Taste of London 2010
Mar 10, 2010, 8:40 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA GfL, Marriott PlatfL/Ambassador, TP Gold, IHG Spire
Posts: 1,668
Taste of London 2010
Taste of London is going to be, this year, on the 17-20 Jun.
http://www.britishairways.com/travel...e/public/en_gb
and http://www.tastefestivals.com/london/
Were there any discounts on tickets for EC members in the past? Or does anyone have any idea if you can get discounted tickets somewhere?
http://www.britishairways.com/travel...e/public/en_gb
and http://www.tastefestivals.com/london/
Were there any discounts on tickets for EC members in the past? Or does anyone have any idea if you can get discounted tickets somewhere?
Last edited by mario; Mar 10, 2010 at 9:39 am
Mar 10, 2010, 9:07 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2008
Programs: Lord OPebble - Mucci of the Hour. Diamond Class MUCCI.Chevalier du Circle Intime de Pucci
Posts: 7,088
Mar 10, 2010, 9:12 am
#3
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Iver
Programs: BA GOLD/OWE BA Amex Prem Plus Tesco Airmiles Qantas Bronze IHG SPG Eithad
Posts: 2,902
It is going to be 17-20 JUNE, obviously your fingers slipped over the wrong keyboard letters. Worth trying though, and we could go and live back in the past!!!!!!!!!
Mar 11, 2010, 2:31 am
#5
Join Date: May 2007
Location: London WC2/W1
Programs: BAEC Silver; Muccis du Monde des Peluches
Posts: 6,627
I got an email yesterday giving me a not particularly amazing special offer (two standard tickets - i.e. without the food coupons - for 32, I think) but I think this was marketed at anyone who'd attended before and was on their very over-used 
junk mailing list, rather than BAEC members.
The main advantage BAEC status (i.e. Silver, Golds and I guess Prems) get is access to the BA lounge at the event. This is very nice - by all accounts a lot better than lounges you can pay to access, although I've not tried those myself - and makes it pointless buying a ticket beyond the regular Premium ticket or whatever its called (which is the Standard entrance plus some foud coupons).
You're entitled to a guest and amongst my friends we have no trouble managing at least 50% BA status, so we tend to spend about 1/3 of the time hanging out in the BA area gorging on champagne and canapes.
I must say though I've gone off the event a bit. It's nice to do it once, and I'd say it's still pleasant on a sunny day but I wouldn't now miss another party for it. It can highlight one or two restaurants I've not tried, but the really top places either don't attend or can't produce food in a tent that's a patch on food in the actual restaurant. So everything levels down to a rather mid-range grub and as I've experienced most of the restaurants there in situ, so to speak, that's not so interesting.
I think if I were new to London and wanted to sample a range of decent restaurants, with the above proviso understood, then it would be worthwhile to go. To that end, is there a Taste of New York? I really feel I need to learn a lot more about the New York restaurant scene - I get taken to a few places by friends but don't understand it at all.
junk mailing list, rather than BAEC members.The main advantage BAEC status (i.e. Silver, Golds and I guess Prems) get is access to the BA lounge at the event. This is very nice - by all accounts a lot better than lounges you can pay to access, although I've not tried those myself - and makes it pointless buying a ticket beyond the regular Premium ticket or whatever its called (which is the Standard entrance plus some foud coupons).
You're entitled to a guest and amongst my friends we have no trouble managing at least 50% BA status, so we tend to spend about 1/3 of the time hanging out in the BA area gorging on champagne and canapes.
I must say though I've gone off the event a bit. It's nice to do it once, and I'd say it's still pleasant on a sunny day but I wouldn't now miss another party for it. It can highlight one or two restaurants I've not tried, but the really top places either don't attend or can't produce food in a tent that's a patch on food in the actual restaurant. So everything levels down to a rather mid-range grub and as I've experienced most of the restaurants there in situ, so to speak, that's not so interesting.
I think if I were new to London and wanted to sample a range of decent restaurants, with the above proviso understood, then it would be worthwhile to go. To that end, is there a Taste of New York? I really feel I need to learn a lot more about the New York restaurant scene - I get taken to a few places by friends but don't understand it at all.
Last edited by LeisureFirst; Mar 11, 2010 at 2:36 am
Mar 11, 2010, 5:03 am
#6
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: London
Programs: AA EXP 2 MM
Posts: 2,823
Google still finds BA's special offers from last year - hopefully there will be similar offers this year.
(Funny the way organisations don't clean up their web pages.)
(Funny the way organisations don't clean up their web pages.)
