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The new HFP chat thread – Friday 22nd 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/2020/05/22/the-new-hfp-chat-thread-friday-22nd-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

Comments (228)

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

  • Axel says:
    22 May22 May 09:17

    Anyone looked at payments with stripe in similar method with billhop for business?

    • memesweeper says:
      22 May22 May 12:48

      Stripe is for merchants (receivers of money) not consumers, I’m not aware of a way to just send money to arbitrary recipients using Stripe.

      If you do have your own business woe betide you if Amex, Stripe, Barclays etc discover you are paying your business with your own card.

  • Ant says:
    22 May22 May 09:18

    Morning, am I correct in thinking that BA’s “book with confidence” applies to avios booking?

    • Rob says:
      22 May22 May 09:41

      It does, but because the Avios and cash are wrapped up in the voucher, you may prefer a ‘clean’ cancellation anyway. The only exception would be if you’d used a 241 voucher, because the vouchers are now valid until April 2022 and your 241 remains active.

  • Darren says:
    22 May22 May 09:22

    No fav hotel review today?

    • Optimus Prime says:
      22 May22 May 09:29

      They’re not doing it every day.

    • The Savage Squirrel says:
      22 May22 May 09:31

      I missed it too; although it’s getting expensive – there’s at least 2 on that list I’d love to visit :D. One thing it would benefit from as a list is one or two UK properties (although given lack of international options that may well promptly book them out for the next year!).

    • Rob says:
      22 May22 May 09:40

      We have one left from the original batch we commissioned which will run over the weekend.

      Anika and I have just agreed a further 25 so she will be sending out emails today to those people we would like to use. Assuming that at least a few of those 25 use the Bank Holiday to get their review done. we should be up and running again by the end of next week.

      • Optimus Prime says:
        22 May22 May 09:44

        Will you still be running these articles if/when travel picks up?

        • Rob says:
          22 May22 May 09:47

          It wasn’t the plan, but we may keep it running at weekends long term. Realistically I don’t see a big pick up in loyalty promotions etc until at least September so we are likely to keep running them semi-daily over the Summer.

          Even though we don’t write them, it is actually time consuming to edit and commission then (vs knocking out a quick news story) and of course we’re paying the writers. Upside is that I think it will drive Google traffic and, for the ones that Emyr can book, some revenue in the long term.

          • Lady London says:
            22 May22 May 09:53

            It has turned out to be a very good idea @Rob

          • sohan says:
            22 May22 May 14:07

            I’ve really been enjoying them! It’s like a daily reminder that there is a future to look forward to 🙂 Things are still a bit grim in the hospital…

          • Darren says:
            22 May22 May 17:00

            Thanks for the update, I’ve found it really inspiring as my clicking habits are HfP and hotel reviews on FT. The diversity helps broaden my horizons as well.

  • Lady London says:
    22 May22 May 09:33

    Paid holiday until the end of August? And we’re still only in May? Are you a teacher, then, @Lockdown L ?

    • BrightonReader says:
      22 May22 May 10:45

      ALL the teachers I know are still working doing on-line lessons or preparing lessons to send out by emal (or hand delivering them) and then marking the work their pupils have done!

      They are also phoning pupils to offer 1-2-1 help as well as supporting parents in their new home schooling duties.

      And there are still thousands and thousands of teachers physically teaching in schools that are still open for key workers children and those in care etc

      • Thinking Point says:
        22 May22 May 13:21

        Exactly! Fed up of teachers being considered as free-loading. We have also been writing reports, going in for children of key workers, setting homework, replying to their emails and work, speaking to every child in our class by phone, attending online training and webinar and now preparing classrooms and resources for the children to return on 1st of June. People also forget that a lot of teachers have children of their own too and as parents, we have to oversee their learning too. Please be sensitive when posting stuff about teachers sitting at home and getting paid for doing nothing.

        • ankomonkey says:
          22 May22 May 13:54

          +1

          I’m not a teacher, but headmistress of my kids’ school seems to be working incredibly hard and did so during the Easter holidays. My daughter’s teacher is also in regular contact, mainly for motivation purposes. I’ve been very grateful and very impressed at their work ethic.

        • Thinking Point says:
          22 May22 May 14:11

          Thank you ankomonkey. Also, schools have open during Easter holidays and will be open during the May half term next week so we are having to go in during what would have been holidays for us. I just feel so many have no respect for teachers when we are exposed to so many children and adults at school. If people haven’t got anything nice to say, not to worry but they just need to keep their jibes and sarcasm to themselves!

