Ok, to clarify. The £200 quoted for a flight was one way at 4pm from Glasgow to City or Heathrow. A day return would have been almost £300 and necessitated a cab to heathrow first thing (extra £90).

I could have knocked this down to about £160 for the flights had waited until 6.30pm to fly back (so home around 10pm), but that would have wasted the evening and still required a cab to heathrow at 5am. Instead I was home by just after 7pm and able to see some friends who were passing through.

I think it's been the pruning of flights for August that has caused the issue here, combined with it being a Friday.

Oh, and I don't do cheap hotels as invariably in the past this has translated into a crap night's sleep with lousy air con and no noise insulation.

Interestingly, with this combo it didn't show the saving by booking together as it normally does...

Believe me - I ran all the combinations possible and it was the cheapest option going. Even flybe was more expensive from B'ham (I live midway between BHX and LHR, but public transport to LCY is a breeze) Oh, and with our 2yr old still not sleeping through, the excuse to have a decent night's sleep is always welcome!

As for the question about carlson points, I just assumed no, so didn't take my card. The chap at reception thought otherwise and said he'd hunt out my membership number! Nothing posted yet...