The new HFP chat thread – Wednesday 13th May

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• Adam says:

  13 May13 May 09:03

  Anyone else lost all their Accor ALL points? I didn’t have a huge amount (7,000) but they have all gone due to ‘Account Regulization’ strange thing though is that they had the usual (365 day expiry) but that got extended to April 2021 (I’ve got a screen grab) and now they’ve gone. Messaged customer services who explained they had expired due to 365 days passed and that yes it is ‘difficult’ at the moment to make a reservation & earn points but there’s nothing they can do. I’m suppose to look out for a newsletter with an offer about how I can get all my points back…. which will be announced shortly.

  • Secret Squirrel says:

    13 May13 May 09:31

    Does a small credit if points from anywhere keep Accor accounts from expiring?
    Better use Award Wallet in the future & transfer out points. 7K not much, isn’t that worth something like £140 off a hotel stay?

    • Rob says:

      13 May13 May 09:37

      In theory, IIRC, Accor requires a stay according to the rules. Simply earning points was not enough. However, in reality in seems that points transfers from elsewhere (not many options, but Eurostar / Qatar Airways / Flying Blue transfer in) or for eg doing an Economist or Europcar transactions DID reset the date.

    • Robman says:

      13 May13 May 18:54

      An e-rewards transfer for me in October 2019 extended my points another year.

  • Lady London says:

    13 May13 May 12:16

    ‘regularisation’ is Accor’s word for stealing your points back including when theyre just refusing to honour a promotion promise or just made a mistake.

    How a company with such poor customer service – and IME outright dishonour – can seriously think they will retain Fairmont and Sofitel customers who might encounter the kind of problems you can get with Accor is beyond me.

    I do use Accor but I always feel I need a long spoon as I:m supping with the devil.

    i hope you get to the bottom of what happened to your points.

    • ankomonkey says:

      13 May13 May 14:04

      Agree. Accor are the lowest of the low for me.

• Sandgrounder says:

  13 May13 May 09:14

  Just called Virgin to cancel a redemption trip. 20 minute wait. Outbound is in three days, but was also happy to process for return leg which was a separate booking in about a fortnight. Miles re-credited straight away, advised a long wait for cash.

  Have Virgin 2-4-1 vouchers been extended? Forgot to ask on the call and I’m not ringing back if I can help it!

  • Sandgrounder says:

    13 May13 May 09:24

    Found it now, 6 month.extension

• EJH says:

  13 May13 May 09:41

  Is anyone able to access MMB for cancelled bookings as trying to reschedule flights? This part of the BA website has been down for a day or so and loathe to call BA.

  • Leafwarbler says:

    13 May13 May 10:56

    I just get a blank screen, whatever browser or app I use………

• BP says:

  13 May13 May 09:53

  American Express have rejected my Etihad chargeback.

  The charge was for £9k paid for on my Amex Credit Card.

  Etihad cancelled the flights.

  I uploaded the cancellation email and all the info about their refusal to give me a refund, Etihad T+Cs etc…

  https://www.etihad.com/en-gb/legal/conditions-of-carriage
  ARTICLE 10 REFUNDS
  10.2 INVOLUNTARY REFUNDS
  10.2.1 If we: (i) cancel a flight; (ii) fail to operate a flight reasonably according to schedule; the amount of the refund shall be, unless otherwise specified by appropriate law:
  10.2.1.1 if no portion of the Ticket has been used, an amount equal to the fare paid (including taxes, fees, charges)

  EU LAW
  Regulation 261/2004 Cancelations by the airline, provides that airlines must refund your ticket no later than 7 days after the scheduled flight

  Etihad is breaching its own terms and conditions and is also breaking the law, why is American Express condoning this.

  My wife did two Amex chargebacks of £400 each for cancelled flights in exactly the same circumstances, they were not rejected.

  What do I do next ?

  • Vit says:

    13 May13 May 10:04

    Just my two cents here from experience with amex. I think in your case, you may wanna rise S75 claim instead of chargeback?

    • BP says:

      13 May13 May 10:17

      I have x4 passengers on the booking, would S75 cover all 4 or just the person that paid ?

      • Mike says:

        13 May13 May 10:23

        S75 would cover all if booked on your card, however S75 only covers *CREDIT* cards, if your Amex is a charge card you need to use Amex’s voluntary scheme (which may be what you have tried already)

        • BP says:

          13 May13 May 10:28

          It is an Amex Credit Card.

        • Mike says:

          13 May13 May 10:36

          Cool, if a credit card then call Amex and cite Section 75 Consumer Credit Act.

        • Lady London says:

          13 May13 May 11:25

          if Amex card refuses Section 75 then advise them you will raise a complaint with the Finance Ombudsman. This costs them a few £00 each timr someone reports them so they shoukd see sense and refund if politely mentioned.

          I can see why they would reject chargeback guessing they have run out of ability to charge that airline back. Section 75 is a statutory right that makes tgem equally liable in the contract to the airline and so they cant refuse a justified case where your contract has not been fulfilled.

          Go back again and dont take no for an answer.

