Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome!

[MARIANH]

Well, what do we do? A few sea days to occupy ourselves. How shall we keep ourselves amused? :confused:

 

I know. La Terrazza Fantasy Table Competion!!

 

The only thing left is to extend the invitations.

 

But who to invite?

The only rules are ….

3. No fellow CC'er can be invited to avoid others feeling (and particularly me) feeling slighted and flouncing off in a huff.

 

 

:)

 

Interesting flight of fancy. Will scratch my brain cell.

 

However, very disappointed that CC'ers are excluded. I would like to have invited some CC normally prolific posters who have decided not to engage with this thread. If only to check if indeed they lack a chuckle muscle.

 

Hits currently 5000+ and rising. So someone must be reading the missives. Unless of course you bribed a Singaporean macaque with cashews to keep hitting the read button:rolleyes:

[UKCruiseJeff]

Interesting flight of fancy. Will scratch my brain cell.

 

However, very disappointed that CC'ers are excluded. I would like to have invited some CC normally prolific posters who have decided not to engage with this thread. If only to check if indeed they lack a chuckle muscle.

 

Hits currently 5000+ and rising. So someone must be reading the missives. Unless of course you bribed a Singaporean macaque with cashews to keep hitting the read button:rolleyes:

 

Well, as a one off concession, you are allowed to mount a therapeutic "grumps" table and a court jester to see if there's any hope of chuckle muscle resuscitation. Good luck!:p

 

I'm looking forward to seeing your table!

 

Our flight yesterday produced another 150,000 " service recovery" BA miles, given on the spot from a lovely CSD and in my account within hours. That was on top of 200,000 for the previous one a few months ago. What a lovely airline .....:)

[MARIANH]

Well, as a one off concession, you are allowed to mount a therapeutic "grumps" table and a court jester to see if there's any hope of chuckle muscle resuscitation. Good luck!:p

 

I'm looking forward to seeing your table!

 

Our flight yesterday produced another 150,000 " service recovery" BA miles, given on the spot from a lovely CSD and in my account within hours. That was on top of 200,000 for the previous one a few months ago. What a lovely airline .....:)

 

Whilst always willing to take on a challenge, I fear that attempts to tickle chuckle muscles back into life could prove nugatory ( that word again). Especially if the patient suffers from humour ( humor) gene dysmorphia as may well be the case. Anyhow, before giving up the challenge, I will study the research done by the internationally renowned expert in the field one Dr K Dodd.

 

And heavens to Murgatroyd, how did you finesse those Avois? My Lady CSD ( first class ) friend thinks it very unusual and must have resulted from you giving service beyond self - not a Rotarian are you?

 

Did you take over the plane and land it in an emergency? Or did the LPGS run out. Or do you have hidden powers?

 

Need to know as we are suffering from Avios withdrawal symptoms and to buy more will make my wallet groan again.

 

Reveal all, after all you will be quite safe- no one important will read this.

Edited August 23, 2013 by MARIANH

[bissel]

I'm thinking, I'm thinking! I've got two so far and want to give this proper thought.

 

I too am curious about how you managed such a thing with BA. I have to agree that perhaps you did help land the plane!

[UKCruiseJeff]

On the February trip to Singapore ... usual seats 2k and 3k coming home from Singapore and all of the electrics went down on the right hand side, including the power supply, lights, IFE, and my seat. Others had already got there's in the bed position but as we'd nabbed another seat for our restaurant mine wasn't made up. So it was stuck in a semi upright position for 13 hours with nothing to do and in the dark. The CSD didn't even bother to come and say hello. For that we each got 100,000 - a total for the slow - of 200,000.

 

Yesterday - same seat (probably the same aircaft - I can check) 2k and got the seat into my favoured position ie semi-recline but it wouldn't go upright for breakfast and then landing. CSD agreed with the pilot that I could land semi-reclined which I'd always wanted to do anyway. I was in pretty good spirits - no grumpiness - no compo requested - but the CSD whipped out her Ipad, consulted a customer recovery chart and said "That will be 150,000 miles or £750 - which would you prefer ....." Well - the way I use them the 150,000 is worth at least (to me) 3p probably much more - we use them with the Amex 241s and as they are fully flexible (subject to availibility) F tickets. If you valued them at full price F tickets then two tickets to Singapore are around £28k at full price then that would make them worth £20k But with my much lower value it meant £4.5k worth of miles for sitting a bit reclined through breakfast.

 

I'm hoping I get the same 744 next January as I am in 2k naturally .....

