delays.  So while we can’t control the weather, I’ve learned you can also not apply logic to travel and the weather.

Logic – it’s sunny in Boston, it’s sunny in Philadelphia so why are we sitting on the runway with an hour delay? 

Travel Logic – New York Traffic

AA Flight Delay – FAA Ground Stop

With the ground dry, we pushed back a few minutes late but nothing to worry about.  We had all seats filled but one.  We got in line for the runway (note one really awful part of PHL is the massive line of planes in the morning and evening) and sat waiting…..and waiting…..and enough time to chat with my seatmate in 1F.   As the delay pushed on and we inched forward, I could hear the flight attendants talking and then the captain came on to tell us “due to weather in NEW YORK, the air traffic around NEW YORK is stacked up so we are on a ground halt” (ugh, we are not in NEW YORK, but since we need to fly up that way to get to the West Coast, we are part of NEW YORK traffic).  We were told we could use our phones during the delay as well as the bathrooms.  I logged into FAA.gov to check the ground hold times, I was on twitter asking the AA team for updates, I was contacting friends in Seattle to tell them of the delay.

The new U.S. rules are such that at a 2.5 hour runway delay, you must return to the gate.  We were nearing that time out so I knew we were going to get out of line and go back to the gate (this was first).  The captain announced the same but adding that he had been given a new route around the traffic but we don’t have enough fuel to do it so we need to go back to the gate to refuel and get a new departure time. So we left the line and drove back to the gate.  It was now after 10:30 a.m. and we had been on the plane and in our seats for nearly 3 hours (or half the flying time to Seattle).  I asked the FA if the crew would time out and she said “no, we have 13 hours” (also good to pick first flight to avoid a crew timeout).

AA Flight Delay – Back to the Gate

The flight attendant announced that once we were at the gate, at about 10:35 a.m., passengers could get up and stand.  If passengers were interested in going back inside the terminal they MUST take all carryon with them and would not be allowed back on the plane until we had a new departure time.  Some chose to get off the plane to find food, stretch their legs and use the restrooms.  I’d estimate that 20 people deplaned during the delay.  And then we waited some more……

I was on Twitter with AA asking “when are we leaving?”, “why is this happening to PHL when the FAA ground stop is at NEW YORK airports (LGA, JFK, EWR)?”. The twitter team came back with a “your departure time is now 11 a.m.”  Ok, ½ hour isn’t too bad I thought.  I said to the woman next to me, “here are the new times” and the man with his wife behind me said “how do you know that?” I said “the twitter reps told me” and he condescending replied while laughing “if it’s on twitter it must be true”.  (AA Twitter team said they were sorry and gave me points so who’s laughing now?).  Reps for AA came on the plane to talk with the captain and flight attendants. As the airline doesn’t cater food for the flight attendants only the pilots (which is ridiculous – I learned that and so much more in flight attendant Heather Poole’s hilarious book “Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet“).  The lead flight attendant requested the local AA rep to find her food in the terminal (she wasn’t allowed to leave the plane) for her crew.  He came back with a pizza. During this time as I was eavesdropping on the conversations of the crew and ground staff, my AA app was updating with many departure times – 11 a.m., then three more time changes.

During the gate delay, passengers were surprisingly calm and understanding that we had no control over this horrible luck of delay on top of delay.  Thankfully, there were no babies on board.  I can only imagine if this flight were headed a few other places that the plane would be full of very vocal and very unhappy people.

I had my plethora of magazines, my book and my snack bag.  By now, first class would have been served breakfast food in the air (not that I eat it) and when those who deplaned were let back on board a few minutes after 11 a.m. when they thought we had an 11:15 departure time, most were carrying food with them. I’ll never understand why anyone boards a plane without food, water, magazines, etc. That one empty seat was taken by the young guy who missed the flight.  Now we had a full flight.

AA Flight Delay – A New Departure Time

We finally got a new departure time, the AA local reps left the plane, we were asked to find our seats and get ready to depart.   Fingers crossed.  It was now a noon departure as we made our way away from the gates again and headed to the runway.  This time the line was shorter and we moved a bit quicker (for PHL that is).  As the plane made the turn onto the end of the runway, I was exhausted as it was nearly 5 hours after boarding time that we started down the runway for takeoff.  It was 12:35 p.m. as we made our way up in the air.

Philly to Seattle – We Made It!

The flight to Seattle was pretty normal and smooth but we were all squirmy having been on the plane (and in the seats) too long due to the AA flight delays.   As we landed, the flight attendant said “Welcome to Seattle, we made it!” while the passengers clapped in joy.  We arrived after 4 p.m. PST (after 7 pm EST) which meant we were in our seats on that plane for nearly 12 hours for a 6 hour flight.  As we exited the plane, the gate was full of passengers who also endured the long AA flight delays waiting for our plane to arrive to take them to Philadelphia. They looked haggard as well having started their day like me; only to end up sitting at the gate for hours waiting. At baggage claim there were many cruise line reps waiting on us and (hopefully) holding the ships as our flight had many cruise passengers for the same day cruise. I, at least, wouldn’t sail until the next day.

So my long journey to Seattle ended and I was exhausted, up since 4:30 a.m. (EST) and it was now after 7 pm (EST).  Lucky for me, I read all of the magazines I brought with me, started the book and ate my entire bag of snacks – banana, turkey/bacon sandwich on pretzel bread, bag of chips, cookies (which I shared), apple slices and chocolate.  Now I had rush hour traffic in Seattle to deal with while I had to also adjust to the time difference and stay awake despite my body telling me to find the nearest corner and sleep.

AA Flight Delays – Dealing With It

Flight delays suck whether due to weather, dumb travel logic, sunny skies, mechanical, etc. Ground stops are no fun either but put in place for safety, I get that. The next time you travel, I hope it goes smoothly and you don’t encounter a horrible day of delays like I did.  But if you’ve learned anything from my experience – bring a snack bag and some forms of entertainment on all of your flights just in case. Also download the AA (or applicable airline) app, bookmark the FAA.gov flight delay  site and understand the American Airlines customer service provided for AA Flight Delays.

Seattle Travel Tip: Fly on a window seat on the left side of the plane to Seattle and on the right side window from Seattle for views of Mt. Rainier to remind yourself why flying is so magical (without the flight delays of course)

It’s been a while since I’ve flown British Airways First Class so when the opportunity arose to redeem my Avios points on Mom’s trip directly home from London to Philadelphia, I figured why not give Mom a First Class finish to our luxury Paris & London trip. I already knew what to expect but seeing Mom’s reaction all day was so much fun.  Sadly, many travelers (including me) forget the simple pleasures that airlines do offer as they become hardened road warriors who want, need, expect more from the flying experience.  At the end of the day, airlines have a contract with the traveler to transport them from point A to B – how the airline chooses to make that experience special (or not) is what keeps passengers loyal and happy (or not). Below is our experience with British Airways First Class from London to Philadelphia.

