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The new HFP chat thread – Saturday 18th 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/2020/04/18/the-new-hfp-chat-thread-saturday-18th-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

Comments (219)

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

  • David says:
    18 Apr18 April 13:17

    I received an email this morning saying my easyJet Plus membership had been extended by 3 months (without me asking).

    I think that makes Amex Platinum the one remaining paid-for membership with benefits very much focussed on travel which has not extended membership years.

  • Don says:
    18 Apr18 April 13:51

    Monese allows £600 a month from Curve. This amount is highly unlikely to annoy Monese.

    Apart from Nikolay’s emporium, which other accounts allow loading from Curve, fee-free?

    Starling block Curve, at least for my commercial card.

  • Simon says:
    18 Apr18 April 13:54

    Is any one daring to book flights/holidays for xmas? If so what destinations do you think have the best likihood of accepting tourists?

    • Peter K says:
      18 Apr18 April 14:05

      Go somewhere you can afford the hospital costs if you catch COVID-19 (first or second wave of it). Your insurance won’t cover it if you book now, that’s for sure.

      • GeorgeJ says:
        18 Apr18 April 14:44

        This is only true if you travel against FCO advice. If the current general restriction advice is lifted then your medical policy should still cover cover 19 illness (though read the policy!), I know my annual policy still does.
        What wont be covered is cancellation or disruption for new bookings.

    • Kev 85 says:
      18 Apr18 April 14:24

      “ If so what destinations do you think have the best likihood of accepting tourists?“

      No idea. Anyone who thinks they can predict this with any degree of accuracy is deluded.

    • J says:
      18 Apr18 April 14:59

      Unless they do a massive u-turn Sweden would be a safe bet.

    • BJ says:
      18 Apr18 April 15:26

      We’re already booked for Xma/NY in Thailand as usual.

    • Harry T says:
      18 Apr18 April 18:57

      Anecdotally Australia and New Zealand won’t be opening up until at least next year. I want to go in January (or Cape Town) but I’m holding off due to uncertainty.

      I suspect continental Europe is your best bet for Christmas tbh. Or the UK.

  • Kev 85 says:
    18 Apr18 April 14:08

    The protests in Michigan, for example, could be an interesting experiment. If there’s a spike in deaths in that region (cases aren’t a good guide as there’s limited testing) then we’ll know that opening early is risky. If not, then it could be an indication that lockdowns could end soon.

    Ideally there’d be some sort of process where anyone attending signs a form waiving their right to hospital treatment but there’s unrealistic.

  • Bwana says:
    18 Apr18 April 14:28

    On a positive note!!!

    Called BA on April 14th, to cancel ticket for travel in June/ July ( due to AA cancelling one sector) waited for 14 minutes before any response. My Amex Account credited today.

    Was I just lucky?

  • Kevin says:
    18 Apr18 April 14:37

    I received a free night voucher at the end of March and only last for 12months. However I recalled someone did leave a comment in one of the previous articles about receiving email from IHG stated the free night voucher is now extended to 18months. Does anyone receive such email and could share with me.

  • Rob says:
    18 Apr18 April 14:39

    Aegean have been running a campaign in support of Greek Hospital medical workers battling COVID-19. The aim is to offer all medical workers two roundtrip tickets for domestic travel. With Aegean tripling your mile donation. An absolute stellar campaign in my view. They have pulled in 150m+ so far since launching the campaign earlier this week.

    Surely, something similar could be done for the NHS with people being given an option to donate Avios to an NHS medical workers fund.

    What do people think?
    Is this something that Head for Points could lobby for on social media etc?

    • marcw says:
      18 Apr18 April 15:23

      MeliaRewards is doing something similar in Spain. Spanish healthworkers get 34k points… which spent nicely get you 2 free nights in an average hotel o 1 night in a 5″ hotel. Nice approcah, I’d say.

    • Rob says:
      18 Apr18 April 15:35

      If Avios want to run it, we will support it. Given the need to move miles between accounts etc it can’t be done independently.

  • AndyA says:
    18 Apr18 April 14:52

    Anyone had any luck cancelling Amtrak reservations? Looks like I can cancel without charges but I have to call the US?

    Thanks

    • Doug M says:
      18 Apr18 April 15:05

      That’s what I did. In case you’re unaware they have an automated phone system, horrible. Just keep saying ‘agent’ until it puts you through to a person.

      • AndyA says:
        18 Apr18 April 15:13

        Thanks Doug – hopefully I can get through before burn $208 on call charges!

        • mark2 says:
          18 Apr18 April 15:17

          On a BT landline you can pay about £5 for a month’s international calls inc USA

          • J says:
            18 Apr18 April 15:22

            I think you can also do it for 1p/min via an 0843 number, have a google/check out moneysavingexpert. USA is free on Skype too I think?

        • Lady London says:
          18 Apr18 April 15:33

          Skype

    • marcw says:
      18 Apr18 April 15:22

      You can use Skype to call Amtrak for free.

    • AndyA says:
      19 Apr19 April 10:32

      Thanks for all the advice. On closer investigation I found that my fair was semi flexible (normally has a fee charged but now waived) as we were in non Acela business seats and I was able to sort a full refund to my card from the Amtrak website!

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