 

:)

[MARIANH]

On the February trip to Singapore ... usual seats 2k and 3k coming home from Singapore and all of the electrics went down on the right hand side, including the power supply, lights, IFE, and my seat. Others had already got there's in the bed position but as we'd nabbed another seat for our restaurant mine wasn't made up. So it was stuck in a semi upright position for 13 hours with nothing to do and in the dark. The CSD didn't even bother to come and say hello. For that we each got 100,000 - a total for the slow - of 200,000.

 

Yesterday - same seat (probably the same aircaft - I can check) 2k and got the seat into my favoured position ie semi-recline but it wouldn't go upright for breakfast and then landing. CSD agreed with the pilot that I could land semi-reclined which I'd always wanted to do anyway. I was in pretty good spirits - no grumpiness - no compo requested - but the CSD whipped out her Ipad, consulted a customer recovery chart and said "That will be 150,000 miles or £750 - which would you prefer ....." Well - the way I use them the 150,000 is worth at least (to me) 3p probably much more - we use them with the Amex 241s and as they are fully flexible (subject to availibility) F tickets. If you valued them at full price F tickets then two tickets to Singapore are around £28k at full price then that would make them worth £20k But with my much lower value it meant £4.5k worth of miles for sitting a bit reclined through breakfast.

 

I'm hoping I get the same 744 next January as I am in 2k naturally .....

 

:)

 

Zut Alors!. How do you get the wire cutters through security?

[UKCruiseJeff]

Zut Alors!. How do you get the wire cutters through security?

 

:D

 

It does seem awfully coincidental. ;)

 

Mea Non Culpa. Carpe Diem. Veni Vidi Vici. Bellum, bellum, Bellum.

 

Bleedin' 'ell Marlene - I've morfed into a bleedin' Emperor!

 

:eek:

[Nigella]

On the February trip to Singapore ... usual seats 2k and 3k coming home from Singapore and all of the electrics went down on the right hand side, including the power supply, lights, IFE, and my seat. Others had already got there's in the bed position but as we'd nabbed another seat for our restaurant mine wasn't made up. So it was stuck in a semi upright position for 13 hours with nothing to do and in the dark. The CSD didn't even bother to come and say hello. For that we each got 100,000 - a total for the slow - of 200,000.

 

Yesterday - same seat (probably the same aircaft - I can check) 2k and got the seat into my favoured position ie semi-recline but it wouldn't go upright for breakfast and then landing. CSD agreed with the pilot that I could land semi-reclined which I'd always wanted to do anyway. I was in pretty good spirits - no grumpiness - no compo requested - but the CSD whipped out her Ipad, consulted a customer recovery chart and said "That will be 150,000 miles or £750 - which would you prefer ....." Well - the way I use them the 150,000 is worth at least (to me) 3p probably much more - we use them with the Amex 241s and as they are fully flexible (subject to availibility) F tickets. If you valued them at full price F tickets then two tickets to Singapore are around £28k at full price then that would make them worth £20k But with my much lower value it meant £4.5k worth of miles for sitting a bit reclined through breakfast.

 

I'm hoping I get the same 744 next January as I am in 2k naturally .....

 

:)

 

Shame on my former employer.

But working well for you ;)

Btw I think the CSD is now known as CSM ? Cabin Service Manager ? Have you heard this too Jeff ?

[UKCruiseJeff]

Shame on my former employer.

But working well for you ;)

Btw I think the CSD is now known as CSM ? Cabin Service Manager ? Have you heard this too Jeff ?

 

Hi Nigella,

 

CSM is mixed fleet, CSD is long haul. When BA transits everyone to mixed fleet then CSD's will disappear.

 

ps. By the way ... as an "ex" you'll know Cranebank. I took 'er down for two hours on a 737. She was brilliant. I plan two hours on a 744 before they go.......

 

.

Edited August 23, 2013 by UKCruiseJeff

[MARIANH]

"That will be 150,000 miles or £750 - which would you prefer ....." Well - the way I use them the 150,000 is worth at least (to me) 3p probably much more - we use them with the Amex 241s and as they are fully flexible (subject to availibility) F tickets.

:)

 

Mr Jeff. You are clearly an Avios expert.

 

Perhaps you could advise. A very close friend of mine has enough Avios for a Club return to Sydney and soon maybe for First. Also has acquired a partner voucher through injudicious use of Amex ( 241). So far so good. However,it seems completely impossible to get two returns to Sydney through the Avios system for the forseeable future. There are never any available. Clearly a trick is being missed. Do you know the secret?

 

Don't be afraid to spill the haricots.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Mr Jeff. You are clearly an Avios expert.