British Airways First Check in at Heathrow Terminal 5

If flying BA first from Heathrow and arriving by car/taxi, make sure to tell the driver to go to the end of the terminal road so you don’t need to walk a long way inside (you’d think BA would have a special arrivals lane outside but they don’t).  The First Class check in is a private dedicated space at the end of T5 terminal.  Staff greeted us at the desk to check our boarding passes before we entered the area to find a check in desk. There’s not much special here other than a wall around the desk area with a welcome desk and a seating area to wait.  As we had checked in online already, it was a quick bag drop.

Fast Pass Security at T5

The Fast Pass Security area consists of automated lanes as well as a live person if you can’t figure out the boarding pass scan.  Surprisingly, the “fast security” is often slow with only two lanes so be prepared for a queue (sometimes I’ve seen regular security be quicker as they have more lanes to choose from).  The two lanes are directed by staff so they do move but the line when you are traveling First Class is a bit annoying if I’m honest.  Luckily, we didn’t pay the $5k-10k for our tickets so we could be patient.

The Concorde Room (aka Millionaire’s Door)

Since the fast pass security is at the end of the terminal, you can only turn left to get into the main terminal.  If you turn right, you will be met by British Airways staff and you better have a first class boarding pass.  If you do, pass GO and collect your welcome glass of champagne in The Concorde Room, like we did (my review of the British Airways Concorde Room at Heathrow).

British Airways First Class Priority Boarding

British Airways likes to greet passengers at the door and if flying First a staff member will personally escort you to your seat.  They do this when you are boarding priority, if you choose to wait and board with general boarding, then you are on your own. But you are a big boy/girl and I think you can easily find 2A as I have in the past (although staff did apologize for not escorting me to my seat that time).  It’s always a (rare) treat for me to turn left as they say so I led Mom to our seats with the FA following behind us.  We were instantly greeted by the cabin crew and offered champagne, juice or water (custom in both First and Club World Business).  I should have been surprised but, after two glasses of champagne in the Concorde Room, wasn’t when Mom said “I’ll have champagne”.  I chose water as I normally do for boarding.  The head of the cabin crew for the flight came by to introduce himself and welcome each passenger to First.

The British Airways First Class Seat

I already knew what to expect but Mom didn’t so that was fun to see her reaction at having the whole window seat to herself – not sitting backwards as she did in Club World we me on the other side of her.  She started playing with the knobs and trying to figure out what’s what.  The FA came by to happily explain it all to her as Mom was pretty excited with her seat.  I told the FA that this was Mom’s first BA First flight as an end to our luxury vacation.  The FA was doting on Mom (probably happy to have a newbie onboard) throughout the flight and kept me updated.  I expected nothing less of the BA crew as they were fabulous to my niece on our flight years ago.

The BA First Seat is arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration with all aisle access.  If you choose a window seat, you get two windows and a small (actual) window seat to have someone sit facing you if they visit or want to chat (I’ve never seen this but it’s an option – I’ve thought about it but the tv doesn’t flip to allow me to enjoy the window seat space.  During the flight, the window screen covers the windows and changes colors from blue to orange during the flight.

The storage locker has a space for your bags below and includes a hanger to hand a coat or light jacket (in Club World the FA still offer to take your coat).  The seats convert to flat beds with the turn of the dial which I like (unlike pressing and holding the various buttons in Club World).

First passengers receive a warm blanket and Bose headsets to use during the light but they are not to keep just to use in flight.  I mention this because on Mom’s first flight to Germany two years ago she kept the blanket in coach because everyone else did too.  I told her that these are not takeaway items but that the toiletry kit and the pajamas were hers to keep.  The FA kept Mom’s pjs in the plastic.

The British Airways First Class On Board Experience

When you fly BA First, you not only get the option to pre-book your Elemis Spa treatment (28 days in advance) but also the option to pre-order your meal (different from the standing special meal request in my profile).  The BA site was easy to use to see the entrée options and I picked the steak for Mom. I was back and forth whether to keep my special meal or try my luck onboard – I chose the onboard steak too.

After the champagne welcome onboard, warm towels are distributed after take off followed by a round of drinks and a bowl of mixed nuts (in Club World you get same but the nuts are in small package not served in dish).

If you have the BA app, you can see in advance the movies and entertainment schedule for the flight to plan accordingly.  With a flight time of seven hours and a bit to Philadelphia, you need to keep a good schedule so the flight goes by quickly.  For me it is eat/drink, walk around, movie, repeat.

The meal service is in three parts – starter, main, dessert with the bread basket making two appearances.  I skipped the starter so was brought my entrée when the service started – no need to wait until everyone finishes their starter.  On my past First flight, I brought my own food and the FA kept filling my wine glass and bringing chocolate.  For airline food, BA serves good dishes in my opinion.  The steak was tender and quite good (red meat in the sky can be tricky).  The wine, as always, was outstanding for me.

The FA kept me up to date on Mom who was seated behind me.  I forgot she was with me at one point when Mom tapped me on the shoulder to tell me “I had the Pinot Noir with dinner because I heard you order it in Paris” oh boy!  I was glad I pre-ordered a wheelchair assist in Philly because Mom was definitely enjoying the free drinks for a woman who generally hits the Diet Coke pretty hard.

The crew was attentive throughout but not overly so or intrusive in any way.  They moved about in an orchestrated dance setting up tray tables with white linen, serving drinks and saying “yes”.  When I asked about the pre-boarding champagne I missed, the FA brought me a tasting flight of champagne which I paired with the fancy chocolates I bought in London.  I was happy we had a car picking us up in Philly because I rarely drink this much on a flight preferring gallons of water.

Sadly, the BA First Experience was over too quickly, funny how the thought of an 8 hour flight is gruesome until you have the freedom to move, eat, sleep at will (Mom did all three in between playing games on her IPad).  When we landed in Philly a bit late due to a traffic hold at Heathrow, we were met by a wheelchair assistant (BA had called ahead from the Concorde Room by adding it to Mom’s reservation).

This was the first time using the PHL wheelchair service and we were totally impressed.  Our guy pushed Mom from plane to curb, which in Philly is a long walk.  There is a wheelchair lane for immigration so that was quick (I didn’t use Global Entry as I was traveling with Mom). This was Mom’s last luxury for the day and the trip – we tipped him $20 because it was such a stress free way to end the journey. We were going back to our real lives but the one day of First Class from beginning to end with British Airways was definitely memorable for Mom. She’s still telling the stories to her friends who are in disbelief – a flat-bed on a plane?  Champagne? Steak?

