The new HFP chat thread – Tuesday 7th April

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We have decided to run this new daily chat thread on Head for Points.

Historically, the daily ‘Bits’ articles were the defacto repository for random comments and questions. It is unlikely that the news flow will be so big over the next few weeks that we will need many ‘Bits’ articles, however.

The comments under this article are where you should post questions about travel and, indeed, anything else on your mind. At this tricky time, and given that many of you are stuck at home self-isolating, we want the HFP community to have a place to chat.

Please only comment under the main articles on the site if your comment is directly related to the topic of the article. This has long-term benefits as its keeps the commentary relevant for people who read those articles in the future.

By default, HFP shows the last page of comments under the article. If you want to see the first page of comments and read them all from beginning to end in order, click here: https://hfp2022.headforpoints.blog/2020/04/07/the-new-hfp-chat-thread-tuesday-7th-april/comment-page-1 The page will refresh with this article but the comments will now show the first page and not the last page.

We will continue to monitor how this is working:

we could potentially split it into a daily travel and non-travel chat thread

we may install some basic forum software

we may start suggesting potential topics for daily discussion

Let’s see how it goes. Take care!

Category

General

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

Liam says:

7 Apr7 April 06:52

I currently have a negative Amex points balance of -120 (I had transferred all my points to Amex US and then had a refund for some Virgin flights that were originally purchased on a now-cancelled Amex Gold). I assume there’s no real problem having that balance so long as my one remaining UK Amex card remains open, but what would happen if I wanted to close the account while I still had that negative points balance? Would Amex refuse or would there be a cost? It’s not a pressing issue but I’m curious how they handle it.
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 07:13
  
  They wouldn’t even look at it
  
  I’ve closed accounts in small negatives before and no repercussions
  - MattB says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 07:28
    
    If I cancel my August flights if I could have a negative balance on my BAPP of close to 9k points (currently on -6k). Thanks to all the refunds I will be nowhere near hitting the spend target so it’s pointless keeping the card.
    I’d be happy for them to reverse the points from my BA account but I’ve read they won’t, so what’s my best approach here?
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      7 Apr7 April 07:46
      
      Close the card. They won’t take it back from your BA account.
      - Aston100 says:
        
        7 Apr7 April 10:59
        
        Won’t they remember this when you apply for a new card?
      - Peter K says:
        
        7 Apr7 April 12:35
        
        @Aston1000 They don’t care. Mrs K closed a BA card with several thousand negative Avios (due to bonus spend issues due to a refund) and it was okay.
Nigel Spink says:

7 Apr7 April 07:37

Morning,

Just wondering how everybody else is getting on with refunds from BA? We should have flown out yesterday to Corfu but it was cancelled on the 23rd March. I used the Java workaround for refunds (5×35 pounds and avios) and yesterday I noticed I had received two 35 pound refunds back to Amex but that’s`it, and no update to Avios account.

Should I wait a bit longer before investigating or are people finding things are happening eventually?

Thanks,

Nigel
- Anna says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 07:49
  
  Which came first, the flights being cancelled or you requesting a refund? If you requested the refund before the flight was officially cancelled by BA you would forfeit some of the cash element as per the Ts & Cs, depending on how much you paid. The Avios should have come back straight away; you might have to chase BA for those.
  - Nigel Spink says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 07:53
    
    Oops, for got to say I had been waiting for BA to cancel first, so theoretically it should be fine…MMB still shows as a refund is being processed.
    - Anna says:
      
      7 Apr7 April 07:58
      
      Some of us have been waiting 3 weeks plus for cash refunds, return of Avios seems unpredictable!
- Metty says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 08:03
  
  Hi Nigel!
  If you are on flyertalk’s BA Exec Club forum there is a guy ‘BA Refund Helper’ who is approved by BA and great. I PM’d him yesterday at 1300 with my 3 refund issues and he called me 20min later (couldn’t PM as has run out msgs) having fixed all three! Take care, Metty
  - Nigel Spink says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 08:16
    
    Hi Metty, Hope you are well!! I’ll wait a little longer and then maybe send a DM, thanks for the heads up, it seems he is really helping!
    - Metty says:
      
