The new HFP chat thread – Friday 29th May

Links on Head for Points may pay us an affiliate commission. A list of partners is here.

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/2020/05/29/the-new-hfp-chat-thread-friday-29th-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.

Secret Squirrel says:

29 May29 May 07:38

Sad news for points redemption IHG – Bora Bora:
InterContinental Moorea has closed its doors for good. Still, InterContinental hotels in Tahiti and Bora Bora (Thalasso & Lea Moana) continue to operate.
- Paul says:
  
  29 May29 May 07:55
  
  Don’t bother about the one in Tahiti as anything other than a day to jump to the islands if you have to.
  - Secret Squirrel says:
    
    29 May29 May 08:07
    
    So just Thalasso, I know that was the best one on points but availability on points is hard so even less choice now for IHG point collectors.
- Cat says:
  
  29 May29 May 09:16
  
  Wow, that sucks! I was hoping to use the points that I’ve been squirrelling away there in a year or two. Boo!
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  29 May29 May 09:38
  
  Though perhaps an interesting opportunity for another operator/brand to pick it up.
  - Secret Squirrel says:
    
    29 May29 May 10:57
    
    That’s what I was thinking TG.
    They must be selling it on!
AlexT says:

29 May29 May 07:50

Is there any remaining way of cancelling a shorthaul Avios redemption via the BA website without incurring a GBP 35 per flight charge? Last I recall, BA had stopped this route completely, and the only way to cancel a booking was to call and pay the obscene fee. Even just forfeiting the taxes already paid is preferable to having to pay GBP 35 to get GBP 17.5 back.

I haven’t been following the discussions on here over the past few weeks so apologies if this has been discussed recently.
- EJH says:
  
  29 May29 May 08:12
  
  Unfortunately not, you need to pay – £35 flat fee per return ticket to get your Avios + taxes back.
  - Yorkieflyer says:
    
    29 May29 May 08:21
    
    Are Avios bookings not covered under the BA/Colgate Ring of Confidence policy?
  - AlexT says:
    
    29 May29 May 08:30
    
    Is it per return ticket? So 17.5 per one-way (some of mine are booked as one-ways)?
    
    Sounds like a pretty cunning plan to get money in through the door. Pay cash now to get the taxes refund in a few months time (+Avios).
    - Secret Squirrel says:
      
      29 May29 May 08:54
      
      If your doing Hilton 100% bonus through points.com remember to use the U.S version of the site we don’t name.
      Just got $40 😀
      - Genghis says:
        
        29 May29 May 09:00
        
        I’ve done this before. Cashed out to Paypal IIRC.
      - Sundar says:
        
        29 May29 May 10:49
        
        Ha very interesting.
      - Tom H says:
        
        29 May29 May 18:55
        
        Thanks for that I had no idea!
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      29 May29 May 09:51
      
      Not it’s per booking per person. So they will charge you £35 to get your Avios and £17.50 back.
      
      It is as per the T&Cs
      - AlexT says:
        
        29 May29 May 10:54
        
        Thanks for the clarification
  - Lady London says:
    
    30 May30 May 16:07
    
    you pay nothing, no canx fees if BA cancelled it or moved the flight timing. you only pay if it’s you choosing to change not them.
Vit says:

29 May29 May 09:16

Not sure if anyone else experiencing this — my partner AMEX gold card has two bonus trackers which are:

Renewal bonus: spend £15k within card anniversary year to get 10k reward points (which is as expected).

WELCOME BONUS: spend 3k within the first 6 months to get 10k reward points.

My amex gold card does not show this. Obviously, 3k within the first 6 months is very doable especially in this current situation.
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  29 May29 May 09:52
  
  Has your partner just applied for a new card and eligible for a welcome bonus (no other personal Amex for 24m)?
  