British Airways First Class from Heathrow

So there’s three ways to look at the BA First Class From London to Philadelphia

1. Mom’s Perspective – It was Awesome!  Free champagne, steak and a bed on a plane!
2. My Perspective – It’s a really a nice way to fly home from London with privacy, champagne and service
3. Road Warriors/Flight Bloggers – It’s just US Domestic First Class and not as special as x, y, z (usually Emirates, Singapore, etc.)

For this day and this flight Mom’s perspective wins – it was awesome way to end our amazing luxury 10 day trip to Paris & London using my BA Avios points with the Chase BA Travel Together certificate.  Now Mom will never go back to coach!

I’ve read it’s been called “The Millionaire’s Door” and Mom and I got to walk through that door after we passed through fast track security at London Heathrow Terminal 5.  We were greeted at that door by a British Airways staff member who looked at our boarding passes and said “Welcome”.  I opened the nondescript door and entered the British Airways Concorde Room at London Heathrow’s Terminal 5.  The Concorde Room is a separate first class lounge in the British Airways Galleries Lounges.  Mom and I were flying BA First (class) home to Philadelphia from London on the Avios award ticket and with that came access to the Concorde Room.  Mom already liked the separate check in area for First with the big chairs and the quick fast pass security.  She had no idea what to expect with the British Airways Concorde Room and that was the fun part.

Champagne Welcome to the BA Concorde Room

We were warmly greeted as we entered the Concorde Room to check in.  I noticed the chandeliers, the smaller footprint and the many servers walking around with drinks and champagne. It’s a smaller lounge just for First Class passengers so it didn’t feel crowded.  I inquired about the gate for Philadelphia because it is usually C gates (a bit of a hike involving the train and many escalators) or the remote gates from the main terminal which is a bus ride to the stairs.  Both options would be a bit much for Mom, who was recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery (a fun fact she omitted when I booked the trip) and pretty much was done in by the walking in Paris and London already.  Mom’s name was added to the wheelchair assist list and we were told that a staff member would find us when it was time to go to the gate.

I mentioned it was not only Mom’s first trip to London and flying First class but her visit to the Galleries lounge and specifically the Concorde Room.  Standing behind the reception desk was the Concorde Room Manager, Danny, who welcomed us and asked if we would like to start with a glass of champagne (Mom quickly said yes as I may have created a slight champagne addiction after our Moet & Chandon tour in Epernay).  He walked us around the lounge to show us the features and we settled on a couch inside the lounge (there is an open terrace area outside the lounge with terminal and plane views).

Once seated, our champagne arrived with snacks and Danny told us about the Concorde Room and the various food/drink options.  He was fawning over Mom who was enjoying every minute.  I wonder how many folks in the Concorde Room take it for granted vs. Mom who was in awe and appreciative at each turn.

British Airways Concorde Room – Seating Options

Of course, I pick the couch without outlet access, which is why it was empty.  The other seats and couches were full and folks were charging devices aplenty so I was definitely outed as the newbie in the lounge.  There are many seating options inside and outside the Concorde Room – chairs, couches, high top dining, seats at the bar, intimate booths and if you felt like it the entire First Galleries lounge across the hall. Since the lounge is exclusively for British Airways First Class travelers, it wasn’t crowded during our visit.  The furniture isn’t special and could do with a bit of a refresh, that said, it was comfortable.

Concierge & Concorde Room Cabanas

There is a concierge desk to help with any arrangement you may need in your destination city (restaurant, tickets, tours, car service, etc.).  They will also sort out cabana usage if you want to catch a bit of sleep before your flight.  The cabanas were in used during my visit so I wasn’t able to see inside.  The bathrooms do not have Elemis toiletries but are the same blah bathrooms in all of the lounges (my least favorite bathrooms, the public restrooms are nicer) – they definitely could do with some upgrades and updates.

British Airways Concorde Room – Food/Drink

Champagne – check!  At our seats, a lounge menu was available to place our order with a server.  If we wanted sit down service with a more extensive menu we could move to the high top tables or request a booth in the Concorde Room.  If none of this appealed to us (no worries it all appealed to Mom), we could walk out of the Concorde Room and across the hall to the First Galleries on the same floor (I would run over there to get bananas which I could have asked for in the Concorde Room but I’m picky so wanted to see my options).  The First Galleries has a buffet, self-service food and drink options similar to the Business Class Galleries lounge on the floor above.

Mom ordered a club sandwich and I took a chance on the burger (it was fine, nothing special in my opinion but I’m a burger snob who likes Pat LaFrieda meats).  Mom also ordered another glass of champagne while I moved to my normal beverage of choice, still water.  We ordered dessert before Mom’s Elemis spa appointment.

Elemis Spa at T5 BA Galleries – First Class Reservation

When you are flying First with British Airways you can reserve a spa appointment in advance (up to 28 days ahead).  Normally, spa appointments (15 minutes each) are first come, first served as we experienced the Elemis Spa at JFK Terminal 7 BA Lounge.  Requesting an appointment is a bit clunky in my opinion (when will it be in the BA app?) as a U.S. passenger, I had to send a message from the online website tool and wait for a reply regarding my time request.  I wasn’t able to request two appointments (Mom and Me) they said so I sent back a time window for a facial for Mom.  Mom loved her facial but I was quite surprised when she returned without eyebrows!  Apparently, I was unaware that Mom draws her eyebrows on now but at 74 she didn’t care that her eyebrows were gone for the flight home – I found it hilarious.

The Concorde Room Terrace

The outside terrace (patio) of the Concorde Room was quiet and was slightly crowded.  I think those who like to plane spot enjoy the view of the planes on the tarmac.  You can also look down on the main floor of the terminal to people watch.

The Concorde Room Bar

The bar seats were full during our visit.  A few were engaged in conversation and cocktails while others just sat there.  The televisions are off to the side so not a distraction at the bar.  Servers are roaming throughout the Concorde Room and Terrace to serve you from the bar so no need to worry about not finding a seat.

Wheelchair Assist to Heathrow’s T5 C Gates

The driver came to get mom for her lift to the C gates for the flight but told me I would need to walk separate as she didn’t have space in her cart (seats 6).  I was glad to take the walk before the long flight home but had to laugh when Mom drove by me on the ground floor and I waved and she didn’t see me (she was still in her champagne and Concorde Room high).  Of course, I was at the gate first.  Mom said the ride to the C gate was interesting behind the scenes at the airport with scenes of elevators and ramps.  They drove her right to the gate sign for priority boarding.  Mom was able to walk onto the plane although it was a long walk from gate to plane – she also welcomed the short walk before the flight.  I was very impressed with how the wheelchair assist was handled at Heathrow – I’m not sure if this was because we were flying First or is the same for all requests.

