The new HFP chat thread – Sunday 31st May

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• Baji Nahid says:

  31 May31 May 03:26

  Stuck in a bit of a palava.

  My friend done a cash payment for travel using an in person travel agent to go abroad. The country closed the borders and her flights cancelled therefore she was stuck. I managed to get her on a repatriation flight back to the UK and paid with my credit card.

  Problem is, the airline the saudi airlines, who are taking no responsibility, but cant blame them as no flights are flying, and she has had to do extra expenditure. Called up Saudia to ask about value of her ticket for refund and they said that the agent has blocked her ticket. Call the agent and they said saudia has blocked the ticket.

  Now ready to go in circles I am not sure what to do, unfortunately shes not in the points game and had no idea about charge back / section 75 as she’s never used these things before and insurance is something for her that she never considered (love and bless my gal).

  Really appreciate any help in this matter, and it is super lovely and thoughtful of the many of you that do help out <3 x

  • ChrisC says:

    31 May31 May 05:54

    If she paid by credit card then she should call them and ask for their advice on s75 / chargeback options but they expect you to have contacted the retailer first.

    This is something the agent should be sorting out for her but they can’t / won’t pay her until Saudi pays them.

    • Baji Nahid says:

      31 May31 May 15:52

      Thank you very much!

  • John says:

    31 May31 May 09:17

    If she paid in actual cash, then only option really is to go to the travel agent in person and get them to call the airline on the phone there. If no progress then have to file a money claim online (you can do it by post too but it costs more)

    • Baji Nahid says:

      31 May31 May 15:52

      Thank you very much for your response john! It is much appreciated! Can I ask you, is this claim through the UK gov website?

      • Charlieface says:

        31 May31 May 20:17

        Yes
        https://www.gov.uk/make-money-claim
        Make sure you claim includes the expenditure on the new flight, not just the cost of the old one, plus any hotel/food costs, plus the fees for the claim plus interest. If they offer to settle don’t settle for less.

• Baji Nahid says:

  31 May31 May 03:28

  Also tesco pet insurance is a money making scam, 4 months in and no points for my sons cat. Complained through email and told to wait 80 days, so just gonna kick off and see what else can be done.

  • Nick_C says:

    31 May31 May 06:16

    Not a money making scam. The cat is now insured.

    • davvero says:

      31 May31 May 07:19

      What cat?

      • Nick_C says:

        31 May31 May 12:08

        You are surely not suggesting that sometime has tried to scam Tesco? 😉

    • Genghis says:

      31 May31 May 07:21

      ^Exactly. Tesco sells insurance, customer buys insurance. Or was your son just trying to make a quick buck? You win some, you lose some.

      • Baji Nahid says:

        31 May31 May 15:55

        it is a money making scam, you take my hard earned money, insure the cat but where are the points that I am due?

    • Spk says:

      31 May31 May 12:41

      If there was no such offer, customers would have chosen the cheapest insurance provider?

      • Baji Nahid says:

        31 May31 May 15:56

        The insurance for the cat was £2.09 so if anything that was a bargain for me

    • Baji Nahid says:

      31 May31 May 15:54

      Yep the cat is insured, but the reason why I went with tesco was because i noticed they had an offer on and when the old policy expired I managed to get the tesco one but wanted to get the points!

  • SammyJ says:

    31 May31 May 08:15

    Mine didn’t appear either online, but unexpectedly I got some Clubcard vouchers in the post last week. Turns out they’d credited to a different, forgotten Clubcard account that must have still had some link to my email address. Can’t find the account online at all, but I’ve got the vouchers!

    • Liz says:

      31 May31 May 14:55

      I am the same – vouchers arrived in the post. Just waiting for the ca££back to move to confirmed. I’ve made 4 payments.

      • Baji Nahid says:

        31 May31 May 15:54

        Thanks ladies much appreciated x

  • Peter K says:

    31 May31 May 08:29

    Yes people have been scamming to make money from it.

    • Baji Nahid says:

      31 May31 May 15:57

      Yep! About time someone highlighted this to them! I will.

• Andrew says:

  31 May31 May 07:22

  Data point on the Amex Plat £100 credit at Waitrose/M&S/Deliveroo/Apple Store offer.

