20 November 2015

Using a BA 241 voucher on a trip to the US

I'm looking to take a trip to the US using my BA 241 voucher - looking at economy outbound to the East Coast, preferably Washington ... spend a few days in Washington, fly down to Florida and have a few days there ... and fly back Business Class, preferably on a B747 (so we can experience the Upper Deck) on a slightly longer flight that the short hop from the East Coast cities.

I've found Business Class reward seats available on the LAS - LHR flight on Sunday 20th December departing at 20:40 and arriving into London at 14:35 giving almost 10 hours (hopefully in the Upper Deck) of a B747.

For the outbound flight - I've found reward seats in Economy available on Friday 11th December from LHR - PHL departing at 17:15 (so could do most of a day's work) arriving into Philadelphia at 20:15 - 8 hours (hopefully a bit less if the winds aren't too strong) in a shiny new B787 Dreamliner.

From Philadelphia to Washington - there's an AA flight departing at 21:29 arriving into DC National (it looks like it would be fun to land in the city centre) at 22:32 at a bargain price of 3.50 gbp (and 4,500 Avios).
There's also departure at 22:35 (lands at 23:35) which doesn't currently have reward availability.

If we missed the flights - there are direct trains from the main station in Philadelphia (30th Street Station) which take approximately 1:40 - 2 hours.  There's an express departure at 22:15, a slower departure at 22:35 and a final one at 23:30 which arrives into Washington at 01:30
From PHL to 30th Street Station there are trains at 13 & 43 mins past the hour - which take just 17 mins to get into town.  A taxi should take about the same time.

To avoid flying into PHL - on Friday 11th December there's reward availability on the 13:50 departure from LHR to BWI (on a B767) and also the 11:15 departure from LHR to IAD (on an A380) - but these wouldn't allow much work time in London.  There's no Economy reward availability to Washington or Philadelphia on Saturday 12th.

I can't get an exact price for these flights, but probably around 370 gbp - plus a bunch of Avios !


I've also checked that there are reasonably priced flights from Washington to Florida around Tuesday 15th, and from Florida to LAS on Saturday 19th - so we could overnight in Vegas, and enjoy a day there before the flight back to London.

09 November 2015

flights to Longyearben

Norwegian fly twice a week - Mondays and Fridays

Mondays
dep OSL 09:50
arr LYR 12:50  3 hours - nonstop

dep LYR 13:35
arr OSL 16:35  3 hours - nonstop

Fridays
dep OSL 08:45
arr LYR 11:45  3 hours - nonstop

dep LYR 12:30
arr OSL 15:30  3 hours - nonstop


SAS fly five days a week (not Wednesdays and Saturdays)

SK4414
dep OSL 09:55
arr LYR 14:00  4 hours - stop in TrOmSo (11:45 - 12:20 duration 35 mins)

SK4425
dep LYR 14:45
arr OSL 19:00  4 hours - stop in TOS (16:20 - 17:05 duration 45 mins)

sometimes the 8am departure from OSL (with 2.5 hours wait in TOS) is cheaper.


Norwegian fly London Gatwick to TrOmSo twice a week - but sadly it arrives in TOS after the SAS flight to LYR has departed

Mondays & Fridays
dep LGW 14:20
arr TOS 18:50  3.5 hours - nonstop


Finnair don't start flying to LYR until June 2016


Once you get there - activities can be provided by:

Svalbard Villmarkssenter

Spitsbergen Travel seem to act as an agent

Nordic Visitor just seem to have a single tour in deep winter

And there's a list of activity providers from the tourism office