British Airways Concorde Room – Overall Impression

Since the British Airways Concorde Room is only for those flying in First, it wasn’t as crowded as other lounges during my visit.  It has nice features which could do with a bit of posh upgrading when compared to other airline offerings but it was the staff and attentive servers (thanks Danny and team!) that are the defining factor of the Concorde Room.  I may not be a millionaire but Mom felt like a rock star that day from start to finish with the British Airways Concorde Room treatment.   I often take for granted that lounge access is a nice perk included with my ticket/status. To see the lounge experience through Mom’s eyes was pretty special….what will she think of the First Class flight home? Stay tuned for that review!

Going on an African Safari has always been on my list but I dismissed it forever thinking I couldn’t go alone, I didn’t have the money, the time, you name it, I talked myself out of it and put in the “when I hit the lottery bucket”.  Well, since I believe the universe does have a hand in many things (good and bad), I read about the safari feature at the New York Times Travel Show with vendors from Africa on site as well as panels and seminars.  One in particular “How to plan your safari” seemed perfect for me – perfect enough to book the Amtrak and a hotel for the overnight in the city. Safari planning here I come!

Safari Planning – Research at The NY Times Travel Show

I arrived at the travel show and went to the “planning your safari” seminar which was packed with others like me, without a clue where to start and eager to go.  I chatted with a few private guides who provided resources and their opinions on what was best.  (what a great job – going on safari as a private guide from the U.S., um, anyone want to hire me to travel with them?)  Ok, fine, my skills are a bit limited to best chocolates, desserts and wine but you need to start somewhere right?

Anyway, the panel consisted of travel operators from Africa  as well as a guide from Kenya.  The seminar alone was worth the travel costs from Philly – much better than any guidebook could do in the planning stage – they helped me question where do I want to go?  when do I want to go? and what do I want to see?  After taking lots and lots of questions, they invited you to visit their booth for more one on one discussions and to meet their team.

Having dozens of tour operators who focus specially on Africa and a few from Africa direct was the best research I could do.  I met with a few who organize tours and said “you can join the tour” which was not what I wanted.  Another said no problem, we can organize for you but as a solo you need to pay single supplements if that’s ok – again no. An operator said all inclusive but I wanted to use my miles for business class not coach flights – sorry, we don’t do that.  I started feeling like Goldilocks looking for the “just right” travel planner.

Safari Planning – Choosing the Travel Agent

I found the perfect tour company – Rhino Africa and the planner, Nikki.  I described that I would be solo (no problem), using my frequent flier miles/points for air/hotel (no problem) and would be booking late (three months out due to work) – again no problem.  Nikki and a few colleagues journeyed to the show from Capetown with the owner, David, who was on the safari panel.  Each client booking is unique as you work together via email to craft the perfect trip itinerary.  The company does due diligence on the properties so they have first hand knowledge what the client would experience which is the minimum everyone should require.  How many travel agents have I met over the years that are happy to help me but have never left the US, let alone experienced firsthand the destination I was interested in.    Nikki gave me some information, said to check out their website and facebook when I compare other vendors and let her know if any questions. No pressure and I appreciated that.  I went home with piles of brochures from the Africa specialists with more questions than I started with and no ticket -so that would be step one.

Safari Planning – Finding the Africa Award Ticket

Once home, I queried the points community for their opinions of flights to South Africa.  Lots of great suggestions to consider and provide alternatives as the award ticket in business class was going to be a challenge.  I wanted to go in September which was the end of the winter season and on the cusp of spring so it would not be green but provide a higher chance of animals sightings and the bugs would not be too bad (my colleague spent her honeymoon during a wet, lots of bugs along with a perfect storm for the one day termite mating ritual which when she explained to me – I was super freaked out and made sure to avoid the bugs – September seemed perfect).

I started looking at the top choice – a direct flight from the U.S. (JFK or D.C.) to Johannesburg (JNB) on South African Airways (SAA) in J (business class) – each city has one flight a day..  I wasn’t able to find anything six months out which is normal since most people book a year out when the windows open.  No luck.  I then looked at other cities, thinking maybe I could find something that way.  I plugged in Boston, Chicago, Orlando, Atlanta and finally Seattle (I have family there and thought maybe a visit first) to JNB.  Seattle was the winner as it showed a connecting flight in Washington, DC. on SAA -the flight that I wanted. I don’t know why it didn’t show when I looked but there it was.

Safari Planning – Airline Reservations Fun

I immediately called USAir (now AA) reservations  to see if we could find a flight home.  Jim, in Arizona, answered happy to help me on what he called my dream trip.  Well Jim, let’s see about that.Before my internet crazy search, I had called USAir (now AA) to inquire about a flight to JNB on SAA in J and the agent said “What is JNB?” Oh boy, you work for the airline?! I said Johannesburg.  “Where is that”?  I know better, but bit my tongue and said “Johannesburg, South Africa” and she replied “USAir doesn’t fly to Africa!” – At this point, I was calm and said, I know that which is why I gave you the information when we started – SAA is South African Airways (your partner) and they do fly to JNB in J (business class).  She did a cursory – “nope, nothing available”.  I started to have fun with her (yes, I’m mean).  I said to look at partners via Europe which could connect to U.S. home.  I think her head exploded as this would be a long call looking at all the options, so again she did a “nope, nothing available, sorry” which is key for “I’m not looking at all, this is too hard”.  I told her since it didn’t seem she was familiar with this type of booking, I will call back later.  Everyone who has tried to redeem an award ticket has customer service stories to tell – you sometimes wonder how they got the job working for the airline, not knowing the airline codes or partners or routing.  I shouldn’t ding the airlines – the hotel lady didn’t know what or where Istanbul was – but that’s for another trip.