  • Lady London says:

    13 May13 May 11:34

    you use Section 75 to recover money from whichever you paid on the credit card – airline, agent or both.

    by the looks if that ticket status you need to make it clear that at no time did you agree to accept an exchange and you have only ever insisted on a refund.

    The card should not refuse to refund the transaction(s) but if they do then try threatening to report tgem to the FOS. You csn also do a moneyclaimonline dot gov dot uk and name both airline and travel agent as defendants. But this takes time to process and you could find solvency risk of one or both develops. so UK credit card section 75 is best option.

    You may owe any travel agent booking fee if it was in the terms when you booked but as it was their cancellation you shoukd not owe any other fees.

  • Crafty says:

    14 May14 May 14:26

    I called, spoke to someone in Brighton, explained the situation; she reopened the case, was puzzled at the letter I’d been sent, and said it should be a straightforward close in my favour. This is Ryanair. We shall see…

• rams1981 says:

  13 May13 May 10:00

  Tesco pet insurance. Took out policy in Feb. They applied the wrong Clubcard number, lots of emails, a few phone calls and number finally updated to correct one, but still no points. A formal complaint and the points finally posted just in time for May’s statement. We settled on £50 compensation which posted yesterday. Policy cancelled this morning.

  • Secret Squirrel says:

    13 May13 May 11:57

    What email address did you use please?

    • rams1981 says:

      13 May13 May 14:17

      tesco.petinsurance@uk.rsagroup.com is the first one to use to confirm the correct Clubcard applied.

      • Secret Squirrel says:

        13 May13 May 15:50

        Thanks rams!

• @mkcol says:

  13 May13 May 10:01

  They’re checking the sewage to quickly identify hotspots.

  • Lockdown Larry says:

    13 May13 May 10:13

    “They’re checking the sewage to quickly identify hotspots.”

    Oh ok so not the water supply then? That makes more sense.

    I assumed he was talking nonsense but thought I might have been missing something as I’m not a scientist.

    • Lady London says:

      13 May13 May 12:26

      This result might be interesting to know for Wuhan.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    13 May13 May 16:27

    Not the first time that will be used either

    wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is already recognised as an effective way to trace illicit drugs and obtain information on health, disease, and pathogens.

• Lockdown Larry says:

  13 May13 May 10:38

  “Singapore has sentenced a US pilot to four weeks in prison for breaking his mandatory quarantine.

  The 44-year old FedEx pilot arrived from Australia in early April and was instructed to remain in his hotel at the airport, but instead took a train to the centre to visit some shops.”

  A good example of proper enforcement.

  • Anna says:

    13 May13 May 11:06

    That tallies with Singapore’s reputation for law enforcement. I thought you had to be fairly intelligent to be a pilot as well!

    • Pat the Postie says:

      13 May13 May 11:28

      Intelligent and common sense don’t always come hand in hand

• Isobel Brown says:

  13 May13 May 10:42

  Have carhire booked with Canadian Affair for August. Deposit £154 paid in Feb, balance (£620) due end May.
  Rang then (followed up on Twitter) and they said if I pay balance and travel ban still in place in August, they will not refund but instead issue voucher.
  So my options are cancel and lose deposit or throw good money after bad.
  Any thoughts of further action to take?

  • Rob says:

    13 May13 May 10:45

    It’s unlikely to work that way. IF a travel ban is in place, then your flights will almost certainly be cancelled. Once your flights are cancelled, you are legally entitled to a full cash refund of your holiday.

    You are only stuffed if a) the flight goes and b) the hotel is open and c) you choose not to fly or a travel ban stops you flying.

    Up to you if you think the risk of the three things above happening is high enough to quit now and lose the £154.

    (PS. There is no travel ban. You are free to fly, but you’ll need to stay at home for 2 weeks when you come back. This might not be an issue.)

    • Isobel Brown says:

      13 May13 May 11:29

      Our flights are BA rewards flights and our hotels all booked on Hotels.com or via Airbnb. The only thing on this booking is car hire.

      • Nick_C says:

        13 May13 May 11:31

        Then you are relying on goodwill or (very unlikely) an insurance claim.

    • Nick_C says:

      13 May13 May 11:30

      But is this a package holiday? Were the flights and car hire booked together? Didn’t read that way to me.

      • Isobel Brown says:

        13 May13 May 11:36

        No, Nick. All booked separately.

    • Lockdown Larry says:

      13 May13 May 11:46

      According to the FCO there is a travel ban:

      “Travel Restrictions and borders
      The Canadian authorities are now barring entry to Canada, including at its border with the US, to most foreign nationals, including British nationals. This exclusion will not apply to Canadian citizens and permanent residents or their immediate families, temporary foreign workers, and some international students”

  • Nick_C says:

    13 May13 May 11:32

    In your position, I would accept the holiday is not going to happen and lose the deposit on the car hire.

    • Isobel Brown says:

      13 May13 May 11:40

      Sighs ☹️

      Yes, we’re probably going to lose the deposit plus all the little things on ‘refundable’ hotels and Airbnb cancellations that all add up to over £300. Not a big deal in the scheme of things but annoying all the same.

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