The new HFP chat thread – Thursday 30th 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/2020/04/30/the-new-hfp-chat-thread-thursday-30th-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. Let’s see how it goes. Take care!

Category

General

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

Jon says:

30 Apr30 April 08:42

Anyone seeing Amex charging non-sterling fees on their refunds? Pretty poor if so. Reported in the DM. Won’t link because I don’t want them to get clicks.
- Genghis says:
  
  30 Apr30 April 09:10
  
  If you paid on an Amex and were charged non sterling fees, the refund should gross up by the sterling fee in the refund, ie you get it back.
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  30 Apr30 April 10:22
  
  If you paid 115 euro you should have been charged £102.99 including fee assuming 1.15 rate. If the refund comes in at 1.1 you will actually get £107.67 which is a refund of the 115/1.1 plus 2.99% fee.
- Doug M says:
  
  30 Apr30 April 11:02
  
  The FX fee is refunded, but the Amex layout is poor in making that clear.
- Youllnever says:
  
  30 Apr30 April 13:26
  
  I did see this article this morning: https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cardsloans/article-8261779/Amex-charged-foreign-exchange-fee-holiday-refund.html
  - Youllnever says:
    
    30 Apr30 April 13:41
    
    oh, sorry about the link. I’m guessing that was you.
  - TGLoyalty says:
    
    30 Apr30 April 16:54
    
    That article is factually incorrect. There’s no fee on the refund they just refund based on the FX rate the day the refund hits rather than the one when your original paid the money.
Chrisasaurus says:

30 Apr30 April 08:50

Off top of someone’s head, is the rebate on the MBNA Horizon (ex Vs Amex) card paid annually? I cant see any reference to the CB earned on the app – is it shown in statements?
- paulm says:
  
  30 Apr30 April 08:57
  
  Yes it’s annually and it should be shown at the end of the statement, it’s easily missed!
  - Chrisasaurus says:
    
    30 Apr30 April 09:02
    
    Thanks,I’ll invest the effort to figure out what the heck my password is then!
    - RussellH says:
      
      30 Apr30 April 10:34
      
      And you should also see the credit on the front of the statement when they show you the months debits and credits.
- RussellH says:
  
  30 Apr30 April 10:32
  
  Do they need to promote it? The card is not available to new customers.
  Surely it was basicly a ploy to retain cardholders when the Miles+More cards were scrapped?
  It helped convince me that the card was worth keeping, though I have very little reason to use the card – I do not normally use UK cards in CH or the Eurozone.
  I do not think that sending me a cheque for £1.90 would have made any sense for either MBNA or me.
  But I must have had the account for nearly 15 years now, and I like to have had at least one card for the long term.
LewisB says:

30 Apr30 April 08:51

Does the £35 cancellation fee apply to each person travelling? For instance I have 5 avios bookings I could cancel. Will I be charged £175 (35×5) or £350 (35×10). Both tickets attached to each booking, none are separate.
- Tom C says:
  
  30 Apr30 April 09:06
  
  £35 per booking – I’m in the same boat with a part avios part cash booking. If I wait until BA cancel I get everything back, cancel now and I lose £105 from a £300 payment. I’m holding fire as you can cancel right up to the last min anyway.
  - Charlieface says:
    
    30 Apr30 April 09:12
    
    Pretty sure it’s per person, would love to be corrected
    - Stu N says:
      
      30 Apr30 April 10:06
      
      Cancellation is definitely per person, change fee on redemptions is also per person.
- Doug M says:
  
  30 Apr30 April 11:04
  
  Depending on when the flights are why not wait for the inevitable cancellation and pay no fee.
- Anna says:
  
  30 Apr30 April 11:39
  
  You would be charged per person (and per sector if separate bookings), so it would make sense to wait until BA cancels if possible.
- Chrisasaurus says:
  
  30 Apr30 April 13:33
  
  Its per person
Georg says:

30 Apr30 April 09:19

Is it just me or have AmEx offers pretty much dried up for other too?
- Rum says:
  
  30 Apr30 April 09:24
  
  You are quite right. Mine started vanishing from the week of 20th March onwards on both cards. I still have a few left on the BA card but most will be expiring soon.
  I’m not expecting to see any more to be honest…
  - Secret Squirrel says:
    
