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The new HFP chat thread – Tuesday 14th 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/2020/04/14/the-new-hfp-chat-thread-tuesday-14th-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!

Comments (236)

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

  • Diydegsy says:

    Anna have you or anyone else the he number to contact You First please would appreciate.it as I cannot find it. Thanks

    • Anna says:

      BA website in the Travel Class section.

      • s879 says:

        Sorry, could anyone explain what You First is?

        • Rob says:

          It’s a dedicated concierge service for First Class ticket holders. The only real value is that you can ring them to book an Elemis Spa treatment in the lounge substantially in advance of the day you are flying (not sure of the exact day the diary opens) which guarantees you a slot.

  • sloth says:

    hi, what’s the minimum amount of time that a flight can be moved to enable you to claim a refund on an otherwise non-refundable ticket? flight has been moved by BA, 10 mins earlier. flight number is the same.

    I’m guessing 10 mins isn’t enough but would be handy to know

    thanks

    • AJA says:

      A change of 10 mins is not enough time to request a refund or rerouting.

      Article 7 of EC261 states that you have a right to compensation if
      (a) You are given less than 7 days’ notice of the cancellation and you are offered rerouting which leaves more than an hour earlier than originally scheduled or arrives at your final destination more than 2 hours later than originally scheduled.
      (b) You are given between two weeks and 7 days’ notice of the cancellation and you are offered rerouting which leaves more than 2 hours earlier than originally scheduled or arrives at your final destination more than 4 hours later than originally scheduled.

      I know you’re not after compensation and merely wanting to cancel but if changes are below those timescales you are not entitled to anything.

      Your best bet if you don’t want to travel is to request the e-voucher (assuming your flight’s departure is before 31 Dec 2020 or your flight was booked after 3 March) or wait in the hope that BA cancels the flight.

      • sloth says:

        thanks for the reply AJA, very helpful. I had already tried the voucher route but they replied this morning saying that I wasn’t entitled to anything, flight booked last December for this coming July. I did know it was non refundable and booked intending to use it but for various reasons I now won’t be so just hoping for a way around it 🙂

        yes will just hope they cancel/amend the flight to a different number as I’m sure I can cancel then?

  • David says:

    Can someone confirm my understanding of the following scenario?

    There is business availability on the date I want to HKG, but no return (in any class) for the return I want. If I book the outbound using a 241, can I add a return to the 241 booking at any point in the future?

    If it’s possible to add the return separately, and I do so at a later date, I understand from recent articles / comments that BA will NOT reprice the fare, and it’ll effectively be 2 single tickets / PNRs – therefore benefitting from the extremely low taxes returning from HKG?

    • Rob says:

      If you book the return online and then call BA to get 50% of the Avios return leg refunded then, yes, that’s how it goes.

      If you call BA to book the return it gets merged into your existing ticket. Good for North America, bad for Hong Kong. This assumes you have enought Avios to bridge the cost of paying full Avios for the return of course.

  • NJB says:

    Hoping someone can help.
    Amex Plat due for renewal. Trip booked in December for late August to USA.
    If I renew does the travel insurance continue as is with Covid cover or does it become a new policy, which I am presuming now will not have Covid cover/

    Thank you

  • Ra says:

    I may have misread some comments about the BA refund helper on flyertalk, but it sounded as if Avios and companion vouchers were being instantly refunded but ‘cash would follow…’. Getting the cash refunded seems to be the real problem. I’ve had verbal reassurances from BA but it’s now approaching four weeks since this was promised within 7 days. I recommend taking screen shots of any messages on MMB as all references to the booking soon disappear. I find it interesting that BA aren’t sending email confirmations that refunds are being processed when they usually confirm everything by email, even seat changes etc

    • AJA says:

      The problem is that the cash refunds are normally handled by the call centre in India and with the lockdown in India that has forced BA to close the call centre. I suspect they are in a mess internally trying to find out who has been refunded and which tickets are still outstanding. I suggest that you contact your credit card provider and initiate a charge-back.

      • Lady London says:

        There will just be a long queue for India processing and no info available on progress. If you landed in that queue instead of getting your refund another way you’re SOL.

        Annoying as ‘newer’ refunds are probably not all being processed via India – so newer stuff may happen a lot quicker than even really longstanding refund requests that went into the India queue.

        Personally if I’m told my refund is not done and it’s in the India queue I would probably go straight to chargeback or s.75 via credit card company. Technically they are supposed to refund you on 7 days. No one holds them to that, I’ve said previously let’s cut them some slack and not do that for 4 or even 6 weeks. But here a theme is emerging and I think for refunds in that particular queue it could be 3-9 months – noting how long it already takes in peacetime. That’s too long.