  We used both primary and supplementary cards for £100 transactions at Waitrose on Thursday. Charges hit the account yesterday and 2 x £100 credits have been applied today.

  • Craig says:

    31 May31 May 07:34

    My son was making a Deliveroo purchase anyway using his supp card, credit appeared from Amex the next day.

    • Andrew says:

      31 May31 May 08:23

      Thanks (different) Andrew and Craig, very encouraging.

  • The Original Nick says:

    31 May31 May 08:58

    Did you buy any Gift Cards in those transactions?

    • Andrew says:

      31 May31 May 09:26

      Erm yes. Each transaction was for a £100 gift Waitrose/JL gift card.

      • The Original Nick says:

        31 May31 May 09:44

        Nice one.

  • Matty says:

    31 May31 May 08:59

    Will this trigger if I buy an Amazon gift card at Waitrose?

    • Andrew says:

      31 May31 May 09:05

      I don’t think Waitrose sells third party gift cards like the other supermarkets do.

      • mark2 says:

        31 May31 May 09:40

        Definitely do not sell others’ gift cards.

  • Alan says:

    31 May31 May 20:19

    Good result with the supp card, just a shame some folks on other fora started contacting Amex to ask about supps and got it closed down before many of us had a chance to register! (only read about it when I got back from work in the evening).

    • BuyEMExternalBonds says:

      31 May31 May 22:48

      Yep always the case….

• Nick says:

  31 May31 May 07:23

  Question about IHG IC ambassador,

  Looking at booking a stay at the IC Bali, was wondering if it is possible to book now without IC ambassador and then just buy it before I go to get the benefits or do you have to be an ambassador at time of booking to get the benefits?

  I know the program offers a free weekend night or something like that but can this be used during a cash stay for a club room or only for a basic room?

  Also if anyone has stayed in the club rooms at IC Bali, love to hear you views etc.

  Thanks!

  • Craig says:

    31 May31 May 07:38

    You just need to sign up before you go to ensure the weekend certificate is in your account. Here is the link to the weekend rate booking, often everything but the most expensive suites are included.

    https://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/content/gb/en/ambassador/free-weekend-certificate

  • Secret Squirrel says:

    31 May31 May 07:50

    Nick,
    I’ve researched IC Bali recently, corresponding with FT travellers who stay there frequently. What i discovered is that you can purchase AMB at reception when you check in. This route has been used a few times and the outcome was an immediate, very nice upgrade to suites. I believe also that the free night was applied so a refund added to the bill.
    Club upgrade at the resort is $200 a day, free breakfasts, afternoon tea, private pool usage etc.
    When I asked about being AMB before arriving I was advised do not expect a very a nice upgrade.

    • Secret Squirrel says:

      31 May31 May 07:52

      Anybody stayed at the Conrad Algarve and received an upgrade for being Gold?

      • RM84 says:

        31 May31 May 09:04

        I actually had my best upgrade at Conrad Algarve as a Gold – entry level room to one bedroom suite. However that was also a repeat visit so it may well have been related to that. On other occasions I’ve typically had a one or two category upgrade. And my first time visiting as Diamond in January didn’t actually get me anything better.

      • The Original Nick says:

        31 May31 May 09:09

        I was upgraded to a suite (next to Graeme Souness) facing the the swimming pools but I was Diamond at the time and that was in July of a couple of years ago. I did ask if Gold’s get upgraded (my parents were going a month later) and was told it depends on availability.

        • Brian says:

          31 May31 May 09:52

          Did you ask him what he thought of Paul Pogba?

        • Secret Squirrel says:

          31 May31 May 10:07

          Cheers all for your replies-promising. I will check availability a week before staying up to the arrival to “edge my bets”. 🤟

        • Clive says:

          31 May31 May 10:35

          Sorry to hear that did you get any compensation?

        • Yuff says:

          31 May31 May 10:59

          So you saw all the wags from Hull City there as well, how annoying were they?

    • Andrew says:

      31 May31 May 08:07

      Yes the hotels are on commission to sell AMB, so if you “ponder it” at reception they will offer you a good upgrade in return for buying AMB.

      • Spk says:

        31 May31 May 12:43

        But then the free night certificate cannot be used on the same stay?

