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£10 / €20 off all flights, every time, via Trip.com
Ctrip ( 携程 ) is the largest travel agency in China who owns Skyscanner and Trainpal, to name a few that our UK readers are familiar with. They bought the trip.com domain (which must have been pricy) a few years ago and Trip.com is now their international trading name.
Unlike Trainpal which makes frequent appearances on Hotukdeals etc and is now somewhat known to the British public, I don’t think Trip.com has been very successful in improving their international presence. It drives them to throwing in money on marketing to attract new customers.
There is a very good offer for flight bookings at the moment. You can see the details here.
- Book on the Trip.com mobile app
- £10 off all airfares of £100+
- £5 off all other airfares
- ANY flights excluding Mainland China domestic are eligible
Simple as that. Anyone can get at least £5 off any flight and there’s no limit on how many times you can claim it. The offer doesn’t currently have an expiry date.
The promotion has a similar version for the France / Spain market. In the app if you change the settings and switch to France / French / Euro this offer pops up:
You get €10 off on all tickets costing €13 – €300, or €20 off above that. On paper it works out slightly better than the UK counterpart.
Intuitively you get the heaviest discount on cheap budget airline tickets. Milan – Tirana is priced at €9.99 on Ryanair, or €6 on Trip.
London – Lyon is priced at £12.99 on Wizz Air, or £6 on Trip.
Kuala Lumpur – Singapore is priced at £12.72 on Scoot, or £6 on Trip.
The saving is less impressive on more expensive tickets. It’s worth pointing out that although the France version offers a better discount, I find the pricing frequently more expensive than the UK version.
I have purchased flight tickets on Trip.com a few times, most recently Norwegian to Stockholm last month and I find them quite good. They have decent 4.1 star rating on Trustpilot.
If you don’t have a Trip.com account yet, my referral link will give you £15 vouchers, although I’m not sure how those vouchers work.
My review of Westin Palace Madrid
My flight to Buenos Aires departs at Madrid, as it saves me £££ compared to flying BA from London. I booked the Westin Palace Madrid hotel for one night as a transit.
The name Westin sounded very posh to me at the beginning, right until I stayed at the brand for the first time at Zagreb. Then I realised it’s at the same tier with Sheraton and Marriott – the Westin Excelsior Rome I visited recently was disappointing.
The Madrid hotel however, is indeed a bit different as indicated by the “Palace” in its name. Construction of the hotel was the idea of King Alfonso XIII. It was completed in 1911 and then the largest hotel in Europe. It was also the second hotel in the world that had a bathroom in each guestroom.
The Westin Palace Madrid hotel has a prime location in the city, within walking distance to the many museums and galleries. Recoletos station is just 10 minutes away, which brings you to the airport for just over two euro.
The exterior of the the building sets my mind at peace – at least it doesn’t seem in desperate need of renovation.
In fact the hotel is very well maintained. The marble floor is immaculate, the walls neatly painted and the finish of everything is fresh. I would believe it if someone told me it’s a new hotel.
My reservation is upgraded by one level to a Premium room. The building is massive with a weird triangular shape, so it takes age from the lift to certain rooms!
Room doors are surrounded by a layer of marble, which is classy but also a bit strange in the meantime.
The room on the other hand, looks pretty standard for a five-star hotel. Nothing specially draws my attention, except the signature Heavenly Bed which is very comfortable!
It comes with a very small balcony.
There are a terrace, a gym and sauna / steam rooms. There’s no pool however.
The restaurant is very beautiful and it reminds me of the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Both hotels share Palace in their names for a reason!
The buffet breakfast is average.
Westin Palace Madrid is a decent hotel that’s got a lot of history and well preserved at the same time. The location is also ideal for tourists.
15% off Uber gift card (and more) via Amazon
The offer is back! Amazon just launched a sale on certain third-party gift cards, and most importantly Uber is participating.
You have two options. You can order a physical gift card here which arrives by post, but I’m only allowed to purchase one. It’s much easier to buy the digital gift card instead. Note that the discount applies automatically at the check-out page.
I used to hoard a lot of Uber gift cards via stacked Morrisons promotions, which have unfortunately died out at some point. It’s nice to see another decent offer finally and I’m not hesitating to jump on board.
Uber gift cards can be used for ride, takeaway (Uber Eats) and train/bus tickets (Travel), but not on grocery orders. Note that Uber Travel has extended the 10% back offer till the end of this year.
Note that there’s a daily cap on the amount you can purchase (£400?). Many other merchants are participating, including Apple, lastminute.com, Cineworld, Vue and Bella Italia.
