Got Avios, Go Fly

Sitting on a pile of Avios points, then you might want to look at the latest availability to some Asian airports, the US East Coast and Canada on the BA site.

British Airways, BA, Avios
Avios Flight Redemption Bonanza

In the past 2 days BA have released hundreds of Club World seats for Avios redemption to these destinations until December 2020.

The Fast East is probably not at the top of your holiday list at the moment but for Avios redemptions it’s a win-win.  If you decide closer to the time to cancel your Avios flight then all you lose is £35 per person and if BA cancel because of the coronavirus you will get a full refund of your Avios and there will be no cancellation fee.

BA releasing so many Avios seats to North America is not something that they have done out of the goodness of their own heart but will have done it for purely financial reasons.  However if you want to use your points rather than use cash then it might be worth a look.

Collect Avios points with a British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card and get to your next getaway faster.

Beware of Dennis the Menace.

So sang Rosemary Clooney in 1953.  Over 50 years later and after being battered by Ciara, this weekend it was our turn to “Beware of Dennis”. 

Egremni beach, Lefkada, Greece, Beach, Copyright GNTO
Egremni beach, Lefkada, Ionian Islands, Greece

The name Dennis itself derives from Greek and means follower of Dionysios. So this time out we head off to Greece for a holiday of a lifetime. The birthplace of Western Civilisation, Greece has so much to offer.  History and culture by the bucket loads, exquisite cuisine, 300 days of sun, beautiful beaches and much more. With 227 inhabited islands and the mainland to visit Maggie you will always find somewhere to suit you. 

Book your Greek holiday with the American Express Platinum Card. Complimentary access to over 1,200 airport lounges across more than 130 countries worldwide. Click on this link to earn an additional 5000 points.

Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take you to Bermuda, Bahamas

Have you been windswept, battered and soaked by Storm Ciara? Then think back to September 2019, Hurricane Dorian hit the Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama island causing $3.4bn worth of damage, 70 people lost their lives and as of November 2019 282 people were still listed as missing.

The Bahamas - Courtesty of the Bahamian Ministry of Tourism
The Bahamas

If you are thinking of a getaway, it’s easy to understand why the Beach Boys would have wanted to take you to the Caribbean.

A holiday in the Bahamas makes great sense at this time of year.  Average daytime temperatures range from 25C in February to 28C in April, and your tourism pounds will help the country rebuild.

The Bahamas has beautiful clear waters which are ideal for snorkelling and scuba diving. Explore some of the world’s largest underwater cave systems and one of the largest barrier reefs. The Bahamas consists of 700 islands of which 14 are tourist destinations.

To book your Bahamian getaway contact Maggie today.

Collect Avios points with a British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card and get to your next getaway faster.

Ob-la-di ob-la-da life goes on.

At 11.00pm on 31st January 2020 the United Kingdom became the first ever state to leave the European Union. The UK has now entered a transition period that will last until at least the end of the year.

If you have booked or are planning to travel to the EU in 2020, then everything will stay the same as it did before Brexit. If you want to double check anything about you holiday plans to the EU then contact Maggie to put your mind at rest.

The transition period lasts until the end of 2020. The deal allows for an extension by one or two years, although Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister has ruled that out. So there is still a chance that things might continue as they are for awhile to come.

Book your European Break with the American Express Platinum Card. New card holders will earn enough points to exchange for 2 return tickets to Europe. Click on this link to earn an additional 5000 points.

Around the World in 180 Days.

Oceania Cruises are offering a 180 day cruise around the world in 2022. Admittedly it’s 100 days longer than the epic adventure described by Jules Verne of Phileas Fogg and his valet Passepartout.

However you do get to visit 6 continents, 44 countries, 91 ports, 43 islands and en route you will have access to 68 UNESCO World Heritage Sites including the Royal Citadel in Huế, Vietnam.

Photogenic red doors of the Forbidden City inside the Hue Citadel - Copyright Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.
Photogenic red doors of the Forbidden City inside the Hue Citadel

A 180 day cruise sounds like the perfect way to see so many sights, cultures and countries in one trip. If you can’t wait until 2022 and haven’t got time for a 6 month cruise then maybe Maggie can find you something to suit you.

With so many options available, from a mini cruise to Amsterdam, Bruges or Olso, river cruises down the Danube, the Douro and the Rhine to ocean cruises round the Mediterranean, the Caribbean or round the world.  On board you can choose the VIP experience, adventure and even Adult Only.  The choice is yours so contact Maggie today and let her help you find the perfect cruise for you.