• SammyJ says:

  31 May31 May 08:21

  Any recommendations for the best located IHG hotel in New Orleans? Thinking the Crowne Plaza seems to be most central, even tho the IC & Kimpton are roughly the same price. Got a ton of points to use from a cancellation and they’re all about 20k a night. 4 families with teens travelling if that makes a difference.

  • Funtime says:

    31 May31 May 12:02

    I’ve stayed at the Crowne Plaza, great location for the nightlife, jazz and washboards on Bourbon Street.

    A nice bourbon bar as well although expensive from what I can recall.

    The IC is only a few minutes walk away mind, don’t know about the Kimpton.

    Great walking city for a few days, I’d go back. Can get extremely hot and sticky mind.

    Well flew into the airport on a connection, couldn’t find the baggage reclaim. There’s just one I think reclaim on the lower level. Took us about an hour to find.

    • SammyJ says:

      31 May31 May 20:04

      Thanks, my gut is saying the CP, just feels odd booking it when I could have the IC for the same price!

• reney says:

  31 May31 May 08:44

  Morning all, a light Sunday morning question. I think quite a few readers have “gone metal” for their Curve. I was wondering what colour did you choose? I feel like a lot of my cards are blue, so wanted something different and thought I ask what others picked and do you like it?

  • Luckyjim says:

    31 May31 May 09:07

    I missed the bit where you select the colour so it defaulted to red. It looks crap. Go blue.

    • Genghis says:

      31 May31 May 09:12

      I like the red. Different strokes for different folks.

      • Michael says:

        31 May31 May 09:24

        +1 I’m happy with my decision to get the red.

        • Tom H says:

          31 May31 May 10:23

          I went ‘Rose’ which seems to have received a lot of ‘debate’ at work, however I like it!

  • memesweeper says:

    31 May31 May 09:09

    Red. As I have too many black and blue cards.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    31 May31 May 09:43

    Red and I was skeptical but it’s actually a pretty nice red.

    • Rob says:

      31 May31 May 10:08

      Blue is a bit dull (I was given a complimentary Blue).

  • Brian W says:

    31 May31 May 15:35

    I went Red and I like it. Stands out compared to others I think.

  • Alan says:

    31 May31 May 20:20

    I went for red, think it looks pretty decent (although that wasn’t why I went for it!)

    • Reney says:

      31 May31 May 23:51

      Thanks everyone!

• Ron says:

  31 May31 May 09:14

  Hello, just wondering has anyone had their August flights cancelled yet? We’ve got flights booked to FNC in August, BA still selling tickets for our flights at the moment. Thanks.

  • Reeferman says:

    31 May31 May 09:24

    BA seems to be leaving cancellation advice to nearer the time than it did last month.
    My flights early July (LCY/AGP) and mid-July (LHR/PUY) are all still showing.
    Perhaps understandable given all the unknowns (LCY July opening, or not and 14-day quarantine in UK from 8th June to at least 29th June, or not) etc.

  • Rhys says:

    31 May31 May 09:39

    I imagine that BA will be in the process of rebooting its flying program by August. It was originally meant to be July but with the 14 day quarantine that won’t happen, but I can’t see the 14 day quarantine in place until August

    • fivebobbill says:

      31 May31 May 09:47

      Hope not, I just booked Dubai in September!

    • Yorkieflyer says:

      31 May31 May 11:49

      Interesting how BA and EZY for that matter seem to be pondering this whereas Ryanair are much more gung ho. We have cityflyer flights booked for first weekend of the school holidays ex MAN and subject to being let in at the other end intend going.
      I expect BA to not be keen on putting us on a direct Ryanair flight, obviously subject to availability and loads doubtless increasing by the day. Really don’t fancy being rerouted on a two leg flight on say LH

  • Ron says:

    31 May31 May 10:37

    Also, my FNC flight is from LGW, I do hope they stay that way, rather than moving it to LHR, as we already booked a night at Hilton the night before flying, unless Hilton lets us change it to a Hilton at LHR.

• Tom1 says:

  31 May31 May 09:36

  Morning – anyone had any feedback (positive
  Or negative) from the recent Qatar status match?

  It hasn’t been long but hoping for match from sq gold.

  • Yorkieflyer says:

    31 May31 May 11:54

    Nope nothing yet

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