The new HFP chat thread – Monday 20th 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/2020/04/20/the-new-hfp-chat-thread-monday-20th-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.

Charlieface says:

20 Apr20 April 17:31

S75 won’t really help you because you booked via a travel agent, unless the agent hasn’t paid yet for the ticket, and you could argue therefore they haven’t ticketed correctly. Most likely the cash gets paid fairly quickly to KLM, in which case you should be ok.
- Baji Nahid says:
  
  20 Apr20 April 17:46
  
  Thanks charlieface, i was under the presumption that regardless of where I have booked, if the service or contract was not provided, i would receive my money back no?
  
  Appreciate the help
  - meta says:
    
    20 Apr20 April 18:08
    
    Of course S75 works for travel agent bookings. It’s just that you don’t claim against airline, but travel agent. Charlieface has confused with paying through third-party sites/card such as Paypal, Amazon Pay or Curve.
    - Baji Nahid says:
      
      20 Apr20 April 18:24
      
      Thanks Meta for your help! Much Appreciated!
    - Charlieface says:
      
      20 Apr20 April 18:31
      
      I haven’t confused it. My point was the travel agent has fulfilled the contract i.e. booked the ticket and paid the airline. You have no claim on the agent therefore no claim on the credit card.
      - Baji Nahid says:
        
        20 Apr20 April 18:42
        
        Well what happens when the flight gets cancelled?
      - Charlieface says:
        
        20 Apr20 April 19:08
        
        If it’s cancelled you have a claim on the airline, but no link can be made from there to the credit card
- AJA says:
  
  20 Apr20 April 19:08
  
  Charlieface /OP if the travel agent has paid the airline (presumably Virgin Atlantic, as they’re the ones who ticketed) then it’s down to whether KLM has received it’s share of the revenue. If KLM refuse OP to board the flight, for whatever reason, then OP has the right to do a s75 claim against the TA on behalf of Virgin/KLM for failure to deliver service.
Princess says:

20 Apr20 April 17:40

Hi everybody! I know the uncertainty of this time, but I like to make plan so I’m still planning head. I have a good amount of virgin miles (I know maybe they will not worth anything soon, but lets pretend not) and I would love to use it on Ana to Japan. I found some dates that would work for us (no from London) but of course max 2 business class available. I would be happy to book 2 business and 2 premier economy but It seem to me that I cant book premium economy on ANA via Virgin am I correct?
Fola says:

20 Apr20 April 18:08

Firstly,I cancelled a BA avios booking on March 10th; flight was due to fly out on March 20th.After several calls,I got my avios back after 11 days.I have tried to get the refund for the taxes less £35 but all to no avail.Each time, I have called, it’s been promises after promises that my refund will be processed.

Secondly,I cancelled a hotel summer booking from Lastminute.com;I got request refund email on April 1st to choose voucher or cash,I chose cash and should have been in my account after 14 days.I logged into my account today,the booking does not show that it has been cancelled.

I want to contact the card issuer (Capital on Tap) I used for both payments; however my understanding is that Section 75 Consumer Credit Act does not apply to business credit card.

What is my option?I know there is MasterCard chargeback, is there an equivalent for Visa?
- Charlieface says:
  
  20 Apr20 April 18:36
  
  It does apply to sole traders and very small businesses and partnerships. I think the rules are slightly different though
Neil Murray says:

20 Apr20 April 18:20

Thought I’d just flag up a surprising result.
In December, I booked four biz class tickets with big hired 4×4 from BCN to JNB in October, for a safari trip with friends. Booked with Iberia as it was cheaper than booking with BA on their website.
Obviously, starting in BCN because it’s so much cheaper to start there. AMS and MAD are alternatives, but BCN was the cheapest.
Anyway, as it’s a ‘holiday’ you only need pay a deposit and can pay the rest in instalments. Iberia’ deposit was only 99 euros. Yes, for the four of us.
Anyway, I was browsing the BA site at the weekend and idly put the same booking requirements into it. Same dates, flights (which were all on BA aircraft, incidentally), times and even the same Toyota Fortuna 4×4. And it was 950 euros cheaper than the previous booking (which was damn good value to begin with).
It was a no-brainer. I checked with the others, made the new booking, and will cancel Iberia when I get around to it. Deadline for final payment was August 20. New deadline is September 11.
OK, there a chance that BA still won’t be flying in October, for 750 euros between us we’re willing to take the risk.
- JImbob says:
  
  20 Apr20 April 19:16
  
  I guess the biggest risk with rebooking, is that travel insurance might not cover you for covid related issues
Charlieface says:

20 Apr20 April 18:40

Would love to know if anyone’s voucher has been cancelled after raising and succeeding a dispute. And which airline.
- Rob says:
  
  20 Apr20 April 18:43
  
  One reader got BA to cancel a voucher after threatening them. Many other readers have not.
  - Charlieface says:
    
    20 Apr20 April 19:06
    
    You misunderstand. I’m asking: what happens if they chuck a voucher at you for a cancellation which you didn’t ask for, then you do a chargeback?
    - Andrew M says:
      
