The new HFP chat thread – Sunday 10th May

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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/2020/05/10/the-new-hfp-chat-thread-sunday-10th-may/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.

Harry T says:

10 May10 May 16:12

So, anyone reckon the Conrad Tokyo is worth 380,000 Hilton for five nights? Or is it worth waiting to see if COVID-19 decimates the cash prices? Travelling there in November.

The Tokyo Hilton would be 280,000 for five nights.
- Harry T says:
  
  10 May10 May 16:15
  
  I can buy 320,000 Hilton for 1600 USD in the present sale. I have 75k Hilton.
  
  I’m loathe to transfer all the Membership Rewards my girlfriend and I have, as I would hate to blow my entire pluripotent stash on the Conrad and then it not be awesome. We are Hilton Gold so would get the breakfast etc.
  - Rob says:
    
    10 May10 May 16:18
    
    We’ve reviewed it – it is very smart. Tokyo prices can be crazy so you are likely to get value here. Where’s the risk anyway? Book with points and if a good cash deal comes along you can switch.
    - Harry T says:
      
      10 May10 May 16:23
      
      Good points, Rob. I guess my only concern is the opportunity cost of transferring the Membership Rewards to Hilton (we don’t have enough so would have to buy about 60k Hilton anyway) or the cons of buying the points (trading cash which is more flexible, for a less flexible currency).
      - Rob says:
        
        10 May10 May 18:04
        
        As you can buy the Hilton points with a 100% bonus at present ( https://headforpoints.com/2020/04/13/get-a-100-bonus-buying-hilton-points/ ), it is fairly simple maths.
        
        Hilton points are 0.5 cents each to buy, so 0.78p for two (which is what 1 MR point gets you).
        
        If you have Amex Plat, remember you can get 0.9p per point via statement credit at the moment. It therefore makes more sense to buy them for cash from Hilton using your Amex Plat and then pay off the charge using Membership Rewards points!
        
        If you are only Amex Gold then you can’t do this (you only get 0.45p swapping points for cash) so you have a different decision. My gut feeling would be that I value other MR redemptions at more than 0.78p (the cost of 2 Hilton points in the current promo) and so I would pay cash. If you later moved the points to Avios you have effectively ‘bought’ Avios for 0.78p because you used cash for Hilton instead ….. if that makes sense.
        
        In the current global situation, however, a more simple ‘do I need to keep cash in the bank at the moment?’ approach is probably simpler and more sensible unless you are financially secure.
      - Harry T says:
        
        10 May10 May 18:35
        
        Thanks, Rob – that’s a brilliant and very helpful comment. I really appreciate it.
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  10 May10 May 16:28
  
  What’s the actual cash rate when you want to travel?
  - Harry T says:
    
    10 May10 May 16:36
    
    @TGLoyalty
    It’s £2250 for the five nights booking the best flexible rate directly with Hilton.
    
    Costs £1289.70 to buy the 320,000 Hilton I’d need to have enough (or I can transfer all our household MR and then buy 60,000 for £242).
    - Harry T says:
      
      10 May10 May 16:39
      
      The equivalent Bonvoy properties are 400,000 points for five nights and the cash rates are £500 a night for Prince Gallery Tokyo and £765/night for the RC (LOL).
      
      No sale on Bonvoy points and I only have enough MR and Bonvoy to get me to 300,000, all in. I’m Bonvoy Gold, so wouldn’t get free breakfast.
      - TGLoyalty says:
        
        10 May10 May 16:48
        
        Hilton seems like a significant discount. I believe there is a Marriott points sale coming up but they aren’t normally selling for less than 0.6p with current exchange rates.
        
        Heard great things about Prince hotels but seems very expensive even with points.
      - Harry T says:
        
        10 May10 May 16:51
        
        Unfortunately, this appears to be the most expensive month for hotels in Tokyo (gf’s birthday, so a special trip for that) – according to Google Hotels, five star hotels in November average £369 a night (£240-426).
        
        Yes, heard good things about the PG but 400,000 Bonvoy is toppy. Recent Bonvoy devaluations hitting hard.
      - marcw says:
        
        10 May10 May 17:32
        
        Yes November it´s expensive, but it´s beautiful. You know, those autumn colours. many japanese take the opportunity to travel across the country.
        
        i think you should focus more on location, rather than anything else. There are very nice boutique hotels which are beautiful and very well priced (they may have sold out already).
        
        Last year I stayed in NEST hotel in Tokyo. Cheap, easy, practical and nice. Nothing fancy, but did the job (this is not a boutique hotel).
        