So I explain this to Jim and he said, so sorry, I’m going to get your dream ticket. I said “Jim, you are giving me hope, please don’t squash it and disappoint me”.  I gave him the flight out of D.C. that I found and he confirmed the space (a good sign) and started the booking (my safari planning was just starting).  Coming home was a bit trickier so I said, I am open to come home anyway you can find via Europe, South America, etc. (ok, was hoping to add in another destination to my award ticket).  But Jim and the universe had other plans – specifically a direct flight to JFK.  Fantastic!  Yeah, Jim! You rock! He started laughing – I guess not a lot of people are super excited to find award space or say nice things to him.   So you would leave on September 9th and come home October 2nd?  Yes, that’s all I can find in business class, can I book it?  I would be gone almost a month – can I swing the budget for that?  Will my boss approve it?  What is the penalty to cancel?  All of these were running through my mind – see I wanted to go but now the reality of it sinks in quickly and you don’t get much time to think – this was the award ticket I wanted, it was rare and needed to be done now.  “Ok to book it”, I tell Jim.  He says “let me get the confirmation for you” – since this is a partner award it took some time – about twenty minutes during which time, I get anxious, thinking they won’t confirm it, there is a problem, etc.  Jim comes back on the line and said all good, 110k miles and about $300 in taxes or so – you have a hold for x amount of time, so you need to call back to issue the ticket and if you do that, you are going on your dream vacation.  I was super thankful to him and wished they had direct numbers to contact them to avoid the first lady.

Safari Planning – The Hard Part Begins

So in my mind the universe was super cool to guide me to the NY Travel show, the seminars, the travel agent and to Jim.  I now had the ticket, approved vacation time and had to figure out what to do for 27 days. How do you plan for almost a month away? I was methodical in my research, had to decide if my inner hotel girl could survive a tent in Botswana, a luxury camp in Zimbabwe and how many points to redeem in Capetown at the Westin.  Tough work – luckily I had a fantastic travel agent to guide me and that amazing trip led me to start this blog to help others.

Want to go on Safari?  Let me help you plan your dream trip without the stress. You can have a custom trip, join a group or hire a private guide.  Ultra Luxury or Budget – Africa is wonderful for all price points and creates amazing memories. 

]]> https://dev.philatravelgirl.com/2016/12/01/safari-planning-africa-saa-award-ticket/feed/ 2 https://dev.philatravelgirl.com/2016/10/02/british-airways-lounge-nyc-jfk-elemis-spa-review/ https://dev.philatravelgirl.com/2016/10/02/british-airways-lounge-nyc-jfk-elemis-spa-review/#respond Sun, 02 Oct 2016 21:40:18 +0000 http://dev.philatravelgirl.com/2016/10/02/british-airways-lounge-nyc-jfk-elemis-spa-review/ The British Airways Lounge JFK New York with Elemis Spa Review Read More »

The first time I visited the British Airways lounge JFK at Terminal 7, I was with my niece and we had just fled the city that was gridlocked due to a Presidential visit in our own version of the Amazing Race.   I was stress out upon arrival while my niece was eyes full of wonder at all the food and the fact that it was free. Despite having come from dinner, my niece filled her plate with mini sandwiches, nuts, M&M’s and, to placate me, a piece of fruit.   For my return visit to the lounge, it was a less stressful arrival with Mom.  Our flight was the last one of the day near 11 p.m. and Labor Day weekend the lounge wasn’t as crowded as it could be.  We Mom walked in and saw the food stations, she like my niece had wide eyes and asked “is this all free?”, “Yes, all free”.  It was the start of her luxury holiday to Paris & London.  So let’s explore the British Airways Lounge JFK and see what Mom liked.

Arrival

The lounge is located upstairs from the gate/terminal area.  When you arrive in the terminal from the special Business/First security area, you need to follow the signs past the boarding gate and small food court and make a right.  You go up the escalator and into the lounge lobby.  The staff was pleasant but not as welcoming as the ladies at the BA lounge in Philly.  Our boarding passes were scanned and we were directed to proceed into the business class lounge area.  We passed the luggage storage area and an empty room with work stations.  There is also a children’s play area in the lounge.

The British Airways Lounge JFK

When you arrive you have two sides of seating area with the bathrooms and food stations in between, almost an H shape.  There is a surprisingly water feature in the middle of the room which can be relaxing or annoying depending on how you treat the sound of falling water. Scattered about are lounge chairs which are a bit low (as evidenced by having to help Mom stand up), couches, small tables for groups and outlets in the side tables and along the wall.  It’s rather a large lounge but no natural light and low ceilings so it feels smaller depending on how many people are milling about.  The set-up and decor is similar to that in Heathrow, Manchester and Philadelphia so there isn’t much to distinguish it from others in my opinion.

There is a window but you get to look over the check in area down below which at the late hour didn’t make for any good people (or celebrity watching).

The British Airways Pre-Flight Dining Room

For British Airways customers (the lounge is also used by OneWorld elites), there is a pre-flight supper served where you can sit down and enjoy a hot meal prior to boarding.  I generally take advantage of this in Philadelphia when I fly the sleeper flight (soon to disappear, sadly) but since Mom & I had just come from dinner, neither of us was interested in another meal.  We were greeted by the hostess who showed us the menu and told us to come back at any time.

The Food Stations

British Airways lounges are pretty consistent in my experience with enough of this, that and the other to satisfy your snacking or light meal cravings.  You won’t go thirsty as the drinks bar is fully stocked with soft drinks, juice, water, beer and liquor to help yourself. If you have a food thing like me (no dairy, no gluten) then you will need to settle on fruit and nuts and look to eat in the dining room.

At the British Airways Lounge JFK the fruit is in the middle of the aisle hopefully prompting passengers to take a healthy snack on the way to the plane (we picked up bananas).

The buffet had a small sandwich selection, cheeses, meats, yogurt and such.  Packets of snack foods like potato chips (or crisps as they say in the U.K.) were offered along with the snack jars of M&Ms, nuts and cookie (I still miss the Walkers shortbread I used to stock up on).  In the far corner if you are walking the interior perimeter, you will find the Pub area with beer on draft, juices and snacks.

The British Airways Elemis Spa at JFK

Years ago, I lucked out and was able to use the BA Arrivals lounge in Heathrow to experience a complimentary spa treatment only because I was on the first plane to land and arrive at the lounge. All the visits after that they were booked up. British Airways has offered free spa treatments to arriving and departing passengers in Heathrow and in JFK it is offered to departing passengers.  For First Class flyers you can pre-book up to 28 days in advance, for the rest of the lounge guests, it is first come, first served.  Treatments last just 15 minutes but can really make a difference pre/post flight.

Since my niece was only eleven at the time of our first visit, I wasn’t able to use the Elemis Spa and leave her alone. This time, I could definitely leave Mom alone as she was enjoying all the free food, drink and Wi-Fi.  I walked to the other side of the lounge to inquire about appointments and there were two left (the last of the night) so I booked Mom & me for chair massages.

I walked back to Mom who was comfortable enjoying her first luxury lounge experience and said “time for our spa treatments, let’s go”.  She looked at me and without questioning said “ok”.  This was the start of the luxury treatment from British Airways on our trip (we would visit the T5 Concorde Room on the way home).

