High-flyer: is it worth extra money for airport lounges?

Q I am flying from Gatwick soon and fancy a bit of a pre-flight treat. What can I expect for the £30-40 I see most airport lounges asking?

@MultiFan2000A

A Gatwick, the second-busiest airport in the UK, has seven pay-per-visit lounges – ranging in price from £32 to £45. In addition, there are several airline lounges exclusive to premium and frequent-flying passengers. I haven’t visited all of them, by any means. So for much more detailed reviews and analysis, go to frequent-flyer websites such as the excellent Head for Points. Nevertheless, my experiences may be instructive for you and help you decide.

The quality of paid-for lounges varies. The offering of food and drink ranges from mediocre to good but not outstanding. The ambience is usually calmer than the general airport noise and kerfuffle, but in the mornings particularly they can be crowded. Earlier this summer, when the only last-minute British Airways flight to Prague payable with Avios points was business class, I experienced the BA Heathrow Terminal 3 lounge – far superior to the paid-for variety at the airport.

My value calculation is rather different because I hold an American Express card that requires a £575 subscription but includes access to Priority Pass lounges, as well as Eurostar lounges at London, Brussels and Paris. The card also includes pretty solid travel insurance. So I rate the lounge cost as around £20 per visit based on 20 visits per year – which also includes access for a travel companion.

At that price, I find them reasonable value – although of extremely variable quality and accessibility. I have no idea what the main lounge at Toronto airport is like because after queuing for 30 minutes I had to give up and go to the gate. And at Berlin, the deal merely involved going to a bar and picking up a “free” beer and sandwich.

Paying cash, I would invest £35 in a lounge only if it was the afternoon or evening (when things are quieter) and I wanted a couple of drinks before a flight. Otherwise, at Gatwick I would make for Wagamama and enjoy freshly cooked noodles and a spectacular view of the runway – assuming you are flying from the South Terminal. There is nothing quite as good in the North Terminal... although some swear by Wetherspoons.

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Q I saw your response on Tuesday about someone who needed a fast passport replacement after losing theirs. For me it raised a few questions. You didn’t mention the Online Premium service where you can collect a new passport at the appointment. Nor did you explain what would happen if the lost passport was found – could it still be used? Finally I wonder what the travel insurance position would be if the holiday is lost?

Ian A

A All good questions, thank you. In a simple case of needing a fast renewal (eg because the passport has expired or no longer meets minimum validity rules), travellers can use the Online Premium service: you book an appointment at least two days ahead, turn up with the old passport and collect a new one. Without a passport to surrender, though, this path is closed, and the only swift option is the clunky “1 week Fast Track” service, requiring a paper application.

Whenever a passport is lost or stolen, it should be reported online as soon as possible. This is, in any case, a necessary step if you are applying for a new passport after losing the old one. HM Passport Office will then cancel the lost document. Therefore, if it turns up, it should not be used. Anecdotally some people who have miraculously found a “lost” passport have used it to leave the country; with no formal checks leaving the UK, this apparently presents no problem – until you return, when the document will show up and you will face questioning about travelling on a cancelled passport.

The travel insurance aspect is interesting. Policies do not in general cover travellers who do not have the right documents for their planned journey. But the circumstances of this case involved a passport lost on a previous journey. If a trip is cancelled or requires a new flight to catch up after the replacement passport is delivered, it might be worth putting in a claim – though I would not be surprised if the insurer swiftly rejects it.

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Q My parents booked a 10-day package with easyJet Holidays in September. They’ve been told their flight home is cancelled and they are on a flight 24 hours earlier – meaning they’ve lost a whole day. How can you sell a 10-day holiday and then reduce it to nine days?

Lucy Salmon

A Many travellers have been affected by easyJet’s large-scale cancellations this summer, in particular flights to and from London Gatwick. Had your parents booked a flight-only trip, they would have been in a straightforward position: having cancelled the departure, easyJet would be responsible to provide, at its expense, an alternative flight on a different airline on the original day of travel.

Since it is a package trip, though, the obligations of easyJet Holidays (a subsidiary of the airline) are rather different. They are governed by the Package Travel Regulations. One of the “main characteristics of the package,” ie its duration, has been changed. At this point, your parents can decide what to do next. The certain option is a full refund (or, as the legal text puts it, “the option to terminate the contract without paying a termination fee”); I trust they have been offered their money back. Whether that is the best choice may depend on what other holidays are available.

The simplest option could be to find a suitable alternative package with a travel firm such as Jet2 Holidays or Tui; neither has made significant cancellations this summer. If the price is right, your parents could simply take a full refund (due within two weeks) and rebook with the rival company.

It may be, though, that your parents have set their hearts on this particular holiday and will reluctantly accept the shortened trip. At which point, the question is: how much compensation will easyJet Holidays offer? If the trip is due to start within 30 days, the company will pay £30 per person; if it is further away, there is no stipulated payment. But your parents must get back the difference in value between the 10-day and the nine-day holiday. Regrettably, this is not quite as easy as refunding 10 per cent of the price paid.

Suppose the trip cost £600 per person. Rather than paying out £60 per person, the travel firm is able to subtract the value of the flights (perhaps £200 per person) before calculating the compensation, leaving your parents with 10 per cent of the remainder: just £40 each for a lost day of a holiday.

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Q I want to spend Christmas and New Year in the sunshine, staying away for about two weeks. I have heard Colombia – in particular, the city of Cartagena – is worthwhile. I’d also like to do some good hiking and explore further afield. What do you think?

Name supplied

A Cartagena, on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, is the most enchanting Spanish city in South America. It is rivalled for grace and beauty only by Havana and is in rather better shape than the Cuban capital. Cartagena also makes it easy to combine city life with decent beaches, just a couple of miles offshore on the island of Tierra Bomba.

For the hiking part of the trip, travel 140 miles northeast by bus to Santa Marta (bypass Barranquilla, where there is nothing special to see). Santa Marta is a pleasant enough place, but its main function is as a base camp for the spectacular Tayrona National Natural Park. This park is relatively compact: about half the size of the Isle of Wight, although even more interesting, with a corrugated coastline protecting gorgeous beaches. You can hike on a number of rewarding trails, but for really serious hiking you need to go further inland to the Sierra Nevada – the highest coastal mountain range in the world. Seek local advice and team up with a group if you choose this option.

For an extra dimension, fly to a nearby city. That could be Medellin, 75 minutes away – a high-altitude, high-energy metropolis in the centre of some superb landscapes. Given the choice, though, I would fly about the same distance from Cartagena to Panama City. This is the only capital city in Central America that has any appeal (I’ve checked) and is a joy to visit. The original Spanish settlement, Panama Vieja, is now a Unesco World Heritage Site. The colonialists soon moved to what is now Casco Viejo, which is an excellent area to stay.

Make a trip along the Panama Canal, pausing at Miraflores Locks to wonder at the scale of the project, then cross the Continental Divide by boat, road or rail to Colon. From here you could sail out to the San Blas islands, but personally, I am happy with the nearby laidback resort of Portobelo – a great place to end a Latin American journey. The trouble is, you’ll wish you had twice as long.