Mar 11, 2010, 5:56 am
#7
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver, AClub Platinum, Hilton & Marriott Silver, SPG, others
Posts: 158
A couple of years ago they had the (then) new Club World seat available for inspection in the VIP (non-status, VIP ticket) lounge. Perhaps new First this year?^
Mar 11, 2010, 6:20 am
#8
Join Date: Oct 2003
Programs: BAEC Silver, Junior Jet Club
Posts: 946
Tend to agree with LeisureFirst - been since the event started, but last year especially, it had grown too large and was full of tipsy, retired, slightly plebby people.
Always the way with events becoming more popular.
Always the way with events becoming more popular.
Mar 11, 2010, 6:29 am
#9
Join Date: May 2007
Location: London WC2/W1
Programs: BAEC Silver; Muccis du Monde des Peluches
Posts: 6,627
I'm going to try to get the restauranteur's perspective on this, now that I know the owner/head chef of one of London's most celebrated new restaurants. I'm sure they will have invited him and I wonder what kind of deal they get out of it.
Another thing which I'm afraid puts me off is the aggresive wide-boy marketing. I got lots of junk mail from assorted unrelated events despite ticking all the boxes saying I wanted none. I know it was as a result of buying the Taste of London tickets because I always use a new slightly varied email address whenever there's the danger of junk mail so that I know exactly where it's come from. From my experience, around 80-90% of organizations do actually abide by your requests not to abuse your email address, but these guys don't.
Another thing which I'm afraid puts me off is the aggresive wide-boy marketing. I got lots of junk mail from assorted unrelated events despite ticking all the boxes saying I wanted none. I know it was as a result of buying the Taste of London tickets because I always use a new slightly varied email address whenever there's the danger of junk mail so that I know exactly where it's come from. From my experience, around 80-90% of organizations do actually abide by your requests not to abuse your email address, but these guys don't.
Mar 11, 2010, 8:16 am
#10
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: London
Programs: AA EXP, SPG Plt
Posts: 2,607
Wirelessly posted (Blackberry8700c: BlackBerry9700/5.0.0.536 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/120)
Yes despite opting out from their spam last year I got an invitation to "Taste of Manchester" I think it was. I shudder at the thought of that.
Yes despite opting out from their spam last year I got an invitation to "Taste of Manchester" I think it was. I shudder at the thought of that.
Mar 11, 2010, 11:39 am
#12
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: London
Programs: AA EXP 2 MM
Posts: 2,823
Mar 12, 2010, 5:34 am
#13
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: London, UK
Programs: AA, UA, Delta
Posts: 17
Dear All,
To save someone else the saga I've been through, I'll relay it here.
1) As of Wed. 10th, See's says first that BA hasn't passed them any codes (referring me to take it up with EC); on a second call, an agent kindly explains that they will be live 9 am Friday 12th.
2) As of this morning, first See's agent says programmers are behind and to check back later. Second agent says no codes, but her supervisor says that there ARE codes; however, no manual override is available in case I am a "test call", and to communicate with EC. EC agent says that Promotions Department argues that codes WERE sent to See's and should have been live this am; no one is available to explain further, as the strike announcement has absorbed their PR capacity.
3) Yet another See's agent says the codes I have provided have expired, that he IS expecting BA codes, and that HE will call ME when the codes are live. (Don't hold your breath!)
General booking opens Tuesday, 16th. Good luck!
To save someone else the saga I've been through, I'll relay it here.
1) As of Wed. 10th, See's says first that BA hasn't passed them any codes (referring me to take it up with EC); on a second call, an agent kindly explains that they will be live 9 am Friday 12th.
2) As of this morning, first See's agent says programmers are behind and to check back later. Second agent says no codes, but her supervisor says that there ARE codes; however, no manual override is available in case I am a "test call", and to communicate with EC. EC agent says that Promotions Department argues that codes WERE sent to See's and should have been live this am; no one is available to explain further, as the strike announcement has absorbed their PR capacity.
3) Yet another See's agent says the codes I have provided have expired, that he IS expecting BA codes, and that HE will call ME when the codes are live. (Don't hold your breath!)
General booking opens Tuesday, 16th. Good luck!
Mar 18, 2010, 12:14 pm
#14
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Ipswich
Programs: BA GGL, Royal Ambassador
Posts: 311
Any updates on this - have had adverts through the post for this as well as an email offering me tickets but nothing from BA ??
Have we all been forgotten ?
Ed
http://www.teamstorm.com
Have we all been forgotten ?
Ed
http://www.teamstorm.com
Mar 18, 2010, 12:22 pm
#15
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Ipswich
Programs: BA GGL, Royal Ambassador
Posts: 311
Found after much searching
http://www.britishairways.com/travel...s/public/en_gb
Saturday evening for me. Anyone else going ?
Ed
http://www.teamstorm.com
http://www.britishairways.com/travel...s/public/en_gb
Saturday evening for me. Anyone else going ?
Ed
http://www.teamstorm.com