Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

The new HFP chat thread – Tuesday 19th 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/2020/05/19/the-new-hfp-chat-thread-tuesday-19th-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!

Comments (250)

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

  • Michael says:

    For some reason Rob deleted my post pertaining to the run around between wife and husband giving each other Amex cards to maximise the 90k bonus even though there is no spend bonus per the 24 month rule.

    Anyway, I gave my wife the link for the Basic Amex, she has a PRG Charge, yet is showing the bonus for reaching £1000 5000 Avios. Is this an error in our favour, or normal? I thought if you had an Amex you would not get any bonus, but maybe I was getting mixed up between pure MR cards and Avvie cards?

    • Michael says:

      I see the restriction on that is only for BA Amex. Damn. Well I will get her to send me the link for the BA Premium Amex for 9000 MR and then the 25k Avvies for me spending £3000 then cancel after a few months.

      • Michael says:

        No actually I am wrong again.

        You GET the welcome bonus on the premium BA Amex if you have had an Amex card except a BA Basic.

        You do NOT get the bonus the basic BA Amex if you have a personal Amex. So that means my wife is lucky to show the bonus.

  • O/T cos Altenburg-Nobitz says:

    Has anyone tried calling BA for a refund recently? How easy was it to get through/long to wait? Any pushback on a refund at all? I needed to cancel our May half-term Avios redemption from LCY – Quimper UIP. Merci !

    • memesweeper says:

      I called at the weekend and got through in minutes. Wasn’t asking for a refund though!

  • Jay H says:

    What tends to be the cheapest way to go business class for 2 people to the Maldives? Will a 5k budget suffice? Don’t mind positioning in EU via Avios or cash

    • Don says:

      Goodness of course 5k is enough. Just wait out QR due to them fiddling the fares right now with their generous rebooking policy.

      • Secret Squirrel says:

        Do you mean the QR rebooking offer that’s been changed now to not be so generous?

    • Andrew says:

      For that budget you can probably fly direct with BA from London in First. Ex-EU with QR in business, likely half that.

      • FloriGuy says:

        Not sure about that. Did two random dates in December (ok peak season but you want to go when hot). £7k for two in J. F will be more. Yes there may (will) be sales but it is not as easy as everyone is making out.

        • Secret Squirrel says:

          Agree, 2.5k each for CW RTN to MLE direct is not seen very often, if at all. 1.25k on QR is rare but not impossible if ex eu position in a sale.

          • Secret Squirrel says:

            Sorry, reading A’s statement on flying F is a definite No. You won’t even touch that in J. The last time we flew LGW-MLE cash prices in J on BA were 3.5k each.

          • Jay H says:

            Don’t mind the indirect. Chance to stretch the legs!

    • Jay H says:

      Thank you! I was worried looking at the current fares!

    • Jay H says:

      Any particular properties people can recommend? Depending on work we are planning on 10 – 14 nights. Sitting on 2.5 million Marriott & 4 million Hilton. Not essential to use, however, budget per night would otherwise be 1 – 1.5k £

      • Rob says:

        Lots of new options now – the JW Marriott, a Ritz-Carlton at the end of 2020, the new Waldorf Astoria, the Conrad. Might be a Curio Collection by Hilton too. For 14 nights you want to swap half way.

      • Babyg says:

        North Island Seychelles is 355k per night if you have miles to burn..

        • Jay H says:

          Another million Marriott points then maybe! Looks very nice.

  • Don says:

    Seychelles seems a lot nice and far fewer Chinese.

    • Secret Squirrel says:

      Don: you tend to only see a lot of Chinese in The Maldives during their New year, other than that just the same as other nationalities. Seychelles is ok but in our opinion not as nice as Maldives but may depend on where you stay.

      • Don says:

        Do you prefer Labriz over Conrad, or WA? I have 10 Free Night Vouchers which obviously are worth a lot for WA, but I chose Labriz given I thought speaking French might be more pleasant then the Maldives…

        • Secret Squirrel says:

          Definitely Connrad over Labriz, not been to WA as had it booked but was cancelled due to C19.
          We decided to go back to the Conrad Maldives next Feb in the end.

        • Secret Squirrel says:

          10 x free nights Don, how did you accumulate that many?
          I thought the Hilton Barclaycard free night vouchers only lasted a few years and you can only earn one per year?

        • MD says:

          Does it have to be Labriz? Liked it, but Silhouette island was something else.

    • Kai says:

      How about other races?

    • Jay H says:

      Went last year!

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