        There´s also a niche luxury japanese chain, HOSHINOYA. They do very good deals when booked well out in advance. It´s non refundable AFAIK, but it´s Japanese (not an international chain). But this depends what you are looking for (whether a western style experience in Japan, or a Japanese luxury experience).
      - Chrisasaurus says:
        
        10 May10 May 18:46
        
        Well Amex got a sale rate in Bonvoy points but they did have to spend 300mil…
      - Harry T says:
        
        10 May10 May 19:08
        
        Thanks, @marcw
Colin MacKinnon says:

10 May10 May 16:14

OK, actually want to go to Denver. See the availability isn’t until July now. Don’t want to go in July – possibly not allowed either!

Definitely will want to go in either October or March, probably March – and definitely want to go in F or upper deck CW (if 747 still running?) . So because of 747 query, would be F in case of substitutions.

I know Mrs Colin won’t last any longer than March away from grandkids in the flesh!

(but I have been saving up avios for a multi-partner round-the-world – dear alone knows when that will happen. And I don’t want to break my Amex cycle by getting another BA card, for another 241, just yet)
Stephen says:

10 May10 May 16:41

Any positive Lufthansa refund stories, when flights are still operating but ONLY for residents? E.g. New Zealand / Hong Kong?
- marcw says:
  
  10 May10 May 17:19
  
  Nope. As a passenger, it´s your responsibility to know and adapt to entry requirements. Check you insurance.
  - Stephen says:
    
    10 May10 May 22:00
    
    Unfortunately, insurance have said they won’t cover it. Booked prior to these restrictions being added.
    - Lady London says:
      
      11 May11 May 03:36
      
      Have you definitely checked the insurance terms you were provided on the day you bought the policy?Even if for newer policies your insurer may have changed its terms,they can’t change away from what you bought on the day you bought for the period of cover that you bought.
Baji Nahid says:

10 May10 May 18:13

Has anyone done a S75 with IHG/Creation?

I emailed them all the evidence but i bet you they are probably swamped right now.
- Michael says:
  
  10 May10 May 18:24
  
  I contacted their disputes department about an issue not related to an S75 claim. I was advised both on the phone by the agent and via email that disputes are taking at least 4 weeks to process.
Rum says:

10 May10 May 19:23

So Boris has confirmed quarantine on passengers incoming to the UK. Now what?
- Oli says:
  
  10 May10 May 19:52
  
  Air passengers – not Eurostar / Eurotunnel / ferry.
- Travel Strong says:
  
  10 May10 May 20:07
  
  Other countries restrictions on incoming Britons is what I will now be monitoring.
  
  We have been ‘given notice’ of a non-specific quarantine requirement for incoming air passengers, when our infection rate is lower than elsewhere.
  
  But this is only one half of the puzzle. The border restrictions of the country (or countries) you are visiting or passing through is equally important (especially if considering a land-based return route)
  - TGLoyalty says:
    
    10 May10 May 20:16
    
    Given notice of what exactly?
    
    Sea and Train won’t be restricted therefore outside EU/EEA only? Who knows.
    
    Guess we will actually find out what his blabbering meant when it starts going through Parliament.
    - Anna (the original) says:
      
      10 May10 May 22:05
      
      So we can go to France, but not Spain? (In theory, I don’t necessarily want to go anywhere in the short to medium term.) Are we less likely to infect the French than the Spanish?
- meta says:
  
  10 May10 May 20:44
  
  He didn’t confirm anything. He just said soon. Soon can easily turn into never.
- Mr(s) Entitled says:
  
  10 May10 May 22:03
  
  Omnishambles.
  
  Fly direct to the UK = quarantine
  Fly to Paris and hop on a train = no quarantine
  
  And lots of other examples.
  
  I think the Gov’t has largely been in an impossible situation where they are damn if they do and damn if they don’t whilst constantly being judged by hindsight. But whatever fig leaf of credibility they had is slipping by the day.
  - Anna (the original) says:
    
    10 May10 May 22:06
    
    Well exactly. Fly direct from Paris – 14 day quarantine. Drive the same distance, stopping at every small town and petrol station possibly shedding virus – fine.
Unsavage gerbil says:

10 May10 May 19:52

Totally Unenforceable.

Given he didn’t bother to show for the COBRA meetings, and heed the advice of the experts warning of a pandemic,and therefore is in large part responsible for more deaths. Why should we believe a word he says, he has a charge sheet of lying when it suits him going back decades.
- Travel Strong says:
  
  10 May10 May 20:11
  
  You do not have to ‘believe’ Boris. Believe things written into legislation and FCO advice that impacts any contractual terms relevant to you (if any).
  - TGLoyalty says:
    
    10 May10 May 20:18
    
    FCO advice is exactly that “advice” there’s nothing enforceable about it.
    
    ATOL registered Holiday firms do have to listen to it though and insurance may or may not pay out based upon it and your type of cover.
Optimus Prime says:

10 May10 May 20:50

Looks like Avianca has entered bankruptcy
- marcw says:
  
  10 May10 May 21:00
  
  Ch11
Ronald Jeremy says:

10 May10 May 22:49

#borishasfailed