Get a 20%-45% bonus when you buy Avios – worth it?

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• Waddle says:

  8 Aug8 August 08:45

  Rhys made an appearance on Sam Chui’s BA A350 video. Full headforpoints.com credit included.

• Lyn says:

  8 Aug8 August 08:52

  O/T questions re Sofitel at Heathrow T5.

  How easy is the walk from T5 arrivals to the Sofitel? And is it still possible to check in with BA at the Sofitel either the night before or the morning of the flight?

  Any advice would be appreciated. I have a late overnight connection in about a week and have hurt my shoulder and may still only be able to effectively use one arm by then. My current (flexible) booking at the cheap Holiday Inn Ariel using the free bus is not looking sensible at the moment. I’ve never stayed at the Sofitel but am tempted to make a flexible reservation if it is really much more manageable. I’d be grateful for any advice.

  • NigelthePensioner says:

    8 Aug8 August 10:24

    Very very very easy. Once you have exited from HMRC, turn right and pass the melee of drivers with signs. Continue down to near the end of the terminal and take the last exit out on the left. It’s signposted Sofitel amongst other things. Pass across to the lifts opposite you (the two right hand ones are best as it remains totally inside). Go to the 1st floor and exit right. The internal link to the Sofitel is straight in front of you through the automatic doors. Note the beautiful aroma – the Sofismell as we call it – within the corridor!!

  • 1nfrequent says:

    8 Aug8 August 10:26

    Hi Lyn

    Sorry to hear about your shoulder. It’s about a 10 minute walk from Arrivals to the Sofitel (head past the Underground/Heathrow Express and down to the furthest bank of lifts, keeping the shops on your right hand side). Take the lift down to the Sofitel level (it’s signed on the lift buttons), out of the lift and turn right and it’s a couple of minutes down a long corridor. If you’ve got a roller case, then be aware that the corridor is part carpeted so it will increase resistance.

    If you’re looking for an easy overnight, then the Sofitel is your best bet but it can be pricey. I’ve never had a duff stay there though.

    1F

    • Rob says:

      8 Aug8 August 10:44

      For weekends it may still be on lastminute.com as a secret hotel – https://headforpoints.com/2018/04/18/book-5-star-sofitel-heathrow-terminal-5/

  • Jill (Kinkell) says:

    8 Aug8 August 10:41

    Easy walk, echo the other posters . I don’t think the check in is available anymore. I recall reading something on HfP a few months ago. We used it in February, great to get rid of the luggage. IT is pricey but the convenience is great. I was able to negotiate a cheap(er!) stay in September due to the fire alarm going off at 4 am accidentally.

    Hope the shoulder rapidly improves

    • Lyn says:

      8 Aug8 August 11:49

      Thanks Jill, I’ll call the Sofitel to check

• Richard says:

  8 Aug8 August 09:18

  OT – trying to redeem a £20 off £80 Eurostar Amex offer. Their website (and also phone booking) seems to reject my Amex. Amex claim they don’t see the declines and allowed me to use a different Amex card (that didn’t have the offer and they will manually credit it). Website seems to decline all 3 of my Amex. Any ideas how to beat it?

  • Richard says:

    8 Aug8 August 09:43

    To answer my own question, if you have an email address with a >4 character TLD – eurostar will decline payment. Yay!

    • Bagoly says:

      8 Aug8 August 13:08

      An annoyingly large proportion of websites reject email addresses with subdomains, at least single letter subdomains like mine.

• Sussex bantam says:

  8 Aug8 August 09:21

  LNER/Nectar vouchers. I have previously been able to use these for booking journeys on the LNER website even if the journey wasn’t entirely on LNER. Specifically in my case Bradford to Haslemere

  The rules seem to have changed now and they can only be used for the LNER part of the journey – so Leeds to London in that example

  So

  1) be careful if you were thinking of taking out this offer

  2) does anyone have a use for my unused vouchers ?

  • Scott says:

    9 Aug9 August 07:30

    Thanks for this; useful to know. I’d need a Glasgow-Edinburgh leg on Scotrail, which normally costs no extra when booked as part of the LNER journey. However, if I have to pay for 2 x one-ways for this part of the journey it would negate much of the benefit of the 1/2 price vouchers.

• RussellH says:

  8 Aug8 August 09:41

  OT Billhop

  I have just been told that someone has used my Billhop sign up link. Allows me to make a payment of £500 free of fees.
  I have only ever shared it once – here, about a year ago, so whoever it is must be a reader!
  Whoever you are, thank you.

  • LewisB says:

    8 Aug8 August 11:24

    Does that £500 payment include amex? if so I need to get on that!

    • RussellH says:

      8 Aug8 August 11:41

      I do not know – Just had an e-mail advice from Billhop, but have not logged in since.

      • Blue Mountains says:

        9 Aug9 August 00:26

        Used 5d786 or 2b920 last week for my first transaction. If one of those was your referral link, then that would have been me. Thanks for the link.

• BJ says:

  8 Aug8 August 10:35

  Sorry way OT but lots of readers here seem very clued up on insurance: Any thoughts or experience with Policy Expert? Quote for buildings and contents substantially cheaper for ‘better’ cover than other insurers.

  • Rhys says:

    8 Aug8 August 10:50

    Alan Boswell just re-launched their Avios-earning partnership with British Airways. We will be running an article on it early next week, but the offer is already active and you can see it here: https://www.alanboswell.com/avioshfp/

  • Shoestring says:

    8 Aug8 August 15:29

    been with PE a few times, had no call to use the insurance, they paid the discount each time no problem after the usual wait

• Cat says:

  8 Aug8 August 10:44

  Completely O/T, for those that wanted updates.

