Originally Posted by Johnnie W

Based on a stay last August, earlier check-in is possible:

1) if the room us unoccupied in the previous 'block' of four hours during which it could otherwise have been booked as a dayroom

and

2) if you are prepared to pay the cost of the four hour block (which I was)

Can't now remember the price, but I do remember it made the whole thing feel pretty costly.

A big plus was avoiding the huge Security queues - travelling through for a 7h Zurich departure with LX earlier this month was quite an experience...

JW

Originally Posted by Milnio87

I just did it, after lots of learning to use ITA Matrix and keeping a regular eye on things I just bagged my first ever EX-EU fare in CW for September. It is all thanks to this board on FT - so a huge thank you for opening my eyes! My wife thinks it is quite strange, but when I show her the difference in price she soon warms to the slightly odd sensation of taking an alternative route!

So we have booked for September:

AMS - LGW - TPA - LGW - LHR - AMS (conveniently the airport change at the end might mean I get lost and end up at home...)

Booked this with combined hire car for 8 days and it worked out at £1,610 per person. Comparable booking direct from LGW was £2,550 - so a nice saving. We take a positioning flight the night before to AMS from LGW in ET which cost £59 each.

My only failing was that this part was not booked using an avios redemption in CE, but I did just spend all the household avios on an F redemption to BOM, so not all bad.

So, my only questions are thus:

1) Does anybody know any decently positioned hotels at AMS?
2) How easy is it to transfer at LGW? Our flight from AMS has a connection time of 1 hour 20 mins which BA was fine with - I'm sure this won't be an issue, but any experience shared would be welcomed

Thanks again FT - not only an informative and entertaining board, but also a real money saver!

Cheers,
Alex ^

Originally Posted by Filthy Monkey

Quote:





Originally Posted by Globaliser


You know that flying the fourth sector would probably get you the cheapest 40 TPs you'll ever earn?




...and if you buy a return CE fare from LGW to AMS for probably around £150 each, added to your planned points for this trip and the trip to MLA, you will hit silver.

Originally Posted by crazy8534

Quote:


Good job Milnio87, that looks like a good saving.

I was just wondering if you had ever tried pricing the same trip up on a non-ex-EU basis during a luxury sale, just for comparison? Of course that is no use when there is no sale on from the UK (like now!) but I suppose there would be a sale either gone or coming which might have covered your dates in September.

The reason I ask is that I paid c.£6k for 4 CW return tickets EDI-LGW-MCO including 2 weeks car hire with BA holidays. During sales MCO and TPA often have the lowest fares to the USA.

I certainly don't think you could have saved any more money than you have, and a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush! Also if it is school holiday season then maybe BA sale fares wouldn't be available for those dates.

Originally Posted by Milnio87

I didn't get chance during luxury seat sale as our holiday plans were up in the air whilst my wife changed jobs. I will look for comparison though when the time comes. Like you say I expect they will have been similar money, but you save the faffing around with a positioning flight!!!

My magic number was £1,600 on this though and I'd gotten close to this price using US Airways a few times but I was wary of their J product so didn't bite.

Glad I didn't now as flights much more convenient - subject to making an easy connection at LGW!

Originally Posted by windowontheAside

It's all very well saying the OP hasn't saved much .... but if you can't book during a sale for whatever reason (e.g. as the OP has explained), then the comparison isn't really appropriate.

I think the OP has done well to get what they want at the price they want. Seems to me that having to book outside of a sale has meant they've saved quite a bit.

Originally Posted by Milnio87

I did consider this but the price was £240 each, so best part of another £500 for me and the wife! Couldn't justify that for a quick positioning flight!

Originally Posted by Globaliser

And no RFS awards to be had? 4,500 Avios plus £17.50 is still not a bad price to pay for 40 TPs.

I agree that if you have to pay a lot for the positioning flight to get back after the fourth sector, then it may not be worth it.

Originally Posted by davidw70

I've just booked BRU-LHR-SFO; LAX-LHR-BRU.

When I come to check my bags at LAX, will they insist on checking them through to BRU?

Originally Posted by The _Banking_Scot

Hi,

Highly likely ( unless you have an overnight stay).

If you had booked SFO-LHR LCY/LGW -AMS then your bags would have to be collected at LHR and taken to LCY/LGW.

Regards

TBS

Originally Posted by davidw70

I've just booked BRU-LHR-SFO; LAX-LHR-BRU.

When I come to check my bags at LAX, will they insist on checking them through to BRU?