 

Perhaps you could advise. A very close friend of mine has enough Avios for a Club return to Sydney and soon maybe for First. Also has acquired a partner voucher through injudicious use of Amex ( 241). So far so good. However,it seems completely impossible to get two returns to Sydney through the Avios system for the forseeable future. There are never any available. Clearly a trick is being missed. Do you know the secret?

 

Don't be afraid to spill the haricots.

 

1. I'm presuming as you say an Amex 241 that they are UK based.

2. Once she has the (I believe) 260k miles she can look at BA.com just after midnight 355 days out. This is when redemption is first released - if it is going to be released on that flight for the UK.

3. She should check before her desired dates often to see if there is a pattern for certain days of the week - for example she may learn that redemption never seems to be available on Tuesdays. If she knows that - she can plan around it.

4. When checking she should be checking first just LHR>SYD. But she should try this two ways. Firstly LHR>SYD through on BA15 and then try LHR>SIN on BA11 or BA15 and then SIN>SYD on BA15 and seperately. Sometimes breaking it up with into legs shows other options.

5. When a suitable outward date shows up nab 2 seats using the points and 241.

6. My chosen route then is to take any subsequent date return that turns up and book it. You have to call BA and request they add the return leg. The reason why is that if the seats become available at midnight but the office opens at 08:30 then you have 81/2 hours to lose the seat. So you just book the next return even if it only gives you 1 day in Sydney. You need to use the method I outlined before by trying both straight through on BA16 and a combo of BA16 and BA12.

7. Now that you have two returns booked in F you can change the ticket for your actual return flight on-line just after 12:00 when it shows and just pay the change fee of £25 each.

8. BA also release seats every so often ... you just need to try often and page forward on the planner to learn the pattern.

 

That is one strategy. I have always got seats as long as you plan a long way ahead.

 

Does this make sense?

 

Jeff

[UKCruiseJeff]

ps ........ you didn't mention which Amex BA card she uses. If it is the Prem Plus then the voucher is good for two years. If it is the free card ie spendmof £15k then sadly the voucher is only good for 12 months which renders it virtually useless for this trip ...

 

Sorry!

[MARIANH]

ps ........ you didn't mention which Amex BA card she uses. If it is the Prem Plus then the voucher is good for two years. If it is the free card ie spendmof £15k then sadly the voucher is only good for 12 months which renders it virtually useless for this trip ...

 

Sorry!

Yes it's Prem plus - voucher expires April 2015

 

 

Not sure I follow the process (my fault entirely). If you book a one way to Sydney first of all using the voucher for the companion ticket, that presumably means the voucher is not available for the return leg. Are we both talking about the same 241 process?.

 

Sorry to be thick this evening. I would guess I am not alone in having difficulty grappling with the BA Avios system to secure flights. Have managed it once to Miami but other very popular destinations- Australia, Mauritius seem tricky.

 

Thanks for your indulgence.

[UKCruiseJeff]

It is the same voucher. You buy half the ticket ( outward) when it becomes available for say 130k points plus fees and taxes. If you wait until the return leg is available then by then the outward leg will be probably nabbed.

 

Having got the outward secured you wait for return to show up and ask BA to add it to you ticket, paying the other 130k ponts plus taxes and charges and change fee.

 

ps ... if it were easy .... then there wouldnt be any trips for people who understand the wrinkles ......;)

 

.

Edited August 23, 2013 by UKCruiseJeff

[MARIANH]

It is the same voucher. You buy half the ticket ( outward) when it becomes available for say 130k points plus fees and taxes. If you wait until the return leg is available then by then the outward leg will be probably nabbed.

 

Having got the outward secured you wait for return to show up and ask BA to add it to you ticket, paying the other 130k ponts plus taxes and charges and change fee.

 

ps ... if it were easy .... then there wouldnt be any trips for people who understand the wrinkles ......;)

 

.

 

I think I may have now understood. Thanks for sharing. Went hotfoot to the BA site to put my new found intelligence to work and guess what - it's down!

 

Time to retire:(

[UKCruiseJeff]

I think I may have now understood. Thanks for sharing. Went hotfoot to the BA site to put my new found intelligence to work and guess what - it's down!

 

Time to retire:(

 

Hi,

 

You should be encouraged that it is so difficult. This is where the seam of gold is. Basically - as long as you time the release of the voucher optimally (we have two each year) and as long as you take the trouble to understand BA's current redemption release patterns and work with them then you will be one of the few that gets pretty much the tickets you want as long as you are patient and flexible.

 

What I suggst you do when start the process (and you should start the planning a couple of weeks before 355 days) is have a PC spreadseet with the dates in column one and across the top a column for BA11 BA 15a (lhr>SIN) BA15b (SIN.>SYD) and then the back flights. Every morning - or if you are up every night just after 12:00 see what they release. This will give you a couple of weeks of being able to form the pattern on your sheet.