      7 Apr7 April 08:29
      
      Nigel, if you’re getting partial refunds it sounds like you’ll need help to unravel so I wouldn’t be too polite, get in and PM, nothing to lose. All well here thanks, hope it’s not too boring keeping the skies safe!
      - Nigel Spink says:
        
        7 Apr7 April 08:40
        
        Done :). Less than night shift staffing now so lots of standbys around, I kept my leave so entertaining the three little ones at the moment, more exciting than work that’s for sure. It’s very surreal with no one around around and I talked to 12 a/c in a shift last week 🙁
      - Rhys says:
        
        7 Apr7 April 08:51
        
        Alternatively, I called BA on 0800 727 800 yesterday – don’t select any of the options – and was talking to a helpful agent within 15 mins.
  - Metty says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 08:18
    
    Soz, link would help. I guess he’ll be swamped soon! flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/2013116-how-long-refunds-processed-18.html
    - Chris says:
      
      7 Apr7 April 09:39
      
      Don’t know how that not pushing any buttons worked for anyone. I tried about 20 times yesterday and again this morning and always get cut straight off
- Annabelle says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 08:07
  
  Hi Nigel. I’ve been waiting for my refund since 9/3! Avios and companion ticket are back after 3 weeks but no cash yet.
- Mark says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 11:11
  
  I was waiting for a avios and cash refund on a flight to Nice that was cancelled by BA. Did the online refund following the Javascript workaround but hadnt heard anything for more than 2 weeks after getting the initial confirmation email of refund request. Phoned the call centre this morning and the agent said the request wasnt showing on my booking so he promptly got the avios refunded and said the fees and taxes could take up to 10 days to come through. Dont know if others have had this experience but worth noting
Mikeact says:

7 Apr7 April 07:38

Virgin members may want to seriously consider their points situation. Virgin Australia have stopped transfers to KrisFlyer and severely restricted non flying awards … gift cards etc. These options were/are draining them of cash.
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 07:47
  
  Surprised Virgin Atlantic didn’t do that to stop the cash outflow. However. no guarantee they have paid Hilton yet either even if the points have gone through (payment terms could be 30/60 days.
- J says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 08:17
  
  They have different owners so one doesn’t really have any bearing on the other. Branson only has a small % of Virgin Australia too. Similar situation though as Qantas and BA are both trying to exploit the crisis to put their competitors out of business.
  - Lady London says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 10:52
    
    ….and holding on to money they are required to give back to their customers for flights their customers have not received,to shore themselves up. It’s going on in Australia too.
    
    Airlines are businesses. It has been customary in large businesses to have formal disaster recovery / business action plans in the event of disaster for at least 30 years. These plans are supposed to contain contingency plans for even exceptional meltdowns.
    
    The airlines have had one of several exceptional risks materialise on a scale that should be in their business contingency plans albeit towards the more extreme end. And yet they are transferring the risk they should have planned decently for, onto the consumer by still holding on to the money consumers paid them for a service they are not receiving from the business.
    
    The impact of not having their refund is far greater to the individual consumer than the airlines’ need to deny them their money back. A soundly managed airline has at least 3 other sources of funds (debt, equity, government) they can tap to get them through this before they need to abuse their customers who have less resources than the airlines have access to.
  - Mikeact says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 15:48
    
    They may well have seperate owners, but when you also see BA stopping wine redemptions then this could be the thin end of the wedge . I guess these third-party redemptions must cost a fortune… no wonder they’re tightening up.
    - Rob says:
      
      7 Apr7 April 18:19
      
      They stopped it because Laithwaites stopped taking orders for a period. Laithwaites has now reopened so let’s see what happens here.
  - Mikeact says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 15:50
    
    @j Could you please elaborate how Qantas, BA, are trying to put their competition out of business? Thanks.
    - Rob says:
      
      7 Apr7 April 18:19
      
      Both has publicly come out to say that Government should not offer deals to airlines, whilst handily both having enough money to get through the crisis whilst their competition does not.
      