  I actually thought it was 20k until end of June. These counters aren’t always an indicator you will actually get anything unless you are actually eligible.
  - Vit says:
    
    29 May29 May 10:12
    
    No. She has, at the same time, free blue AMEX card when applied for the gold card and is holding both now. That’s why I am quite surprised to see this and I am sure this Welcome bonus has just been added as initially it was only the renewal bonus.
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      29 May29 May 11:04
      
      It may post but it’s likely it will tbh
Rob says:

29 May29 May 09:22

Apologies to anyone who had issues with an Amex Gold pop-up this morning.

We have had this on the site for years, but 90% of you have never seen it because it only shows to people who visit from Google from inside the UK. It is a way of trying to monetise people who visit to read one old article and then disappear, never to be seen again.

For some weird reason the software seems to have decided that everyone was visiting from Google today. We have now suspended it and hopefully the software provider can fix whatever they broke. It’s never been an issue before.

If you are still seeing it, it is cached in your browser.
- Craig says:
  
  29 May29 May 09:39
  
  Cache cleared and it’s started again? Safari on Mac.
- BJ says:
  
  29 May29 May 10:08
  
  Not true, is this another apple problem? No sign of it on my two Android devices.
  - Secret Squirrel says:
    
    29 May29 May 10:52
    
    Not showing on my Apple?
    - Peter K says:
      
      29 May29 May 22:56
      
      I never had it on Android today. I’ve seen the ad several times before when visited the site using incognito.
Blindman says:

29 May29 May 09:23

Curve:-
Any one know a way to get a response from their CS apart from an email or contact through the App?

It’s been 15 days since I raised a charge back and sent the documents (after their delay in responding) and I have hear nothing back despite sending two email reminders since Monday.

Thanks
New Card says:

29 May29 May 09:37

Six Senses Maxwell and Duxton are deflagging and leaving IHG effective end of May
- Rob says:
  
  29 May29 May 09:40
  
  Thanks. Not hugely surprising – these were meant to be Starwood hotels and the Six Senses move was a last minute thing after the owner didn’t want to work with Marriott post takeover. They never fitted the portfolio and feedback was not great.
  - Darren says:
    
    29 May29 May 10:14
    
    Is that feedback about how the hotels fit into the loyalty scheme or general feedback about the hotels themselves? I’ve been tempted to take a look but plumped for the Capitol Kempinski on my last visit.
    The Six Senses look ‘interesting’ but maybe too quirky?
    - Rob says:
      
      29 May29 May 10:52
      
      General feedback on the hotels, albeit from people who know what ‘real’ Six Senses resorts are like. I’m sure they are perfectly pleasant compared to standard Singapore city hotels although rooms are apparently tiny.
  - TGLoyalty says:
    
    29 May29 May 10:43
    
    Perhaps they will join Marriott. After all their original hotel has continued as a tribute collection hotel.
Chelseafi says:

29 May29 May 09:45

Could someone please remind me those with the SPG card from Jan this year on the extended 3 points per £ offer does it expire 1st June? Thanks
- Harry T says:
  
  29 May29 May 09:56
  
  They are meant to be writing to people in the legacy rate in June. I believe we would technically need advance notice before they changed the rate. Maybe Rob can confirm.
Stephen says:

29 May29 May 09:53

Apologies if this has been noted elsewhere but it looks like there isnt a single long-haul WT+ reward ticket in either direction (using rewardflightfinder) for any day in the next 12 months. Granted I havent tried every destination but I tried a fair few. Anyone else noted this?
- Rhys says:
  
  29 May29 May 09:57
  
  Someone (possibly LadyLondon) posted the other day that RFF was displaying inaccurate information. Have you double checked on SeatSpy?
  - Lady London says:
    
    29 May29 May 14:56
    
    not me that posted that but funnily enough i have noticed the same on the route I’m watching
    - Lady London says:
      
      29 May29 May 14:57
      
      *using seatspy
- Anna says:
  
  29 May29 May 09:57
  
  Where are you looking? I’ve seen quite a few to the US and Caribbean recently on Seatspy.
  - Anna says:
    
    29 May29 May 09:59
    
    Loads showing to MIA, for instance. If you’re using RFF there is something wrong with it at the moment, it wasn’t showing any availability at all from about May 10th next year. I’ve emailed them and they said they’re looking into it.