 

Then once you are in your preffered actual planning zone you will know that on x date just after 12 there is a chance of 2 x F will be released. Nab them. Keep plotting outward even though you have booked. When you see any return flight open - nab it in the way I described before. Now you have a notional flight that you can adjust to a better fit.

 

It is worth the hassle to travel F on redemption, and to be hoenst if it were easier then I'd never win.

 

Nigella's post reminded me of Cranebank ... if ever you get the chance to try a real BA simulator it is such an experience. I was looking back over the piccies of the trip I took her on. I think it was one of her most favourite and unexpected suprises. The look on her face when I took her.

[MARIANH]

Hi,

 

You should be encouraged that it is so difficult.

 

It is worth the hassle to travel F on redemption, and to be hoenst if it were easier then I'd never win.

 

Nigella's post reminded me of Cranebank ... if ever you get the chance to try a real BA simulator it is such an experience. .

 

Many thanks- I will persevere.

 

Will be meeting an ex BA pilot friend tomorrow, I will ask about Cranebank.

 

BTW, it seems that because of the time difference between here and the US, if someone in the UK posts early in the morning in breach of the rules, the offending post remains active for hours before being removed. I am sure no one would be devious enough to take advantage of this apparent loophole.

Edited August 24, 2013 by MARIANH

[UKCruiseJeff]

BTW, it seems that because of the time difference between here and the US, if someone in the UK posts early in the morning in breach of the rules, the offending post remains active for hours before being removed. I am sure no one would be devious enough to take advantage of this apparent loophole.

 

I must have missed it. :confused:

 

What were the rules that were breached?

[UKCruiseJeff]

......see if i can tantalise your adventure taste buds ......

 

 

.... she was really good at this .... and particularly enjoyed the first take-off, return and landing having buzzed Canary Wharf!

 

 

 

The 744 had the real smell of fear in it as those guys and girls were doing their 6 monthly and taking a comfort break... I plan to take two hours for us in the next month or so.....

 

 

GO FOR IT! YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE!!

 

If you need any more help with the redemption process ... ask away.

 

Jeff

 

.

Edited August 24, 2013 by UKCruiseJeff

[MARIANH]

I must have missed it. :confused:

 

What were the rules that were breached?

 

Can't repeat actual words for obvious reasons but they were personal and offensive ( not to me BTW). Could be considered Badgereering;)

[UKCruiseJeff]

Can't repeat actual words for obvious reasons but they were personal and offensive ( not to me BTW). Could be considered Badgereering;)

 

What on this thread? Dare I ask - directed at moi?

 

What on earth is so wrong with people's lives?

 

.

Edited August 24, 2013 by UKCruiseJeff

[MARIANH]

What on this thread? Dare I ask - directed at moi?

 

What on earth is so wrong with people's lives?

 

.

 

No ,not this time:) It was on a smoking thread. Always an inflammatory topic.

 

Re BA flight stimulator. Do they take BA AMEX?:rolleyes:

 

A great way to acquire more miles. Sort of killing two birds with one stone. Perhaps not the best analogy:eek:

Edited August 24, 2013 by MARIANH

[UKCruiseJeff]

Re BA flight stimulator. Do they take BA AMEX?:rolleyes:

 

A great way to acquire more miles. Sort of killing two birds with one stone. Perhaps not the best analogy:eek:

 

Just keep in mind that when you are confident/competent to ensure you get the redemptions then you should start acquiring miles by either purchase during sales or by chrurning cards - . each SPG card could bring you if you plan ahead and time well 31k Avios.

 

You redemption planning cycle shoud always be 12 months or so. They are flexible so you can always cancel if you need. Once you get into a cycle .....

 

The simulator was interesting because i is another area that I'm convinced woman are better than men. She was really much better than me t landing.

 

I want our 744 time because I want to land a jumbo at Hong Kong.:)

[Mark_K]

Many thanks- I will persevere.

 

Will be meeting an ex BA pilot friend tomorrow, I will ask about Cranebank.

 

BTW, it seems that because of the time difference between here and the US, if someone in the UK posts early in the morning in breach of the rules, the offending post remains active for hours before being removed. I am sure no one would be devious enough to take advantage of this apparent loophole.

Broaching breaches, are we?

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[UKCruiseJeff]

Broaching breaches, are we?

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Mark,

 

What are you and your dear Lady doing outside our unfinished home in Wiltshire?

 

:D

 

Did you enjoy your visit?

 

Jeff

 

.