Pay for your cruise using your British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card and collect Avios points to use towards your next trip away.

If food be the reason to travel, book now.

It’s a bit of a twist on Shakespeare’s famous words from Twelfth Night, but as we start to put Christmas well behind us, it’s time to start looking forward to making plans to travel in the future. Looking back to our first post, one of the reasons we like to travel is to experience the fantastic variations in good food on offer round the world.

Empanadas - Madrid Market
Empanadas

Food offers a unique insight to the history and culture of a region or country.  The empanadas pictured above were first documented in Galicia in North West Spain 100 years before Twelfth Night was written, but today they are a part of everyday cuisine in places as far apart as Argentina, the Philippines and the Cape Verde Islands. 

Many other cultures have their variations on an empanadas, in the UK the pasty, in South Asia the samosa and in Russia the Pirozhki.

To get your cuisine travel experience contact Maggie today.

Fancy tasting empanadas in Madrid. Book with the American Express Platinum Card and new card holders will earn enough points to exchange for 2 return tickets to Madrid. Click on this link to earn an additional 5000 points.

“Well if you ever plan to motor west”

“Just take my way that’s the highway that’s the best” Rolling Stones.

Route 66 Copyright Linnaea Mallette
Route 66

Planning a driving holiday this year, then there could be no better choice than driving down Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles linking hundreds of rural communities along the way.

The original route was declassified many years ago but with careful planning its possible to drive along most of it.  There are some excellent Historic Route 66 Maps and Guides available to help you plan your journey or of course you could contact Maggie.

Most people drive the Route 66 East to West, so all the rental cars end up in the West.  You can save up to 30% on the cost of your car rental by travelling from West to East plus you get the benefit of a shorter flight back to the UK.

Contact Maggie today and she will put together your perfect drive down Route 66.

Pay for your trip using your British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card and collect Avios points to use towards your next trip away.

Marvelous Malaysia.

At the beginning of December we looked forward to the 2020 Formula One calendar. One of the destinations no longer on that list is Malaysia. Although since 2017 the Malaysian Grand Prix has not taken place, there are still so many reasons to visit this marvelous and very beautiful country.

Malaysia

Why not make the most of your holiday in Malaysia by spending time in Kuala Lumpur, seeking out the city’s delicious local cusines, art galleries, shops and famous landmarks and then moving on to one of the beautiful penisular coastal resorts where you can rewind and unwind.

With all year round warm weather there’s always a good time to visit and outside the capital it is still relatively unvisited by western tourists so do yourself a favour and visit before the crowds arrive.

This year has already seen a large increase in interest in South East Asian destinations including Malaysia. So contact Maggie today and get your holiday booked now.

Book you next holiday with your new American Express Platinum Card. As a new card holder you will earn 30,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend £4,000 in your first three months of card membership. Click on this link to earn an additional 5000 points.

Happy New Decade

As we welcome the New Year and the New Decade it’s also time to take advantage of the airline and holiday sale season. 

British Airways and easyJet were out of the block before Christmas and the others are close behind.  With the demise of Thomas Cook all the companies are keen to grab a bigger share of the holiday market so you can expect some attractive offers to get your attention. 

Turks and Caicos Copyright of British Airways.
Turks and Caicos

BA are currently offering (30 Dec 19) flights to the New York from £262pp return, flight and 7 nights hotel to Orlando for £399pp.  For those of you who would like to travel a little further then how about flights and 7 nights hotel accommodation in Mauritius for £699pp.

If you need some help organising the perfect 2020 getaway for you then contact Maggie whose job it is to do all the hard work so you don’t have to.

Make the most of the January sales by shopping through the BA estore using your British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card.

Planes, trains and automobiles

Since 1990, Rocky Mountaineer, the world’s largest privately owned luxury tourist train, has welcomed more than 2 million guests to inhale the mountain air and let nature take their breath away. So to celebrate 30 wonderful years of service on board and experience historic storytelling, world-class cuisine, a first-hand look at the vast and untouched wild beauty of the Pacific Northwest, and an opportunity to share memorable moments and make lasting friendships with fellow travellers.

Rocky Mountaineer Western Canada Pacific Northwest Train
Rocky Mountaineer

You will not miss a single moment as the Rocky Moutaineer offers the only all daylight journey to travel the historic routes from Vancover through the Rockies. With over 65 different holiday packages and three unique rail routes contact Maggie today to find the perfect one for you.

New Cardmembers, earn 30,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend £4,000 in your first three months of Cardmembership. Click on this link to earn an additional 5000 points – The American Express Platinum Card.