    30 Apr30 April 11:30
    
    I’ve got 6 x new offers on my BAPP this week but the usual suspects from Gold.
- Rhys says:
  
  30 Apr30 April 09:24
  
  I mean, there is a global health crisis in progress…..
  - Rob says:
    
    30 Apr30 April 09:53
    
    More importantly, the shops are shut! I get a feeling that Amex never bothered targetting online merchants and has been caught out.
    - Stu N says:
      
      30 Apr30 April 10:02
      
      The only useful one I’ve had recently was £30 off with Berry Bros & Rudd. Virtually nothing else though, I think there are single figures across both my live cards and most of them will expire imminently.
    - JImbob says:
      
      30 Apr30 April 10:03
      
      I guess also that online traders are doing well at the moment and would need to use Amex offers to drive trade
      - Polly says:
        
        30 Apr30 April 15:17
        
        Think he meant wouldn’t!
    - RussellH says:
      
      30 Apr30 April 10:35
      
      Plenty of the offers I got were for obscure women’s fashions, all of which could be ordered online.
      - Lady London says:
        
        30 Apr30 April 11:16
        
        Were those offers targeted?
        🙂
      - RussellH says:
        
        30 Apr30 April 14:19
        
        Yes, but VERY badly!
        😉
      - Secret Squirrel says:
        
        30 Apr30 April 16:15
        
        Those offers for you are exclusive to only redeem at night! 😉
    - Rum says:
      
      30 Apr30 April 12:08
      
      They had some good ones in the past with online retailers. Just seems to be hit and miss with every new card that I have.
  - Crafty says:
    
    30 Apr30 April 10:30
    
    Many companies have pulled marketing budgets because they cannot afford the cash burn.
    
    Others have pulled marketing because they feel it is distasteful to do so at this time.
    - Secret Squirrel says:
      
      30 Apr30 April 11:45
      
      @LL:
      How’s the baking / home recipes going? 😉
      - Lady London says:
        
        30 Apr30 April 12:16
        
        ??
    - Lady London says:
      
      30 Apr30 April 12:18
      
      Yes. Noticed Unilever is predominantly advertising soap type products and shampoos now and not much else from their huge range. That elephant is really fast-moving.
      - Secret Squirrel says:
        
        30 Apr30 April 13:24
        
        Ahh, not you then over on FT!
      - Lady London says:
        
        30 Apr30 April 16:34
        
        ?? Can you explain, @Secret Squirrel?
        Had to sort someone else out a very few weeks ago that was trying to hijack my screen name.
        
        I haven’t posted on FT for nearly a year now. What are you seeing over there that looks like me?
- Gavin says:
  
  30 Apr30 April 10:17
  
  Mine have mostly dried up bu the Beer52 one will come in useful for next month’s subscription
  - RussellH says:
    
    30 Apr30 April 10:39
    
    Yes, I have used that every time I have had it, but I do not at present.
- avstar says:
  
  30 Apr30 April 11:50
  
  6 in the last week, 31 in total still valid & applicable on first card i checked
  - Navara says:
    
    30 Apr30 April 16:08
    
    18 on mine
LJB says:

30 Apr30 April 09:39

I recently booked 2 CW tickets LON-KUL travelling April 2021 using my 2-4-1 voucher. I was hoping that the return would be available in approx 1 week and planned to add this to the booking but it now looks like BA do not have the return journey loaded for reward seats. Any one have any ideas why?
If I try to get a refund for the outbound booked – will I only be offered a voucher now?
Thanks in advance for any advice!
- Rhys says:
  
  30 Apr30 April 09:40
  
  Are you sure the 2 guaranteed CW seats weren’t snapped up by someone else? You can always try another day.
  - Peter K says:
    
    30 Apr30 April 09:45
    
    It sounds like you were not fast enough to get the seats released at 1am BST (midnight GMT). If early April it sounds like Easter hols. Also, some people may want to fly the other way from Malaysia to the UK to visit family.
  - LJB says:
    