Our massage therapists were both male (if that’s a problem for you let the desk know when inquiring) and the massage treatments would be in massage chairs with clothes on.  If you think that’s a deterrent from a “real massage” you would be mistaken. You have a few choices when booking – Calm, Serenity, Energise, Rebalance treatments which are listed and noted face up or face down.  You will need to sign a release form as with any spa treatment.

I told my therapist that I usually do sports massage and that my neck & shoulders prevent any massage from being relaxing.  He started with asking me for my aromatherapy preference for my face down treatment and then for the next fifteen minutes, he worked out (best he could with limited time) the knots in my neck & shoulders and put on an icy hot type of gel on my neck once he was done.  Mom chose the face up massage and sat in a massage chair the entire time which her therapist was able to provide a relaxing treatment.  Both gave the soft sell on Elemis products but didn’t push as I said we were limited to 100 ml as we had connecting flight at Heathrow.  The spa has products for sale to anyone interested. We tipped our therapists and were ready for our flight to London (connecting to Paris) collapsing into the nearest comfy chair trying not to fall asleep as we were both so relaxed from the massage treatments.

Final Thoughts – BA Lounge JFK

I’m not a fan of JFK airport as it is old and the gates cramped but relaxing at the British Airways Lounge JFK before the flight does make it less stressful.  With the plethora of food and drink options, you won’t go hungry.  With the spa treatments, you can definitely add a bit of luxury and relaxation before your journey begins.  It is a nice way to spend a few hours before your flight.  Mom loved it and she had no idea what was next, namely a Club World flatbed seat with a return on First Class and the British Airways Concorde Room at Heathrow.  For now, she was happy just like my niece before her traveling and relaxing in style at the airport.  Now that she knows about airline lounges, how will she ever go back to waiting at the gate for a coach flight?

 

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It was 6 p.m. on a Thursday when I happened upon Facebook and saw it – the 3 Day British Airways Business & First Class Fare Sale. This great deal was ending at midnight!  I’m not sure how I missed the tweets, the blogs, the Facebook posts and the many other social media adverts about this but I knew I had to jump on this ASAP!  When a fare sale is announced, you need to be ready to pounce on it so I always have a list of “where to go in Fall/Winter/Spring” at the ready.  But I’ve been doing this for a while now and have the flexibility, freedom and knowledge to take advantage of these deals so how can you?

Airfare Sale Planning:

√ Have a list of destinations you want to visit (solo, couple, family, etc.)

√Have a budget agreed to – “If the fare is x or less, we buy it”

√ Get advanced approval from your partner if necessary (“honey, if I see a deal for under $x can I just buy it for us?”) or have a quick code ready for the work phone call or text (Dublin, $308 direct, October, Yes/No?). This week a $308 airfare from Philly to Dublin appeared and friends took a day to decide they wanted to go….by then the deal was dead and the fare back up to over $600.  You can’t think about an airfare deal.

√ Join AARP for $16 a year (don’t laugh! It can save you hundreds on the British Airways sales with savings in each cabin class) – there isn’t an age requirement to join.

√ Have an updated passport. If you need to renew it, do it now as you don’t want to find a deal only to be thwarted by passport renewals, expedited fees, etc.

√ Know your work vacation policy – can you buy the airfare and plan a trip before your manager approves the vacation? Or do you need to get advanced approvals?  I was lucky that I could manage my vacation and take it whenever I saw open time on my calendar.

√ Don’t overlook the Business class to Europe splurge! Some deals are just too good to pass up – I flew to London for $856, earned my British Airways points and flew on American Airlines from Philly via Manchester to London in business class.  Pretty much the same cost if I flew in coach and yet I enjoyed all the business class perks.

√ Codeshare airlines – the British Airways deals are great because they will include codeshare airlines in the One World alliance so while BA doesn’t service your city, most likely American Airlines does and you can mix and match the airlines to enjoy the deals.

How to Find the Airfare Sales & Hotel Deals

1. Sign up for an airline loyalty account to get the email updates.
2. Create a separate email folder for “travel deals” so you can file in one place
3. Sign up for hotel loyalty programs of brands you like or aspire to.
4. Follow on Facebook or Twitter – The Points Guy, One Mile at a Time and McCool Travel
5. Follow your favorite brands on social media – on Twitter put them in a list so you can quickly check them daily rather than hope you see the tweet in your timeline.
6. Follow @secretflying on Twitter or visit their website to see amazing deals.
7. The Mistake Fares – these are rare and usually are canceled after the mistake is caught. Some airlines have honored a few of them but if you see the $40 flight to Asia know that you are taking a chance it will be canceled but if it isn’t, wouldn’t that be amazing to fly across the world for less than pizza night.
8. A Trusted Travel Agent can help scout out deals if you let him/her know what your parameters are (again be ready to give them your credit card info to book this fleeting deal)
9. Find Bloggers and their codes or deals (email me or DM me on twitter for the codes)
   • First time $25 discount code for HotelTonight
   • First time discount code for AirBnb
   • First time discount code for Uber

How to Pounce on that Airfare Sale!

• Don’t think about it too long especially if you need more than two seats.
• Use a credit card that earns you points or better yet the airline specific card for bonus points or the Chase Sapphire card that earns 2xs on travel spend. Always be earning for your spend
• Have alternative airports in mind (I often use Newark or JFK instead of Philly and spend time in New York City using points) to capitalize on the amount of seats available (more seats to London from New York than Philly)
• Know your budget maximum. You don’t want to go into debt for a deal. If you can’t afford to go, then don’t use the excuse of “a deal”
• Accept limitations. Want to go to Paris direct?  So did I but the seats were gone so I’m connecting in London.

Important Travel Tidbit!

Be open to new worlds. The $399 Iceland deal for Fall/Winter? Cheaper than most domestic U.S. flights!  I went to Iceland in November and had a great four day Reykjavik weekend.  Never thought of Iceland, well $399 is a great price to sample the country.  Sure the long days of sun are gone but the beauty remains plus the Northern Lights are your reward (if you are lucky) for the cold weather visit.

Lucky for me, I was able to find my Business Class airfare sale seats to London for an upcoming conference.  I was on the fence about going but the fare sale pushed me over!  While tempted by the Dublin sale, I have a big adventure with Mom on the horizon so using vacation time for that next.

Are you ready for the next airfare sale or hotel discount?  Let me know what strategies you use when you see an Airfare Sale or Hotel Deal that I’ve missed.

