Hello from London. My parents have finally flown across the Pond for a visit and my brother is still in town, so we decided to meet up in London this weekend. This is my second trip to London this year and fifth visit in the last few years, so I am acting as the family tour guide–no one else has been to the UK before.
I took them to the Tower of London today–my favorite (or should I say favourite?) “tourist attraction” in the city. My brother and dad like puns and corny humor, so the Beefeaters were a perfect match. Tonight I took them to my favorite Persian restaurant near Edgware Road and we had a very nice dinner together.
At work, I am eligible for many Lufthansa employee benefits including access to the Lufthansa Reisemarkt (Travel Market), that offers discounted confirmed vacation packages. I booked Lufthansa tickets and a stay at Hyatt’s Andaz Liverpool property with them and am enjoying myself here. I look forward to providing you a full report on my stay, though the Park Hyatt Mendoza, Hamburg, and Zurich will be coming first.
I booked a Priceline room for tomorrow night near Heathrow and got burned a bit–the hotel is not all that close to the airport so we will have to use the National Express Hotel Hoppa Bus. But a four star hotel for 64USD is nothing to complain about, I suppose.
Work has kept me very busy the last couple weeks so I have not had a chance to write some of the more detailed posts I have been meaning to write, like my hotel reviews and a bit more about my trip to South America, but hopefully work will be a bit calmer this week.
I turned up on Edgware Road last night myself. What’s your favorite Persian restaurant? On Yelp’s advice I tried Al Arez, but wasn’t overwhelmed.
@MrLincoln: I love Patogh Restaurant on Crawford Pl.
Do you have any tips on how to upgrade from Lufthansa business class
to first class? Two of us are flying on UAL and USAirways business class mileage awards US – Germany. I know it’s a super long shot as Lufthansa is one tough bird, but any strategy advice (e.g. would you try to approach UAL, our first segment to fanagle them?) would be helpful. Right now all 8 first class seats are open, business class right now on the flight is about half filled. Thanks, and happy travels.
@simons: pay for D and upgrade? If you’re already on award travel in J, I don’t see any way that the rules would let you do that. And you know Lufty and her rules.
@matthew: thanks. I’ll have to try that next time. It was #2 or #3 on the list… should have been lazy and not walked as far.
@r simons: Quite honestly, you have no chance of getting the upgrade. If you were on a paid business class ticket, as MrLincoln stated, that would be different, but on an award the only way you would be moved up is if business was full, and there were no HONs or LH Senator to move up. Even then, they would probably upgrade revenue pax before you. That’s just the way LH is. If you really want first (and I would argue it is such a step up from business class), you need to change your award ticket from “I” to “O”!