    • Doug M says:
      22 May22 May 11:18

      They may call you back early 🙂

  • Optimus Prime says:
    22 May22 May 09:39

    People have always taken the ‘government advice’ with a pinch of salt and to the next step.

    There’s been sunbathers in Greenwich Park since 24th March. Since 10th May they’re now gathering in groups of 20+, etc.

    I honestly don’t care though it’d be nice if people still tried to keep 2m away from strangers. We’ve noticed fewer people doing it this week.

    What really annoys me is that yesterday morning at 8:00 the park was covered by garbage – plastic wraps, bottles, broken glass… Don’t want to social distance? Fine by me but is it really necessary to litter all over the park?

    Apologies for the rant 🙂

    • Lady London says:
      22 May22 May 09:50

      +1
      not sure if just thick, or selfish
      maybe both
      Welcome to the UK in 2020

      • Rob says:
        22 May22 May 10:15

        There are virtually no examples of coronavirus being transmitted outdoors, it seems. If you do a quick Google you’ll find there was (not in the UK) a big contact tracing study of 1,285 people and a grand total of 1 person had caught it outdoors.

      • Lady London says:
        22 May22 May 10:18

        TBH older people have told me a couple of times they get walked over on pavements as though they were invisible (even when quite large) when there isnt a virus about. Perhaps it’s what @marcw called “Evolution”.

      • RussellH says:
        22 May22 May 11:34

        I thought that it would be because “young people” cannot look where they are walking because they are focued on their phones. Do they not also walk into lampposts etc.?
        🙂

    • The Lord says:
      22 May22 May 09:52

      Purely anecdotally and based on a couple of walks in London this week that people aren’t moving out the way like they used to too. Also seeing fewer people in masks, maybe the weather causing that?

      • Rob says:
        22 May22 May 10:13

        Once Louis Vuitton etc re-open and you can buy a £500 designer one, you’ll probably see them pick-up!

    • Chris Heyes says:
      22 May22 May 14:21

      Lockdown Larry@ Try coughing & spluttering “NOT into your Elbow” they will run away lol

  • The Lord says:
    22 May22 May 09:49

    Have I got this correct for Book with Confidence with BA Hols? For 2 ppl I book and pay £300 deposit, if I choose not to travel I don’t pay the remainder and get my £300 refunded to me as a voucher?

    • Gruntfuttock says:
      22 May22 May 10:54

      Very interested to read answer to this one. I’m in the same boat so to speak

      • Rhys says:
        22 May22 May 10:59

        Yes, although note point 4 in the T&Cs: “If your holiday includes a non-changeable hotel and/or experience product and you wish to make a date change or apply for a voucher, the value of your original flights will be credited towards this. The amount paid for your original non-changeable hotel and/or experience reservation will be forfeited.”

        • Gruntfuttock says:
          22 May22 May 11:04

          Thanks, no hotel just car hire 🤔

        • The Lord says:
          22 May22 May 11:14

          Yeah, that made me a bit nervous and seems to go against ‘Booking with confidence’

        • BJ says:
          22 May22 May 14:03

          Are any hotels on BA refundable? All of those I recall seeing on the rare occasions I have booked hotels with them were not.

  • Jason says:
    22 May22 May 10:17

    Curve failing on all underlying cards today for payments to Brighton, is it just me?

  • Nelson says:
    22 May22 May 10:42

    Does Ns and I by crv+ihg card still working without Crv fronted and fees?

    • Doug M says:
      22 May22 May 11:30

      Do a hundred and see.

    • Justin says:
      22 May22 May 15:52

      I just tried paying into NS&I with Crv, backed by an M&M MC and it was declined. I don’t have Metal or Fronted turned on. It was working last week.

      • TGLoyalty says:
        22 May22 May 16:59

        M&M worked fine for me just now on a metal.

        Usually you get a prompt telling you you need to switch fronted on rather than just declining your card.

        Does anyone know if there’s any way to pay down your M&M other than wait for the direct debit to be taken?

        • Justin says:
          22 May22 May 17:05

          If you give Diner’s club a call they will give you details of a bank account you can pay into.

          • TGLoyalty says:
            22 May22 May 18:05

            Thanks not an issue right now but will probably need it next month otherwise the card is out of action.

          • Rob says:
            22 May22 May 20:06

            623141 33855463 then your 10 digit account reference which for me starts 201. Send £1 as a test 🙂 Takes a day to show online.

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