  11 days, 170km hiked, 10600m ascended (and descended) and two very sore feet later, and I’ve finished the Tour du Mont Blanc! It was ridiculously difficult, but incredible. If you wanted to see my pictures of the spectacular views along the way, they can be found on my Flickr page, under the name Cat Downie.

  Many, many thanks to all who sponsored me, I’ve raised just over £1500 for Macmillan Cancer Support so far.

  • Polly says:

    8 Aug8 August 10:51

    Well done girle, puts my coffee morning funds to shame then!

    And our Ryan Air flt to Bergerac is now not going thanks to strike. Tnx FR.

    • Cat says:

      8 Aug8 August 11:06

      Oh no Polly! Can you get them to reroute you, or get a flight with a different airline?

    • Lyn says:

      8 Aug8 August 12:34

      Oh dear. Good luck with finding a good alternative route.

    • Lady London says:

      9 Aug9 August 01:33

      If all the flights to all the other airports around are full, Polly, train is not impossible cost-wise and does not really take a huge amount longer by the time you factor in waiting around airports.. Especially if you route via Bordeaux. Bordeaux-Paris is now 2 hours Trainline isn’t bad for looking at these journeys now either and can sell most of them.

      • Cat says:

        9 Aug9 August 02:26

        I hope you’ve managed to sort something out Polly. I agree with Lady London – trains can be a very pleasant alternative to flying. Fingers crossed you’ve found something.

  • Anna says:

    8 Aug8 August 11:41

    That’s wonderful!

    • Cat says:

      8 Aug8 August 11:48

      It is rather! Thanks Anna! X

  • Cat says:

    8 Aug8 August 11:48

    ION – I’m in the FCT, recovering with a lovely glass of Champagne, and a rubber duck to keep me company!

    • Lady London says:

      8 Aug8 August 13:04

      What’s FCT? Whatever it is if it’s luxury I’m sure it’s well deserved Cat.

      • Cat says:

        8 Aug8 August 13:10

        Thanks Lady London! It’s the Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt! I’m someone who finds it easier to motivate myself if I have rewards to look forward to. This was a pretty good incentive!
        Waiting for takeoff, heading to Mexico in seat 1A!

        • Shoestring says:

          8 Aug8 August 13:12

          I think that calls for a triple Tequila shot, don’t forget the lemon & salt 🙂

        • Lady London says:

          8 Aug8 August 15:54

          Er…. is the Lufthansa First Class terminal on the direct route back from Mont Blanc????? I thought Mont Blanc was near the Franco-Italian border and not near Frankfurt..?? Are you off somewhere exciting First Class Cat?

        • Shoestring says:

          8 Aug8 August 15:58

          3 weeks in Mexico, sounds like.

        • Lady London says:

          8 Aug8 August 15:58

          *Oops just seen above. When I asked the question I thought it might be the Lufthansa First Class Terminal but was trying to work out how it could be as not on the way back from Mont Blanc! er… well, for some, it is! going via Mexico 🙂

        • Cat says:

          9 Aug9 August 02:23

          I tried several Champagnes instead Shoestring, but I’ll get on the tequila slammers now though! I’ve got one week in Mexico, followed by two weeks in Costa Rica, photographing sloths, birds and frogs hopefully!

          I took the train from Geneva to Zurich, and then flew from there, via Frankfurt, costing the same number of miles as if I flew direct from Frankfurt. This was mainly as I wanted to try out the Swiss first class lounge too! It was a bit round about, but I’ve had a lovely day drinking lots of wine, and the fondue that I had first thing may not be a traditional breakfast, but it was marvellous, nonetheless!

  • RussellH says:

    8 Aug8 August 11:49

    Macmillan is one of the organisations I put a bit into every so often, because of the support my parents got from then at the end of their lives.
    As to your Tour du Mont Blanc, all I can say is ‘well done’.
    It seems like there are various events going on there. A colleague of mine (in the office where I volunteer once a week) was out of the office one week (away for about a week, about three weeks ago) and I was told that she was running on Mont Blanc (husband + children with her as moral support). The rest of us just have the name of our organisation on our ID badges, but she has that + Macmillan.

    • Cat says:

      8 Aug8 August 12:57

      It was the same for my brother, RussellH. Without them, he’d have still been in the hospital when the end came.
      There are numerous events on the TMB (but people walk it constantly from June to October, that’s not an organised / supported event, just a popular walking path). My friend did the marathon last month too, she was the 8th woman back. Absolutely nuts – in some places, the path narrows to less than a foot wide, where it’s partially crumbled away. Why anyone would want to run (or cycle – seriously people actually do the route on mountain bikes) it is beyond me.
      There’s an ultramarathon there at the end of August. Those people make me look like a couch potato.

  • Lyn says:

    8 Aug8 August 12:32

    Well done Cat, that’s wonderful news. You are a good photographer.

    • Cat says:

      8 Aug8 August 12:57

      Thanks Lyn! X

• Spaghetti Town says:

  8 Aug8 August 11:34

  Virgin auto convert : would it be worth setting up another CC account to get these 1,000 miles (so what I have in my current account doesn’t auto convert as hotels.com is far better value) a lot of hassle, but at the end of the day, 1,000 miles is £1,000 spend of amex spend.

  • Shoestring says:

    8 Aug8 August 12:59

    no point, just diarise to turn off auto convert before the end of the quarter

    • Spaghetti Town says:

      8 Aug8 August 13:43

      I’ve not been part of CC long tbh Shoestring, i’ve currently got £5.50 worth of Vouchers in my account and 42 points. Could I turn on auto convert without these moving into Virgin Miles automatically?

      • Genghis says:

        8 Aug8 August 15:01

        Before 17 Oct

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