I’ve been very spoiled over the years flying Club World (business class) on British Airways from Philadelphia to London return for work in my prior job.  Now that has ended, I’ve had to pay my own way to London (yes, I know cue the sad tiny violins) and have done it in a variety of ways to stay in Business Class, keep my status and earn Avios.  Examples include my $856 Business Class ticket hack on American Airlines via Manchester (BA codeshare), enrolling in AARP (I’m not that old – there’s is no age requirement) and jumping on the recent BA business/first class three day flash sale.  For my two days in London trip over Memorial Day weekend just to get my Silver elite status back, I couldn’t afford the $5k business class fare so was able to fly in World Traveller Plus and still qualify for status based on the tier points earned for the flights.

British Airways is one of a few international carriers to offer a four class cabin – First Class, Club World (Business Class), World Traveller Plus (Coach Plus) and World Traveller (Coach).  World Traveller always sounds so posh but in reality, coach is still coach (BA flies in a 3-3-3 configuration in coach). In the past when I’ve flown World Traveller Plus, my status allowed me to score the bulkhead row which is the key to survival with extra legroom.  I also had British Airways Philadelphia Lounge access as well as BA LHR T5 Lounge access due to status, however, flying World Traveller Plus does not afford lounge access without status. The downside in the cabin is that you are a curtain away from business class and at times, you want to sneak in as it’s just there.

BA PHL to LHR World Traveller Plus Cabin on the 777

The cabin is organized 2-4-2 with five rows accommodating 40 passengers with curtains closed to Club World in front and World Traveller in back.  When you first arrive at your seat in the cabin it seems private with such a small group.  The seat has a pillow, blanket and headsets.  There is an in seat charger as well as two USB ports in the seatback in front of you, below the entertainment screen.  Once you are seated, you can feel the different with the extra legroom and the open side of the seat (the middle armrest is hard seat with the remote, shared table and other functions set in).

World Traveller Plus does not have its own bathroom like Club World or First Class.  You need to go to the back of the cabin, pull back the curtain and it’s right there in front of the World Traveller (Coach) section along with a cabin stuffed with people all trying to survive the overnight flight.  If you want to stretch your legs then walk to the back of the lane where I was surprised to see the new configuration bathrooms on either side of the plane in a long rectangle space with the crew kitchen galley in between.  The bathroom was long and could fit three people in it which is good if you have kids or need extra room.

For the overnight flight from Philadelphia, I chose the last row in the cabin, window seat hoping to rest (not a change since I rarely sleep on planes) and while the legroom is lovely when seated, it disappears when the couple in front of me pushed their seats back as far as they could which practically pinned me in.  Thankfully no one sat next to me so I was able to angle my body to slide out of the row to go to the bathroom (I call it ninja yoga).  Once the seats were back it was hard to watch a movie as the screen was a bit close for me.

On the way home from London, BA changed my last row seat aisle to a middle section aisle bulkhead and I was pretty happy for that change.  To make it even better, the only empty seats in the World Traveller Plus section were both beside me as I was in the 2-4-2 configuration.  The woman on the aisle on the other side was also pleased by our seat lottery as we both used the tables of our empty seats to store our trays, drinks, food. The seat was only inches from business class where I saw children enjoying flat beds (yes, jealous) but I also had my individual in-flight entertainment (IFE) system at my armrest unlike others in the cabin with seatback screens.

The Service

The flight attendant played a cruel joke on me after I asked “is the seat next to me still empty?” He said there were less than ten seats open on the flight.  Before takeoff, he came by after I got sorted and said “Ma’am, we need to move a woman and her crying baby into this seat” and then laughed at my facial expression (obviously my poker face was cracking as it neared 11 pm).  I replied “if that was the case, you’d hear me cry until you moved me forward to business or first class”

The service is cordial and runs on the same serving clock as coach unlike the individual attentive multi-coursed service in Business or First.

The Food in World Traveller Plus

While normally, I’d order my special meal on British Airways (low calorie which practically ensures chicken and veg) and bring my own food as backup, this time hoping that full flights would bump me up a class, I decided to forgo my special meal as I’d read that they won’t upgrade you if they loaded a special meal (not sure if this is true or not).  Unfortunately, World Traveller Plus doesn’t get the variety of choice like you do upfront (Business and First Class usually have a menu with at least three entrée choices). I did get a printed menu with the food being served.  For the overnight flight to London, I skipped the food  (beef or pasta) and drinks as it was near 11:30 pm when they started service and I had indulged in Chickie’s & Pete’s (a Philly local favorite) at the airport.

On the flight home, the meal (starter, entrée, dessert) was served in one shot on one tray. I chose the chicken over the pasta in cream sauce.  Surprisingly the chicken was pretty good, not Chicken Shop amazing, but for airplane food good. The wine was also served as either red or white and in a little bottle.  No worries, I paired the red with the chocolate pot and did ok (I did miss the anytime Club Kitchen with the extra chocolates, desserts, wine refills, etc.).

British Airways In Flight Entertainment (IFE)

For the World Traveller Plus and Coach section, the IFE screen is in the seat back in front of you.  For those in the bulkhead rows, the unit is in the armrest and needs to be brought out and serves as a personal IFE you can adjust. The choices of movies, television, radio, British Favorites, etc. was quiet extensive and BA lets you watch until they land.

A new feature of the British Airways app lists all the IFE choices available on your flight before you fly.  So you can decide to sleep, read, listen or watch a program ahead of time. That’s good planning and a helpful feature in my opinion plus saves me renting a Netflix film if I can watch on the plane.

Overall – World Traveller Plus PHL-LHR-PHL

World Traveller Plus is a good choice on British Airways to give you just a bit more privacy and legroom on the flights.  It’s a definite improvement over U.S. Airlines coach options and just a tad better than BA’s World Traveller.  There is extra leg room and if you are a couple you can choose the two seats on either side of the plane with no one between.  No more worries about the middle seat issue and hoping you get the whole row (the older couple in front of me held hands the entire flight it was really cute).  The cabin is smaller and more private at only five rows.

With my AARP card, I was able to discount the World Traveller Plus fare by $150 and then I used my BA Chase credit card for 10% off the base fare essentially stacking the discounts. Is it worth the extra to pay more than coach?  Yes, I think it gives you just a bit more sanity.  Is it worth the savings over Club World (Business Class)?  On the way home from London in the bulkhead row, I survived fine and could see the value of saving the business class fare (or points redemption).  The overnight flight is where I missed having a flat bed and the club kitchen for snacks. But the cost of business is generally $4k+ (unless you get a sale at $2,500+). So for a points award, you may want to do one way redemptions to mix up the cabin classes.