    • Carol says:

      I rang on Friday for a refund of. a couple of cancelled flights and have just received an email From BA about one of them, confirming cancellation and a refund. Hopefully this means the money should be back on my card in the near future. I have still not received anything about a flight they cancelled on March 16. I would hope another problem email follows soon

  • weepaul says:

    Hi, apologies if asked before. I have a TP run Dub-PHX-LAX-HNL early July on AA (aa ticketed) crediting to BA. Booked for 6 140 Tier point legs. The return legs have been changed to HNL – ORD-DUB which will Yield a lot fewer TPs. Is this grounds for cancelling with refund or does arriving at destination within an hour of original prevent that. Another of the outbound legs allows only 45 mins connection at LAX which is not something I would book or be happy with. Obviously ll this depends on being allowed in US and not having Hawaii 14 day quarantine etc etc. Definitely won’ be going in July but worried flight won’t be cancellable and any voucher won’t cover flight costs next year.

    • AJA says:

      What is the reason for the change in routing? Have AA cancelled one of your flights? If so a cancellation of any flight in your itinerary gives you the right to cancel the entire booking for a refund.

      • weepaul says:

        Thanks, two flights have been cancelled outbound originally via Charlotte and phl to dub cancelled on return. I have had no notification from AA just watching my “My Trip” on their site.

        • Doug M says:

          If any one leg has been cancelled you can cancel the whole thing and ask for a refund.

        • Doug M says:

          Cancellation and refund are two separate tasks with AA.

          • weepaul says:

            Thanks, got through call centre immediately and (after having to push for refund rather than voucher) got it cancelled. I’ve applied for the refund. The lady seemed to take the 3 hour later arrival time rather than the cancelled flights as the ground for refunding.

    • AndyGWP says:

      Wouldn’t they argue the fact you can do ORC for the flights, would mean you’re actually benefitting from the change

      (disclaimer – I don’t know a lot about ORC / Original Routing Credit, but if AA do it it sounds a decent counter-argument)

      • AJA says:

        No ORC is only available in IRROPS, in other words you get re-routed on the day of flying or in the middle of flying an itinerary. Otherwise you could simply book a very convoluted itinerary in the expectation that one of the flights will inevitably be cancelled and then claim ORC for the original itinerary.

    • Lady London says:

      If you want the tier points and to secure current pricing then at your own option you can also request the same itinerary you had booked to transfer to a later date that works for you. This according to text of Ec261/2004.

      I would replan same routing for a later date but you should check enough of the flights are still running in the timetable. They may not be. Once I’ve got the closest itinerary available I would call and request the reroute.

      Instead of that if you wanted to accept their new routing I believe you could still ask for original routing credit after the flight or ask for the originally due tier points and avios. However personally I think that’s risky and not to be relied on

      Rob believes a much later reroute (ie same travel new date later) which may accidentally be a date that normally would cost more might not be in EC261 as it looks to be. We have had a recent success reported though. They can’t charge you any cancellation fees or higher fare on a reroute btw – that’s defo fact. Is BA extending tier point years? Can you pick a date that would be early in your following tier point year? That’s what I would do.

      Please let us know what you decide and how you get on.

      • weepaul says:

        I managed a cancellation on the basis of 3 hour arrival back in DUB. The CSR had to be prompted to check history of the ticked and disregarded the cancelled/rerouted segments. I wanted the cancellation as there are too many unknowns with entry to US, insurance, quarantine as well as the health of a family member, which I cannot mitigate with insurance. Another year and everything could be rosy again and I’ll re-chase gold. Fingers crossed. A BA extension would be good especially as most people will loose about 6 months use of their membership (at least) before this current sad episode is over.
        Thanks

  • Diydegsy says:

    Rob do you have a telephone number for You First please?

    • Andrew says:

      If you type British Airways You First into google it’s the top hit in the search.

  • Pete C says:

    Good afternoon everyone, quick question regarding the HSBC Premier World Elite: I understand it’s pretty good for 2 years, if I downgrade to the free version after that time, is there a period of time I can wait before upgrading again to be eligible for the welcome bonus? Or can you only receive that once ever?

    • Pete C says:

      Thank you!

      • Lady London says:

        Hum @Rob that’s your old lot isnt it? 6 seems excellent and worth promoting. Is the problem that the HSBC card requirements are so high that they are likely to be met by very few people? Unsure if it would pay for referrals too. But would be really nice to put something with some volume up against Amex’s offering.

        • Rob says:

          HSBC don’t pay, not that this stops us covering it. I didn’t actually know there was a 6 month churn rule – if I had known, I would have got one! (I get one for free if I want one, but have held off for a couple of years waiting for a better bonus!).

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