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Bits: Atlantis The Palm Avios promo, all food now free at Escape lounges, airberlin closing

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News in brief:

Get 25% off and quadruple Avios at Atlantis The Palm Dubai

British Airways has launched another Avios promotion in association with Atlantis The Palm resort in Dubai.

Atlantis The Palm is one of the major resorts in Dubai with a huge range of facilities including its own water park. It is now running a special Avios deal for British Airways Executive Club members:

  • 15% off the Best Available Rate on Deluxe and Imperial Club rooms plus earn triple Avios (6 Avios) for every $1 spent on your accommodation
  • 25% off the Best Available Rate on suites plus earn quadruple Avios (8 Avios) for every $1 spent on your accommodation
  • Unlimited access to The Lost Chambers Aquarium and Aquaventure Waterpark during your stay

Booking Dates: before 18th January 2018
Staying Dates: between 14th October 2017 and 27th July 2018
Blackout Dates: 21st October 2017 – 26th November 2017, 20th December 2017 – 6th January 2018, 10th – 24th February, 24th March – 7th April

The package is only available if booked via this special BAEC page on the Atlantis site.

You also earn Avios at other resorts run by Kerzner International.  One&Only operates a number of very high-end luxury resorts in The Bahamas, Mexico, Mauritius, The Maldives, South Africa, Australia and Dubai, whilst Mazagan is a golf and beach resort in Morocco.

Atlantis Dubai Avios offer

Escape lounges making all the food free

The Escape Lounges at Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports are currently undergoing a refresh.

There will be changes to the menu design and colour scheme as well as an added Instagram wall displaying travellers’ Instagram pictures.

Manchester Airports Group, which operates the lounges, will also take the catering in house and offer an all-inclusive drinks and food menu.  This means that there won’t be any paid-for upgrades any longer and all premium items are now free.

The launch dates are:

  • East Midlands Airport – 20th September
  • London Stansted Airport – 11th October (so it should be live now)
  • Manchester Airport T1, T2 and T3 – 10th November

Here is my review of the Escape Lounge at Stansted Airport from earlier this year.

I will be at Stansted on Monday and will see if the refreshed lounge is Instaworthy.

airberlin’s last flight will be at the end of October

The insolvent German airline, and oneworld alliance member, airberlin will cease to operate at the end of this month.

The airline has released a FAQ on their website informing passengers that it looks like the last flight under the airline code AB will depart on 28th October.

According to RP Online, however, 38 of the 144 aircrafts will continue operating as they are operating wet leases for Lufthansa’s Eurowings subsidiary.  NIKI flights are also not affected as Lufthansa is in the process of taking over the Austrian airline.

Passengers can still book tickets for airberlin flights on the website and are promised to get their money (minus taxes and fees) back in case of cancellation as long as the tickets have been booked after 15th August.  Though, for now, it’s probably better to book with a different airline ….

Category

British Airways and Avios, oneworld alliance partners

Comments (68)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Nick says:
    12 Oct12 October 15:49

    Stayed at Atlantis in the summer and I have to say it’s the most overrated hotel I’ve ever stayed at… So many better hotels in the UAE for less money too 🙂

  • Canuck says:
    12 Oct12 October 16:38

    OT: Received an offer for the BA Visa (with Royal Bank of Canada). 15k Avios on application. 25k Avios on $5000 spend in 2 months and another 10k Avios on first year renewal. Fee is $165 and the 241 kicks in at $30,000 spend.

    Worth a punt? Vastly different from UK Amex version.

  • Liz says:
    12 Oct12 October 17:13

    OT Has anyone tried Combine my Avios recently. We got the AerClub bonus again recently and I just tried moving the 250 Avios from my daughter’s own Avios account to her account in our BAEC household account but it keeps rejecting the info even though I’ve used it several times, the last being in May. Online chat says there has been a security update and now name, DOB, address and email all have to match across the accounts. I use my main email for the BAEC account across our 3 family members so will now need to have individual email addresses for each person.

    • Rob says:
      12 Oct12 October 17:22

      Covered this the other day. New security process means all info must now match.

  • Andrew Stock says:
    13 Oct13 October 07:36

    The Escape Lounge, the only decent part of Stansted Airport, a truly awful and horrible airport.

    • Mike G says:
      13 Oct13 October 07:51

      Agree with you on Stansted, Andrew. The Escape Lounge is my brief respite from the hell of the rest of the airport.

  • James says:
    19 Oct19 October 18:55

    RELATED TO AIRBERLIN CLOSING.
    I forgot I had an AirBerlin flight booked using Avios !! I have today had an email from BA telling me that the flight has been cancelled (surprise, surprise). Should I expect the Avios to be returned to my account ? Should I be refunded the taxes & charges ?

    Anyone know WHEN in the process BA would have actually paid AirBerlin for the flight ? The Avios are obviously administratively removed from my account (so I can’t spend them more than once !) immediately, but when would BA actually pay AirBerlin for the flight ? On the day of booking (several months in advance !), one month in advance, a week in advance, the day of the flight or after the flight ?

    I’m also wondering the same for TopBonus points (As I had some flights booked on AirBerlin using TopBonus points too). When in the process would TopBonus ‘pay’ AirBerlin for a flight booked using TopBonus points ? When would the value of points be transferred from TopBonus to AirBerlin ? On the day of booking (several months in advance !), one month in advance, a week in advance, the day of the flight or after the flight ?
    Cheers.

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