      20 Apr20 April 19:18
      
      I see where you’re going with that…
      - Crafty says:
        
        21 Apr21 April 00:06
        
        Yes I’ve had this thought in relation to Ryanair. Presumably this will be widespread enough that they’ll have to figure out a way to deal with it.
      - Josh says:
        
        21 Apr21 April 00:11
        
        Doesn’t the airline just show the credit card company that they’ve issued a voucher to the customer? Then the chargeback may be cancelled?
      - Charlieface says:
        
        21 Apr21 April 01:13
        
        Well no, the whole point is you have never asked for a voucher, which is why you do the chargeback.
      - memesweeper says:
        
        21 Apr21 April 09:00
        
        ‘Yes I’ve had this thought in relation to Ryanair. Presumably this will be widespread enough that they’ll have to figure out a way to deal with it.’
        
        Depends on the wording that accompanies the voucher. I’d 100% try it on if I received one without asking for one, when I was entitled to a refund.
Baji Nahid says:

20 Apr20 April 18:42

quick question regarding AMEX, i referred my mother for a gold card, as i have a gold card, could I be her supplementary ? Is this even possible or allowed?

I appreciate all the help!
- stevenhp1987 says:
  
  20 Apr20 April 19:42
  
  If you live in the same household the you can get a supplementary card, no problem.
  - Genghis says:
    
    20 Apr20 April 19:50
    
    Is there a requirement to live in the same household? Nothing in the terms.
    - Baji Nahid says:
      
      20 Apr20 April 19:53
      
      ah sweet! even if i have a gold card myself?
      
      Thanks for the help!
      - Genghis says:
        
        20 Apr20 April 19:55
        
        Yes. No problem.
No lockdown for me says:

20 Apr20 April 19:05

‘If you go look at what’s happening in Sweden, they are holding their nerve and they haven’t had doomsday scenario. Our Government has got it completely the wrong way around.’

In Sweden most schools, shops, pubs and restaurants remain open, with the Swedes advised rather than forced to adopt social distancing measures.

There have been 14,777 coronavirus cases in Sweden, giving it a per capita infections rate of 140 per 100,000 people. With a total of 1,580 deaths, the nation has a fatality rate of 15 per 100,000 people.

By comparison, the UK has suffered 120,067 cases and 16,060 deaths, meaning 182 people per 100,000 catch the virus and 24 per 100,000 die from it.

On top of much lower death and infections rates, the virus appears to be wreaking less havoc on its economy compared to the UK.

Less than six per cent of Sweden’s workforce had filed claims for unemployment benefits – wheres a quarter of Britons (1.4 million people) have applied for universal credit.
- Henry says:
  
  20 Apr20 April 19:21
  
  Sweden doesn’t have London though
  Apples to oranges
  - No lockdown for me says:
    
    20 Apr20 April 19:47
    
    So far something like 50 patients have gone through the new Excel Nightingale Hospital
- Ossie says:
  
  20 Apr20 April 20:38
  
  We won’t know for some time if Sweden’s approach turns out to be successful, but for now it might be more realistic to compare with Denmark/Norway/Finland with hospital death rates of 6.3, 3.3 and 1.8 per 100,000 population respectively which are low relative to Sweden at 15.6.
  - J says:
    
    20 Apr20 April 21:40
    
    Exactly comparing Sweden to other Nordic countries and the Swedes look extremely irresponsible.
    - Cat says:
      
      20 Apr20 April 22:13
      
      The dynamics of the spread of coronavirus within a country does seem to be a function mostly of two things
      1) How dense the population is
      2) How dense the population is
      We definitely lose to Sweden on one count. It’s hard to say on the other.
      - avstar says:
        
        20 Apr20 April 22:21
        
        bravo :o!!
- Anuj says:
  
  21 Apr21 April 01:32
  
  You can’t deduce a per capita rate from that data because not everyone who has the virus is tested. So many aren’t counted in the figures. Same for the death rate, they’ve probably missed many deaths out.
- Lady London says:
  
  21 Apr21 April 02:35
  
  Is 1580 deaths out of 14777 cases supposed to be good? Isn’t that over 10% ?
- Lady London says:
  
  21 Apr21 April 02:38
  
  How is 1.4 million people one quarter of Britons? Are there only 5.6 million of us?
spinner99 says:

20 Apr20 April 19:23

Still looking for an answer to whether I will be able to cancel an avios voucher flight? That is will a flight rebooked which was a 2-4-1 avios booking inherit the terms of the original booking?
- Lady London says:
  
  21 Apr21 April 02:45
  
  Don’t take a voucher for an avios booking. Take refund or reschedule of same thing to new preferred date only. Voucher normally extended. If you take refund then your new booking is a fresh booking so can book longer dates ahead etc. Slight risk avios and tax could change in future but a voucher is not as flexible as your points and cash back.
  
  Do not take a voucher in general in but especially not on an avoid booking. It’s your tight to demand a refund of the whole booking if they cancelled even one flight on your booking.