The new HFP chat thread – Friday 27th March

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• Yuff says:

  27 Mar27 March 11:24

  If I close my platinum account how long after I close it have I got to transfer out the points?

  • Rob says:

    27 Mar27 March 11:24

    It’s in the T&C’s – you can download these from the Amex website if you’ve lost them. You get a few weeks.

  • Chef says:

    27 Mar27 March 14:35

    30 days

• Pablo says:

  27 Mar27 March 11:27

  Hilton Gatwick just called to tell me they’re cancelling my reservation in the second half of May. Are they closing down UK hotels as well?

  • Lady London says:

    27 Mar27 March 12:00

    would make sense if a lot of airport hotels would close as who would stay in most of them if they weren’t flying?

  • BJ says:

    27 Mar27 March 12:22

    Lady at one hotel told me yesterday Boris Johnson had instructed them to close until 31 May so perhaps the government has issued them some guidance or instructions.

    • Ali says:

      27 Mar27 March 12:52

      Are these just airport hotels or all hotels?

      • Amy says:

        27 Mar27 March 13:05

        I had a cancellation notification for a hotel in Manchester (not airport) for a booking in May. Hilton have also cancelled one of my bookings for an airport stay. Logic suggests it’s all hotels.

        • BJ says:

          27 Mar27 March 13:08

          Mine was not an airport hotel but was within easy reach of one.

        • E says:

          27 Mar27 March 14:44

          I have a booking at the Sheraton at LHR for the end of April. Just looked on the Marriott site and they’re not taking bookings for any of the Marriott brand hotels at Heathrow on that date. Would be nice if Marriott let me know (although I do expect I would be cancelling in any case!).

  • TGLoyalty says:

    27 Mar27 March 13:27

    Yes hotels were asked to close unless hey were being used by key workers or in emergency situations.

    Most are closed for an undetermined time period but surprised they are cancelling outside of the initial 3 week period Boris announced

    • Lady London says:

      27 Mar27 March 13:52

      That would explain why I got emails from 2 hotel groups saying they are still open and also offering accommodation to key workers.

  • John says:

    27 Mar27 March 14:08

    The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020

    5. Further restrictions and closures during the emergency period

    (3) Subject to paragraph (4), a person responsible for carrying on a business consisting of the provision of holiday accommodation, whether in a hotel, hostel, bed and breakfast accommodation, holiday apartment, home, cottage or bungalow, campsite, caravan park or boarding house, must cease to carry on that business during the emergency period.

    (4) A person referred to in paragraph (3) may continue to carry on their business and keep any premises used in that business open—

    (a)to provide accommodation for any person, who—
    (i)is unable to return to their main residence;
    (ii)uses that accommodation as their main residence;
    (iii)needs accommodation while moving house;
    (iv)needs accommodation to attend a funeral;
    (b)to provide accommodation or support services for the homeless,
    (c)to host blood donation sessions, or
    (d)for any purpose requested by the Secretary of State, or a local authority.

• Isaaq says:

  27 Mar27 March 11:40

  Hi all

  Does anyone know if you get the referral points if you self refer? Even if you do get them, do they claw back? I have a platinum that I want to downgrade to gold. I self referred and applied online.

  If they don’t give it then it would’ve been better for me to downgrade to the gold charge card 🙁

  • BJ says:

    27 Mar27 March 11:53

    Most of us are now avoiding self-referral as we expect that sooner or later they will result in our accounts being closed, as has already happened in the USA.

    • Isaaq says:

      27 Mar27 March 15:05

      Oh. I’m worried now. How can I fix it? Come clean?

      • BJ says:

        27 Mar27 March 20:23

        If you have done some already then there is nothing you can do except keep your fingers crossed like the rest of us.

      • Shoestring says:

        27 Mar27 March 20:26

        man up, you woos

        • Isaaq says:

          27 Mar27 March 21:54

          Lol hahahaha I needed that.

        • Filthy Phil says:

          27 Mar27 March 22:01

          Says the man who left the country to avoid a bad cold :p

        • Isaaq says:

          27 Mar27 March 22:09

          Did he?

• Aston100 says:

  27 Mar27 March 11:45

  Has anyone received money back for FlyBe flights after doing Amex chargeback?

  • bill says:

    27 Mar27 March 11:54

    yes, it was instant

    • Michael C says:

      27 Mar27 March 12:00

      +1, after sending in supporting docs.

  • jamie says:

    27 Mar27 March 12:07

    No net yet – after a couple of weeks, got a letter saying they were investigating? What? Amex Platinum too

  • Aston100 says:

    27 Mar27 March 12:18

    OK just spoke to Amex. They are processing refunds in batches and so some people will have received theirs before others. They are hoping to have all Flybe chargeback claims settled within 6 to 8 weeks of application.

    • Save East Coast Rewards says:

      27 Mar27 March 12:44

      I heard the same too. I booked my flights a day before they went bust so it should be quite easy to prove I didn’t fly.