IHG 30%-off secret sale in Europe, Asia and more
IHG started a pretty decent sale which covers many regions globally, and it could be suitable for your upcoming travel plans.
- Book by October 16th
- Stay between October 6th and March 31st
- Book at least 10 days in advance for two-nights minimum
- A 15%-discount off the Book Early and Save rate applies
- Non-refundable
The promotion runs in Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia (Greater China excluded). Note that the 15% off is against an advance rate, which is already cheaper than the best flexible rate.
You MUST book via the promo page to see the discount. Here are some rate examples, compared to the best flexible rate:
- Holiday Inn Bangkok Silom £67 / £86 (22% off)
- InterContinental Singapore Robertson Quay £175 / £235 (25% off)
- InterContinental Yokohama Grand £138 / £197 (30% off)
- InterContinental Rome £396 / £528 (25% off)
- Crowne Plaza Paris Republique £ 216 / £290 (25% off)
- Hotel Indigo London Leicester Square £252 / £319 (21% off)
- Holiday Inn London Whitechapel £132 / £177 (25% off)
- voco Dubai £152 / £204 (25% off)
As you can see, most of the time the saving is 25%, although it goes up to 30% in some cases.
It’s branded a “stay with us again” promotion and has been sent to select members who presumably haven’t stayed at an IHG hotel for a while, but anyone can book it and there’s nothing in the terms and conditions that is against it. The only caveat is bookings are non-refundable.
My review of Etihad First Class Lounge, Abu Dhabi
After the very impressive experience with Emirates First Suite a few months ago, I’m trying out the first class product of another Middle Eastern carrier – Etihad. Etihad occupies the entire Terminal 3 of the Abu Dhabi airport, and there are dedicated entrances for first class and business class passengers.
The check-in area is surprisingly, hmm, basic. Like many other emerging economies UAE is usually pretty good at infrastructure, and it’s fair to say the airport doesn’t leave a very good first impression.
The images above cover the entire first class check-in area. There are two rows of check-in desks but only one of them is open.
First class and business class passengers share the same fast track facilities for emigration and security check, after which you’ll see the first class lounge immediately. It is a small terminal.
There is nothing but a reception desk on the ground floor. You need to take the stairs up to enter the actual lounge.
The restaurant kind of brings me back in time to the 1990s.
The bar looks quite old-fashioned as well. Alcoholic drinks are still served during Ramadan, but there’s no menu – the bartender tells you what options are available.
The rest of the lounge sends out the same vibe. It feels more like a third-party contract lounge you often see at smaller European airports, and there’s definitely nothing lush about it…
I was trying to find a desk to sit down and write some stuff, but I failed. Trust me I checked every corner of the lounge and it’s not difficult.
The lounge prides itself in the name “Lounge & Spa”, except that the spa was closed during the pandemic and still hasn’t re-opened yet. Here are the kids club and gym:
I asked the staff whether there’s any quiet room to take a rest, and was told it’s chargeable. She brought me to a large dark room however which is free and looks like a mini cinema.
The famous cigar room that is mentioned in all the reviews:
I heard they used to gift all guests one or two cigars but it’s no longer the case. A friend of mine has some expiring Etihad miles and generously offered me to spend on the cigars. Then a member of staff explains about an ongoing IT issue that prevents them from accepting payment in miles…
Well, at least let’s have some free food! This has to be one of the ugliest and worn-out menus that I’ve ever seen in a lounge.
I don’t remember much about the food.
I’m take aback by how shabby Etihad’s first class lounge is. I understand that the terminal might be quite old and limited in terms of space and facilities, but Etihad could for sure work harder to cater to their most important customers. They could have put more effort into service and dining, instead of shutting down the spa centre and charging for everything.
I was complaining that Emirates’ first class lounge was lacking in inspiration, and after seeing how Etihad’s counterpart is I have to take it back. It’s weird to say but, even BA’s Concorde Room does a better job!
40% off IHG hotels in Southeast Asia and Korea
IHG has launched a very good sale for stays in Southeast Asia and Korea.
- Book by September 25
- Stay between October 10 and January 31
- Book at least 21 days in advance and two-night minimum stay required
- 40% off the best flexible rate (including member-exclusive discount)
- Non-refundable
Here are some rate examples:
- InterContinental Bangkok $164
- Holiday Inn Bangkok Silom $68
- Crowne Plaza Phuket Panwa Beach $94
- InterContinental Kuala Lumpur $117
- InterContinental Bali $139
- Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium $144
- voco Danang Ma Belle $72
You don’t usually see strong discount like 40%-off in IHG sales so it is genuinely good. Note that however reservations are non-refundable.