How to Save Money on your British Airways Flight

1. Book at least 45 days ahead
2. Join AARP for online discounts with British Airways (must log into AARP to click through to BA)
3. Open a Chase British Airways Visa card (50,000 bonus + 3x BA Spend) to get 10% off online bookings
4. Follow British Airways Facebook page (learn about the discounts asap)
5. Follow British Airways Twitter account (a bit harder to see the sales unless you go to their page)
6. Read the Blogs for fare alerts – One Mile at a Time, The Points Guy, Travel is Free

Examples of Fares from Philadelphia to London (August 24-31)*

$1,025 Coach (World Traveller)

$1,281 Coach Plus (World Traveller Plus)

$4,015 Business Class (Club World)

$5,015 First Class

*before applying AARP and BA Chase Visa discounts

I wanted my British Airways Silver Elite Status back and this is what I did to get that card!

My weekend packing should have entailed two outfits that fit into a backpack or duffel bag and yet here I was with my ten day suitcase all ready to go.  When I pack for a normal trip, I try to squeeze all clothing combinations into the bag hoping for one or maybe two pair of shoes to fit.  This time, I felt like the girl in the movies and television show who just throws clothes into the suitcase and easily zips it up.  I didn’t need to kneel on top to get every inch of air out to zip the bag.  There was actually space to fill with shopping and treats which felt weird.  So as you can guess this wasn’t my normal trip, this would be my first status run to qualify for elite status with British Airways. I was going to London for two days over the Memorial Day weekend.  No days off for me, I would leave Friday after work, arrive Saturday and then be back at London Heathrow Monday afternoon.  Crazy right?  My family didn’t even question me this time. Even more crazy is that I flew in Coach Plus and did the trip sans any status which meant no lounge access, no preferred security lines at Heathrow, no business class seat, no wine selection and no priority baggage.  I would suffer for my British Airways Silver Elite status (ok, slightly kidding in the #firstworldproblems kind of way).  I realized quickly how much I had come to rely on the Silver elite perks over the years – they made my travel life easier (fast track security at LHR, priority baggage, early boarding) and just a bit more sane (quiet lounges). You can’t put a dollar value on travel sanity can you?  Maybe I was with this crazy weekend trip.

So how did I decide on this crazy weekend?  I got an email from BA with my points balance and realized I was one flight and 140 points away from British Airways Silver elite status.  Normally, I’d be mad at myself for not checking this out sooner and planning better. I could have done a cheap flight in November during my hacked flight to London for the flight credit and then credited my U.S. domestic flights on American Airlines. But alas, I was remiss in my loyalty account review as I was in job search mode. After the disaster that was the cruise that never was, I was also itching to get back on a plane and go somewhere.

Mileage runs are usually done (in coach, ouch!) using cheap tickets that have the potential to hit many cities in a short time period (a few days of flying anyone?) in order to accumulate the miles or segments needed to qualify for elite status with an airline.  They were popular in the past (that’s how Ben started One Mile at a Time) but now with all of the airline loyalty program changes, it’s hard to do especially as miles are being earned by dollars spent rather than miles flown.  But if you found a mistake fare ticket or a cheap ticket to a faraway destination, you could earn a ton of miles, qualify for elite and enjoy all the perks for less. I missed the perks and wanted them back hence my decision to fly to London for a quick two day visit – in coach plus and using the Piccadilly line for airport transit (I gave into my luxury side on the way back opting for a black cab to Paddington and the Heathrow Express because one can only go budget for so long).

A few examples of the benefits I missed and wanted back.

Note: When flying BA or American on an international business class ticket, you get the perks for free, but those tickets generally cost $5,000+ for the expense account crowd.

British Airways Lounges

This weekend when sitting in Heathrow’s general seating area waiting on the gate announcement, my senses were on high alert as there were crowds of people everywhere, loud noises, loud people and of course the babies crying.  I put my music on but couldn’t drown out the noise.  I really missed the quiet lounge options and the free food/drink.  The Philadelphia British Airways lounge is small but also a nice place to get sorted before the flight – they offer a hot buffet for BA ticketholders.

British Airways Advance Seat Selection

When booking your ticket,  if you are British Airways Silver Elite you can choose your seat at time of purchase for free online or with a travel agent.  The cost to pick a seat varies but for my flights the fees were $75-81 each way in my cabin! That’s ridiculous given the cost of the international ticket already.   I currently am Bronze (low level status) so I could choose my seat 7 days in advance but many of the good seats especially in Coach Plus (i.e. – bulkhead row) were gone so I played seat roulette.  The BA system has my aisle preference yet stuck me in a middle seat at first.  I moved to the last row of the cabin at the window for the overnight flight and luckily no one sat next to me.

Priority Baggage at PHL

My bag is often first off at the carousel so I can easily claim it and leave.  I’m home within ½ hour.  This weekend, my bag, lacking priority, arrived about 40 minutes after the carousel began.  I would have already been at home unpacking but I was still waiting for my bag.  It’s really a simple perk that saves me the time.

The One World Lounge Bonus

A Silver British Airways elite will also have elite status on all One World airlines as a Sapphire member in the alliance. Perks include advanced boarding on American Airlines which is nice and using the business class line to check-in (this saved me in Amsterdam when the coach lines were so long I was going to miss my flight). For me the best benefit is access to the lounges no matter what class you are flying.  So this means access to the American Airlines lounges in Philadelphia when I’m flying coach domestically or access to One World lounges around the world no matter what class I’m flying.  I could have used this perk in Livingstone airport in Zambia as the BA lounge had air conditioning and the general waiting area which was stuffed with people did not. I watched with envy as they flashed their silver cards to gain entry.  I want my Silver card back!

Extra Avios Points

Flying BA as a Silver member gets me 1.5x the Avios points for the flights so I can earn points faster.  BA still calculates on distance flown not dollars spent. That’s a good perk to add on top of my Chase BA credit card which gives me 3x points per $1 spent with BA.  This is how you really take advantage of the airline loyalty credit cards, promotions and status.

There are other benefits such as a free BA lounge guest, extra baggage and/or weight allowance, dedicated phone line, waitlist options, extra guest at fast track security in London and a few others.  For me, they weren’t the reason I flew fifteen hours to/from London.  I have upcoming trips on British Airways – one with my mom and another due to a business class sale so the perks are already adding up to make this weekend worth the seat in butt, even in coach plus, worth it.

If you ask the points purists, the elite group of travelers who do the mileage runs, they would say I did mine all wrong – I paid too much, routed it direct rather than connections here, there, everywhere, checked a bag (the horror!) as well as stayed in the city to enjoy myself (some runners never leave the airport!).  My ROI was still positive and I had fun catching up with friends while staying at a new hotel, The Hoxton Hotel in Holborn, and exploring my favorite places (hello chocolate & cupcakes!).

So have you done a mileage or status run for elite status?  Would you do it now?  What airlines perks would make it worth it for you?