      When I had an Amex Platinum my statement used to list a lot of details about my booking. It doesn’t do this with my BAEC Amex. Does Amex still show this information on their charge card statements but not on the credit card ones for some reason or is it not shown on any statements now?

• Will says:

  27 Mar27 March 11:52

  Easyjet have cancelled a return flight I was due to go on this week (although I obviously had no intention to go). They cancelled the day before departure was due.

  Since then I am only being given the option to rebook online. As far as I can see there’s no way to request a refund online – i have to call the helpline.

  If I call the helpline an automated message says they’re busy and cuts me off.

  Any ideas how best to pursue a cash refund?

  • Aston100 says:

    27 Mar27 March 12:02

    This is happening with everyone. Seems no one can get through via phone or webchat. Their twitter page is mostly just links pointing you to the (closed) webchat.
    One big circle.

    As I have a few Easyjet flights coming up in the next few weeks, I am keen to understand how anyone managed a refund.

    • Toppcat says:

      27 Mar27 March 12:16

      Same issue for me – no idea how I am supposed to get a refund, other than just wait it out (and hope they survive). Might have to resort to an Amex chargeback?

    • Aston100 says:

      27 Mar27 March 12:27

      I just contacted Amex.
      They are aware of the large number of easyjet complaints and claims.
      They’ve said a chargeback is the appropriate option here. They will want evidence in the form of attempts to ask for a refund.

      • Aston100 says:

        27 Mar27 March 12:52

        Hi Tom, what evidence / supporting docs did you provide?
        Thanks.

      • Fred says:

        27 Mar27 March 17:42

        Same here. I just called Amex and explained that I had been on hold for 2 hours with EJ and got nowhere, plus I had already emailed them (EJ) via their contact form two days ago to no avail. They didn’t ask for any documents and opened the dispute for me.

• Doug says:

  27 Mar27 March 11:58

  Long shot here, but has anyone cancelled accommodation with South Africa’s sanparks.org? Sounds like they want to give you “account credit” instead of cash refund. We are supposed to go Kruger in May, but I guess I will just cancel the whole thing now. Many thanks

  • Ant says:

    27 Mar27 March 15:03

    i cancelled a stay at Sanpark on the phone before the 30 days of arrival and was assured of a refund as per cancellation policy but I am still waiting. I have chased them by email but am still waiting a reply

• trans says:

  27 Mar27 March 12:07

  I dialled the number quoted in above in this thread for Easyjet refunds, 0161 774 9879, and selected option 1, English. For 1 hour 38 minutes, I listened to a recorded message that my call would be answered ‘shortly,’ but it was not. Then I had a bright idea: ring again, and press option 4, italiano (the flight was from Rome). A very helpful Italian speaker based in Portugal immediately answered, checked the booking and assured me that the refund had been processed. It took 2 minutes, and he switched over to good English to say goodbye. With the English-speaking service overwhelmed, I suggest: try italiano in Portugal.

• Harry T says:

  27 Mar27 March 12:16

  Noob question:
  Awaiting some refunds from BA on my BAPP. I want to downgrade to the free BA card as I’ve got my 241 and I’m moving away from collecting Avios at the moment, so I’m spending on my Gold card. If I want to downgrade to the free BA, can I still do this online, and will it affect me receiving any refunds to the account?

  • Anna says:

    27 Mar27 March 13:30

    Shouldn’t affect refunds as it stays the same account.

  • BJ says:

    27 Mar27 March 14:05

    No problem, you can even get refunds against closed cards. Your amex avios balance will go negative on receipt of refunds though so you might want to cancel your BAPP as opposed to downgrading it. This way you will not heed to spend to return tbe negative balance to zero, and you can be referred for blue or black again in the future. You have another amex you can use to book with 241 so cancelling would be the best option.

    • Harry T says:

      27 Mar27 March 14:53

      Already got a negative 6400 balance after my Mum’s BA holiday was cancelled 😊. Thanks for the advice, both of you.

      • BJ says:

        27 Mar27 March 15:02

        Normally I would be disinclined to cancel a card with such a negative balance due to potential impacts on internal amex file but it’s possible that it will not matter under the circumstances at the moment.

        • Genghis says:

          27 Mar27 March 15:25

          If a £1,000 BA flight payment was made on a BAPP, earning 3,000 avios and you then downgrade to the BA Blue card and then get a refund, how many avios are deducated?

        • TGLoyalty says:

          27 Mar27 March 18:00

          I think it’s the full 3000 because Amex match up the transactions pretty well

          I’ve even had a bonus removed then reinstated when a refund came in that took me below the threshold but another took me back over.

          I’d cancel the card tbh not your fault you can’t fly a flight right now and Amex shouldn’t penalise you for it.

        • BJ says:

          27 Mar27 March 20:14

          TGLoyalty comment consistent with my experience. Interestingly though, I should have lost a further 3000 bonus avios from the spend promotion earlier this year when I refunded a flight recently, but it didn’t happen.

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