      You saw how much of a fight BA/IAG put up to stop Flybe getting any help – and then by coincidence BA got back 12 Heathrow Summer slot pairs, conservatively worth £100m, when Flybe failed.
  - Mikeact says:
    
    8 Apr8 April 14:25
    
    But my understanding is that all Virgin Flying Club miles, from wherever, are all held in a separate company…I guess it wouldn’t take long for a ‘run on the bank’ to wipe them out..let’s see.
Gary Morris says:

7 Apr7 April 07:48

I see the Principal in Manchester is now branded Kimpton Clocktower. Looks a fairly light touch update inside.
- Rob says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 10:20
  
  Don’t think there is much from the last few months of Principal – as I understand it, the only reason it hadn’t switched was that the aircon was not installed and that is a brand requirement.
Anna says:

7 Apr7 April 07:56

Someone posted last night that the Amex chargeback facility seems to have been disabled, can anyone confirm?
Also, how do you initiate a chargeback on older transactions, I can only get old statements up in PDF format?
- @mkcol says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 09:11
  
  Tried the chat function to dispute the transaction? That’s what I’ve previously done BC
- Genghis says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 10:29
  
  You need to do it on a computer, not on the app:
  Statement ->Your card activity, select the “Date range” you want and then click into the transaction, “Have a question about this charge?”
  - Anna says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 11:02
    
    Thanks Ghengis. I am having to manage computer time as my son is using our desktop for his home learning and our laptop is broken 😱. I will try later!
- Aston100 says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 11:00
  
  Do it through the webchat.
Graeme says:

7 Apr7 April 08:03

Morning all. I need 6000 Marriott Bonvoy points for a redemption. Aside from buying them (which is what I’m sure I’ll end up doing), are there any other ways I can get them? I’ve got no MRs at the mo. I’ve searched but I can’t see any nifty tricks.
- Ian M says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 09:24
  
  When are you planning to stay? You can use Points Advance to book a redemption without having the required amount of points yet. You just need to have the points by the time you stay.
  
  Do you have the Bonvoy Amex?
  - Doug M says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 09:46
    
    Bearing in mind that the rate is longer locked in on this I think.
  - Graeme says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 20:20
    
    It’s for next March, so Points Advance is a very good idea as it gives me an age to work it out. I don’t have the Bonvoy Amex, but we should have another MR card around November so that could be an option.
    
    Thanks both.
Rahaney says:

7 Apr7 April 08:43

Morning,

My partner got the SPG before it closed (no previous own Amex) and has just hit the minimum spend. Any experience of how long before the bonus pops??

BTW, Amex plat offered me an additional Mr point per pound yesterday to renew, I’ll try again today…
- Rhys says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 08:48
  
  You have to wait until your monthly statement for them to transfer to your Bonvoy account if you are thinking of cancelling the card.
- Rob says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 10:17
  
  It should post alongside the transaction that took them over the spend target (the £75 fee does not count towards the spend target) – so if that was a £10 Tesco purchase it will actually post as 30,030 points instead of 30.
Mark says:

7 Apr7 April 08:45

Raised this question late last night on yesterday’s article but repeating here to see if anyone else has any experience as I’m still with the 24hour cool off period…

Booked a couple of Virgin redemption flights. However the refund terms are a bit unclear.

It says on booking “Changes allowed for a fee, not refundable”. The detailed fare rules talk about 100% of the miles being refundable up to 24 hours before (for a £30 fee), as well as unused government and airport taxes, but not carrier imposed surcharges.

What really happens when you cancel a Virgin redemption. Do they really retain the YQ plus £30, or is this just a cut and paste error?

If it makes a difference these are one way PE fares to Hong Kong.

Of course it may be academic if they cease to exist shortly, though I hope it doesn’t come to that.
- roberto says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 08:56
  
  Virgin refund your card minus the £30 per ticket fee.
  - Mark says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 10:07
    
    Ok, so they do refund the carrier imposed surcharges in practice?
    - Jack says:
      
      7 Apr7 April 16:36
      
      I have always had the full amount minus 30GBP refunded to me. Often they will even waive the fee if you have an excuse
      - Mark says:
        
        7 Apr7 April 18:22
        
        Thank you.