Two-bedroom villa in Danang for 40K Marriott points only!
Marriott is to open a new villa-only hotel in Danang, Vietnam. Like the Singapore Edition hotel we mentioned a few days ago, there’s a pricing oddity which creates a very good deal.
The entry-level room type, 2 Bedroom Garden Villa, is priced at around $600 per night. If you pay by Marriott points however, as few as 40,000 points are needed.
Even more oddly, the Cash & Points option is even better as you save 20,500 points by paying $75.
Such redemption sweet spots are commonly seen when a new hotel is loaded into the system, and it’s not unique to Marriott Bonvoy. The redemption price might be adjusted soon to reflect the cash price (in fact it was only 30,000 points yesterday), so act fast if you may need it.
My review of The Abu Dhabi Edition
I went to Abu Dhabi in March because of Etihad’s €70 fare and I needed some winter (spring?) sun. It turned out to be a wise move – weather aside, you can find many luxury hotels here of top quality which are much cheaper than in Dubai.
Many hotels in Abu Dhabi offer in their respective VIP rate plans, e.g. Hilton Impresario, Marriott Stars and Hyatt Prive. Sofitel was the cheapest at £80 per night, others like Fairmont, Conrad, Edition, Grand Hyatt, Rosewood and Four Seasons were between £100 and £150. Remember that you are entitled to free breakfast, room upgrade and $100 credit etc courtesy of the VIP rates.
As I have never been to an Edition hotel yet, and the rate is so good, I booked the Abu Dhabi Edition for three nights. I used Airalo eSIM for data roaming in Abu Dhabi which I highly recommend.
The hotel is located at a small marina in west Abu Dhabi. It’s not central, but I find that you need Uber / Taxi to travel anywhere anyway so it doesn’t matter at all. The hotel has a residence section for long-stay guests.
Once you enter the lobby you are embraced by the signature Le Labo fragrance which is quite refreshing.
The receptionist is very familiar with Platinum and Marriott Stars benefits. Here is what Platinum members can choose as a welcome gift.
Very generously, they’ve already upgraded me to a suite on the fourth floor (it has six floors in total). The living room is massive. The blend of beige and brown colours resonates with the natural and simple theme that the Edition brand stresses.
I can’t figure out why they welcomed me with a cereal bar though…
There is a small bathroom to the left of the living room.
You can go out to the balcony from the living room, but there isn’t much of a view here due to the height and aspect. AI Hudayriat, an artificial island you can see at a distance, is worth a visit.
The bedroom also has that Scandinavian feel. I’m new to this style but I don’t diske it.
Surprisingly such a huge suite doesn’t even have a bathtub. Some friends of mine really like Le Labo and took away many bottles with them when they stayed at Edition hotels. However they’ve only got large bottles here and there are price tags attached to them…
They smell really good, but I don’t like the shampoo as it doesn’t foam at all.
The $100 credit is exchanged into 350 dirhams. The steakhouse looks way too expensive, whereas I’ve heard bad things about the other Mediterranean restaurant. By the way it happens to be Ramadan right now, but hotel restaurants operate as normal and as a tourist I don’t feel affected at all.
In the end I decided to try the room service instead.
They are certainly no delicacy, but decent enough for the price and to fill my stomach. The two meals didn’t use up all my credit so I packed some cakes from the dessert shop for my flight back.
Note that there’s no complimentary breakfast for elite members at Edition hotels, but thankfully it’s offered by the Stars program. I read some very positive reviews of the breakfast so was looking forward to it.
Conveniently the breakfast is served until 12.30pm, so you don’t need to worry about an early morning if you are suffering jetlag.
There’s both indoor and outdoor seating.
The service is a-la-carte only. I ordered the eggs benefit on the first morning which was nothing to write home about.
The cured meat is made from beef instead of pork, and I’m not used to the taste.
Then next day I ordered the chilli scrambled eggs, and I have to say it is so different to the other scrambled eggs I’ve had in the past! Very Instagrammable and tasty.
The outdoor swimming pool is pretty good but closes early at 6.30pm. There’s also a sauna room nearby inside.
There another swimming pool on the rooftop of the residence building. It’s smaller but with a view.
The gym:
It’s fair to say that my first close encounter with the Edition brand is quite positive, but by the UAE standard I don’t assume it would stand out. I would love to try out the Emirates Palace hotel some day, but either I’d need to earn more money, or Mandarin Oriental needs to allow me to spend my points…