kate

I'm thinking about going on a British Airways air-inclusive vacation to London. Has anyone been on one? Which hotels did you stay at? Which would you recommend for value and location?

Kathy Raines

Kate: I read your message with interest, as my family of 5 are planning on using a BA package to <BR>do London, Paris & Rome in June 1999. I am interested in any replies that you receive. We do not want to go on an organized tour, but I like the idea of being able to obtain assitance if needed, and also of pre booking any tours. Have fun planning. Some tour books that I have really enjoyed besides Fodors, is the Eye witness ones. <BR>Kathy

Deborah

Hi! We just got back from a trip to London. My advice to you is to just get your plane ticket, secure a hotel, and get a 7 day travel card for all the zones. (they also have travel cards for families). You can also ride the British Rail and buses with this travel card. DON'T go with a "land package" (we found it to be a rip off). Using the underground in London is EASY and safe. I would advise against renting a car. We stayed at the Kenndey Hotel and it was in a nice area and about 2 blocks from the Euston Station. Another nice hotel in that same area is the IBIS. If you want to go on some kind of a tour, the hotel usually has some available and they were also available at the Euston Station. I would not go on a "Thames River Cruise" either, (another rip off). If you can, as soon as you get there, take an "open bus city tour" just to get the feel of the city and also an idea of what you want to see. Have fun and ENJOY!!

heather

Used one of the Value-Plus vacations to London from British Airways in early June. Included flight, airport transfers, hotel (taxes, breakfast,etc.), and a pass for a week for the underground. You can trade in the voucher for the transportation pass at the airport. We didn't realize someone from Airbus was waiting to help BA passengers to the bus to the hotel. We found the bus stop anyway. If we had to do it over again, we would have made fewer organized day trip plans ahead of time. Explored on our own for a few of the days & liked this much better than the fast-paced tours. Other than that, the service on BA was terrific. And the package saved us lots over what we would have paid. We ended up in the Copthorne Tara Hotel because our first choice was booked. We were really pleased with the facilities. Rooms in Britain *are* smaller than those in U.S. I would definitely take a BA package again.

Elizabeth

Message: My sister and I flew British Air last year after a few recommendations. We were so disappointed and will never fly them again. The year before my husband and I flew United and were very <BR>happy with them. We booked a hotel through British Air, Gloucester Millenium in Knightsbridge, and it <BR>was a very expensive dump. The halls stunk and the beds were like rocks. Not clean either. I called the <BR>British Air office in London on arrival and got the run around about them never having had a complaint <BR>about the hotel. You can change to another of the hotels they use but only have until the end of your first day there to change. Just what you want to do after a flight is check out hotels. We stayed and bit the bullet. I wrote a letter on my return home to complain and British Air was unwilling to make any adjustments for us. Everything was paid for in the hotel ahead of time and the hotel tried to charge us for breakfasts and 4 extra prepaid days. The man ahead of me was having a time with his bill also. The British Air counter person at the airport in London was very rude also. Never again!! That old line of "we've never had any complaints", is a bunch of bull. I'm sure they will tell the next person who complains that they've never had any complaints too. The great part about our flight over was that the plane was only half full and we had plenty of room. <BR>