    30 Apr30 April 09:55
    
    The return date is not available to book yet as it is outside of 355 but checking the return journey for a few days before through the BA reward tool, the direct BA flight is not showing at all only a MH option. If I check the route as if I was booking a cash flight – the route still looks to be operating but going through quite a few dates in April using the reward booking tool – the direct BA KUL-LON is not being displayed at all.
    - Genghis says:
      
      30 Apr30 April 10:17
      
      Because they’re being booked up!
      - Peter K says:
        
        30 Apr30 April 10:53
        
        +1 to what Genghis said. No availability showing does not mean none was released. On popular routes/at popular times it goes in literally seconds.
        You need to play by the rules and either go online to book the return at 1am BST and then ring later to combine and have the 2-4-1 added or ring and hope to get through just before 1am to get an agent to get them for you or ring the following morning and hope for the best but they will likely have gone.
      - LJB says:
        
        30 Apr30 April 11:01
        
        I completely understand the need to book the flights as soon as they are released (currently 1am) – that is what I did to get the outbound. The flight is not showing with the classes displayed with ‘no availability’, the actual flight is not showing at all. I get a message stating that there are no direct flights that day an indirect flight with MH.
      - LJB says:
        
        30 Apr30 April 11:04
        
        Apologies – I hit the send button without completing my last response. I mean the BA direct flight is not showing at all – only an indirect option with MH. I have tried a number of other dates and the BA direct flight is no longer appearing using the reward flight booking tool.
      - Lady London says:
        
        30 Apr30 April 12:23
        
        I think you should call them.
        
        In case Anna is right and they’re bunching them and loading late – or perhaps waiting for some sort of approval – keep watching daily – using different browsers and clearing cookies. Try a VPN basing yourself in Malaysia too just in case there’s a difference depending on selling location.
        
        Meanwhile I would call them and ask an agent what can they see.
        
        Unsure if you would end up on BA in a year’s time to every destination you could book now too.
- Anna says:
  
  30 Apr30 April 11:22
  
  What’s your return date? At present award seats are loaded up to April 19th. However, I noticed at the start of April that there were a couple of routes where BA was late in loading availability then loaded a weeks’ worth at once.
Andi Hawes says:

30 Apr30 April 09:41

Morning All

Do Virgin ever offer bonus miles when buying Miles? I never see any and I am at the point i need some. The current situation obvious makes me nervous about doing so so any advice on doing so? im planning a Miles trip to Orlando for 4 and short on miles. Maybe its a better policy to pay slightly more and book Cash Premium and upgrade with Miles, that way ive more cash fare that can be refunded if they go bust and less miles to upgrade cabins so i dont need to purchase any. Any Miles purchase i guess is wasted money should they go bust.
- Rob says:
  
  30 Apr30 April 09:50
  
  Yes they do, now and then. But, yes, if they go bust you’ve wasted your cash.
- Secret Squirrel says:
  
  30 Apr30 April 11:33
  
  Hold on to your money for atleast the next month! 😕
  - Andi Hawes says:
    
    30 Apr30 April 13:37
    
    Only problem is these are School Holiday Easter 2021 flights which go very quickly. I think purchase of Premium cash tickets with a view to upgrading with Miles i already own is a better option. Probsbly means i dont have to book on release dates, andcould monitor the situation for a few weeks
- Lady London says:
  
  30 Apr30 April 12:25
  
  Were you a fan of the “Yes, Minister” TV program?
  
  If you were, the right now I think Sir Humphrey would be telling you that you are very, very courageous to be making that decision right now 🙂
George K says:

30 Apr30 April 09:56

On the subject of Amex, I must have missed it when this started, but as part of the Platinum double points promotion (2MR/£1 and x2 MR redemption) it turns out that Amex Travel spend is also doubled at 4MR/£1.

If anyone is feeling happy to book something by summer for future travel, it could potentially be highly lucrative…

Full text here: https://www.americanexpress.com/content/dam/amex/uk/benefits/Platinum_double_MR_campaign_important_information_2804.pdf

Not sure what Platinum Travel actually is though…
Liz says:

30 Apr30 April 10:02

Finally got my 2500 Clubcard points for my Buildings and Contents Insurance from last Dec! Just waiting for the pet insurance ones to post now!
- Anna says:
  
  30 Apr30 April 11:23
  
  I’ve just got my £100 for life insurance after 12 months!